diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index d7dafc7..0000000
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-# One dependency update ecosystem per manifest the project actually has, so
-# an upgrade is proposed rather than left to be noticed by chance. See
-# docs/deployment.md and README.md for the "moving tag over exact pin"
-# preference this exists to serve: a bot is the mechanism that rule assumes.
-version: 2
-updates:
-  - package-ecosystem: gomod
-    directory: /server
-    schedule:
-      interval: weekly
-    groups:
-      go-minor-patch:
-        update-types: [minor, patch]
-
-  - package-ecosystem: npm
-    directory: /web
-    schedule:
-      interval: weekly
-    groups:
-      web-minor-patch:
-        update-types: [minor, patch]
-
-  - package-ecosystem: github-actions
-    directory: /
-    schedule:
-      interval: weekly
-    groups:
-      actions-minor-patch:
-        update-types: [minor, patch]
-
-  - package-ecosystem: docker
-    directory: /
-    schedule:
-      interval: weekly
-    groups:
-      docker-minor-patch:
-        update-types: [minor, patch]
diff --git a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/main.go b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/main.go
index 0dec3b8..9049cce 100644
--- a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/main.go
+++ b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/main.go
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 // builderVer changes whenever the meta table's contract does, so two databases
-// with different provenance rows never claim the same builder.
-const builderVer = "5"
+// with different provenance rows never claim the same builder. It is the
+// store's own constant, so the version the builder writes and the one Open
+// requires cannot drift apart.
+const builderVer = dictionary.RequiredBuilderVersion
 
 // minMeaningCoverage is the share of words a dump build must carry a meaning
 // for. The 2026-09-01 dump measured well above it; the floor exists to catch a
diff --git a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/syllable.go b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/syllable.go
index 971a120..5d8d748 100644
--- a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/syllable.go
+++ b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/syllable.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ var vietnameseOnsets = []string{
 // vietnameseCodas is the complete inventory of syllable-final consonants and
 // offglides.
 var vietnameseCodas = []string{
-	"ngh", "ng", "nh", "ch",
+	"ng", "nh", "ch",
 	"c", "m", "n", "p", "t", "i", "o", "u", "y",
 }
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ var vietnameseCodas = []string{
 var vietnameseNuclei = []string{
 	"uye", "uya", "uyu", "oai", "oay", "uoi", "uou", "ieu", "yeu", "uai", "uay",
 	"ai", "ao", "au", "ay", "eo", "eu", "ia", "ie", "iu", "oa", "oe", "oi", "oo",
-	"ua", "ue", "ui", "uo", "uu", "uy", "ya", "ye", "yu", "ao", "eu",
+	"ua", "ue", "ui", "uo", "uu", "uy", "ya", "ye", "yu",
 	"a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "y",
 }
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func stripDiacritics(syllable string) string {
 func isCombiningMark(r rune) bool {
 	// The ranges Vietnamese actually uses; cheaper and tighter than a full
 	// unicode.Is(unicode.Mn, r) for this data.
-	return (r >= 0x0300 && r <= 0x036F) || r == 0x031B
+	return r >= 0x0300 && r <= 0x036F
 }
 
 // isVietnameseSyllable reports whether a syllable fits Vietnamese phonotactics.
diff --git a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext.go b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext.go
index 7a4fc83..a15c1b8 100644
--- a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext.go
+++ b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext.go
@@ -126,9 +126,12 @@ var (
 	langnameVi = regexp.MustCompile(`^\{\{langname\|vi\}\}$`)
 
 	htmlComment = regexp.MustCompile(`(?s)<!--.*?-->`)
-	refElement  = regexp.MustCompile(`(?s)<ref\b[^>/]*/>|<ref\b[^>]*>.*?</ref>`)
-	anyTag      = regexp.MustCompile(`</?[A-Za-z][^>]*>`)
-	spaces      = regexp.MustCompile(`\s+`)
+	// refElement's self-closing branch reads quoted attribute values whole, so
+	// a slash inside one (name="a/b") does not stop it from recognising the
+	// element and letting the paired branch run on to the next </ref>.
+	refElement = regexp.MustCompile(`(?s)<ref\b(?:[^>"]|"[^"]*")*/>|<ref\b[^>]*>.*?</ref>`)
+	anyTag     = regexp.MustCompile(`</?[A-Za-z][^>]*>`)
+	spaces     = regexp.MustCompile(`\s+`)
 )
 
