diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 69e82f1..8ff2f5e 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "2.6.0"
+  ".": "2.6.1"
 }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7596dc1..3714b3a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [2.6.1](https://github.com/chrischall/fetchproxy/compare/v2.6.0...v2.6.1) (2026-09-08)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **extension:** deliver the pair code from the value in hand, and say when it cannot ([#306](https://github.com/chrischall/fetchproxy/issues/306)) ([4c7695b](https://github.com/chrischall/fetchproxy/commit/4c7695b5daca2ea9d0927921c7c92de861764ad3))
+
 ## [2.6.0](https://github.com/chrischall/fetchproxy/compare/v2.5.4...v2.6.0) (2026-09-08)
 
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 98e7aeb..258feac 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "fetchproxy",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "fetchproxy",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "workspaces": [
         "packages/*"
@@ -2903,35 +2903,35 @@
     },
     "packages/bootstrap": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/bootstrap",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0",
-        "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.0"
+        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1",
+        "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.1"
       }
     },
     "packages/cli": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/cli",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/bootstrap": "^2.6.0",
-        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0",
-        "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.0"
+        "@fetchproxy/bootstrap": "^2.6.1",
+        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1",
+        "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.1"
       },
       "bin": {
         "fpx": "dist/index.js"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/test-helpers": "^2.6.0"
+        "@fetchproxy/test-helpers": "^2.6.1"
       }
     },
     "packages/extension-chrome": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/extension-chrome",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/extension-core": "^2.6.0",
-        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0"
+        "@fetchproxy/extension-core": "^2.6.1",
+        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "esbuild": "^0.28.2",
@@ -2940,9 +2940,9 @@
     },
     "packages/extension-core": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/extension-core",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0"
+        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@types/chrome": "^0.2.7",
@@ -2951,15 +2951,15 @@
     },
     "packages/protocol": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/protocol",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
     "packages/server": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/server",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0",
+        "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1",
         "ws": "^8.21.3"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -2968,10 +2968,10 @@
     },
     "packages/test-helpers": {
       "name": "@fetchproxy/test-helpers",
-      "version": "2.6.0",
+      "version": "2.6.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "peerDependencies": {
-        "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.0",
+        "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.1",
         "vitest": ">=1.0.0"
       }
     }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0b86329..837b5a6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fetchproxy",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "workspaces": [
diff --git a/packages/bootstrap/package.json b/packages/bootstrap/package.json
index 3332330..584c502 100644
--- a/packages/bootstrap/package.json
+++ b/packages/bootstrap/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/bootstrap",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "One-shot session-bootstrap helper for MCPs using fetchproxy: declare your scope, read it once, then operate from Node.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
   },
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0",
-    "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.0"
+    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1",
+    "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 6f8e347..67fa5bb 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/cli",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "One-shot CLI for the fetchproxy bridge: authenticated fetches and session reads through the user's signed-in browser tab, scoped by per-service profiles.",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@
   },
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/bootstrap": "^2.6.0",
-    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0",
-    "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.0"
+    "@fetchproxy/bootstrap": "^2.6.1",
+    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1",
+    "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/test-helpers": "^2.6.0"
+    "@fetchproxy/test-helpers": "^2.6.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/version.ts b/packages/cli/src/version.ts
index d72e071..bc80957 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/version.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/version.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 // Managed by release-please (generic updater) — do not hand-edit.
-export const VERSION = '2.6.0'; // x-release-please-version
+export const VERSION = '2.6.1'; // x-release-please-version
diff --git a/packages/extension-chrome/manifest.json b/packages/extension-chrome/manifest.json
index 5547849..8dd80e0 100644
--- a/packages/extension-chrome/manifest.json
+++ b/packages/extension-chrome/manifest.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "manifest_version": 3,
   "name": "Transporter",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "Bridge local MCP servers to your signed-in browser tabs — let agentic tools hit authenticated APIs without copying credentials.",
   "icons": {
     "16": "icons/16.png",
diff --git a/packages/extension-chrome/package.json b/packages/extension-chrome/package.json
index 20c9597..e2e44d7 100644
--- a/packages/extension-chrome/package.json
+++ b/packages/extension-chrome/package.json
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/extension-chrome",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "build": "tsx build.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/extension-core": "^2.6.0",
-    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0"
+    "@fetchproxy/extension-core": "^2.6.1",
+    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "esbuild": "^0.28.2",
diff --git a/packages/extension-core/package.json b/packages/extension-core/package.json
index 33c7638..5e29907 100644
--- a/packages/extension-core/package.json
+++ b/packages/extension-core/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/extension-core",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     "build": "tsc -b"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0"
+    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/chrome": "^0.2.7",
diff --git a/packages/protocol/package.json b/packages/protocol/package.json
index be180a1..30d0a85 100644
--- a/packages/protocol/package.json
+++ b/packages/protocol/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/protocol",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "WebSocket frame types + runtime validators for fetchproxy.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/server/package.json b/packages/server/package.json
index 0f673c3..f50427d 100644
--- a/packages/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/server",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "Localhost WebSocket bridge an MCP server uses to relay fetches through the user's signed-in browser via the fetchproxy extension.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
   },
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.0",
+    "@fetchproxy/protocol": "^2.6.1",
     "ws": "^8.21.3"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/test-helpers/package.json b/packages/test-helpers/package.json
index f104564..4ad1538 100644
--- a/packages/test-helpers/package.json
+++ b/packages/test-helpers/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@fetchproxy/test-helpers",
-  "version": "2.6.0",
+  "version": "2.6.1",
   "description": "Vitest mock helpers for @fetchproxy/server — drop-in FetchproxyServer mock that captures constructor opts and exposes spy-able request/fetch/captureRequestHeader/bridgeHealth methods.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
   },
   "license": "MIT",
   "peerDependencies": {
-    "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.0",
+    "@fetchproxy/server": "^2.6.1",
     "vitest": ">=1.0.0"
   }
 }