diff --git a/.github/workflows/compatibility.yml b/.github/workflows/compatibility.yml
index 25642e7..2165d73 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/compatibility.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/compatibility.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       upcoming_base_cli:
-        description: "Optional pip requirement suffix for an upcoming build, for example ==0.4.4rc1"
+        description: "Optional pip requirement suffix for an upcoming build, for example ==0.5.1rc1"
         required: false
         type: string
 
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ jobs:
         python-version: ["3.10", "3.13"]
         base_cli:
           - name: minimum released
-            spec: "==0.4.3"
+            spec: "==0.5.0"
           - name: latest supported
-            spec: ">=0.4.3,<0.5"
+            spec: ">=0.5.0,<0.6"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5
       - name: Set up Python
diff --git a/.github/workflows/published-release-assets.yml b/.github/workflows/published-release-assets.yml
index 2133009..f42af5a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/published-release-assets.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/published-release-assets.yml
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         python-version: ["3.10", "3.13"]
         base_cli:
-          - name: minimum-0.4.3
-            spec: "==0.4.3"
+          - name: minimum-0.5.0
+            spec: "==0.5.0"
           - name: latest-supported
-            spec: ">=0.4.3,<0.5"
+            spec: ">=0.5.0,<0.6"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5
         with:
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           {
             printf 'Release tag: %s\n' "$RELEASE_TAG"
-            printf 'Declared Base-CLI range: base-cli>=0.4.3,<0.5\n\n'
+            printf 'Declared Base-CLI range: base-cli>=0.5.0,<0.6\n\n'
             find release-dist/compatibility-evidence -name compatibility.txt -print -exec cat {} \;
           } > release-dist/COMPATIBILITY.txt
           sha256sum release-dist/*.whl release-dist/*.tar.gz release-dist/COMPATIBILITY.txt > release-dist/SHA256SUMS.txt
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7d7ba3a..f56b246 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and versions are tracked in the repo-root `VERSION` file.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- Align the reference consumer, compatibility matrix, release evidence, and
+  documentation with the Base-CLI 0.5.0 API line; successful telemetry spans
+  now assert the 0.5.0 `status=OK` lifecycle contract.
+
 ## [0.1.0] - 2026-09-02
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dbcd4cb..f1a3add 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,12 +39,17 @@ $ northstar --quiet status
 
 ### Install an existing release
 
-The first immutable demo release is not published yet. The documented
-from-source install above is the supported path until
-[#28](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli-demo/issues/28) completes the
-release readiness gates. After publication, this section should be restored
-with the verified wheel URL, checksum, and matching `base-cli` dependency line;
-do not infer a release from the source `VERSION` file.
+To install the first published demo release without cloning the repository:
+
+```bash
+python -m pip install \
+  "https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli-demo/releases/download/v0.1.0/base_cli_demo-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl"
+```
+
+Verify the artifact against `SHA256SUMS.txt` on the same GitHub Release. The
+published `v0.1.0` wheel depends on the released `base-cli>=0.4.3,<0.5`
+API line. The current source and next demo release target the
+`base-cli>=0.5.0,<0.6` line; neither installs Base or requires a Base workspace.
 
 The default environment is `dev`. Select another fixture environment with the
 framework lifecycle option:
@@ -138,9 +143,8 @@ python -m pip install ".[dev]"
 ```
 
 The package requires Python 3.10 or newer and pins the supported Base-CLI line
-to `>=0.4.3,<0.5`. This checkout carries source version `0.1.0`; immutable
-publication is tracked separately in #28, and demo release versioning remains
-independent from framework versioning.
+to `>=0.5.0,<0.6`. This checkout targets the next demo release after `v0.1.0`;
+demo release versioning remains separate from framework versioning.
 
 ## Documentation
 
@@ -151,8 +155,8 @@ release. To start with a minimal consumer rather than the full demo, use the
 
 For framework-level material, start at the
 [Base-CLI repository](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli), its
-[getting-started guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/README.md#quick-start),
-or the [public API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/api-reference.md).
+[getting-started guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/README.md#quick-start),
+or the [public API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/api-reference.md).
 
 ## Repository shape
 
diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 62236df..0873ccc 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -26,5 +26,5 @@ the complete Northstar consumer:
 
 For the framework's complete material, start at the
 [Base-CLI repository](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli), its
-[getting-started guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/README.md#quick-start),
-or the [public API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/api-reference.md).
+[getting-started guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/README.md#quick-start),
+or the [public API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/api-reference.md).
diff --git a/docs/compatibility.md b/docs/compatibility.md
index 2cd2ddf..ab3136d 100644
--- a/docs/compatibility.md
+++ b/docs/compatibility.md
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ The demo is a consumer of the published `base-cli` package, not a source
 checkout consumer. Its declared support range is visible in `pyproject.toml`:
 
