diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index 307575f..e56945f 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## v0.8.1
+
+Courier 0.7.0 support. No Resident source changes — this is the dependency
+bump and the build verification behind it.
+
+- The Courier floor moves to `^0.7.0` in `library.json` and
+  `idf_component.yml`. Resident calls none of Courier 0.7.0's new surface
+  (MQTT binary publish, topic-scoped binary receive, a client-lifetime lock),
+  but a caret range on a `0.x` version excludes the next minor: while Resident
+  pinned `^0.6.0`, a consumer could not depend on Resident and Courier 0.7.0
+  at the same time. **This forces consumers to Courier 0.7.0** — `^0.7.0` no
+  longer admits 0.6.x.
+- `examples/espidf-basic` follows the same bump.
+- Verified against Courier 0.7.0 ahead of its release: the full example matrix
+  (7 PlatformIO envs plus `espidf-basic` under ESP-IDF 5.5.3) builds, and
+  `m5stick-voice` runs on an M5StickS3 — drivers register, Wi-Fi joins, NTP
+  syncs, and the reconnect state machine backs off as before.
+
+---
+
 ## v0.8.0
 
 Theme: the device speaks first. A device hello announces protocol, limits and
diff --git a/examples/espidf-basic/main/idf_component.yml b/examples/espidf-basic/main/idf_component.yml
index d14df3d..e7c66c5 100644
--- a/examples/espidf-basic/main/idf_component.yml
+++ b/examples/espidf-basic/main/idf_component.yml
@@ -12,10 +12,11 @@ dependencies:
   espressif/arduino-esp32:
     version: "^3.0.0"
 
-  # Courier 0.6.0+ (receive parallels send: Client::onMessage delivers the
-  # default transport only — required by resident's channel routing).
+  # Courier 0.7.0+ (MQTT binary publish and topic-scoped binary receive; the
+  # 0.6.0 floor was receive-parallels-send, which resident's channel routing
+  # requires).
   inanimate/courier:
-    version: "^0.6.0"
+    version: "^0.7.0"
 
   bblanchon/arduinojson:
     version: "^7.0.0"
diff --git a/idf_component.yml b/idf_component.yml
index 4c685d9..723dded 100644
--- a/idf_component.yml
+++ b/idf_component.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-version: "0.8.0"
+version: "0.8.1"
 description: "Sandbox with hardware IO and hot reload for ESP32 devices"
 url: "https://github.com/inanimate-tech/resident"
 
@@ -11,12 +11,17 @@ dependencies:
   # sync (robust HTTPS-Date fallback), larger receivable payloads on no-PSRAM
   # boards, and per-transport endpoint state (Resident sets the WS endpoint via
   # _ws.setEndpoint() inside onTransportsWillConnect(), which requires that
-  # surface). Pinned to ^0.6.0, which makes Client::onMessage deliver the
-  # default transport only (receive parallels send) — required so channel
-  # routing (Resident's `channel` envelope field) sees one coherent message
-  # stream per transport instead of everything funnelled through onMessage.
+  # surface) — and 0.6.0 made Client::onMessage deliver the default transport
+  # only (receive parallels send), so channel routing (Resident's `channel`
+  # envelope field) sees one coherent message stream per transport instead of
+  # everything funnelled through onMessage.
+  #
+  # The floor is ^0.7.0 because a caret range on 0.x excludes the next minor:
+  # while Resident pinned ^0.6.0, a consumer that wanted courier 0.7.0 (MQTT
+  # binary publish, topic-scoped binary receive) could not have both. Resident
+  # calls none of that new surface itself.
   inanimate/courier:
-    version: "^0.6.0"
+    version: "^0.7.0"
   bblanchon/arduinojson:
     version: "^7.0.0"
   # Esp32Lua is not on the ESP component registry. Consumers must provide it
diff --git a/library.json b/library.json
index b2ef0e9..1408246 100644
--- a/library.json
+++ b/library.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "resident",
-  "version": "0.8.0",
+  "version": "0.8.1",
   "description": "Sandbox with hardware IO and hot reload for ESP32 devices",
   "keywords": "esp32, sandbox, iot, hot-reload",
   "repository": {
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   "frameworks": ["arduino", "espidf"],
   "platforms": "espressif32",
   "dependencies": {
-    "inanimate/courier": "^0.6.0",
+    "inanimate/courier": "^0.7.0",
     "bblanchon/ArduinoJson": "^7.4.2",
     "fischer-simon/Esp32Lua": "^5.4.7"
   },