 // isLegacyHeading reports whether a {{-code-}} is a heading inside a language
diff --git a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext_test.go b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext_test.go
index b17cad3..24d00fb 100644
--- a/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext_test.go
+++ b/server/cmd/build-dictionary/wikitext_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ func TestStripWikitext(t *testing.T) {
 		{"ref mid-sentence and a lone ref",
 			"Một loài [[cá]]<ref>Từ điển</ref> nước ngọt<ref name=\"a\" />.",
 			"Một loài cá nước ngọt."},
+		{"self-closing ref whose attribute holds a slash keeps the text after it",
+			"Một từ.<ref name=\"a/b\"/> Nghĩa thêm <ref>x</ref> cuối.",
+			"Một từ. Nghĩa thêm cuối."},
 		{"comment, bold, italic, entities",
 			"'''Rất''' ''nhanh''<!-- todo -->&nbsp;và&amp;mạnh.",
 			"Rất nhanh và&mạnh."},
diff --git a/server/cmd/noitu-server/main.go b/server/cmd/noitu-server/main.go
index 7d487b4..0342072 100644
--- a/server/cmd/noitu-server/main.go
+++ b/server/cmd/noitu-server/main.go
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"expvar"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
@@ -35,6 +38,24 @@ const (
 	// timeout by more than a blink, cheap enough to poll at all — the
 	// alternative is a channel the hub would need to fan out to every room.
 	drainPollInterval = 200 * time.Millisecond
+
+	// shutdownFlush is how long the process lingers after telling every
+	// session the server is restarting. Each session writes that notice from
+	// its own goroutine, and http.Server.Shutdown does not wait for hijacked
+	// WebSocket connections, so returning at once could exit before the
+	// notice reached a socket. wsapi exposes no live-session count to wait on,
+	// so this is a short fixed bound.
+	shutdownFlush = 2 * time.Second
+
+	// idleTimeout closes idle keep-alive HTTP connections, which would
+	// otherwise be held forever outside every connection cap. It is
+	// deliberately the only connection deadline: ReadTimeout and WriteTimeout
+	// stay on a hijacked connection and would drop every WebSocket game after
+	// that interval.
+	idleTimeout = 120 * time.Second
+
+	// healthcheckTimeout bounds the -healthcheck request.
+	healthcheckTimeout = 3 * time.Second
 )
 
 // version is the build the process is running. The default here is what
@@ -56,11 +77,23 @@ type config struct {
 	maxConnectionsPerIP int
 	debugAddr           string
 	drainTimeout        time.Duration
+	flushWait           time.Duration
 }
 
 func main() {
 	slog.SetDefault(slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(os.Stderr, &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: slog.LevelInfo})))
 
+	healthcheck := flag.Bool("healthcheck", false,
+		"probe GET /healthz on the configured address (NOITU_ADDR) and exit 0 if it answers 200, 1 otherwise")
+	flag.Parse()
+	if *healthcheck {
+		if err := checkHealth(env("NOITU_ADDR", defaultAddr), healthcheckTimeout); err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "healthcheck failed:", err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
 	if err := run(); err != nil {
 		slog.Error("server exited", "err", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -86,10 +119,33 @@ func run() error {
 		"license", store.License(),
 	)
 
+	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", cfg.addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	ctx, stop := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer stop()
 
-	api := wsapi.NewServer(ctx, store, wsapi.Config{
+	return serve(ctx, stop, cfg, store, ln)
+}
+
+// serve runs the server on ln until ctx is cancelled — by a signal in
+// production — or the listener fails, then drains and shuts down.
+//
+// ctx is only the "stop now" trigger. The wsapi server is built on its own
+// background context, because a room derives its lifetime from the context it
+// is given: handing it the signal context would cancel every room and session
+// at the moment of the signal, before the drain could keep a game alive or
+// tell a player the server is restarting. api.Shutdown cancels that context
+// itself once the drain is over.
+//
+// release is called as soon as ctx fires. In production it is the signal
+// context's stop, which restores the default signal behaviour so a second
+// SIGTERM or SIGINT during a long drain terminates the process instead of
+// being swallowed. It may be nil.
+func serve(ctx context.Context, release func(), cfg config, dict wsapi.Dictionary, ln net.Listener) error {
+	api := wsapi.NewServer(context.Background(), dict, wsapi.Config{
 		TurnLimit:           cfg.turnLimit,
 		GraceFor:            cfg.grace,
 		AllowedOrigins:      cfg.allowedOrigins,
@@ -101,18 +157,13 @@ func run() error {
 		Version:             version,
 	})
 
-	srv := &http.Server{
-		Addr:              cfg.addr,
-		Handler:           api,
-		ReadHeaderTimeout: 10 * time.Second,
-	}
-
+	srv := newHTTPServer(cfg.addr, api)
 	debugSrv := newDebugServer(cfg.debugAddr)
 
 	errc := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() {
-		slog.Info("listening", "addr", cfg.addr, "turn_limit", cfg.turnLimit, "web_dir", cfg.webDir, "version", version)
-		if err := srv.ListenAndServe(); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
+		slog.Info("listening", "addr", ln.Addr().String(), "turn_limit", cfg.turnLimit, "web_dir", cfg.webDir, "version", version)
+		if err := srv.Serve(ln); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
 			errc <- err
 		}
 	}()
@@ -127,28 +178,86 @@ func run() error {
 
 	select {
 	case err := <-errc:
+		api.Shutdown()
+		_ = shutdownServer(debugSrv)
 		return err
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 	}
+	if release != nil {
+		release()
+	}
 
