diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f21e3e91f0..dc3560333f 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3723,7 +3723,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "light-client"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anchor-lang",
  "async-trait",
@@ -3781,7 +3781,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "light-compressed-account"
-version = "0.10.0"
+version = "0.10.1"
 dependencies = [
  "anchor-lang",
  "ark-bn254 0.5.0",
@@ -3917,7 +3917,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "light-event"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 dependencies = [
  "borsh 0.10.4",
  "light-compressed-account",
@@ -4112,7 +4112,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "light-program-test"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 dependencies = [
  "account-compression",
  "anchor-lang",
@@ -4456,7 +4456,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "light-token-client"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 dependencies = [
  "borsh 0.10.4",
  "light-client",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 3408df31af..92aaed7821 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ light-hash-set = { version = "4.0.0", path = "program-libs/hash-set" }
 light-indexed-merkle-tree = { version = "5.0.0", path = "program-libs/indexed-merkle-tree" }
 light-concurrent-merkle-tree = { version = "5.0.0", path = "program-libs/concurrent-merkle-tree" }
 light-sparse-merkle-tree = { version = "0.3.0", path = "sparse-merkle-tree" }
-light-client = { path = "sdk-libs/client", version = "0.20.0" }
-light-event = { path = "sdk-libs/event", version = "0.20.0" }
+light-client = { path = "sdk-libs/client", version = "0.21.0" }
+light-event = { path = "sdk-libs/event", version = "0.21.0" }
 light-hasher = { path = "program-libs/hasher", version = "5.0.0", default-features = false }
 light-macros = { path = "program-libs/macros", version = "2.2.0" }
 light-merkle-tree-reference = { path = "program-tests/merkle-tree", version = "4.0.0" }
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ light-sdk = { path = "sdk-libs/sdk", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-sdk-pinocchio = { path = "sdk-libs/sdk-pinocchio", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-sdk-macros = { path = "sdk-libs/macros", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-sdk-types = { path = "sdk-libs/sdk-types", version = "0.20.0", default-features = false }
-light-compressed-account = { path = "program-libs/compressed-account", version = "0.10.0", default-features = false }
+light-compressed-account = { path = "program-libs/compressed-account", version = "0.10.1", default-features = false }
 light-compressible = { path = "program-libs/compressible", version = "0.5.0", default-features = false }
 light-token-interface = { path = "program-libs/token-interface", version = "0.4.0" }
 light-account-checks = { path = "program-libs/account-checks", version = "0.8.0", default-features = false }
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ light-token-types = { path = "sdk-libs/token-types", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-token = { path = "sdk-libs/token-sdk", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-token-pinocchio = { path = "sdk-libs/token-pinocchio", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-compressed-token-sdk = { path = "sdk-libs/compressed-token-sdk", version = "0.20.0" }
-light-token-client = { path = "sdk-libs/token-client", version = "0.20.0" }
+light-token-client = { path = "sdk-libs/token-client", version = "0.21.0" }
 light-system-program-anchor = { path = "anchor-programs/system", version = "2.0.0", features = [
     "cpi",
 ] }
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ light-registry = { path = "programs/registry", version = "2.0.0", features = [
 create-address-test-program = { path = "program-tests/create-address-test-program", version = "1.0.0", features = [
     "cpi",
 ] }
-light-program-test = { path = "sdk-libs/program-test", version = "0.20.0" }
+light-program-test = { path = "sdk-libs/program-test", version = "0.21.0" }
 light-instruction-decoder = { path = "sdk-libs/instruction-decoder", version = "0.20.0" }
 light-instruction-decoder-derive = { path = "sdk-libs/instruction-decoder-derive", version = "0.2.0" }
 light-batched-merkle-tree = { path = "program-libs/batched-merkle-tree", version = "0.10.0" }
diff --git a/program-libs/compressed-account/Cargo.toml b/program-libs/compressed-account/Cargo.toml
index bb18cc5684..2ad55fe899 100644
--- a/program-libs/compressed-account/Cargo.toml
+++ b/program-libs/compressed-account/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "light-compressed-account"
-version = "0.10.0"
+version = "0.10.1"
 description = "Compressed account struct and common utility functions used in Light Protocol."
 readme = "README.md"
 repository = "https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol"
diff --git a/scripts/release/check-dependents.sh b/scripts/release/check-dependents.sh
index 9c23a67fe7..bc56e08916 100755
--- a/scripts/release/check-dependents.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/check-dependents.sh
@@ -2,20 +2,56 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 # Check that all dependents of released packages are also being released
-# Usage: ./scripts/release/check-dependents.sh <packages...>
-# Arguments:
-#   packages: Space-separated list of package names being released
-# Exits with 0 if all dependents are included, 1 if missing dependents
+# Usage: ./scripts/release/check-dependents.sh [--base-ref <ref>] <packages...>
+# Patch version bumps are semver-compatible and skip the dependents check.
+
+BASE_REF="origin/main"
+if [ "${1:-}" = "--base-ref" ]; then
+    BASE_REF="$2"
+    shift 2
+fi
 
 if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 <package1> [package2] ..." >&2
+    echo "Usage: $0 [--base-ref <ref>] <package1> [package2] ..." >&2
     exit 1
 fi
 
