diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
index 2c2b3fe..1ba26b5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pr.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ jobs:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           config-file: .github/release-please-config.json
           manifest-file: .github/.release-please-manifest.json
+          skip-labeling: true
 
   publish-cli:
     needs: release-pr
diff --git a/plugins/compound-engineering/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/compound-engineering/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json
index 02c2c2c..88bcd27 100644
--- a/plugins/compound-engineering/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/compound-engineering/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "compound-engineering",
   "displayName": "Compound Engineering",
-  "version": "2.33.0",
+  "version": "2.42.0",
   "description": "AI-powered development tools. 29 agents, 44 skills, 1 MCP server for code review, research, design, and workflow automation.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Kieran Klaassen",
diff --git a/src/release/metadata.ts b/src/release/metadata.ts
index 745300c..d15a1d5 100644
--- a/src/release/metadata.ts
+++ b/src/release/metadata.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ export type MetadataSyncResult = {
   updates: FileUpdate[]
 }
 
+function resolveExpectedVersion(
+  explicitVersion: string | undefined,
+  fallbackVersion: string,
+): string {
+  return explicitVersion ?? fallbackVersion
+}
+
 export async function countMarkdownFiles(root: string): Promise<number> {
   const entries = await fs.readdir(root, { withFileTypes: true })
   let total = 0
@@ -110,10 +117,18 @@ export async function syncReleaseMetadata(options: SyncOptions = {}): Promise<Me
   const codingTutorClaude = await readJson<ClaudePluginManifest>(codingTutorClaudePath)
   const codingTutorCursor = await readJson<CursorPluginManifest>(codingTutorCursorPath)
   const marketplaceClaude = await readJson<MarketplaceManifest>(marketplaceClaudePath)
+  const expectedCompoundVersion = resolveExpectedVersion(
+    versions["compound-engineering"],
+    compoundClaude.version,
+  )
+  const expectedCodingTutorVersion = resolveExpectedVersion(
+    versions["coding-tutor"],
+    codingTutorClaude.version,
+  )
 
   let changed = false
-  if (versions["compound-engineering"] && compoundClaude.version !== versions["compound-engineering"]) {
-    compoundClaude.version = versions["compound-engineering"]
+  if (compoundClaude.version !== expectedCompoundVersion) {
+    compoundClaude.version = expectedCompoundVersion
     changed = true
   }
   if (compoundClaude.description !== compoundDescription) {
@@ -124,8 +139,8 @@ export async function syncReleaseMetadata(options: SyncOptions = {}): Promise<Me
   if (write && changed) await writeJson(compoundClaudePath, compoundClaude)
 
   changed = false
-  if (versions["compound-engineering"] && compoundCursor.version !== versions["compound-engineering"]) {
-    compoundCursor.version = versions["compound-engineering"]
+  if (compoundCursor.version !== expectedCompoundVersion) {
+    compoundCursor.version = expectedCompoundVersion
     changed = true
   }
   if (compoundCursor.description !== compoundDescription) {
@@ -136,16 +151,16 @@ export async function syncReleaseMetadata(options: SyncOptions = {}): Promise<Me
   if (write && changed) await writeJson(compoundCursorPath, compoundCursor)
 
   changed = false
-  if (versions["coding-tutor"] && codingTutorClaude.version !== versions["coding-tutor"]) {
-    codingTutorClaude.version = versions["coding-tutor"]
+  if (codingTutorClaude.version !== expectedCodingTutorVersion) {
+    codingTutorClaude.version = expectedCodingTutorVersion
     changed = true
   }
   updates.push({ path: codingTutorClaudePath, changed })
   if (write && changed) await writeJson(codingTutorClaudePath, codingTutorClaude)
 
   changed = false
-  if (versions["coding-tutor"] && codingTutorCursor.version !== versions["coding-tutor"]) {
-    codingTutorCursor.version = versions["coding-tutor"]
+  if (codingTutorCursor.version !== expectedCodingTutorVersion) {
+    codingTutorCursor.version = expectedCodingTutorVersion
     changed = true
   }
   updates.push({ path: codingTutorCursorPath, changed })
@@ -159,8 +174,8 @@ export async function syncReleaseMetadata(options: SyncOptions = {}): Promise<Me
 
   for (const plugin of marketplaceClaude.plugins) {
     if (plugin.name === "compound-engineering") {
-      if (versions["compound-engineering"] && plugin.version !== versions["compound-engineering"]) {
-        plugin.version = versions["compound-engineering"]
+      if (plugin.version !== expectedCompoundVersion) {
+        plugin.version = expectedCompoundVersion
         changed = true
       }
       if (plugin.description !== `AI-powered development tools that get smarter with every use. Make each unit of engineering work easier than the last. Includes ${await countMarkdownFiles(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", "agents"))} specialized agents and ${await countSkillDirectories(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", "skills"))} skills.`) {
@@ -169,8 +184,8 @@ export async function syncReleaseMetadata(options: SyncOptions = {}): Promise<Me
       }
     }
 