-	// Draining is the first half of shutdown: stop seating new rooms and flip
-	// /readyz unhealthy, so a load balancer stops sending this instance new
-	// traffic while the games it already has finish on their own turn clock.
-	// A creator refused during this window gets server_restarting rather than
-	// server_full — the room is not coming back, unlike a full one.
-	slog.Info("draining", "rooms", api.RoomCount(), "live_games", api.LiveGameCount())
-	api.StartDraining()
-	waitForGamesToFinish(api, cfg.drainTimeout)
-
-	// Tell players why before the sockets go, rather than dropping them and
-	// leaving the UI to guess.
-	slog.Info("shutting down", "rooms", api.RoomCount(), "live_games", api.LiveGameCount())
-	api.Shutdown()
+	drainAndShutdown(api, cfg.drainTimeout, cfg.flushWait)
 
 	_ = shutdownServer(debugSrv)
 	return shutdownServer(srv)
 }
 
+// lifecycle is the slice of *wsapi.Server the shutdown sequence drives,
+// narrowed so the ordering can be tested against a recorder.
+type lifecycle interface {
+	gameCounter
+	RoomCount() int
+	StartDraining()
+	Shutdown()
+}
+
+// drainAndShutdown runs the shutdown sequence in its required order.
+//
+// Draining comes first: stop seating new rooms and flip /readyz unhealthy, so
+// a load balancer stops sending this instance new traffic while the games it
+// already has finish on their own turn clock. A creator refused during this
+// window gets server_restarting rather than server_full — the room is not
+// coming back, unlike a full one. Only then are players told why the sockets
+// are going, and flush gives those notices time to reach them.
+func drainAndShutdown(api lifecycle, drainTimeout, flush time.Duration) {
+	slog.Info("draining", "rooms", api.RoomCount(), "live_games", api.LiveGameCount())
+	api.StartDraining()
+	waitForGamesToFinish(api, drainTimeout)
+
+	slog.Info("shutting down", "rooms", api.RoomCount(), "live_games", api.LiveGameCount())
+	api.Shutdown()
+	if flush > 0 {
+		time.Sleep(flush)
+	}
+}
+
+// newHTTPServer builds a listener — the public one and the debug one alike. Only ReadHeaderTimeout and
+// IdleTimeout are set: see idleTimeout for why the other deadlines are not.
+func newHTTPServer(addr string, handler http.Handler) *http.Server {
+	return &http.Server{
+		Addr:              addr,
+		Handler:           handler,
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: 10 * time.Second,
+		IdleTimeout:       idleTimeout,
+	}
+}
+
+// checkHealth GETs /healthz on the address the server listens on and reports
+// anything but a 200 as an error. It exists because the container image is
+// distroless: no curl or wget for a container health check to shell out to.
+func checkHealth(addr string, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	host, port, err := net.SplitHostPort(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("address %q: %w", addr, err)
+	}
+	// A wildcard listen address is not something to dial; loopback reaches it.
+	if ip := net.ParseIP(host); host == "" || (ip != nil && ip.IsUnspecified()) {
+		host = "127.0.0.1"
+	}
+
+	client := &http.Client{Timeout: timeout}
+	resp, err := client.Get("http://" + net.JoinHostPort(host, port) + "/healthz")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = resp.Body.Close() }()
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return fmt.Errorf("/healthz answered %s", resp.Status)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // shutdownServer stops srv gracefully, giving in-flight requests up to
 // shutdownGrace. A nil srv — the debug listener when it is not configured —
 // is a no-op.
@@ -171,7 +280,7 @@ func newDebugServer(addr string) *http.Server {
 	}
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	mux.Handle("/debug/vars", expvar.Handler())
-	return &http.Server{Addr: addr, Handler: mux, ReadHeaderTimeout: 10 * time.Second}
+	return newHTTPServer(addr, mux)
 }
 
