diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 956a274..be641d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -193,8 +193,12 @@ jobs:
         run: brew install protobuf
       - name: Install protoc (Windows)
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: choco install protoc -y --no-progress
+        # Pull protoc from GitHub releases via the maintained action rather
+        # than the community Chocolatey feed, which intermittently 504s and
+        # fails the build with "Could not find protoc".
+        uses: arduino/setup-protoc@v3
+        with:
+          repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       # macOS builds the whole workspace; Windows builds peat-cli only.
       # The peat-node root crate uses Unix-only crates (e.g. iroh's
       # underlying transport pulls in libc) that the Windows port hasn't
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index cbfb3e0..2c624e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -212,8 +212,11 @@ jobs:
         run: brew install protobuf
       - name: Install protoc (Windows)
         if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: choco install protoc -y --no-progress
+        # GitHub-releases protoc via the maintained action — avoids the
+        # community Chocolatey feed's intermittent 504s.
+        uses: arduino/setup-protoc@v3
+        with:
+          repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       - name: Build peat-cli
         run: cargo build --release -p peat-cli
       - name: Smoke `peat --help` (Unix)
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 375f162..13148ca 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.4.5] - 2026-06-19
+
 ### Added
 
 - **Send-side outbox watcher** (`PEAT_NODE_ATTACHMENT_OUTBOX_WATCH=true`, opt-in)
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 950a639..b1e3cf0 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3886,7 +3886,7 @@ checksum = "57c0d7b74b563b49d38dae00a0c37d4d6de9b432382b2892f0574ddcae73fd0a"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "peat-cli"
-version = "0.4.4"
+version = "0.4.5"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "assert_cmd",
@@ -3959,7 +3959,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "peat-node"
-version = "0.4.4"
+version = "0.4.5"
 dependencies = [
  "aes-gcm",
  "anyhow",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 27789e9..85f3abf 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ resolver = "2"
 
 [package]
 name = "peat-node"
-version = "0.4.4"
+version = "0.4.5"
 edition = "2021"
 authors = ["Kit Plummer <kitplummer@defenseunicorns.com>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/chart/peat-node/Chart.yaml b/chart/peat-node/Chart.yaml
index c985e67..c95c2ad 100644
--- a/chart/peat-node/Chart.yaml
+++ b/chart/peat-node/Chart.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ apiVersion: v2
 name: peat-node
 description: Peat mesh sidecar — gRPC API for co-located applications
 type: application
-version: 0.4.4
-appVersion: "0.4.4"
+version: 0.4.5
+appVersion: "0.4.5"
diff --git a/chart/peat-node/values.yaml b/chart/peat-node/values.yaml
index 6037713..f125735 100644
--- a/chart/peat-node/values.yaml
+++ b/chart/peat-node/values.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # -- Container image
 image:
   repository: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node
-  tag: v0.4.4
+  tag: v0.4.5
   pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 
 # -- gRPC listen address (inside the pod)
diff --git a/crates/peat-cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/peat-cli/Cargo.toml
index ecb74f1..66d6a61 100644
--- a/crates/peat-cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/peat-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "peat-cli"
-version = "0.4.4"
+version = "0.4.5"
 edition = "2021"
 authors = ["Kit Plummer <kitplummer@defenseunicorns.com>"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/examples/compose/attachments/README.md b/examples/compose/attachments/README.md
index 7381952..8debb5d 100644
--- a/examples/compose/attachments/README.md
+++ b/examples/compose/attachments/README.md
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ ls inbox-b/                                # files appear here per distribution_
 docker compose -f docker-compose.two-node.yml down -v
 ```
 
-(Pulls `ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4`. For testing local
+(Pulls `ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5`. For testing local
 changes, swap the `image:` line for the commented `build:` block in
 both services.)
 
diff --git a/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.multi-host.yml b/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.multi-host.yml
index 52cc7b6..f1669ff 100644
--- a/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.multi-host.yml
+++ b/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.multi-host.yml
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ services:
     # Deterministic identity + `derive-id` require peat-node v0.4.4+. To run
     # local changes ahead of a release, comment out `image:` and uncomment
     # `build:`.
-    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4
+    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5
     # build:
     #   context: ../../..
     container_name: peat-node-${NODE_ID}
diff --git a/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.two-node.yml b/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.two-node.yml
index 76f76ae..9e3403d 100644
--- a/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.two-node.yml
+++ b/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.two-node.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ services:
     # SubscribeAttachmentBundle one frame short of terminal. For
     # testing local changes, comment out `image:` and uncomment the
     # `build:` block.
-    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4
+    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5
     # build:
     #   context: ../../..
     container_name: peat-node-attachments-a
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ services:
       - ./outbox-a:/var/lib/peat/outbox:ro
 
   peat-node-b:
-    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4
+    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5
     # build:
     #   context: ../../..
     container_name: peat-node-attachments-b
diff --git a/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.yml b/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.yml
index 0a862f5..2bcb70d 100644
--- a/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/examples/compose/attachments/docker-compose.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ services:
     # use v0.3.0+ for the delivery demo. For testing changes ahead of
     # a release, comment out the `image:` line and uncomment the
     # `build:` block to build from the repo root.
-    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4
+    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5
     # build:
     #   context: ../../..
     container_name: peat-node-attachments
diff --git a/examples/compose/docker-compose.yml b/examples/compose/docker-compose.yml
index 47baa8d..b2c5c0e 100644
--- a/examples/compose/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/examples/compose/docker-compose.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ services:
   peat-node-a:
     # Latest published release. For testing changes ahead of a release, comment
     # this out and uncomment the `build:` block to build from the repo root.
-    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4
+    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5
     # build:
     #   context: ../..
     container_name: peat-node-a
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ services:
       - peat-node-a-data:/data/peat-node
 
   peat-node-b:
-    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.4
+    image: ghcr.io/defenseunicorns/peat-node:v0.4.5
     # build:
     #   context: ../..
     container_name: peat-node-b