diff --git a/.bumpversion.cfg b/.bumpversion.cfg
index 6d70587e..f03d389b 100644
--- a/.bumpversion.cfg
+++ b/.bumpversion.cfg
@@ -37,3 +37,7 @@ replace = "version": "{new_version}"
 [bumpversion:file:backend/__init__.py]
 search = __version__ = "{current_version}"
 replace = __version__ = "{new_version}"
+
+[bumpversion:file:backend/pyproject.toml]
+search = version = "{current_version}"
+replace = version = "{new_version}"
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index b4a3b0ea..7a42b26c 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ Thank you for your interest in contributing to Voicebox! This document provides
   curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
   ```
 
-- **[Python 3.11+](https://python.org)** - For backend development
+- **[Python 3.12+](https://python.org)** - For backend development
   ```bash
-  python --version  # Should be 3.11 or higher
+  python --version  # Should be 3.12 or higher
   ```
 
 - **[Rust](https://rustup.rs)** - For Tauri desktop app (installed automatically by Tauri CLI)
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ On Windows, to build with CUDA support for local testing:
 just build-local  # Build CPU + CUDA server binaries + Tauri installer
 ```
 
-This builds the CPU sidecar (bundled with the app), the CUDA binary (placed in `%APPDATA%/com.voicebox.app/backends/` for runtime GPU switching), and the installable Tauri app.
+This builds the CPU sidecar (bundled with the app), the CUDA binary (placed in `%APPDATA%/sh.voicebox.app/backends/` for runtime GPU switching), and the installable Tauri app.
 
 Creates platform-specific installers (`.dmg`, `.msi`, `.AppImage`) in `tauri/src-tauri/target/release/bundle/`.
 
@@ -115,14 +115,6 @@ just build-server
 
 This makes PyInstaller use your local qwen-tts version instead of the pip-installed package.
 
-### Generate OpenAPI Client
-
-After starting the backend server:
-```bash
-./scripts/generate-api.sh
-```
-This downloads the OpenAPI schema and generates the TypeScript client in `app/src/lib/api/`
-
 ### Convert Assets to Web Formats
 
