diff --git a/mempalace/smoke_upgrade.py b/mempalace/smoke_upgrade.py
index 8e86a87b48..13f3f548ea 100644
--- a/mempalace/smoke_upgrade.py
+++ b/mempalace/smoke_upgrade.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import argparse
 import json
 import os
+import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -38,8 +39,6 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import Iterable
 
-from .version import __version__  # noqa: F401  (kept for parity / introspection)
-
 MIN_VERSION = "3.4.0"
 
 # The full set of tools the server is expected to advertise. Pinned explicitly
@@ -99,8 +98,10 @@
 def _parse_version(v: str) -> list[int]:
     parts: list[int] = []
     for component in str(v).split("."):
-        digits = "".join(ch for ch in component if ch.isdigit())
-        parts.append(int(digits) if digits else 0)
+        # Take only LEADING digits so a pre-release suffix is the base number,
+        # not a misread patch: "3.4.0rc1" -> [3, 4, 0], not [3, 4, 1].
+        m = re.match(r"\d+", component)
+        parts.append(int(m.group()) if m else 0)
     return parts
 
 
@@ -175,14 +176,19 @@ def _mcp_session(
     if env:
         proc_env.update(env)
     payload = "".join(json.dumps(r) + "\n" for r in requests)
-    proc = subprocess.run(
-        server_cmd,
-        input=payload,
-        capture_output=True,
-        text=True,
-        env=proc_env,
-        timeout=timeout,
-    )
+    try:
+        proc = subprocess.run(
+            server_cmd,
+            input=payload,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            env=proc_env,
+            timeout=timeout,
+        )
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        # A hung server must produce a clean FAIL report (no responses), not
+        # crash the gate — the gate exists to detect a broken server.
+        return {}
     responses: dict = {}
     for line in proc.stdout.splitlines():
         line = line.strip()
diff --git a/tests/test_smoke_upgrade.py b/tests/test_smoke_upgrade.py
index e94b6356af..1debc66f3e 100644
--- a/tests/test_smoke_upgrade.py
+++ b/tests/test_smoke_upgrade.py
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@
     (MEMPALACE_PALACE_PATH=tmpdir); the configured palace gains no drawer.
 """
 
+import subprocess
+
 import pytest
 
-# RED: this import fails until mempalace/smoke_upgrade.py exists.
+import mempalace.smoke_upgrade as su
 from mempalace.smoke_upgrade import (
     EXPECTED_TOOLS,
     SmokeReport,
@@ -54,6 +56,35 @@ def test_version_meets_two_component_is_padded():
     assert version_meets("3.3", "3.4.0") is False
 
 
+def test_version_parse_prerelease_suffix_is_not_mis_read_as_patch():
+    # Polish note (3): a pre-release like "3.4.0rc1" must parse the base
+    # version, NOT read "0rc1" as patch 1. Leading-digits-per-component.
+    assert su._parse_version("3.4.0rc1") == [3, 4, 0]
+    assert version_meets("3.4.0rc1", "3.4.0") is True  # rc of 3.4.0 satisfies the floor
+    assert version_meets("3.3.0rc5", "3.4.0") is False  # 3.3.x rc is still below
+
+
+def test_mcp_session_timeout_yields_empty_not_crash(monkeypatch):
+    # Polish note (2): a hung server must produce a clean FAIL report, not crash
+    # the gate. _mcp_session catches subprocess.TimeoutExpired and returns {}.
+    def _raise_timeout(*a, **k):
+        raise subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd="server", timeout=1)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(su.subprocess, "run", _raise_timeout)
+    responses = su._mcp_session([{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize", "params": {}}])
+    assert responses == {}  # no responses, no exception
+
+
+def test_run_smoke_reports_fail_when_server_hangs(monkeypatch):
+    def _raise_timeout(*a, **k):
+        raise subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd="server", timeout=1)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(su.subprocess, "run", _raise_timeout)
+    report = run_smoke(palace_path="/tmp/does-not-matter")
+    assert isinstance(report, SmokeReport)
+    assert report.ok is False  # FAIL, not a crash
+
+
 # ── Pure logic: advertised-tool gate (the staleness catch) ───────────────