 // gameCounter is the drain loop's only dependency on *wsapi.Server, narrowed
@@ -224,6 +333,7 @@ func loadConfig() config {
 		maxConnectionsPerIP: envInt("NOITU_MAX_CONNECTIONS_PER_IP", 0),
 		debugAddr:           env("NOITU_DEBUG_ADDR", ""),
 		drainTimeout:        envNonNegDuration("NOITU_DRAIN_TIMEOUT", 0),
+		flushWait:           shutdownFlush,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/server/cmd/noitu-server/serve_test.go b/server/cmd/noitu-server/serve_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..943e137
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/cmd/noitu-server/serve_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/coder/websocket"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
+
+	noituv1 "github.com/tiennm99dev/noitu/server/gen/noitu/v1"
+	"github.com/tiennm99dev/noitu/server/internal/dictionary"
+	"github.com/tiennm99dev/noitu/server/internal/wsapi"
+	_ "modernc.org/sqlite"
+)
+
+// chainStore opens a three-word dictionary through the real store, so serve is
+// exercised against the same Dictionary implementation production uses.
+func chainStore(t *testing.T) *dictionary.Store {
+	t.Helper()
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "noitu.db")
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite", "file:"+path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = db.Close() }()
+
+	_, err = db.Exec(`
+CREATE TABLE words (word TEXT PRIMARY KEY, first TEXT NOT NULL, last TEXT NOT NULL, syllables INTEGER NOT NULL) WITHOUT ROWID;
+CREATE INDEX idx_words_first ON words(first);
+CREATE TABLE syllables (syllable TEXT PRIMARY KEY, out_degree INTEGER NOT NULL) WITHOUT ROWID;
+CREATE TABLE aliases (variant TEXT PRIMARY KEY, canonical TEXT NOT NULL) WITHOUT ROWID;
+CREATE TABLE meanings (word TEXT NOT NULL, ord INTEGER NOT NULL, pos TEXT NOT NULL, gloss TEXT NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (word, ord)) WITHOUT ROWID;
+CREATE TABLE meta (key TEXT PRIMARY KEY, value TEXT NOT NULL);
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','` + dictionary.RequiredBuilderVersion + `'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','3'),('meaning_count','0');
+INSERT INTO words VALUES ('a b','a','b',2),('b c','b','c',2),('c d','c','d',2);
+INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('a',1),('b',1),('c',1),('d',0);`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	store, err := dictionary.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Open: %v", err)
+	}
+	return store
+}
+
+// openingAtA lets the test choose the opening word: the store's own picker
+// wants a syllable with many continuations, which a three-word chain lacks.
+type openingAtA struct{ *dictionary.Store }
+
+func (openingAtA) RandomOpeningWord(int) (string, error) { return "a b", nil }
+
+// The deploy path: a signal must start the drain while the game is still
+// alive, keep waiting for it up to the drain timeout, tell the player the
+// server is restarting, and only then let the process exit.
+func TestServeDrainsLiveGamesBeforeShuttingDown(t *testing.T) {
+	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	addr := ln.Addr().String()
+
+	const drain = 1500 * time.Millisecond
+	cfg := config{
+		addr:         addr,
+		turnLimit:    30 * time.Second,
+		grace:        30 * time.Second,
+		drainTimeout: drain,
+		flushWait:    100 * time.Millisecond,
+	}
+
+	// The context stands in for the signal context.
+	sig, signal := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer signal()
+	released := make(chan struct{})
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		done <- serve(sig, func() { close(released) }, cfg, openingAtA{chainStore(t)}, ln)
+	}()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	conn := dialWhenUp(t, ctx, addr)
+	defer func() { _ = conn.CloseNow() }()
+
+	write := func(m *noituv1.ClientMessage) {
+		t.Helper()
+		raw, err := proto.Marshal(m)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if err := conn.Write(ctx, websocket.MessageBinary, raw); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("write: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	read := func() (*noituv1.ServerMessage, error) {
+		_, raw, err := conn.Read(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		var m noituv1.ServerMessage
+		return &m, proto.Unmarshal(raw, &m)
+	}
+	await := func(match func(*noituv1.ServerMessage) bool) *noituv1.ServerMessage {
+		t.Helper()
+		for range 20 {
+			m, err := read()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("read before the expected message: %v", err)
+			}
+			if match(m) {
+				return m
+			}
+		}
+		t.Fatal("expected message never arrived")
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	write(&noituv1.ClientMessage{Payload: &noituv1.ClientMessage_Hello{Hello: &noituv1.Hello{
+		ProtocolVersion: wsapi.ProtocolVersion, Nickname: "Người thử",
+	}}})
+	await(func(m *noituv1.ServerMessage) bool { return m.GetWelcome() != nil })
+	write(&noituv1.ClientMessage{Payload: &noituv1.ClientMessage_StartBotGame{
+		StartBotGame: &noituv1.StartBotGame{Difficulty: noituv1.Difficulty_DIFFICULTY_EASY},
+	}})
+	await(func(m *noituv1.ServerMessage) bool { return m.GetGameStarted() != nil })
+
+	begin := time.Now()
+	signal()
+
+	select {
+	case <-released:
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("the signal context was never released for a second signal to act on")
+	}
+
+	// Draining, with the game still running: readiness has flipped but the
+	// player has not been dropped.
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(drain / 2)
+	for {
+		resp, err := http.Get("http://" + addr + "/readyz")
+		if err == nil {
+			_ = resp.Body.Close()
+			if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			t.Fatal("/readyz did not report draining while the game was alive")
+		}
