diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 0af9b68..9810572 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "5.17.2"
+  ".": "5.17.3"
 }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 45f31d2..55e53e5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [5.17.3](https://github.com/alex-feel/claude-code-toolbox/compare/v5.17.2...v5.17.3) (2026-06-30)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* preserve ${VAR} placeholders in MCP server headers for runtime expansion ([6f41c49](https://github.com/alex-feel/claude-code-toolbox/commit/6f41c49e4fc8faab22e3185d8bc993fce9d7dde9))
+
 ## [5.17.2](https://github.com/alex-feel/claude-code-toolbox/compare/v5.17.1...v5.17.2) (2026-06-29)
 
 
diff --git a/CITATION.cff b/CITATION.cff
index 5463fbb..9c81e90 100644
--- a/CITATION.cff
+++ b/CITATION.cff
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ authors:
     given-names: Aleksandr
     email: alexfeel@protonmail.com
     orcid: "https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1120-6114"
-version: 5.17.2 # x-release-please-version
+version: 5.17.3 # x-release-please-version
 license: MIT
 url: "https://github.com/alex-feel/claude-code-toolbox"
 repository-code: "https://github.com/alex-feel/claude-code-toolbox"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 42bce66..c79bada 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "claude-code-toolbox"
-version = "5.17.2"
+version = "5.17.3"
 description = "Claude Code Toolbox — automated installers and environment configuration framework for Claude Code with one-line setup across Windows, macOS, and Linux."
 readme = "README.md"
 authors = [{ name = "Aleksandr Filippov", email = "alexfeel@protonmail.com" }]