diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 92a77003e..661613bc2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.9.26] — 2026-06-03
+
+Hotfix on top of v0.9.25. The first-run boot crashed for users without a persisted index because the load path didn't handle `undefined` returns from iii-state adapters.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **First boot crash: `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'v')`** ([#797](https://github.com/rohitg00/agentmemory/issues/797)). The sharded index load path (`loadShardedData`) checked `manifest.value !== null` before forwarding to `loadManifestData`. Some iii-state adapters return `undefined` (not `null`) for a missing key, so `undefined !== null` was true and `loadManifestData(undefined, ...)` immediately threw on `manifest.v`. Now treats both `null` and `undefined` (plus non-object values) as "no manifest" and falls through to the legacy load path. Self-healing: the next debounced save rebuilds a fresh manifest, so the crash was already cosmetic for ongoing operation — but it scared every fresh upgrader. Tests cover both undefined and wrong-shape manifest rows.
+
+[0.9.26]: https://github.com/rohitg00/agentmemory/compare/v0.9.25...v0.9.26
+
 ## [0.9.25] — 2026-06-03
 
 Bug-fix wave closing every breaking regression reported against 0.9.24, plus a feature lane (graph pagination + smart-search followup diagnostic + obsidian-export hardening + sharded index persistence). Eleven issues closed. No breaking changes; drop-in upgrade.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 23940d91f..bbc88d70d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@agentmemory/agentmemory",
-  "version": "0.9.25",
+  "version": "0.9.26",
   "description": "Persistent memory for AI coding agents, powered by iii-engine's three primitives",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.mjs",
diff --git a/packages/mcp/package.json b/packages/mcp/package.json
index afd692c30..6076f601d 100644
--- a/packages/mcp/package.json
+++ b/packages/mcp/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@agentmemory/mcp",
-  "version": "0.9.25",
+  "version": "0.9.26",
   "description": "Standalone MCP server for agentmemory — thin shim that re-exposes @agentmemory/agentmemory's MCP entrypoint",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 032dd5ff2..1d516491d 100644
--- a/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agentmemory",
-  "version": "0.9.25",
+  "version": "0.9.26",
   "description": "Persistent memory for AI coding agents -- captures tool usage, compresses via LLM, injects context into future sessions. 12 hooks, 53 MCP tools, 8 skills, real-time viewer.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Rohit Ghumare",
diff --git a/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json b/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
index 3e32c122f..2bfb9eac1 100644
--- a/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agentmemory",
-  "version": "0.9.25",
+  "version": "0.9.26",
   "description": "Persistent memory for AI coding agents -- captures tool usage, compresses via LLM, injects context into future sessions. 6 hooks, 53 MCP tools, 8 skills, real-time viewer.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Rohit Ghumare",
diff --git a/plugin/plugin.json b/plugin/plugin.json
index 68769fc39..37d719705 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "agentmemory",
-  "version": "0.9.25",
+  "version": "0.9.26",
   "description": "Persistent memory for AI coding agents -- captures tool usage, compresses via LLM, injects context into future sessions. 12 hooks, 53 MCP tools, 8 skills, real-time viewer.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Rohit Ghumare",
diff --git a/src/functions/export-import.ts b/src/functions/export-import.ts
index bd76518fc..9b6bb534f 100644
--- a/src/functions/export-import.ts
+++ b/src/functions/export-import.ts
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ export function registerExportImportFunction(sdk: ISdk, kv: StateKV): void {
       const strategy = data.strategy || "merge";
       const importData = data.exportData;
 
-      const supportedVersions = new Set(["0.3.0", "0.4.0", "0.5.0", "0.6.0", "0.6.1", "0.7.0", "0.7.2", "0.7.3", "0.7.4", "0.7.5", "0.7.6", "0.7.7", "0.7.9", "0.8.0", "0.8.1", "0.8.2", "0.8.3", "0.8.4", "0.8.5", "0.8.6", "0.8.7", "0.8.8", "0.8.9", "0.8.10", "0.8.11", "0.8.12", "0.8.13", "0.9.0", "0.9.1", "0.9.2", "0.9.3", "0.9.4", "0.9.5", "0.9.6", "0.9.7", "0.9.8", "0.9.9", "0.9.10", "0.9.11", "0.9.12", "0.9.13", "0.9.14", "0.9.15", "0.9.16", "0.9.17", "0.9.18", "0.9.19", "0.9.20", "0.9.21", "0.9.22", "0.9.23", "0.9.24", "0.9.25"]);
+      const supportedVersions = new Set(["0.3.0", "0.4.0", "0.5.0", "0.6.0", "0.6.1", "0.7.0", "0.7.2", "0.7.3", "0.7.4", "0.7.5", "0.7.6", "0.7.7", "0.7.9", "0.8.0", "0.8.1", "0.8.2", "0.8.3", "0.8.4", "0.8.5", "0.8.6", "0.8.7", "0.8.8", "0.8.9", "0.8.10", "0.8.11", "0.8.12", "0.8.13", "0.9.0", "0.9.1", "0.9.2", "0.9.3", "0.9.4", "0.9.5", "0.9.6", "0.9.7", "0.9.8", "0.9.9", "0.9.10", "0.9.11", "0.9.12", "0.9.13", "0.9.14", "0.9.15", "0.9.16", "0.9.17", "0.9.18", "0.9.19", "0.9.20", "0.9.21", "0.9.22", "0.9.23", "0.9.24", "0.9.25", "0.9.26"]);
       if (!supportedVersions.has(importData.version)) {
         return {
           success: false,
diff --git a/src/state/index-persistence.ts b/src/state/index-persistence.ts
index 9c9fd61a5..6df0e2fda 100644
--- a/src/state/index-persistence.ts
+++ b/src/state/index-persistence.ts
@@ -358,7 +358,16 @@ export class IndexPersistence {
       "manifest",
     );
     if (!manifest.ok) return null;
-    if (manifest.value !== null) {
+    // #797: some iii-state adapters return `undefined` (not `null`) for
+    // a missing key. The previous `value !== null` check passed
+    // undefined through to loadManifestData, which then crashed on
+    // `manifest.v` with TypeError. Treat both null and undefined as
+    // "no manifest" and fall through to the legacy path. The shape
+    // check stays so a malformed-but-present row still fails closed.
+    if (
+      manifest.value != null &&
+      typeof manifest.value === "object"
+    ) {
       return this.loadManifestData(manifest.value, label);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 713bbdf16..1b53d1b61 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ export interface ExportPagination {
 }
 
