diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 31f425f8..81bcbd7b 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ endif
 #   v2.2.0  — amd64 bare-metal bring-up (Beelink SER5)
 #   v2.x    — further working releases; riscv64 / aarch64 board bring-up
 #   v3.0.0  — FIRST LTS, when and only when FABRIC-3.5.md §XXX.5's 5 criteria are met
+#   v4.0.0-alpha.1 — the first alpha release (Captain Bob, 2026-11-07: "Kernel is 4.0.0. This is
+#             our first alpha release"): v4, the F18 engine, the default system. The kernel goes
+#             from v2.1.0 straight to the 4.x working line (even: breaking changes land here);
+#             v3.0.0, the first LTS, is no longer the next number -- an LTS line takes the next
+#             odd major when §XXX.5's criteria are met. The engine stays 3.2.0. Alphas are
+#             numbered (-alpha.N); a release repository takes each version once.
 # LITHOS_VERSION (kernel) and VERSION (embedded StarForth engine) are independent
 # and do not auto-sync (§XXX.4) — do not infer a relationship if they ever coincide.
 # Engine VERSION bumps at tag time by what actually changed (§XXX.6): major = any
@@ -97,7 +103,7 @@ endif
 # the messaging layer was replaced by kernel-Hermes, PLOT/FB-* relocated to Hestia —
 # all dictionary-visible, no FORTH-79 word semantics changed.
 VERSION       ?= 3.2.0
-LITHOS_VERSION ?= 2.1.0
+LITHOS_VERSION ?= 4.0.0-alpha.1
 
 # ==============================================================================
 # BUILD PATHS