diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-binaries.yml b/.github/workflows/build-binaries.yml
index c83d6f3..45ad211 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-binaries.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-binaries.yml
@@ -24,9 +24,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - name: Install system dependencies (Linux)
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index a81fe40..dad63a3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ on:
 
 env:
   CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
-  VERSION: ${{ vars.VERSION || 'v0.3.1' }}
-  NOMOS_NODE_REV: ${{ vars.NOMOS_NODE_REV || 'd2dd5a5084e1daef4032562c77d41de5e4d495f8' }}
-  NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION: ${{ vars.NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION || 'v0.3.1' }}
 permissions:
   actions: read
   contents: read
@@ -27,9 +24,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - name: Install nomos circuits
         run: |
           ./scripts/setup-nomos-circuits.sh "${VERSION}" "$HOME/.nomos-circuits"
@@ -58,9 +61,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - name: Install nomos circuits
         run: |
           ./scripts/setup-nomos-circuits.sh "${VERSION}" "$HOME/.nomos-circuits"
@@ -89,9 +98,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - name: Install nomos circuits
         run: |
           ./scripts/setup-nomos-circuits.sh "${VERSION}" "$HOME/.nomos-circuits"
@@ -116,9 +131,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
         with:
           toolchain: nightly-2025-09-14
@@ -135,9 +156,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - name: Install nomos circuits
         run: |
           ./scripts/setup-nomos-circuits.sh "${VERSION}" "$HOME/.nomos-circuits"
@@ -173,9 +200,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - name: Set temp dir
         run: |
           echo "TMPDIR=${{ runner.temp }}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
@@ -301,9 +334,15 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
 
       - name: Prepare workspace tmpdir
         run: mkdir -p "$TMPDIR"
@@ -459,9 +498,15 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Load versions
         run: |
-          if [ -f versions.env ]; then
-            cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ ! -f versions.env ]; then
+            echo "versions.env missing; populate VERSION, NOMOS_NODE_REV, NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION" >&2
+            exit 1
           fi
+          cat versions.env >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          : "${VERSION:?Missing VERSION}"
+          : "${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV}"
+          : "${NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION:?Missing NOMOS_BUNDLE_VERSION}"
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
         with:
           toolchain: nightly-2025-09-14
diff --git a/scripts/build-bundle.sh b/scripts/build-bundle.sh
index ce96321..2195ce5 100755
--- a/scripts/build-bundle.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-bundle.sh
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ else
   echo "ERROR: versions.env missing; run from repo root or restore the file." >&2
   exit 1
 fi
-DEFAULT_VERSION="${VERSION:-v0.3.1}"
-DEFAULT_NODE_REV="${NOMOS_NODE_REV:-d2dd5a5084e1daef4032562c77d41de5e4d495f8}"
+DEFAULT_VERSION="${VERSION:?Missing VERSION in versions.env}"
+DEFAULT_NODE_REV="${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV in versions.env}"
 PLATFORM="host"
 OUTPUT=""
 
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ case "$PLATFORM" in
   *) fail "--platform must be host or linux" ;;
 esac
 
-VERSION="${VERSION:-${DEFAULT_VERSION}}"
-NOMOS_NODE_REV="${NOMOS_NODE_REV:-${DEFAULT_NODE_REV}}"
+VERSION="${DEFAULT_VERSION}"
+NOMOS_NODE_REV="${DEFAULT_NODE_REV}"
 
 # Normalize OUTPUT to an absolute path under the workspace.
 if [ -z "${OUTPUT}" ]; then
diff --git a/scripts/run-examples.sh b/scripts/run-examples.sh
index 22b82e4..eedbe8e 100755
--- a/scripts/run-examples.sh
+++ b/scripts/run-examples.sh
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ if [ -f "${ROOT_DIR}/paths.env" ]; then
   # shellcheck disable=SC1091
   . "${ROOT_DIR}/paths.env"
 fi
-readonly DEFAULT_VERSION="${VERSION:-v0.3.1}"
-readonly DEFAULT_NODE_REV="${NOMOS_NODE_REV:-d2dd5a5084e1daef4032562c77d41de5e4d495f8}"
+readonly DEFAULT_VERSION="${VERSION:?Missing VERSION in versions.env}"
+readonly DEFAULT_NODE_REV="${NOMOS_NODE_REV:?Missing NOMOS_NODE_REV in versions.env}"
 readonly KZG_DIR_REL="${NOMOS_KZG_DIR_REL:-testing-framework/assets/stack/kzgrs_test_params}"
 readonly KZG_FILE="${NOMOS_KZG_FILE:-kzgrs_test_params}"
 readonly KZG_CONTAINER_PATH="${NOMOS_KZG_CONTAINER_PATH:-/kzgrs_test_params/kzgrs_test_params}"
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ readonly HOST_CIRCUITS_DIR="${ROOT_DIR}/${NOMOS_CIRCUITS_HOST_DIR_REL:-.tmp/nomo
 readonly LINUX_CIRCUITS_DIR="${ROOT_DIR}/${NOMOS_CIRCUITS_LINUX_DIR_REL:-.tmp/nomos-circuits-linux}"
 MODE="compose"
 RUN_SECS_RAW=""
-VERSION="${VERSION:-${DEFAULT_VERSION}}"
+VERSION="${DEFAULT_VERSION}"
 IMAGE="${NOMOS_TESTNET_IMAGE:-nomos-testnet:local}"
-NOMOS_NODE_REV="${NOMOS_NODE_REV:-${DEFAULT_NODE_REV}}"
+NOMOS_NODE_REV="${DEFAULT_NODE_REV}"
 DEMO_VALIDATORS=""
 DEMO_EXECUTORS=""
 while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do