+		time.Sleep(20 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	m := await(func(m *noituv1.ServerMessage) bool { return m.GetError() != nil })
+	if code := m.GetError().GetCode(); code != "server_restarting" {
+		t.Errorf("error code = %q, want server_restarting", code)
+	}
+	if waited := time.Since(begin); waited < drain-100*time.Millisecond {
+		t.Errorf("shut down after %v, before the %v drain timeout: the live game was not waited for", waited, drain)
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("serve returned %v", err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(drain + 10*time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("serve did not return after the drain timeout")
+	}
+}
+
+func dialWhenUp(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, addr string) *websocket.Conn {
+	t.Helper()
+	var lastErr error
+	for range 50 {
+		conn, _, err := websocket.Dial(ctx, "ws://"+addr+"/ws", nil)
+		if err == nil {
+			return conn
+		}
+		lastErr = err
+		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+	t.Fatalf("server never came up: %v", lastErr)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// recorder logs the order the shutdown sequence drives the server in, and how
+// many games were alive at each step.
+type recorder struct {
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+	games int64
+	steps []string
+}
+
+func (r *recorder) note(step string) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.steps = append(r.steps, step)
+}
+func (r *recorder) RoomCount() int { return 1 }
+func (r *recorder) LiveGameCount() int64 {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	return r.games
+}
+func (r *recorder) StartDraining() {
+	r.note("drain")
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	alive := r.games
+	r.mu.Unlock()
+	if alive == 0 {
+		r.note("drain-with-no-games")
+	}
+}
+func (r *recorder) Shutdown() { r.note("shutdown") }
+
+func TestDrainAndShutdownOrdersDrainBeforeShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &recorder{games: 1}
+	start := time.Now()
+	drainAndShutdown(r, 300*time.Millisecond, 0)
+
+	if got := strings.Join(r.steps, ","); got != "drain,shutdown" {
+		t.Errorf("steps = %q, want drain then shutdown, with games alive at the drain", got)
+	}
+	if took := time.Since(start); took < 250*time.Millisecond || took > 5*time.Second {
+		t.Errorf("returned after %v, want about the 300ms drain timeout", took)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestServersSetOnlyAnIdleTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	for name, srv := range map[string]*http.Server{
+		"public": newHTTPServer(":0", http.NotFoundHandler()),
+		"debug":  newDebugServer(":0"),
+	} {
+		if srv.IdleTimeout != idleTimeout {
+			t.Errorf("%s: IdleTimeout = %v, want %v", name, srv.IdleTimeout, idleTimeout)
+		}
+		// A read or write deadline outlives the hijack and would end every
+		// WebSocket game when it fires.
+		if srv.ReadTimeout != 0 || srv.WriteTimeout != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("%s: ReadTimeout/WriteTimeout = %v/%v, want both unset", name, srv.ReadTimeout, srv.WriteTimeout)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCheckHealth(t *testing.T) {
+	ok := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path != "/healthz" {
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer ok.Close()
+	okAddr := strings.TrimPrefix(ok.URL, "http://")
+	_, port, _ := net.SplitHostPort(okAddr)
+
+	broken := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		http.Error(w, "down", http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+	}))
+	defer broken.Close()
+
+	dead, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	deadAddr := dead.Addr().String()
+	_ = dead.Close()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		addr    string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{"healthy server", okAddr, false},
+		{"bare port, as in the default :8080", ":" + port, false},
+		{"wildcard host is dialled on loopback", "0.0.0.0:" + port, false},
+		{"non-200 fails", strings.TrimPrefix(broken.URL, "http://"), true},
+		{"nothing listening fails", deadAddr, true},
+		{"malformed address fails", "not-an-address", true},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := checkHealth(tc.addr, time.Second)
+			if (err != nil) != tc.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("checkHealth(%q) = %v, wantErr %v", tc.addr, err, tc.wantErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/internal/bot/bot_test.go b/server/internal/bot/bot_test.go
index 03f46ca..a5d5cd7 100644
--- a/server/internal/bot/bot_test.go
+++ b/server/internal/bot/bot_test.go
@@ -280,3 +280,20 @@ func TestChooseIsDeterministicUnderSeed(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("same seed produced %q then %q", a, b)
 	}
 }
+
+// When every move loses inside the search horizon, Hard must play the one that
+// loses later: the opponent may never find the slower refutation, and the
+// faster one hands it over immediately.
+func TestHardPrefersTheSlowerLossWhenEveryLineLoses(t *testing.T) {
+	// "s p" loses at once: the only reply "p z" leaves the mover with nothing.
+	// "s q" loses three plies later: q r, r t, t u, then "u" starts nothing.
+	b := board("s", "s p", "p z", "s q", "q r", "r t", "t u")
+
+	got, err := mustStrategy(t, Hard).Choose(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Choose: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got != "s q" {
+		t.Errorf("Hard chose %q, want the slower loss %q", got, "s q")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/internal/bot/realcorpus_test.go b/server/internal/bot/realcorpus_test.go
index f932ec9..45a454e 100644
--- a/server/internal/bot/realcorpus_test.go
+++ b/server/internal/bot/realcorpus_test.go
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ func playRealGame(tb testing.TB, dict game.Dictionary, first, second Strategy, s
 
