diff --git a/VERSION_GATES.md b/VERSION_GATES.md
index 99d81b7..6961222 100644
--- a/VERSION_GATES.md
+++ b/VERSION_GATES.md
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ The canonical API for version comparisons lives in
 `core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersion.kt`:
 
 - `BackendVersion.parse(version)` — parse a loose semver string (`"v0.8.5"`, `"0.8"`, …).
-- `BackendVersion.isCompatible(supported, actual)` — same-`major.minor` check (patch ignored).
-- `BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer(actual, minimum)` — `actual ≥ minimum` by `(major, minor)`.
+- `BackendVersion.isCompatible(supported, actual)` — exact `major.minor.patch` match.
+- `BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer(actual, minimum)` — `actual ≥ minimum` by `(major, minor, patch)`.
 - `BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter(footer)` — fallback parse from `customFooter`.
 
 The detected server version is exposed via `ConfigRepository.detectedBackendVersion`
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ The detected server version is exposed via `ConfigRepository.detectedBackendVers
 2. Default to **older-server behavior** when the version is unknown (`detectedBackendVersion == null`). The server may not advertise its version; failing open avoids hiding features from self-hosted installs with stripped customFooters.
 3. Add a row to the table above. Include file + line anchors and the concrete minimum version at which the gate becomes dead code.
 4. If the gated field is a request DTO field, omit it (send `null`) rather than sending a value the server will silently drop — unless you can verify round-trip parity. Silent drops lead to UI state that disagrees with server state.
-5. Never gate on patch versions; the version detection is best-effort and the compat check is minor-version-only.
+5. Patch-version gates are supported. Upstream LibreChat regularly ships breaking API and SSE-shape changes inside a patch bump (the same-minor assumption broke us moving 0.8.4 → 0.8.5), so use the exact patch the feature shipped in.
diff --git a/core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersion.kt b/core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersion.kt
index cc2ac19..c93f290 100644
--- a/core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersion.kt
+++ b/core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersion.kt
@@ -47,26 +47,31 @@ object BackendVersion {
 
     /**
      * Checks whether two versions are compatible.
-     * A mismatch in major or minor version is considered incompatible.
-     * Patch differences are ignored (considered compatible).
+     * Any mismatch in major, minor, or patch is considered incompatible.
      *
-     * @return true if the versions are compatible (same major and minor), false otherwise.
+     * Patch is included because upstream LibreChat has shipped breaking API
+     * changes within the same minor version (e.g. SSE payload shape changes
+     * between 0.8.4 and 0.8.5). Treating patch differences as compatible would
+     * silently mask those.
+     *
+     * @return true if the versions match exactly (major, minor, patch), false otherwise.
      *         Returns true if either version cannot be parsed (fail-open).
      */
     fun isCompatible(supported: String, actual: String): Boolean {
         val supportedVersion = parse(supported) ?: return true
         val actualVersion = parse(actual) ?: return true
-        return supportedVersion.major == actualVersion.major &&
-            supportedVersion.minor == actualVersion.minor
+        return supportedVersion == actualVersion
     }
 