 PACKAGES=("$@")
 
+# Scan directories
+SCAN_DIRS="program-libs sdk-libs prover/client sparse-merkle-tree"
+
+# Check if version bump is patch-only (0.x.y -> 0.x.z or 1.x.y -> 1.x.z)
+is_patch_only() {
+    local old_ver="$1" new_ver="$2"
+    local old_major old_minor new_major new_minor
+    IFS='.' read -r old_major old_minor _ <<< "$old_ver"
+    IFS='.' read -r new_major new_minor _ <<< "$new_ver"
+    [ "$old_major" = "$new_major" ] && { [ "$old_major" != "0" ] || [ "$old_minor" = "$new_minor" ]; }
+}
+
+# Filter to packages with breaking changes only
+BREAKING_PACKAGES=()
+for pkg in "${PACKAGES[@]}"; do
+    cargo_toml=$(find $SCAN_DIRS -name "Cargo.toml" -exec grep -l "^name = \"$pkg\"" {} \; 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+    if [ -n "$cargo_toml" ]; then
+        versions=$(git diff "$BASE_REF" -- "$cargo_toml" 2>/dev/null | grep -E '^\+version|^-version' | grep -v '+++\|---' || true)
+        old_ver=$(echo "$versions" | grep '^-version' | head -1 | awk -F'"' '{print $2}')
+        new_ver=$(echo "$versions" | grep '^\+version' | head -1 | awk -F'"' '{print $2}')
+        if [ -n "$old_ver" ] && [ -n "$new_ver" ] && is_patch_only "$old_ver" "$new_ver"; then
+            continue
+        fi
+    fi
+    BREAKING_PACKAGES+=("$pkg")
+done
+
+if [ ${#BREAKING_PACKAGES[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "All changes are patch-only - dependents check skipped"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 # Packages to exclude from dependent checks (e.g., not published to crates.io)
-EXCLUDED_PACKAGES="light-token-client"
+EXCLUDED_PACKAGES=""
 
 # Scan all lib directories
 SCAN_DIRS="program-libs sdk-libs prover/client sparse-merkle-tree"
@@ -58,8 +94,8 @@ for cargo_toml in $CARGO_FILES; do
   fi
 done
 
-# Check each released package for missing dependents
-for pkg in "${PACKAGES[@]}"; do
+# Check each package with breaking changes for missing dependents
+for pkg in "${BREAKING_PACKAGES[@]}"; do
   # Find all packages that depend on this package
   if [ -s "$DEPS_FILE" ]; then
     dependents=$(grep ":${pkg}$" "$DEPS_FILE" 2>/dev/null | cut -d: -f1 | sort -u || true)
diff --git a/sdk-libs/client/Cargo.toml b/sdk-libs/client/Cargo.toml
index da58dc7c8f..81f0878cb8 100644
--- a/sdk-libs/client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sdk-libs/client/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "light-client"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 edition = "2021"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
 repository = "https://github.com/lightprotocol/light-protocol"
diff --git a/sdk-libs/event/Cargo.toml b/sdk-libs/event/Cargo.toml
index 76156bdbf6..ab6a3256bb 100644
--- a/sdk-libs/event/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sdk-libs/event/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "light-event"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 description = "Event types and utilities for Light Protocol"
 repository = "https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/sdk-libs/program-test/Cargo.toml b/sdk-libs/program-test/Cargo.toml
index 4adec6f6c3..a05b4856ed 100644
--- a/sdk-libs/program-test/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sdk-libs/program-test/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "light-program-test"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 description = "A fast local test environment for Solana programs using compressed accounts and tokens."
 license = "MIT"
 edition = "2021"
diff --git a/sdk-libs/token-client/Cargo.toml b/sdk-libs/token-client/Cargo.toml
index d1964d5a48..e47e83e5b5 100644
--- a/sdk-libs/token-client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sdk-libs/token-client/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "light-token-client"
-version = "0.20.0"
+version = "0.21.0"
 description = "Client library for Light Tokens"
 repository = "https://github.com/Lightprotocol/light-protocol"
 license = "Apache-2.0"