 To optimize images and videos for the web, run:
@@ -212,7 +204,7 @@ export const ProfileCard = (props) => { ... }
 - Follow PEP 8 style guide
 - Use type hints
 - Use async/await for I/O operations
-- Format with Black (if configured)
+- Format and lint with ruff (configured in `backend/pyproject.toml`)
 
 ```python
 # Good
@@ -242,9 +234,12 @@ voicebox/
 │       ├── lib/          # Utilities and API client
 │       └── hooks/        # React hooks
 ├── backend/          # Python FastAPI server
-│   ├── main.py       # API routes
-│   ├── tts.py        # Voice synthesis
-│   └── ...
+│   ├── main.py       # Entry point (FastAPI app assembled in app.py)
+│   ├── routes/       # API routers, one per domain
+│   ├── services/     # Business logic (generation, transcription, profiles, ...)
+│   ├── backends/     # TTS engine implementations
+│   ├── database/     # SQLAlchemy models, sessions, migrations
+│   └── tests/        # pytest suite
 ├── tauri/            # Desktop app wrapper
 │   └── src-tauri/    # Rust backend
 └── scripts/          # Build scripts
@@ -289,23 +284,26 @@ voicebox/
 
 When adding new API endpoints:
 
-1. **Add route in `backend/main.py`**
+1. **Add the route to the relevant router in `backend/routes/`** (new routers get registered in `backend/routes/__init__.py`)
 2. **Create Pydantic models in `backend/models.py`**
 3. **Implement business logic in appropriate module**
 4. **Update OpenAPI schema** (automatic with FastAPI)
-5. **Regenerate TypeScript client:**
-   ```bash
-   bun run generate:api
-   ```
+5. **Update the TypeScript client** — add matching types to `app/src/lib/api/types.ts` and a method to `app/src/lib/api/client.ts`
 6. **Update `backend/README.md`** with endpoint documentation
 
 ## Testing
 
-Currently, testing is primarily manual. When adding tests:
+Backend tests live in `backend/tests/` and run with pytest:
 
-- **Backend**: Use pytest for Python tests
-- **Frontend**: Use Vitest for React component tests
-- **E2E**: Use Playwright for end-to-end tests (future)
+```bash
+cd backend
+venv/bin/python -m pytest tests
+```
+
+CI runs the backend test suite on every PR, along with frontend lint and typecheck (`bun run lint`, `bun run typecheck`) and a `cargo check` of the Tauri app (see `.github/workflows/ci.yml`). Add backend tests alongside your changes where it makes sense.
+
+- **Frontend**: Vitest for React component tests (coverage is still sparse — contributions welcome)
+- **E2E**: Playwright for end-to-end tests (future)
 
 ## Pull Request Process
 
@@ -363,7 +361,7 @@ See [docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx](docs/content/docs/overview/
 
 **Quick fixes:**
 
-- **Backend won't start:** Check Python version (3.11+), ensure venv is activated, install dependencies
+- **Backend won't start:** Check Python version (3.12+), ensure venv is activated, install dependencies
 - **Tauri build fails:** Ensure Rust is installed, clean build with `cd tauri/src-tauri && cargo clean`
 - **OpenAPI client generation fails:** Ensure backend is running, check `curl http://localhost:17493/openapi.json`
 
@@ -379,7 +377,7 @@ See [docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx](docs/content/docs/overview/
 - [README.md](README.md) - Project overview
 - [backend/README.md](backend/README.md) - API documentation
 - [docs/PROJECT_STATUS.md](docs/PROJECT_STATUS.md) - Living engineering roadmap: architecture, shipped vs in-flight work, prioritized open issues, candidate TTS engines under evaluation, architectural bottlenecks. Keep this updated when you ship significant features, close or backlog a model integration, or identify new bottlenecks.
-- [docs/AUTOUPDATER_QUICKSTART.md](docs/AUTOUPDATER_QUICKSTART.md) - Auto-updater setup
+- [docs/content/docs/developer/autoupdater.mdx](docs/content/docs/developer/autoupdater.mdx) - Auto-updater setup (published at [voicebox.sh docs](https://voicebox.sh/docs/developer/autoupdater))
 - [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) - Security policy
 - [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) - Version history
 
diff --git a/SECURITY.md b/SECURITY.md
index 049dd778..fa837b21 100644
--- a/SECURITY.md
+++ b/SECURITY.md
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ We release patches for security vulnerabilities. Which versions are eligible for
 
 | Version | Supported          |
 | ------- | ------------------ |
-| 0.3.x   | :white_check_mark: |
-| < 0.3   | :x:                |
+| 0.5.x   | :white_check_mark: |
+| < 0.5   | :x:                |
 
 ## Reporting a Vulnerability
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ We will:
 ### For Developers
 
 - **Dependencies** - Keep all dependencies up to date
-- **Code review** - All PRs require review before merging
+- **CI checks** - Every PR must pass typecheck, lint, backend tests, and `cargo check` before merging
 - **Secrets** - Never commit API keys or signing keys
 - **Signing** - All releases are cryptographically signed
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ Timeline may vary based on severity and complexity.
 ## Security Updates
 
 Security updates will be:
-- Released as patch versions (e.g., 0.3.2)
+- Released as patch versions (e.g., 0.5.1)
 - Documented in CHANGELOG.md
 - Announced via GitHub releases
 - Automatically delivered via auto-updater
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/developer/contributing.mdx b/docs/content/docs/developer/contributing.mdx
index 4b7785a1..0ae17ecd 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/developer/contributing.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/developer/contributing.mdx
@@ -258,20 +258,8 @@ When adding new API endpoints:
     ```
   </Step>
 
-  <Step title="Regenerate Client">
-    ```bash
-    just generate-api
-    ```
-
-    This updates the TypeScript client with type-safe bindings.
-  </Step>
-
-  <Step title="Update Docs">
-    The API documentation is automatically generated from the OpenAPI schema. Ensure your endpoint has proper docstrings and type hints, then regenerate the docs:
-    
-    ```bash
-    just generate-api
-    ```
+  <Step title="Update the Frontend Client">
+    The TypeScript client is hand-written. Add matching types to `app/src/lib/api/types.ts` and a method to `app/src/lib/api/client.ts`. The backend's live schema at `http://localhost:17493/docs` is the reference.
   </Step>
 </Steps>
 
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/developer/setup.mdx b/docs/content/docs/developer/setup.mdx
index 975eb6f1..ef185216 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/developer/setup.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/developer/setup.mdx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Ensure you have these installed:
     curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
     ```
   </Card>
-  <Card title="Python 3.11+" icon={<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><path d="M12 2L2 7l10 5 10-5-10-5z"/><path d="M2 17l10 5 10-5"/><path d="M2 12l10 5 10-5"/></svg>}>
+  <Card title="Python 3.12+" icon={<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round"><path d="M12 2L2 7l10 5 10-5-10-5z"/><path d="M2 17l10 5 10-5"/><path d="M2 12l10 5 10-5"/></svg>}>
     [Download Python](https://python.org)
     ```bash
     python --version
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ Run `just --list` to see all available commands. Highlights:
 
 | Command | Description |
 |---------|-------------|
-| `just generate-api` | Generate TypeScript API client from the backend's OpenAPI schema |
 | `just docs` | Open `http://localhost:17493/docs` in your browser |
 | `just logs` | Tail backend logs |
 | `just clean` | Remove build artifacts |
@@ -184,15 +183,9 @@ See [Model Management](/developer/model-management) for the full list.
   First-time usage will be slower due to model downloads, but subsequent runs will use cached models.
 </Callout>
 
-## Generate OpenAPI Client
+## Frontend API Client
 
-After starting the backend server, generate the TypeScript API client:
-
-```bash
-just generate-api
-```
-
-This downloads the OpenAPI schema and generates the TypeScript client in `app/src/lib/api/`.
+The TypeScript API client is hand-written: request/response types live in `app/src/lib/api/types.ts` and the fetch wrapper in `app/src/lib/api/client.ts`. When you add or change a backend endpoint, update both to match. The backend's live schema at `http://localhost:17493/docs` is the reference.
 
 ## Manual Setup (Advanced)
 
@@ -277,9 +270,9 @@ bun run tauri dev
 
 <AccordionGroup>
   <Accordion title="Backend won't start">
-    - Check Python version (must be 3.11+)
+    - Check Python version (must be 3.12+)
     - Ensure virtual environment is activated: `source backend/venv/bin/activate`
-    - Verify all dependencies are installed: `pip install -r requirements.txt`
+    - Verify all dependencies are installed: `pip install -r backend/requirements.txt`
     - Check if port 17493 is available
   </Accordion>
 
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx b/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx
index f615b3c6..c97176a9 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx
@@ -355,39 +355,6 @@ cd ../..
 bun run tauri build
 ```
 