     /**
      * Checks whether [actual] is greater than or equal to [minimum] (feature-gate check).
      *
      * Use this when branching on whether a backend feature was introduced in a
-     * specific version. Patch differences are ignored. Returns true when [actual]
-     * cannot be parsed (fail-open: assume feature is present). Returns false when
-     * [minimum] cannot be parsed (degenerate threshold).
+     * specific version. Comparison is lexicographic over (major, minor, patch) —
+     * patch is included because upstream sometimes ships features and breaking
+     * changes within a patch release. Returns true when [actual] cannot be parsed
+     * (fail-open: assume feature is present). Returns false when [minimum] cannot
+     * be parsed (degenerate threshold).
      *
      * **Contract for callers:** null-check or explicitly handle the unknown-version
      * case before invoking. The fail-open default here is intentional because in
@@ -80,7 +85,7 @@ object BackendVersion {
      *
      * @param actual The version detected from the server (e.g., "0.8.5").
      * @param minimum The minimum version at which the gated feature appears (e.g., "0.8.5").
-     * @return true if [actual] ≥ [minimum] by (major, minor), false otherwise.
+     * @return true if [actual] ≥ [minimum] by (major, minor, patch), false otherwise.
      */
     fun isCompatibleOrNewer(actual: String, minimum: String): Boolean {
         val actualVersion = parse(actual) ?: return true
@@ -88,7 +93,10 @@ object BackendVersion {
         if (actualVersion.major != minimumVersion.major) {
             return actualVersion.major > minimumVersion.major
         }
-        return actualVersion.minor >= minimumVersion.minor
+        if (actualVersion.minor != minimumVersion.minor) {
+            return actualVersion.minor > minimumVersion.minor
+        }
+        return actualVersion.patch >= minimumVersion.patch
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/common/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersionTest.kt b/core/common/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersionTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d1c956
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/common/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/garfiec/librechat/core/common/BackendVersionTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package com.garfiec.librechat.core.common
+
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+import kotlin.test.assertFalse
+import kotlin.test.assertNull
+import kotlin.test.assertTrue
+
+class BackendVersionTest {
+
+    // region parse
+
+    @Test
+    fun parseAcceptsFullSemver() {
+        val v = BackendVersion.parse("0.8.5")
+        assertEquals(BackendVersion.SemanticVersion(0, 8, 5), v)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun parseAcceptsLeadingV() {
+        assertEquals(BackendVersion.SemanticVersion(1, 2, 3), BackendVersion.parse("v1.2.3"))
+        assertEquals(BackendVersion.SemanticVersion(1, 2, 3), BackendVersion.parse("V1.2.3"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun parseDefaultsPatchToZero() {
+        assertEquals(BackendVersion.SemanticVersion(0, 8, 0), BackendVersion.parse("0.8"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun parseRejectsGarbage() {
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.parse("garbage"))
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.parse("1"))
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.parse("1.x.0"))
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.parse(""))
+    }
+
+    // endregion
+
+    // region isCompatible
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleExactMatch() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleRejectsPatchMismatch() {
+        // The reason this function exists in its tightened form: upstream ships
+        // breaking changes inside the same minor (0.8.4 → 0.8.5 changed SSE shape).
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "0.8.4"))
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "0.8.6"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleRejectsMinorMismatch() {
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "0.9.0"))
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "0.7.0"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleRejectsMajorMismatch() {
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "1.0.0"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleFailsOpenOnUnparseableInput() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatible("garbage", "0.8.5"))
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatible("0.8.5", "garbage"))
+    }
+
+    // endregion
+
+    // region isCompatibleOrNewer
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerExactMatchPasses() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.8.5", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerRejectsLowerPatch() {
+        // Pre-fix bug: this returned true because patch was ignored, silently
+        // activating 0.8.5-only features on a 0.8.4 server.
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.8.4", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerAcceptsHigherPatch() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.8.6", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerAcceptsHigherMinor() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.9.0", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerRejectsLowerMinor() {
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.7.99", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerAcceptsHigherMajor() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("1.0.0", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerRejectsLowerMajor() {
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.8.5", "1.0.0"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerFailsOpenOnUnparseableActual() {
+        assertTrue(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("garbage", "0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun isCompatibleOrNewerReturnsFalseOnUnparseableMinimum() {
+        assertFalse(BackendVersion.isCompatibleOrNewer("0.8.5", "garbage"))
+    }
+
+    // endregion
+
+    // region extractVersionFromFooter
+
+    @Test
+    fun extractVersionFromFooterParsesDefaultMarkdown() {
+        val footer = "[LibreChat v0.8.5](https://librechat.ai) - Free, Open Source"
+        assertEquals("0.8.5", BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter(footer))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun extractVersionFromFooterParsesPlainText() {
+        assertEquals("0.8.5", BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter("LibreChat v0.8.5"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun extractVersionFromFooterAcceptsTwoDigitVersions() {
+        assertEquals("0.8", BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter("LibreChat v0.8"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun extractVersionFromFooterReturnsNullOnNoMatch() {
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter(null))
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter(""))
+        assertNull(BackendVersion.extractVersionFromFooter("custom footer text"))
+    }
+
+    // endregion
+}