diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a5ba9db5e..c8a745a21 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     "build:cli": "tsc -p tsconfig.src.json",
     "typecheck:cli": "tsc -p tsconfig.cli.json",
     "prepare": "if command -v tsc >/dev/null 2>&1 || [ -x node_modules/.bin/tsc ]; then npm run build:cli; fi && npm install --omit=dev --ignore-scripts 2>/dev/null || true && if [ -d .git ]; then if command -v prek >/dev/null 2>&1; then prek install; elif [ -d node_modules/@j178/prek ]; then echo \"ERROR: prek package found but binary not in PATH\" && exit 1; else echo \"Skipping git hook setup (prek not installed)\"; fi; fi",
-    "prepublishOnly": "cd nemoclaw && env -u npm_config_global -u npm_config_prefix -u npm_config_omit npm install --ignore-scripts && ./node_modules/.bin/tsc"
+    "prepublishOnly": "git describe --tags --match 'v*' | sed 's/^v//' > .version && test -s .version && cd nemoclaw && env -u npm_config_global -u npm_config_prefix -u npm_config_omit npm install --ignore-scripts && ./node_modules/.bin/tsc"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "p-retry": "^4.6.2",
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     "p-retry"
   ],
   "files": [
+    ".version",
     "bin/",
     "nemoclaw/dist/",
     "nemoclaw/openclaw.plugin.json",
diff --git a/src/lib/version.test.ts b/src/lib/version.test.ts
index 66bfbd577..6da6952a7 100644
--- a/src/lib/version.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/version.test.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@ describe("lib/version", () => {
     rmSync(join(testDir, ".version"));
   });
 
+  it("regression #1239: returns .version even when package.json is stale", () => {
+    // npm-published tarballs ship with a stale package.json version (0.1.0)
+    // and a .version file stamped from the git tag at publish time. The
+    // installed CLI must report the .version contents, not the package.json
+    // semver. See issue #1239.
+    writeFileSync(join(testDir, "package.json"), JSON.stringify({ version: "0.1.0" }));
+    writeFileSync(join(testDir, ".version"), "0.0.2");
+    expect(getVersion({ rootDir: testDir })).toBe("0.0.2");
+    rmSync(join(testDir, ".version"));
+    writeFileSync(join(testDir, "package.json"), JSON.stringify({ version: "1.2.3" }));
+  });
+
   it("returns a string", () => {
     expect(typeof getVersion({ rootDir: testDir })).toBe("string");
   });