diff --git a/.husky/commit-msg b/.husky/commit-msg
index a839376..be93a78 100644
--- a/.husky/commit-msg
+++ b/.husky/commit-msg
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# RuleOfCode v7.17.3 Commit Message Validation
+# RuleOfCode v7.17.4 Commit Message Validation
 # Config-driven validation with 1 pattern(s)
 # husky v9+ native hook (no deprecated v8 boilerplate)
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ fi
 if [ "$VALID" = false ]; then
     echo "❌ Invalid commit message format!"
     echo ""
-    echo "🏛️ RuleOfCode v7.17.3 Constitutional Commit Message Format:"
+    echo "🏛️ RuleOfCode v7.17.4 Constitutional Commit Message Format:"
     echo "   Your message must match one of the configured patterns"
     echo ""
     echo "Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, build, revert"
@@ -68,4 +68,4 @@ if [ "$EXEMPT" = false ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-echo "✅ Commit message format validated (RuleOfCode v7.17.3)"
+echo "✅ Commit message format validated (RuleOfCode v7.17.4)"
diff --git a/.husky/pre-commit b/.husky/pre-commit
index c1363e6..aebc547 100644
--- a/.husky/pre-commit
+++ b/.husky/pre-commit
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-# RuleOfCode v7.17.3 Constitutional Checkpoint (husky v9+ native hook)
-echo "🏛️ RuleOfCode v7.17.3 Constitutional Checkpoint with lint-staged"
+# RuleOfCode v7.17.4 Constitutional Checkpoint (husky v9+ native hook)
+echo "🏛️ RuleOfCode v7.17.4 Constitutional Checkpoint with lint-staged"
 npx lint-staged
 
 # Run constitutional audit on staged files
diff --git a/.husky/pre-push b/.husky/pre-push
index 20bb306..a66e2d2 100644
--- a/.husky/pre-push
+++ b/.husky/pre-push
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-# RuleOfCode v7.17.3 Constitutional Compliance Pre-Push Hook (husky v9+ native)
-echo "🏛️ RuleOfCode v7.17.3 Constitutional Checkpoint - Pre-Push Mode"
+# RuleOfCode v7.17.4 Constitutional Compliance Pre-Push Hook (husky v9+ native)
+echo "🏛️ RuleOfCode v7.17.4 Constitutional Checkpoint - Pre-Push Mode"
 echo "═════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
 
 # Run full RuleOfCode audit before push
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0afbbed..423dd3d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,28 @@ All notable changes to RuleOfCode will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [7.17.4] - 2026-08-07
+
+### 🐛 Fixed — `init` crashed instead of setting up when there is no terminal
+
+`ruleofcode init` asks its questions through inquirer, which needs a real terminal to
+answer them. In CI, in a container, or behind a pipe there is none: readline
+force-closes and the process dies with an `ERR_USE_AFTER_CLOSE` stack trace and exit 7 —
+a setup tool crashing rather than setting anything up.
+
+Three behaviours now, each stated out loud:
+
+- **no terminal, no config yet** — runs the same defaults `--quick` documents, and says
+  that is what happened instead of pretending you chose them;
+- **no terminal, config already there** — refuses and points at `--force`. Overwriting a
+  tuned config because nobody was present to object is the destructive answer to the
+  question;
+- **`--force`** still overwrites, terminal or not.
+
+The terminal requirement belongs to inquirer specifically, so an embedder that injects
+its own prompt function is unaffected. No verdict change: `init` writes configuration,
+it does not judge code.
+
 ## [7.17.3] - 2026-08-07
 
 First release published to npm as **`ruleofcode`**.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 095d06d..4bb127f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ruleofcode",
-  "version": "7.17.3",
+  "version": "7.17.4",
   "description": "Constitutional-compliance CLI — audit a codebase against a catalog of laws and get one honest pass-or-fail verdict, with git hooks. Supports TypeScript, Angular and Python.",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
diff --git a/src/hooks/installer.ts b/src/hooks/installer.ts
index 8ed40f9..22cef35 100644
--- a/src/hooks/installer.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/installer.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export interface HooksInstallOptions {
 }
 
 export class GitHooksInstaller {
-  private static readonly VERSION = '7.17.3';
+  private static readonly VERSION = '7.17.4';
   private static readonly PACKAGE_JSON_FILE = 'package.json';
   private static readonly HUSKY_DIR = '.husky';
   private static readonly PRE_COMMIT_HOOK = 'pre-commit';