diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b40f31e..7cea72b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file. The format
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.5.3] - 2026-07-30
+
+### Changed
+
+- [#204](https://github.com/mohanagy/miftah/issues/204) Kept guided Console setup reachable after configurations already exist through a visible **Set up another MCP** action. Returning users can create a separate named configuration through the reviewed local STDIO secret/API-key, native OAuth, returning provider-owned account, provider-adapter OAuth, or manual upstream-auth paths; successful publication refreshes discovery immediately. Existing files are never overwritten, unsafe catalog candidates remain unavailable with bounded diagnostics, audit fields remain redacted, and private-directory, inode-anchored POSIX publication, bounded no-shell subprocess, and Windows containment contracts remain fail closed.
+- [#309](https://github.com/mohanagy/miftah/issues/309) Prepared the compatible v0.5.3 patch release for returning-user Console setup. Miftah remains experimental and pre-1.0. Closing #204 was an owner waiver of its three-evaluator acceptance criterion, not evidence that those evaluations occurred; external validation remains incomplete under #25, #88, #202, and #290.
+
 ## [0.5.2] - 2026-07-29
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0ea87e9..fa7a4e4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Install Miftah, then choose the terminal wizard or the browser Console. Both use
 ### 1. Install the current release
 
 ```bash
-npm install -g @lubab/miftah@0.5.2
+npm install -g @lubab/miftah@0.5.3
 miftah version
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/presets-and-clients.md b/docs/presets-and-clients.md
index 200d921..fff88a7 100644
--- a/docs/presets-and-clients.md
+++ b/docs/presets-and-clients.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 This is the compatibility source of truth for generated `miftah init` configurations and client snippets.
 
 - Catalog version: `3`
-- Miftah package version: `0.5.2`
+- Miftah package version: `0.5.3`
 - Last tested / validation boundary: the catalog builds strict Miftah configuration that `validateConfig` accepts. The docs contract test checks generated configuration only; it does **not** construct a runtime, start, authenticate to, or smoke-test external providers.
 
 Miftah itself requires Node.js `>=20`. That does not establish an upstream server's Node requirement.
diff --git a/docs/whats-new-in-0.5.md b/docs/whats-new-in-0.5.md
index e52261f..423d65d 100644
--- a/docs/whats-new-in-0.5.md
+++ b/docs/whats-new-in-0.5.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # What is in Miftah 0.5
 
-Install `@lubab/miftah@0.5.2` when you want Miftah to guide setup instead of assembling a multi-account configuration by hand:
+Install `@lubab/miftah@0.5.3` when you want Miftah to guide setup instead of assembling a multi-account configuration by hand:
 
 ```bash
-npm install -g @lubab/miftah@0.5.2
+npm install -g @lubab/miftah@0.5.3
 miftah version
 ```
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 329468d..e43cb89 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@lubab/miftah",
-  "version": "0.5.2",
+  "version": "0.5.3",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@lubab/miftah",
-      "version": "0.5.2",
+      "version": "0.5.3",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "^1.30.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d4e1003..b7a0582 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@lubab/miftah",
-  "version": "0.5.2",
+  "version": "0.5.3",
   "description": "Wrap any MCP. Use the right account without reconnecting.",
   "keywords": [
     "mcp",
diff --git a/tests/release-version.test.ts b/tests/release-version.test.ts
index 05fac75..58e8730 100644
--- a/tests/release-version.test.ts
+++ b/tests/release-version.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
-const releaseVersion = "0.5.2";
+const releaseVersion = "0.5.3";
 
 function readRepositoryFile(path: string): string {
   return readFileSync(new URL(`../${path}`, import.meta.url), "utf8");
@@ -21,11 +21,17 @@ function releaseNotes(changelog: string, version: string): string {
   return changelog.slice(match.index, end < 0 ? undefined : end);
 }
 
-describe("v0.5.2 release artifacts", () => {
+describe("v0.5.3 release artifacts", () => {
   it.each([
-    "## [0.5.2] - 2026-7-29\n\n### Fixed\n",
-    "Release candidate: ## [0.5.2] - 2026-07-29\n\n### Fixed\n"
-  ])("requires a dated release heading at the start of a line", (changelog) => {
+    {
+      name: "a non-zero-padded date",
+      changelog: "## [0.5.3] - 2026-7-30\n\n### Changed\n"
+    },
+    {
+      name: "a heading that does not start its line",
+      changelog: "Release candidate: ## [0.5.3] - 2026-07-30\n\n### Changed\n"
+    }
+  ])("rejects $name", ({ changelog }) => {
     expect(() => releaseNotes(changelog, releaseVersion)).toThrow(
       `Unable to find the ${releaseVersion} changelog entry.`
     );
@@ -65,21 +71,20 @@ describe("v0.5.2 release artifacts", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it("documents the evaluator-driven recovery fixes while retaining the experimental package status", () => {
+  it("documents returning-user setup while retaining the experimental package status", () => {
     const changelog = readRepositoryFile("CHANGELOG.md");
     const notes = releaseNotes(changelog, releaseVersion);
 
     expect(notes).toContain("Miftah remains experimental and pre-1.0");
-    expect(notes).toContain("### Fixed");
-    const fixedStart = notes.indexOf("### Fixed");
-    const fixedEnd = notes.indexOf("\n### ", fixedStart + "### Fixed".length);
-    const fixedNotes = notes.slice(fixedStart, fixedEnd < 0 ? undefined : fixedEnd);
-    for (const issue of [203, 300, 301, 305]) {
-      expect(fixedNotes).toContain(`[#${issue}](https://github.com/mohanagy/miftah/issues/${issue})`);
+    expect(notes).toContain("### Changed");
+    const changedStart = notes.indexOf("### Changed");
+    const changedEnd = notes.indexOf("\n### ", changedStart + "### Changed".length);
+    const changedNotes = notes.slice(changedStart, changedEnd < 0 ? undefined : changedEnd);
+    for (const issue of [204, 309]) {
+      expect(changedNotes).toContain(`[#${issue}](https://github.com/mohanagy/miftah/issues/${issue})`);
     }
-    expect(notes).toMatch(/found, ready, and need-attention/iu);
-    expect(notes).toMatch(/still-valid Console sessions across refresh/iu);
-    expect(notes).toMatch(/names-only environment-secret readiness/iu);
+    expect(notes).toMatch(/Set up another MCP/iu);
+    expect(notes).toMatch(/owner waiver/iu);
     expect(notes).toMatch(/external validation remains incomplete/iu);
 
     const readme = readRepositoryFile("README.md");