diff --git a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/archive.html b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/archive.html
index a541a97..beb0148 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/archive.html
+++ b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/archive.html
@@ -2470,7 +2470,7 @@ td[data-field="trackingNumber"] {
                 </svg>
                 <div class="header-title-group">
                     <span class="app-header__title">ZDDC Archive</span>
-                    <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017</span></span>
+                    <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98</span></span>
                 </div>
                 <button id="addDirectoryBtn" class="btn btn-primary">Add Local Directory</button>
                 <button id="refreshHeaderBtn" class="btn btn-secondary hidden" title="Refresh Data">⟳</button>
diff --git a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/browse.html b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/browse.html
index e7ce223..52503e4 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/browse.html
+++ b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/browse.html
@@ -1657,7 +1657,7 @@ html, body {
             </svg>
             <div class="header-title-group">
                 <span class="app-header__title">ZDDC Browse</span>
-                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017</span></span>
+                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:46 · b8c6b98</span></span>
             </div>
             <button id="addDirectoryBtn" class="btn btn-primary">Add Local Directory</button>
             <button id="refreshHeaderBtn" class="btn btn-secondary hidden" title="Refresh listing" aria-label="Refresh listing">⟳</button>
@@ -6763,12 +6763,21 @@ var e=function(t,n){return e=Object.setPrototypeOf||{__proto__:[]}instanceof Arr
                 var a = document.createElement('a');
                 a.className = 'btn btn-sm btn-secondary md-shell__download';
                 a.href = node.url + '?convert=' + encodeURIComponent(fmt);
-                a.download = node.name.replace(/\.md$/i, '') + '.' + fmt;
-                a.textContent = fmt.toUpperCase();
-                a.title = 'Download as ' + fmt.toUpperCase()
-                    + '  (right-click to copy link or open in new tab)';
-                a.dataset.fmt = fmt;
+                // target=_blank: clicks open in a new tab. The server
+                // sends Content-Disposition: inline, so the new tab
+                // either renders (HTML → web page; PDF → browser's
+                // PDF viewer) or auto-downloads (DOCX, since browsers
+                // can't render Office Open XML). Right-click "Save
+                // Link As" still gives a download-to-disk path for
+                // any format. Errors from the server (422, 503, …)
+                // appear as a plain-text page in the new tab, which
+                // is more diagnostic than a transient toast.
+                a.target = '_blank';
                 a.rel = 'noopener';
+                a.textContent = fmt.toUpperCase();
+                a.title = 'Open ' + fmt.toUpperCase()
+                    + ' in a new tab  (right-click for Save Link As / Copy Link)';
+                a.dataset.fmt = fmt;
                 convertBtns.push(a);
             });
         }
diff --git a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/classifier.html b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/classifier.html
index 8fe6b68..d2218a9 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/classifier.html
+++ b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/classifier.html
@@ -1681,7 +1681,7 @@ body.help-open .app-header {
                     </svg>
                     <div class="header-title-group">
                         <span class="app-header__title">ZDDC Classifier</span>
-                        <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017</span></span>
+                        <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98</span></span>
                     </div>
                     <button id="addDirectoryBtn" class="btn btn-primary">Add Local Directory</button>
                     <button id="refreshHeaderBtn" class="btn btn-secondary hidden" title="Refresh and rescan directory" aria-label="Refresh" style="font-size:1.1rem;">⟳</button>
diff --git a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/index.html b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/index.html
index 2e3bd80..7d6e328 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/index.html
+++ b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/index.html
@@ -1424,7 +1424,7 @@ body {
             </svg>
             <div class="header-title-group">
                 <span class="app-header__title">ZDDC</span>
-                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017</span></span>
+                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98</span></span>
             </div>
         </div>
         <div class="header-right">
diff --git a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/transmittal.html b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/transmittal.html
index b23f0e4..fc52c7b 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/transmittal.html
+++ b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/transmittal.html
@@ -2523,7 +2523,7 @@ dialog.modal--narrow {
             </svg>
             <div class="header-title-group">
                 <span class="app-header__title">ZDDC Transmittal</span>
-                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:10 · 9245017</span></span>
+                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98</span></span>
             </div>
             <span id="no-js-notice" class="text-gray-400 text-xs italic">JavaScript not available</span>
             <!-- Publish split-button (Transmittal-specific primary action;
diff --git a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/versions.txt b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/versions.txt
index 5c2f500..bb10dc2 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/versions.txt
+++ b/zddc/internal/apps/embedded/versions.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # Generated by build.sh — do not edit. One <app>=<build label> per line.
-archive=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017
-transmittal=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:10 · 9245017
-classifier=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017
-landing=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017
-form=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017
-tables=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017
-browse=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017
+archive=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98
+transmittal=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98
+classifier=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98
+landing=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98
+form=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:45 · b8c6b98
+tables=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:46 · b8c6b98
+browse=v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:46 · b8c6b98
diff --git a/zddc/internal/handler/tables.html b/zddc/internal/handler/tables.html
index 1e9d739..d607ad9 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/handler/tables.html
+++ b/zddc/internal/handler/tables.html
@@ -1300,7 +1300,7 @@ body.help-open .app-header {
             </svg>
             <div class="header-title-group">
                 <span class="app-header__title" id="table-title">ZDDC Table</span>
-                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 17:55:11 · 9245017</span></span>
+                <span class="build-timestamp"><span style="color:red;font-weight:bold">v0.0.17-beta · 2026-05-13 18:06:46 · b8c6b98</span></span>
             </div>
         </div>
         <div class="header-right">