diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4a08e3b45c..898afbb167 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,21 @@
 
 ---
 
+## [2.6.1] — 2026-03-15
+
+> Critical startup fix: v2.6.0 global npm installs crashed with a 500 error due to a Turbopack/webpack module-name hashing bug in the Next.js 16 instrumentation hook.
+
+### 🐛 Bug Fixes
+
+- **fix(build)**: Force `better-sqlite3` to always be required by its exact package name in the webpack server bundle. Next.js 16 compiled the instrumentation hook into a separate chunk and emitted `require('better-sqlite3-<hash>')` — a hashed module name that doesn't exist in `node_modules` — even though the package was listed in `serverExternalPackages`. Added an explicit `externals` function to the server webpack config so the bundler always emits `require('better-sqlite3')`, resolving the startup `500 Internal Server Error` on clean global installs. (#394, PR #395)
+
+### 🔧 CI
+
+- **ci**: Added `workflow_dispatch` to `npm-publish.yml` with version sync safeguard for manual triggers (#392)
+- **ci**: Added `workflow_dispatch` to `docker-publish.yml`, updated GitHub Actions to latest versions (#392)
+
+---
+
 ## [2.6.0] - 2026-03-15
 
 > Issue resolution sprint: 4 bugs fixed, logs UX improved, Kiro credit tracking added.
diff --git a/docs/openapi.yaml b/docs/openapi.yaml
index 68e2daaa5f..ca744ff081 100644
--- a/docs/openapi.yaml
+++ b/docs/openapi.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 openapi: 3.1.0
 info:
   title: OmniRoute API
-  version: 2.6.0
+  version: 2.6.1
   description: |
     OmniRoute is a local-first AI API proxy router. It provides an OpenAI-compatible
     endpoint that routes requests to multiple AI providers with load balancing,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4abc3677e9..f83aa2df14 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "omniroute",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "Smart AI Router with auto fallback — route to FREE & cheap models, zero downtime. Works with Cursor, Cline, Claude Desktop, Codex, and any OpenAI-compatible tool.",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {