diff --git a/features/Terrain Helper/Shaders/Features/TerrainHelper.ini b/features/Terrain Helper/Shaders/Features/TerrainHelper.ini
index a791b0a489..8fb17320b5 100644
--- a/features/Terrain Helper/Shaders/Features/TerrainHelper.ini	
+++ b/features/Terrain Helper/Shaders/Features/TerrainHelper.ini	
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 [Info]
 Version = 1-0-1
+# Activation-only feature (all code lives in the core mod, no shaders here), so
+# opt out of version auditing — bumping this toggle .ini on every edit is churn.
+AuditVersion = false
 
 [Nexus]
 nexusmodid = 143149
 nexusfilegroupid = 000000
 nexusfilename = Terrain Helper
-autoupload = false
+autoupload = true
diff --git a/tools/feature_version_audit.py b/tools/feature_version_audit.py
index 16e52eb8d9..0823b5ed31 100644
--- a/tools/feature_version_audit.py
+++ b/tools/feature_version_audit.py
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ def get_feature_ini_metadata(feature_dir_or_ini_path):
     if not sections:
         sections = ['Info'] if parser.has_section('Info') else []
 
-    metadata = {'auto_upload': False}
+    metadata = {'auto_upload': False, 'audit_version': True}
     for section in sections:
         if not parser.has_section(section):
             continue
@@ -196,6 +196,15 @@ def get_feature_ini_metadata(feature_dir_or_ini_path):
         if auto_upload_str is not None:
             metadata['auto_upload'] = str(auto_upload_str).strip().lower() not in ('false', '0', 'no', 'off', '')
 
+        # Activation-only features keep all code in the core mod; their toggle
+        # .ini opts out of version auditing/bumping with `AuditVersion = false`.
+        # Auditing is on by default, so a blank value must NOT exclude the ini:
+        # only explicit falsy values opt out (unlike auto_upload, which is opt-in
+        # and treats blank as off).
+        audit_version_str = section_items.get('auditversion') or section_items.get('audit_version')
+        if audit_version_str is not None:
+            metadata['audit_version'] = str(audit_version_str).strip().lower() not in ('false', '0', 'no', 'off')
+
         section_metadata = {
             'mod_id': section_items.get('nexusmodid') or section_items.get('nexus_mod_id') or section_items.get('mod_id'),
             'mod_filename': section_items.get('nexusfilename') or section_items.get('nexus_filename') or section_items.get('nexusmodfilename') or section_items.get('nexus_mod_filename') or section_items.get('mod_filename') or section_items.get('modname') or section_items.get('name'),
@@ -630,6 +639,12 @@ def get_feature_key(feature_dir, feature_meta_map):
 
         meta = feature_meta_map.get(feature_key)
         ini_path = get_feature_ini(feature_dir)
+        # Activation-only features (e.g. Terrain Helper) opt out of version
+        # auditing via `AuditVersion = false` in their .ini: all their code lives
+        # in the core mod, so bumping the toggle .ini on every edit is meaningless
+        # churn. Skip them entirely from bump suggestions and PR-check failures.
+        if ini_path and not get_feature_ini_metadata(ini_path).get('audit_version', True):
+            continue
         # Use last release tag (version_ref) as the baseline for version proposals so that
         # multiple PRs between releases don't accumulate spurious bumps.
         prior_ver = get_prior_version(ini_path, version_ref) if ini_path else None