diff --git a/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/pre-commit b/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/pre-commit
index 676cb31..ff3f604 100755
--- a/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/pre-commit
+++ b/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/pre-commit
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # agents-tools-version: 1
-exec "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.agents-tools/version-bump" precommit
+# Delegates to the repo's committed .agents-tools/version-bump. Guarded so a
+# missing script or failed rev-parse never blocks the commit (always exit 0).
+root="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)" || exit 0
+[ -x "$root/.agents-tools/version-bump" ] && "$root/.agents-tools/version-bump" precommit
+exit 0
diff --git a/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/prepare-commit-msg b/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/prepare-commit-msg
index 5d4ef84..57aed4a 100755
--- a/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/prepare-commit-msg
+++ b/scripts/agents-tools/hooks/prepare-commit-msg
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # agents-tools-version: 1
-exec "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.agents-tools/version-bump" prepmsg "$1"
+# Delegates to the repo's committed .agents-tools/version-bump. Guarded so a
+# missing script or failed rev-parse never blocks the commit (always exit 0).
+root="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)" || exit 0
+[ -x "$root/.agents-tools/version-bump" ] && "$root/.agents-tools/version-bump" prepmsg "$1"
+exit 0
diff --git a/scripts/agents-tools/test-version-bump.sh b/scripts/agents-tools/test-version-bump.sh
index c8f78ad..96668bb 100644
--- a/scripts/agents-tools/test-version-bump.sh
+++ b/scripts/agents-tools/test-version-bump.sh
@@ -87,6 +87,34 @@ git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep -qF 'add specs (v1.1.0)' || fail "e2e structure me
 echo z > specs/z.md
 git add -A; git commit -q -m "edit spec"
 [ "$(cat .version)" = 1.1.1 ] || fail "e2e content: want 1.1.1 got $(cat .version)"
+git log -1 --pretty=%s | grep -qF 'edit spec (v1.1.1)' || fail "e2e content message: $(git log -1 --pretty=%s)"
 
 cd /; rm -rf "$r"
 echo "e2e OK"
+
+# ── corrupt .version recovers to a clean baseline ────────────────────────────
+r="$(new_repo)"; cd "$r"
+mkdir -p plans; : > plans/.gitkeep
+echo 1.0.0 > .version
+git add -A; "$SCRIPT" precommit; git commit -q -m init
+printf '1.\n' > .version          # partial/corrupt
+echo hi > plans/a.md
+git add -A; "$SCRIPT" precommit
+[ "$(cat .version)" = 1.0.1 ] || fail "corrupt recovery: want 1.0.1 got $(cat .version)"
+cd /; rm -rf "$r"
+echo "corrupt-recovery OK"
+
+# ── hook never blocks a commit when version-bump is missing ──────────────────
+r="$(new_repo)"; cd "$r"
+mkdir -p .agents-tools/hooks
+cp "$HERE/hooks/pre-commit" .agents-tools/hooks/pre-commit
+cp "$HERE/hooks/prepare-commit-msg" .agents-tools/hooks/prepare-commit-msg
+chmod +x .agents-tools/hooks/pre-commit .agents-tools/hooks/prepare-commit-msg
+# note: .agents-tools/version-bump intentionally NOT copied
+git config core.hooksPath .agents-tools/hooks
+echo hi > file.txt
+git add -A
+git commit -q -m "no bumper present" || fail "missing version-bump blocked the commit"
+git rev-parse -q --verify HEAD >/dev/null || fail "commit did not happen"
+cd /; rm -rf "$r"
+echo "hook-resilience OK"
diff --git a/scripts/agents-tools/version-bump b/scripts/agents-tools/version-bump
index a8689c5..72a950a 100755
--- a/scripts/agents-tools/version-bump
+++ b/scripts/agents-tools/version-bump
@@ -38,11 +38,14 @@ bump_precommit() {
         return 0
     fi
 
-    local major minor patch
-    IFS=. read -r major minor patch < "$vfile"
-    case "$major$minor$patch" in
-        *[!0-9]*|"") major=1; minor=0; patch=0 ;;
-    esac
+    local ver major minor patch
+    ver="$(head -n1 "$vfile")"
+    if printf '%s' "$ver" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'; then
+        IFS=. read -r major minor patch <<< "$ver"
+    else
+        # Corrupt/partial .version (e.g. "1." or "abc") → reset to a clean baseline.
+        major=1; minor=0; patch=0
+    fi
 
     if [ "$(read_dirset HEAD)" != "$(read_dirset INDEX)" ]; then
         minor=$((minor + 1)); patch=0