 	store := dict.(*dictionary.Store)
 	var e *game.Engine
+	rng := rand.New(rand.NewPCG(seed, 3))
 	// RandomOpeningWord can still return a word the engine refuses, so retry.
 	for attempt := 0; attempt < 20 && e == nil; attempt++ {
-		opening, err := store.RandomOpeningWord(5)
+		opening, err := store.RandomOpeningWordFrom(rng, 5)
 		if err != nil {
 			tb.Fatalf("RandomOpeningWord: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/server/internal/bot/strategy_hard.go b/server/internal/bot/strategy_hard.go
index 3938913..7bb8361 100644
--- a/server/internal/bot/strategy_hard.go
+++ b/server/internal/bot/strategy_hard.go
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ const (
 	// ordered tightest-first, so the pruned tail is the least interesting.
 	branchCap = 12
 
-	// A win is the negation of a child's loseScore, so only the losing
-	// terminal needs a constant.
+	// A win is the negation of a child's loss, so only the losing terminal
+	// needs a constant. A loss found with more depth still to search is
+	// scored lower than one found later, so a lost position prefers the
+	// slower loss and a won one the faster win.
 	loseScore = -1000.0
 )
 
@@ -150,9 +152,11 @@ func (s *search) negamax(current string, depth int, alpha, beta float64) float64
 		}
 	}
 
-	// No reply: the player to move has lost.
+	// No reply: the player to move has lost. The remaining depth breaks the
+	// tie between losses, so when every line is lost the search still avoids
+	// the ones that end at once — a human may not find the slower refutation.
 	if len(candidates) == 0 {
-		return loseScore
+		return loseScore - float64(depth)
 	}
 	if depth <= 0 {
 		// Negamax evaluates from the perspective of the player to move, so
diff --git a/server/internal/dictionary/store.go b/server/internal/dictionary/store.go
index 7f95faa..b144715 100644
--- a/server/internal/dictionary/store.go
+++ b/server/internal/dictionary/store.go
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ import (
 // ErrNotFound is returned when a syllable has no entry in the dictionary.
 var ErrNotFound = errors.New("dictionary: syllable not found")
 
-// requiredBuilderVersion is the builder whose meta contract this store reads;
-// it is named in the refusal of an older database.
-const requiredBuilderVersion = "5"
+// RequiredBuilderVersion is the builder whose meta contract this store reads.
+// The builder stamps it into every database it writes, and Open refuses any
+// database that carries a different one.
+const RequiredBuilderVersion = "5"
 
 // wordInfo holds the two syllables the chain rule needs. Both ends are kept:
 // canonicalization can move either one, so the engine must never re-derive
@@ -166,6 +167,19 @@ func (s *Store) loadMeta(db *sql.DB) (declaredWords, declaredMeanings int, err e
 		return 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("read dictionary metadata (is this a noitu.db?): %w", err)
 	}
 
