diff --git a/charts/nextcloud-mcp-server/.cz.toml b/charts/nextcloud-mcp-server/.cz.toml
index c71bcdd..8f4504c 100644
--- a/charts/nextcloud-mcp-server/.cz.toml
+++ b/charts/nextcloud-mcp-server/.cz.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 name = "cz_conventional_commits"
 version = "0.53.0"
 tag_format = "nextcloud-mcp-server-$version"
-version_scheme = "pep440"
+version_scheme = "semver"
 update_changelog_on_bump = true
 major_version_zero = true
 
diff --git a/scripts/bump-astrolabe.sh b/scripts/bump-astrolabe.sh
index 4a320d7..c51b8eb 100755
--- a/scripts/bump-astrolabe.sh
+++ b/scripts/bump-astrolabe.sh
@@ -1,17 +1,56 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # Bump Astrolabe app version
-set -e
+set -euo pipefail
 
 # Validate dependencies
-command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "Error: uv not found. Install from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/"; exit 1; }
+command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    echo "❌ Error: uv not found" >&2
+    echo "   Install from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Validate Astrolabe directory exists
+if [ ! -d "third_party/astrolabe" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: Must run from repository root (third_party/astrolabe not found)" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 cd third_party/astrolabe
 
-echo "Bumping Astrolabe version..."
-uv run cz --config .cz.toml bump --yes
+# Validate required files exist
+if [ ! -f "appinfo/info.xml" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: appinfo/info.xml not found" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 
-echo "✓ Astrolabe version bumped"
-echo "  - Updated: appinfo/info.xml, package.json"
-echo "  - Tag format: astrolabe-v\${version}"
+if [ ! -f "package.json" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: package.json not found" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "Bumping Astrolabe version..."
+
+# Run commitizen bump and capture output
+if ! output=$(uv run cz --config .cz.toml bump --yes 2>&1); then
+    cd ../..
+    echo "❌ Error: Version bump failed" >&2
+    echo "$output" >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Common causes:" >&2
+    echo "  - No commits with scope 'astrolabe' since last version" >&2
+    echo "  - No conventional commits found (use feat(astrolabe):, fix(astrolabe):, etc.)" >&2
+    echo "  - Git working directory not clean" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "$output"
+echo ""
+echo "✓ Astrolabe version bumped successfully"
+echo "  Updated: appinfo/info.xml, package.json"
+echo "  Tag format: astrolabe-v\${version}"
+echo ""
+echo "Next steps:"
+echo "  cd ../.."
+echo "  git push --follow-tags"
 
 cd ../..
diff --git a/scripts/bump-helm.sh b/scripts/bump-helm.sh
index dd5411a..d57aef7 100755
--- a/scripts/bump-helm.sh
+++ b/scripts/bump-helm.sh
@@ -1,18 +1,52 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # Bump Helm chart version
-set -e
+set -euo pipefail
 
 # Validate dependencies
-command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "Error: uv not found. Install from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/"; exit 1; }
+command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    echo "❌ Error: uv not found" >&2
+    echo "   Install from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Validate Helm chart directory exists
+if [ ! -d "charts/nextcloud-mcp-server" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: Must run from repository root (charts/ not found)" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 cd charts/nextcloud-mcp-server
 
-echo "Bumping Helm chart version..."
-uv run cz --config .cz.toml bump --yes
+# Validate Chart.yaml exists
+if [ ! -f "Chart.yaml" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: Chart.yaml not found" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 
-echo "✓ Helm chart version bumped"
-echo "  - Updated: Chart.yaml:version"
-echo "  - Tag format: nextcloud-mcp-server-\${version}"
-echo "  - Note: appVersion stays at MCP server version"
+echo "Bumping Helm chart version..."
+
+# Run commitizen bump and capture output
+if ! output=$(uv run cz --config .cz.toml bump --yes 2>&1); then
+    cd ../..
+    echo "❌ Error: Version bump failed" >&2
+    echo "$output" >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Common causes:" >&2
+    echo "  - No commits with scope 'helm' since last version" >&2
+    echo "  - No conventional commits found (use feat(helm):, fix(helm):, etc.)" >&2
+    echo "  - Git working directory not clean" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "$output"
+echo ""
+echo "✓ Helm chart version bumped successfully"
+echo "  Updated: Chart.yaml:version"
+echo "  Tag format: nextcloud-mcp-server-\${version}"
+echo "  Note: appVersion stays at MCP server version"
+echo ""
+echo "Next steps:"
+echo "  cd ../.."
+echo "  git push --follow-tags"
 
 cd ../..
diff --git a/scripts/bump-mcp.sh b/scripts/bump-mcp.sh
index 6cc9a47..d6b618e 100755
--- a/scripts/bump-mcp.sh
+++ b/scripts/bump-mcp.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,39 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # Bump MCP server version
-set -e
+set -euo pipefail
 
 # Validate dependencies
-command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "Error: uv not found. Install from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/"; exit 1; }
+command -v uv >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    echo "❌ Error: uv not found" >&2
+    echo "   Install from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Validate we're in the repository root
+if [ ! -f "pyproject.toml" ]; then
+    echo "❌ Error: Must run from repository root (pyproject.toml not found)" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 echo "Bumping MCP server version..."
-uv run cz bump --yes
 
-echo "✓ MCP server version bumped"
-echo "  - Updated: pyproject.toml, Chart.yaml:appVersion"
-echo "  - Tag format: v\${version}"
+# Run commitizen bump and capture output
+if ! output=$(uv run cz bump --yes 2>&1); then
+    echo "❌ Error: Version bump failed" >&2
+    echo "$output" >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Common causes:" >&2
+    echo "  - No commits since last version" >&2
+    echo "  - No conventional commits found (use feat:, fix:, etc.)" >&2
+    echo "  - Git working directory not clean" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "$output"
+echo ""
+echo "✓ MCP server version bumped successfully"
+echo "  Updated: pyproject.toml, Chart.yaml:appVersion"
+echo "  Tag format: v\${version}"
+echo ""
+echo "Next steps:"
+echo "  git push --follow-tags"
diff --git a/third_party/astrolabe/.cz.toml b/third_party/astrolabe/.cz.toml
index d16c32a..6e7c9b3 100644
--- a/third_party/astrolabe/.cz.toml
+++ b/third_party/astrolabe/.cz.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 name = "cz_conventional_commits"
 version = "0.1.0"
 tag_format = "astrolabe-v$version"
-version_scheme = "pep440"
+version_scheme = "semver"
 update_changelog_on_bump = true
 major_version_zero = true