 ```text
-base-cli>=0.4.3,<0.5
+base-cli>=0.5.0,<0.6
 ```
 
 The [Compatibility workflow](../.github/workflows/compatibility.yml) builds a
-wheel from this repository, installs the minimum released Base-CLI (`0.4.3`)
-and the latest release in the supported `<0.5` line, then installs the demo
+wheel from this repository, installs the minimum released Base-CLI (`0.5.0`)
+and the latest release in the supported `<0.6` line, then installs the demo
 wheel without dependencies before running the tests. It covers Python 3.10
 and 3.13, the ends of the supported interpreter range used by this repository.
 
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ quickstart appear healthy.
 
 The update policy is intentionally explicit:
 
-- `0.4.3` is the minimum compatibility floor and changes only with a support
+- `0.5.0` is the minimum compatibility floor and changes only with a support
   decision.
-- `<0.5` keeps the demo on the released 0.4 API line until a future issue
+- `<0.6` keeps the demo on the released 0.5 API line until a future issue
   evaluates the next minor API boundary.
 - A pull request or release should update the range, tests, and this document
   together when the supported Base-CLI line changes.
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ The update policy is intentionally explicit:
 ## Upcoming builds
 
 Run the workflow manually and provide a pip requirement suffix such as
-`==0.4.4rc1` in the `upcoming_base_cli` input. The `upcoming` job is explicitly
+`==0.5.1rc1` in the `upcoming_base_cli` input. The `upcoming` job is explicitly
 non-blocking, so it provides early compatibility evidence without turning an
 unreleased framework build into the supported release gate.
diff --git a/docs/learning-path.md b/docs/learning-path.md
index e4f25b4..84a6424 100644
--- a/docs/learning-path.md
+++ b/docs/learning-path.md
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ Open `src/base_cli_demo/cli.py` while following the examples:
   repository conventions mandatory.
 
 For deeper framework context, continue with the Base-CLI
-[API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/api-reference.md),
-[consumer profiles](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/consumer-profiles.md),
-[output contracts](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/output-contracts.md),
-[JSON contracts](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/json-contracts.md),
+[API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/api-reference.md),
+[consumer profiles](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/consumer-profiles.md),
+[output contracts](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/output-contracts.md),
+[JSON contracts](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/json-contracts.md),
 and [testing guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/main/docs/testing.md).
 
 ## Current behavior and future scope
diff --git a/docs/optional-integrations.md b/docs/optional-integrations.md
index db73071..d75c3bf 100644
--- a/docs/optional-integrations.md
+++ b/docs/optional-integrations.md
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ Without the extra, the command reports `telemetry=unavailable (install
 records the span in an in-memory exporter and prints its name/status; it does
 not attach argv, configuration, paths, or secrets.
 
+Successful invocations report `status=OK`; failed invocations report an error
+status while preserving the command's primary exit result.
+
 The focused tests run in both modes: the normal CI job exercises the minimal
 fallbacks, while the optional-integration CI job installs all three extras and
 exercises the enabled adapters.
diff --git a/docs/should-i-use-base-cli.md b/docs/should-i-use-base-cli.md
index dcab520..f222c7c 100644
--- a/docs/should-i-use-base-cli.md
+++ b/docs/should-i-use-base-cli.md
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 
 ## Status and compatibility
 
-As of this guide, the newest published Base-CLI release is `0.4.3`; the package
-is pre-1.0 and classified as Beta. The demo currently tests the released
-`>=0.4.3,<0.5` line. This is not a promise that every future pre-1.0 minor line
+As of this guide, the target Base-CLI release is `0.5.0`; the package is pre-1.0
+and classified as Beta. The demo tests the released `>=0.5.0,<0.6` line. This
+is not a promise that every future pre-1.0 minor line
 is compatible: Base-CLI's published policy treats patch releases as compatible
 and allows a minor release before 1.0 to be a compatibility boundary. Read the
-[API stability policy](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/api-stability.md)
-and [migration notes](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/migrations.md)
+[API stability policy](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/api-stability.md)
+and [migration notes](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/migrations.md)
 when changing the dependency range. The demo's lockfile records a reproducible
 resolved environment; readers moving to the 0.5 line should also read the
 [0.5 migration notes](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/main/docs/migration-0.5.md).
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ and domain policy, but its entry point and tests now follow Base-CLI's
 invocation model. The consuming team must maintain its supported dependency
 range, lock or otherwise reproduce the environment, and run compatibility
 tests when upgrading. Before 1.0, a minor framework upgrade may require a
-compatibility review or code changes; this demo's `<0.5` bound deliberately
-does not follow a future 0.5 line automatically.
+compatibility review or code changes; this demo's `<0.6` bound deliberately
+does not follow a future 0.6 line automatically.
 
 ## Alternatives and trade-offs
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ does not follow a future 0.5 line automatically.
 | Base-CLI with Click or Typer | A shared lifecycle and documented automation/output boundary around a familiar parser. | One more dependency, an integration model to learn, and compatibility work as the framework evolves. |
 
 For the parser-focused comparison maintained by the framework project, see its
-[framework choice guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/framework-choice.md).
+[framework choice guide](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/framework-choice.md).
 For primary references, see the official
 [argparse documentation](https://docs.python.org/3/library/argparse.html),
 [Click documentation](https://click.palletsprojects.com/), and
diff --git a/docs/use-in-your-project.md b/docs/use-in-your-project.md
index b5de47c..e6231c1 100644
--- a/docs/use-in-your-project.md
+++ b/docs/use-in-your-project.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ invocation lifecycle.
 Install the released framework line used by this demo:
 