+	var builder string
+	if err := db.QueryRow(`SELECT value FROM meta WHERE key = 'builder_version'`).Scan(&builder); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("dictionary has no builder_version: it predates builder_version %s — run 'make fetch-dict && make dict' to rebuild it",
+				RequiredBuilderVersion)
+		}
+		return 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("read dictionary builder_version: %w", err)
+	}
+	if builder != RequiredBuilderVersion {
+		return 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("dictionary was built by builder_version %q, this server reads %s — run 'make fetch-dict && make dict' to rebuild it",
+			builder, RequiredBuilderVersion)
+	}
+
 	count := func(key string) (int, error) {
 		var raw string
 		if err := db.QueryRow(`SELECT value FROM meta WHERE key = ?`, key).Scan(&raw); err != nil {
@@ -173,7 +187,7 @@ func (s *Store) loadMeta(db *sql.DB) (declaredWords, declaredMeanings int, err e
 				// A database from before the key existed: the fix is a rebuild,
 				// so say so rather than naming a missing row.
 				return 0, fmt.Errorf("dictionary has no %s: it predates builder_version %s — run 'make fetch-dict && make dict' to rebuild it",
-					key, requiredBuilderVersion)
+					key, RequiredBuilderVersion)
 			}
 			return 0, fmt.Errorf("read dictionary %s: %w", key, err)
 		}
@@ -483,6 +497,16 @@ func (s *Store) OutDegree(syllable string) (int, error) {
 // prefix and the pick costs a binary search rather than a scan and a 720 KB
 // allocation per room.
 func (s *Store) RandomOpeningWord(minOutDegree int) (string, error) {
+	return s.pickOpeningWord(minOutDegree, rand.IntN)
+}
+
+// RandomOpeningWordFrom is RandomOpeningWord drawing from rng, so a simulation
+// can replay the same openings from the same seed.
+func (s *Store) RandomOpeningWordFrom(rng *rand.Rand, minOutDegree int) (string, error) {
+	return s.pickOpeningWord(minOutDegree, rng.IntN)
+}
+
+func (s *Store) pickOpeningWord(minOutDegree int, intN func(int) int) (string, error) {
 	n := sort.Search(len(s.openers), func(i int) bool {
 		return s.openers[i].lastOutDegree < minOutDegree
 	})
@@ -490,5 +514,5 @@ func (s *Store) RandomOpeningWord(minOutDegree int) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no word has a last syllable with at least %d continuations", minOutDegree)
 	}
 
-	return s.openers[rand.IntN(n)].word, nil
+	return s.openers[intN(n)].word, nil
 }
diff --git a/server/internal/dictionary/store_test.go b/server/internal/dictionary/store_test.go
index da7da7a..8f4685c 100644
--- a/server/internal/dictionary/store_test.go
+++ b/server/internal/dictionary/store_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package dictionary
 import (
 	"database/sql"
 	"errors"
+	"math/rand/v2"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func fixtureAt(tb testing.TB, dir string) string {
 	defer func() { _ = db.Close() }()
 
 	data := fixtureSchema + `
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','7'),('meaning_count','3');
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','` + RequiredBuilderVersion + `'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','7'),('meaning_count','3');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES
   ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2),
   ('pháp lý','pháp','lý',2),
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ func TestOpenWrongSchema(t *testing.T) {
 // every room creation.
 func TestOpenEmptyDictionary(t *testing.T) {
 	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','99999'),('meaning_count','0');`)
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','`+RequiredBuilderVersion+`'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','99999'),('meaning_count','0');`)
 
 	_, err := Open(path)
 	if err == nil {
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','99999')
 // syllable has continuations that cannot be supplied.
 func TestOpenInconsistentOutDegree(t *testing.T) {
 	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','0');
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','`+RequiredBuilderVersion+`'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','0');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2);
 INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',7),('luật',0);`)
 
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',7),('luật',0);`)
 
 func TestOpenOrphanAlias(t *testing.T) {
 	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','0');
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','`+RequiredBuilderVersion+`'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','0');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2);
 INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',1),('luật',0);
 INSERT INTO aliases VALUES ('phap luat','không tồn tại');`)
@@ -276,7 +277,7 @@ func nearMissFixture(tb testing.TB) *Store {
 	tb.Helper()
 
 	path := writeDB(tb, fixtureSchema+`
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','4'),('meaning_count','0');
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','`+RequiredBuilderVersion+`'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','4'),('meaning_count','0');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES
   ('bình yên','bình','yên',2),
   ('an nhàn','an','nhàn',2),
@@ -469,6 +470,31 @@ func TestRandomOpeningWord(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// The same seed must replay the same openings, and an impossible minimum must
+// still be refused when the caller supplies the source.
+func TestRandomOpeningWordFromIsReproducible(t *testing.T) {
+	s := fixture(t)
+
+	draw := func(seed uint64) []string {
+		rng := rand.New(rand.NewPCG(seed, 1))
+		out := make([]string, 30)
+		for i := range out {
+			word, err := s.RandomOpeningWordFrom(rng, 1)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			out[i] = word
+		}
+		return out
+	}
+	if a, b := draw(7), draw(7); !slices.Equal(a, b) {
+		t.Errorf("the same seed drew different openings: %v vs %v", a, b)
+	}
+	if _, err := s.RandomOpeningWordFrom(rand.New(rand.NewPCG(1, 1)), 99); err == nil {
+		t.Error("RandomOpeningWordFrom succeeded with an unreachable minimum, want error")
+	}
+}
+
 // The minimum must actually filter, not just be accepted.
 func TestRandomOpeningWordRespectsMinimum(t *testing.T) {
 	s := fixture(t)
@@ -654,7 +680,7 @@ func TestMeaningsAreOrderedAndCopied(t *testing.T) {
 // served silently as a dictionary without meanings.
 func TestOpenRefusesMismatchedMeaningCount(t *testing.T) {
 	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','2');
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','`+RequiredBuilderVersion+`'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','2');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2);
 INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',1),('luật',0);
 INSERT INTO meanings VALUES ('pháp luật',0,'danh từ','Luật.');`)
@@ -667,7 +693,7 @@ INSERT INTO meanings VALUES ('pháp luật',0,'danh từ','Luật.');`)
 