-### OpenAPI Client Generation Fails
-
-**Symptoms:**
-- `./scripts/generate-api.sh` fails
-- "Failed to fetch schema" error
-
-**Solutions:**
-
-<Steps>
-  <Step title="Ensure Backend is Running">
-    ```bash
-    curl http://localhost:17493/openapi.json
-    ```
-
-    Should return JSON. If not, start the backend.
-  </Step>
-
-  <Step title="Check Port">
-    Ensure nothing else is using port 17493
-  </Step>
-
-  <Step title="Regenerate Manually">
-    ```bash
-    cd backend
-    source venv/bin/activate
-    uvicorn main:app --reload --port 17493
-
-    # In another terminal
-    ./scripts/generate-api.sh
-    ```
-  </Step>
-</Steps>
-
 ## Database Issues
 
 ### "Database is locked" Error
diff --git a/docs/plans/DOCKER_DEPLOYMENT.md b/docs/plans/DOCKER_DEPLOYMENT.md
index 6af65ed7..b95bd28b 100644
--- a/docs/plans/DOCKER_DEPLOYMENT.md
+++ b/docs/plans/DOCKER_DEPLOYMENT.md
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
 
 # Copy application
 COPY backend/ /app/backend/
-COPY requirements.txt /app/
+COPY backend/requirements.txt /app/
 
 # Install Python dependencies
 RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index ea444b9c..00000000
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-uvicorn
-fastapi
-sqlalchemy
-torch
-torchvision
-soundfile
-librosa
-python-multipart
-huggingface_hub