 ```bash
-python -m pip install "base-cli>=0.4.3,<0.5" "click>=8.1,<8.6"
+python -m pip install "base-cli>=0.5.0,<0.6" "click>=8.1,<8.6"
 ```
 
 Save this as `hello.py`:
@@ -48,5 +48,5 @@ consumer-owned configuration, and structured output.
 The `App` and `attach` calls establish the framework boundary; the Click
 function remains your command. See the framework's
 [consumer quickstart](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/main/docs/consumer-quickstart.md)
-and [API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.4.3/docs/api-reference.md)
+and [API reference](https://github.com/basefoundry/base-cli/blob/v0.5.0/docs/api-reference.md)
 for the public interfaces.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1a86836..1f9a1b1 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ description = "Reference consumer and learning application for the base-cli fram
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
-  "base-cli>=0.4.3,<0.5",
+  "base-cli>=0.5.0,<0.6",
   "click>=8.1,<8.6",
 ]
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ rich = [
   "rich>=13.7,<15",
 ]
 yaml = [
-  "base-cli[yaml]>=0.4.3,<0.5",
+  "base-cli[yaml]>=0.5.0,<0.6",
 ]
 telemetry = [
   "opentelemetry-api>=1.24,<2",
diff --git a/tests/test_documentation.py b/tests/test_documentation.py
index c8abd26..7b7e9fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_documentation.py
+++ b/tests/test_documentation.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def test_documented_dependency_windows_match_project_metadata() -> None:
     metadata = Path("pyproject.toml").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     starter = Path("docs/use-in-your-project.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
 
-    for requirement in ('"base-cli>=0.4.3,<0.5"', '"click>=8.1,<8.6"'):
+    for requirement in ('"base-cli>=0.5.0,<0.6"', '"click>=8.1,<8.6"'):
         assert requirement in metadata
         assert requirement.strip('"') in starter
 
diff --git a/tests/test_optional_scenarios.py b/tests/test_optional_scenarios.py
index f23849f..752f69c 100644
--- a/tests/test_optional_scenarios.py
+++ b/tests/test_optional_scenarios.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def test_telemetry_sdk_records_the_base_cli_lifecycle_span(tmp_path: Path) -> No
     assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
     assert "recorded_spans=1" in result.stdout
     assert "span=base_cli.run" in result.stdout
-    assert "status=UNSET" in result.stdout
+    assert "status=OK" in result.stdout
 
 
 def test_rich_human_renderer_runs_on_a_real_terminal(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index a32f7c9..480bcc3 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -22,14 +22,14 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "base-cli"
-version = "0.4.3"
+version = "0.5.0"
 source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "click" },
 ]
-sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/85/aa/cb963f3a1e26b84e44992d2dd08a31539bd94454b4d26104f30e9d3d375a/base_cli-0.4.3.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:d9d05ff479c2f0ff03334a69f4f20cb17b2e1844d94e8727f837e5b8dfe3fc95", size = 320272, upload-time = "2026-08-29T04:19:08.582Z" }
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/59/65/bf7f021710d7c56321cafbadbfe5550aee7a4b917e010aa69abce470a2e5/base_cli-0.5.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:262b66a303f4ca821484e6a603c56379c26bf7f3526bc2cf1ae3b2c9a9027396", size = 411984, upload-time = "2026-10-10T01:20:39.682Z" }
 wheels = [
-    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/7b/d3/8ad3a107480e55b9ac956a84460616d9152c4ca7055c50acec12ca40785e/base_cli-0.4.3-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:b4bf684d164b9fdf31d1d0176dfcb5359cedf9b22434d6f6a5483243e27c9b89", size = 123477, upload-time = "2026-08-29T04:19:07.27Z" },
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/cd/da/5144962d9f50943e367ef6afeb4938021868be1841a80af45c2ddfe3f186/base_cli-0.5.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:68ea16c38bc5bff49a328e2d03a6c2f2d182be1967a366f542c7092332da0d98", size = 144776, upload-time = "2026-10-10T01:20:38.314Z" },
 ]
 
 [package.optional-dependencies]
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ yaml = [
 
 [package.metadata]
 requires-dist = [
-    { name = "base-cli", specifier = ">=0.4.3,<0.5" },
-    { name = "base-cli", extras = ["yaml"], marker = "extra == 'yaml'", specifier = ">=0.4.3,<0.5" },
+    { name = "base-cli", specifier = ">=0.5.0,<0.6" },
+    { name = "base-cli", extras = ["yaml"], marker = "extra == 'yaml'", specifier = ">=0.5.0,<0.6" },
     { name = "build", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=1.2,<2" },
     { name = "click", specifier = ">=8.1,<8.6" },
     { name = "opentelemetry-api", marker = "extra == 'telemetry'", specifier = ">=1.24,<2" },