-    if (plugin.name === "coding-tutor" && versions["coding-tutor"] && plugin.version !== versions["coding-tutor"]) {
-      plugin.version = versions["coding-tutor"]
+    if (plugin.name === "coding-tutor" && plugin.version !== expectedCodingTutorVersion) {
+      plugin.version = expectedCodingTutorVersion
       changed = true
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/release-metadata.test.ts b/tests/release-metadata.test.ts
index 25b3e9e..d8c1a02 100644
--- a/tests/release-metadata.test.ts
+++ b/tests/release-metadata.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,86 @@
-import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
-import { buildCompoundEngineeringDescription } from "../src/release/metadata"
+import { mkdtemp, mkdir, writeFile } from "fs/promises"
+import os from "os"
+import path from "path"
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { buildCompoundEngineeringDescription, syncReleaseMetadata } from "../src/release/metadata"
+
+const tempRoots: string[] = []
+
+afterEach(async () => {
+  for (const root of tempRoots.splice(0, tempRoots.length)) {
+    await Bun.$`rm -rf ${root}`.quiet()
+  }
+})
+
+async function makeFixtureRoot(): Promise<string> {
+  const root = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "release-metadata-"))
+  tempRoots.push(root)
+
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", "agents", "review"), {
+    recursive: true,
+  })
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", "skills", "ce-plan"), {
+    recursive: true,
+  })
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", ".claude-plugin"), {
+    recursive: true,
+  })
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", ".cursor-plugin"), {
+    recursive: true,
+  })
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, "plugins", "coding-tutor", ".claude-plugin"), {
+    recursive: true,
+  })
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, "plugins", "coding-tutor", ".cursor-plugin"), {
+    recursive: true,
+  })
+  await mkdir(path.join(root, ".claude-plugin"), { recursive: true })
+
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", "agents", "review", "agent.md"),
+    "# Review Agent\n",
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", "skills", "ce-plan", "SKILL.md"),
+    "# ce:plan\n",
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", ".mcp.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ mcpServers: { context7: { command: "ctx7" } } }, null, 2),
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", ".claude-plugin", "plugin.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ version: "2.42.0", description: "old" }, null, 2),
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", ".cursor-plugin", "plugin.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ version: "2.33.0", description: "old" }, null, 2),
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "coding-tutor", ".claude-plugin", "plugin.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ version: "1.2.1" }, null, 2),
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, "plugins", "coding-tutor", ".cursor-plugin", "plugin.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ version: "1.2.1" }, null, 2),
+  )
+  await writeFile(
+    path.join(root, ".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json"),
+    JSON.stringify(
+      {
+        metadata: { version: "1.0.0", description: "marketplace" },
+        plugins: [
+          { name: "compound-engineering", version: "2.41.0", description: "old" },
+          { name: "coding-tutor", version: "1.2.0", description: "old" },
+        ],
+      },
+      null,
+      2,
+    ),
+  )
+
+  return root
+}
 
 describe("release metadata", () => {
   test("builds the current compound-engineering manifest description from repo counts", async () => {
@@ -8,4 +89,13 @@ describe("release metadata", () => {
       "AI-powered development tools. 29 agents, 44 skills, 1 MCP server for code review, research, design, and workflow automation.",
     )
   })
+
+  test("detects cross-surface version drift even without explicit override versions", async () => {
+    const root = await makeFixtureRoot()
+    const result = await syncReleaseMetadata({ root, write: false })
+    const changedPaths = result.updates.filter((update) => update.changed).map((update) => update.path)
+
+    expect(changedPaths).toContain(path.join(root, "plugins", "compound-engineering", ".cursor-plugin", "plugin.json"))
+    expect(changedPaths).toContain(path.join(root, ".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json"))
+  })
 })