diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 28f87b67..b61079b2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,21 @@ All notable changes to `github-delivery` are documented here.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [1.6.0] - 2026-09-20
+
+### Added
+
+- Self-update now supports the explicit `update --apply --replace-local-modifications` path for replacing reviewed local drift with the verified target release while retaining the existing full-installation backup/rollback safety boundary; the option is apply-only, update-only, and does not enable installer `force` (PR #459).
+
+### Changed
+
+- Bumped the package version from `1.5.4` to `1.6.0`.
+- Self-update now automatically treats local regular-file drift as target-converged when the current file already matches the same path and SHA-256 in the verified target manifest, while missing files, mode changes, non-regular substitutions, target-absent files, and differing content remain blocking by default (PR #459).
+
+### Fixed
+
+- npm publication no longer reports a failed release solely because `dist.integrity` is temporarily absent after a successful fresh publish. The publisher distinguishes delayed registry metadata from a visible integrity mismatch, checks exact-version existence before any republish attempt, keeps mismatches fail-closed, and allows only the successful fresh-publish path to finish with deferred registry verification when the bounded readback window expires (PR #458).
+
 ## [1.5.4] - 2026-09-20
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 915089a1..ba488e1f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "github-delivery",
-  "version": "1.5.4",
+  "version": "1.6.0",
   "description": "Guided installer and safety tooling for GitHub Delivery workflows",
   "type": "module",
   "engines": {
diff --git a/tests/unit/pr-review-quality-contracts.test.mjs b/tests/unit/pr-review-quality-contracts.test.mjs
index b05ed0cc..7df2f889 100644
--- a/tests/unit/pr-review-quality-contracts.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/unit/pr-review-quality-contracts.test.mjs
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@ test("post-1.5.3 follow-up release is complete in 1.5.4", () => {
   }
 });
 
+test("post-1.5.4 follow-up release is complete in 1.6.0", () => {
+  const changelog = read("CHANGELOG.md");
+  const release = changelog.split("## [1.6.0] - 2026-09-20")[1]?.split("## [1.5.4]")[0] ?? "";
+
+  assert.ok(release, "expected a dated 1.6.0 changelog section");
+  for (const pr of [458, 459]) {
+    assert.match(release, new RegExp(`PR #${pr}\\b`));
+  }
+  assert.match(release, /replace-local-modifications/);
+});
+
 test("package version matches the newest dated changelog release", () => {
   const pkg = JSON.parse(read("package.json"));
   const changelog = read("CHANGELOG.md");