diff --git a/src/ucode/agents/claude.py b/src/ucode/agents/claude.py
index b5cc7207..8de3ea7f 100644
--- a/src/ucode/agents/claude.py
+++ b/src/ucode/agents/claude.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     sync_smart_routing_hooks,
 )
 from ucode.state import MANAGED_OVERLAY_KEY, is_tool_managed, mark_tool_managed, save_state
-from ucode.telemetry import agent_version, ucode_version
+from ucode.telemetry import agent_version, ucode_release_version
 from ucode.tracing import tracing_env
 from ucode.ui import print_note, print_success, print_warning
 
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ def render_overlay(
     # traffic to ucode.
     header_lines = [
         "x-databricks-use-coding-agent-mode: true",
-        f"User-Agent: ucode/{ucode_version()} claude/{agent_version('claude')}",
+        f"User-Agent: ucode/{ucode_release_version()}",
     ]
     if provider:
         header_lines.append(f"{MODEL_PROVIDER_SERVICE_HEADER}: {provider}")
diff --git a/src/ucode/telemetry.py b/src/ucode/telemetry.py
index 639ddae9..0dc18ea8 100644
--- a/src/ucode/telemetry.py
+++ b/src/ucode/telemetry.py
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ def ucode_version() -> str:
         return "unknown"
 
 
+def ucode_release_version() -> str:
+    """Return the package release version without local build metadata."""
+    return ucode_version().split("+", 1)[0]
+
+
 @cache
 def agent_version(binary: str) -> str:
     """Return the agent CLI's reported version, or "unknown" on any failure.
diff --git a/tests/test_agent_claude.py b/tests/test_agent_claude.py
index 4a8a0ac1..eda66055 100644
--- a/tests/test_agent_claude.py
+++ b/tests/test_agent_claude.py
@@ -447,14 +447,20 @@ def test_managed_keys_include_env_entries(self):
 
 
 class TestRenderOverlayUserAgent:
-    def _ua(self, monkeypatch) -> str:
-        monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "ucode_version", lambda: "0.1.0")
-        monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "agent_version", lambda binary: "2.1.136")
+    def _ua(self, monkeypatch, claude_version: str = "2.1.136") -> str:
+        monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "ucode_release_version", lambda: "0.1.0")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "agent_version", lambda binary: claude_version)
         overlay, _ = claude.render_overlay(WS, "s4")
         return overlay["env"]["ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS"]
 
     def test_user_agent_present(self, monkeypatch):
-        assert "User-Agent: ucode/0.1.0 claude/2.1.136" in self._ua(monkeypatch)
+        assert "User-Agent: ucode/0.1.0" in self._ua(monkeypatch)
+
+    def test_user_agent_does_not_change_when_claude_updates(self, monkeypatch):
+        user_agent = self._ua(monkeypatch, "2.1.272")
+
+        assert user_agent == "x-databricks-use-coding-agent-mode: true\nUser-Agent: ucode/0.1.0"
+        assert "claude/" not in user_agent
 
     def test_existing_databricks_header_preserved(self, monkeypatch):
         assert "x-databricks-use-coding-agent-mode: true" in self._ua(monkeypatch)
@@ -853,7 +859,7 @@ def test_managed_file_merges_anthropic_custom_headers(self, monkeypatch):
             }
         }
         self._patch(monkeypatch, private_writes, managed_writes, existing_managed_settings)
-        monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "ucode_version", lambda: "1.0")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "ucode_release_version", lambda: "1.0")
         monkeypatch.setattr(claude, "agent_version", lambda _binary: "2.0")
         state = {"workspace": WS, "codex_models": []}
 
@@ -863,7 +869,7 @@ def test_managed_file_merges_anthropic_custom_headers(self, monkeypatch):
         merged_headers = json.loads(text)["env"]["ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS"]
         assert merged_headers.splitlines() == [
             "X-Enterprise-Header: retain",  # Preserved from existing managed settings.
-            "User-Agent: ucode/1.0 claude/2.0",  # From ucode; overwrites existing.
+            "User-Agent: ucode/1.0",  # From ucode; overwrites existing.
             "x-databricks-use-coding-agent-mode: true",  # Newly added by ucode.
         ]
 
diff --git a/tests/test_e2e_user_agent.py b/tests/test_e2e_user_agent.py
index 55f2f1d7..4296f49b 100644
--- a/tests/test_e2e_user_agent.py
+++ b/tests/test_e2e_user_agent.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from ucode.telemetry import agent_version, ucode_version
+from ucode.telemetry import agent_version, ucode_release_version, ucode_version
 
 
 def _require_binary(binary: str):
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ def capture_server():
 
 
 def _expected_ua(agent_name: str, binary: str) -> str:
-    return f"ucode/{ucode_version()} {agent_name}/{agent_version(binary)}"
+    version = ucode_release_version() if agent_name == "claude" else ucode_version()
+    return f"ucode/{version} {agent_name}/{agent_version(binary)}"
 
 
 def _assert_ua(req: _CapturedRequest, expected: str) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_telemetry.py b/tests/test_telemetry.py
index a60a7863..1a35b522 100644
--- a/tests/test_telemetry.py
+++ b/tests/test_telemetry.py
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ def test_returns_string(self):
         assert telemetry.ucode_version() != ""
 
 
+class TestUcodeReleaseVersion:
+    def test_drops_local_build_metadata(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr(telemetry, "ucode_version", lambda: "0.1.0+172.g673cff4")
+
+        assert telemetry.ucode_release_version() == "0.1.0"
+
+
 class TestAgentVersion:
     def setup_method(self):
         # The helper is @cache'd; clear between tests so each gets a clean run.