diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3316c62..ca923f1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ Skills compose by adoption-list order (`10123`) and trigger tags carry runtime e
 
 Didactyl will support local inference, which is very privacy preserving. Remote inference does however have it's advantages, and in those cases Didactyl supports using Bitcoin Lightning and eCash inference providers.
 
-## Current Status — v0.2.16
+## Current Status — v0.2.17
 
 **Active build — this project is barely working. Experiment at your own risk.**
 
-> Last release update: v0.2.16 — Add Python test harness and fix increment script commit identity handling
+> Last release update: v0.2.17 — Add Python test harness and improve increment_and_push diagnostics and git identity handling
 
 - Connects to configured relays with auto-reconnect and relay state transition logging
 - Publishes configured startup events per relay as each relay becomes connected
diff --git a/increment_and_push.sh b/increment_and_push.sh
index 0087756..864615a 100755
--- a/increment_and_push.sh
+++ b/increment_and_push.sh
@@ -336,10 +336,14 @@ git_commit_and_push_no_tag() {
     current_branch=$(git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null || echo "")
 
     if git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name "@{u}" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if git push > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+        local push_output
+        if push_output=$(git push 2>&1); then
             print_success "Pushed changes"
         else
             print_error "Failed to push changes"
+            print_error "git push output:"
+            echo "$push_output" >&2
+            print_warning "If this is an SSH auth error, verify ~/.ssh/config and that the correct private key is available to SSH"
             exit 1
         fi
     else
@@ -349,23 +353,30 @@ git_commit_and_push_no_tag() {
         fi
 
         print_warning "No upstream configured for branch '$current_branch'; setting upstream to origin/$current_branch"
-        if git push -u origin "$current_branch" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+        local push_output
+        if push_output=$(git push -u origin "$current_branch" 2>&1); then
             print_success "Pushed changes and configured upstream"
         else
             print_error "Failed to push changes while configuring upstream"
+            print_error "git push output:"
+            echo "$push_output" >&2
+            print_warning "If this is an SSH auth error, verify ~/.ssh/config and that the correct private key is available to SSH"
             exit 1
         fi
     fi
 
     # Push only the new tag to avoid conflicts with existing tags
-    if git push origin "$NEW_VERSION" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    local tag_push_output
+    if tag_push_output=$(git push origin "$NEW_VERSION" 2>&1); then
         print_success "Pushed tag: $NEW_VERSION"
     else
         print_warning "Tag push failed, trying force push..."
-        if git push --force origin "$NEW_VERSION" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if tag_push_output=$(git push --force origin "$NEW_VERSION" 2>&1); then
             print_success "Force-pushed updated tag: $NEW_VERSION"
         else
             print_error "Failed to push tag: $NEW_VERSION"
+            print_error "git tag push output:"
+            echo "$tag_push_output" >&2
             exit 1
         fi
     fi
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 44aae13..9e1413f 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 // Using DIDACTYL_ prefix to avoid conflicts with nostr_core_lib VERSION macros
 #define DIDACTYL_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 #define DIDACTYL_VERSION_MINOR 2
-#define DIDACTYL_VERSION_PATCH 16
-#define DIDACTYL_VERSION "v0.2.16"
+#define DIDACTYL_VERSION_PATCH 17
+#define DIDACTYL_VERSION "v0.2.17"
 
 // Agent metadata
 #define DIDACTYL_NAME "Didactyl"