 export interface ExportData {
-  version: "0.3.0" | "0.4.0" | "0.5.0" | "0.6.0" | "0.6.1" | "0.7.0" | "0.7.2" | "0.7.3" | "0.7.4" | "0.7.5" | "0.7.6" | "0.7.7" | "0.7.9" | "0.8.0" | "0.8.1" | "0.8.2" | "0.8.3" | "0.8.4" | "0.8.5" | "0.8.6" | "0.8.7" | "0.8.8" | "0.8.9" | "0.8.10" | "0.8.11" | "0.8.12" | "0.8.13" | "0.9.0" | "0.9.1" | "0.9.2" | "0.9.3" | "0.9.4" | "0.9.5" | "0.9.6" | "0.9.7" | "0.9.8" | "0.9.9" | "0.9.10" | "0.9.11" | "0.9.12" | "0.9.13" | "0.9.14" | "0.9.15" | "0.9.16" | "0.9.17" | "0.9.18" | "0.9.19" | "0.9.20" | "0.9.21" | "0.9.22" | "0.9.23" | "0.9.24" | "0.9.25";
+  version: "0.3.0" | "0.4.0" | "0.5.0" | "0.6.0" | "0.6.1" | "0.7.0" | "0.7.2" | "0.7.3" | "0.7.4" | "0.7.5" | "0.7.6" | "0.7.7" | "0.7.9" | "0.8.0" | "0.8.1" | "0.8.2" | "0.8.3" | "0.8.4" | "0.8.5" | "0.8.6" | "0.8.7" | "0.8.8" | "0.8.9" | "0.8.10" | "0.8.11" | "0.8.12" | "0.8.13" | "0.9.0" | "0.9.1" | "0.9.2" | "0.9.3" | "0.9.4" | "0.9.5" | "0.9.6" | "0.9.7" | "0.9.8" | "0.9.9" | "0.9.10" | "0.9.11" | "0.9.12" | "0.9.13" | "0.9.14" | "0.9.15" | "0.9.16" | "0.9.17" | "0.9.18" | "0.9.19" | "0.9.20" | "0.9.21" | "0.9.22" | "0.9.23" | "0.9.24" | "0.9.25" | "0.9.26";
   exportedAt: string;
   sessions: Session[];
   observations: Record<string, CompressedObservation[]>;
diff --git a/src/version.ts b/src/version.ts
index 2bbd1988c..1fff76723 100644
--- a/src/version.ts
+++ b/src/version.ts
@@ -1 +1 @@
-export const VERSION = "0.9.25";
+export const VERSION = "0.9.26";
diff --git a/test/export-import.test.ts b/test/export-import.test.ts
index 2fedf769c..6b3da7fae 100644
--- a/test/export-import.test.ts
+++ b/test/export-import.test.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ describe("Export/Import Functions", () => {
   it("export produces valid ExportData structure", async () => {
     const result = (await sdk.trigger("mem::export", {})) as ExportData;
 
-    expect(result.version).toBe("0.9.25");
+    expect(result.version).toBe("0.9.26");
     expect(result.exportedAt).toBeDefined();
     expect(result.sessions.length).toBe(1);
     expect(result.sessions[0].id).toBe("ses_1");
diff --git a/test/index-persistence.test.ts b/test/index-persistence.test.ts
index 41877deb1..929791657 100644
--- a/test/index-persistence.test.ts
+++ b/test/index-persistence.test.ts
@@ -755,4 +755,39 @@ describe("IndexPersistence", () => {
 
     await expect(persistence.save()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
   });
+
+  // #797: first run after upgrading to 0.9.25 crashed with
+  // 'TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading "v")'
+  // because some iii-state adapters return `undefined` (not `null`)
+  // for a missing key. The load path's `value !== null` check passed
+  // undefined to loadManifestData, which then read `undefined.v`.
+  it("load() returns null instead of crashing when kv.get returns undefined for the manifest (#797)", async () => {
+    const undefinedKv = {
+      ...mockKV(),
+      get: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+    };
+    const persistence = new IndexPersistence(
+      undefinedKv as never,
+      new SearchIndex(),
+      null,
+    );
+
+    const loaded = await persistence.load();
+    expect(loaded.bm25).toBeNull();
+    expect(loaded.vector).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("load() does not crash when a manifest row value is the wrong shape (#797)", async () => {
+    const wrongShapeKv = {
+      ...mockKV(),
+      get: vi.fn(async () => "not-a-manifest"),
+    };
+    const persistence = new IndexPersistence(
+      wrongShapeKv as never,
+      new SearchIndex(),
+      null,
+    );
+
+    await expect(persistence.load()).resolves.toBeDefined();
+  });
 });