 // A database built before meanings existed opens cleanly and has every table
 // but one row. The refusal must say what to do, not which row is missing.
-func TestOpenRefusesOlderBuilderVersion(t *testing.T) {
+func TestOpenRefusesADatabaseWithNoBuilderVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
 INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2);
@@ -679,9 +705,27 @@ INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',1),('luật',0);`)
 	}
 }
 
+// The version row, not the presence of other keys, is what identifies a
+// compatible builder: a database from another version that happens to carry
+// every count must still be refused, by name.
+func TestOpenRefusesAMismatchedBuilderVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','4'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','0');
+INSERT INTO words VALUES ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2);
+INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',1),('luật',0);`)
+
+	_, err := Open(path)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Open accepted a database from another builder version")
+	}
+	if msg := err.Error(); !strings.Contains(msg, `"4"`) || !strings.Contains(msg, "make dict") {
+		t.Errorf("error %q should name the found version and say to rebuild", msg)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestOpenRefusesOrphanMeaning(t *testing.T) {
 	path := writeDB(t, fixtureSchema+`
-INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','1');
+INSERT INTO meta VALUES ('builder_version','`+RequiredBuilderVersion+`'),('source_license','CC BY-SA 4.0'),('word_count','1'),('meaning_count','1');
 INSERT INTO words VALUES ('pháp luật','pháp','luật',2);
 INSERT INTO syllables VALUES ('pháp',1),('luật',0);
 INSERT INTO meanings VALUES ('không tồn tại',0,'','Một nghĩa.');`)
diff --git a/server/internal/game/engine.go b/server/internal/game/engine.go
index 53a9441..3eb9fa8 100644
--- a/server/internal/game/engine.go
+++ b/server/internal/game/engine.go
@@ -479,9 +479,15 @@ func (e *Engine) Resign(p PlayerID, now time.Time) bool {
 	if !e.eliminate(p, EndResigned) {
 		return false
 	}
-	e.settle()
+	// Only a resignation that moved the turn may settle a dead end: the new
+	// player to act has already seen the board, which is what settle relies
+	// on. One from behind leaves a pending dead end to the player who faces it,
+	// on their own clock.
 	if !e.over && e.Turn() != before {
-		e.deadline = now.Add(e.turnLimit)
+		e.settle()
+		if !e.over {
+			e.deadline = now.Add(e.turnLimit)
+		}
 	}
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/server/internal/game/multiplayer_test.go b/server/internal/game/multiplayer_test.go
index 81d81e8..b0fd07a 100644
--- a/server/internal/game/multiplayer_test.go
+++ b/server/internal/game/multiplayer_test.go
@@ -155,6 +155,45 @@ func TestADeadEndSettlesInOneTurnNotThree(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A seat leaving from behind must not knock out the player who is facing a dead
+// end: that player still loses it on their own clock, as the README describes.
+func TestResignOutOfTurnDoesNotSettleAPendingDeadEnd(t *testing.T) {
+	d := newDict("a b", "b c", "c d")
+	e, err := New(d, []PlayerID{alice, bob, carol}, "a b", 20*time.Second, t0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("New: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, r := e.Submit(alice, "b c", t0); r != ReasonNone {
+		t.Fatalf("Submit b c: %s", r)
+	}
+	if _, r := e.Submit(bob, "c d", t0); r != ReasonNone {
+		t.Fatalf("Submit c d: %s", r)
+	}
+	deadline := e.Deadline()
+
+	// Carol is on turn with nothing to play; alice leaves a second later.
+	if !e.Resign(alice, t0.Add(time.Second)) {
+		t.Fatal("Resign returned false")
+	}
+
+	if e.Over() {
+		t.Fatal("an out-of-turn resignation ended the game before the player at the dead end had their turn")
+	}
+	if !e.Alive(carol) || e.Turn() != carol {
+		t.Errorf("Turn = %q, alive(carol) = %v; carol should still be on turn", e.Turn(), e.Alive(carol))
+	}
+	if !e.Deadline().Equal(deadline) {
+		t.Error("the resignation changed the player's clock")
+	}
+
+	if !e.Timeout(t0.Add(21 * time.Second)) {
+		t.Fatal("Timeout did not fire")
+	}
+	if !e.Over() || e.Winner() != bob {
+		t.Errorf("Over = %v, Winner = %q; want bob to win once carol's clock ran out", e.Over(), e.Winner())
+	}
+}
+
 // Past two seats a player may want out while somebody else is thinking, and
 // holding them to a turn they have already given up on is not a rule worth
 // having.