diff --git a/bioengine/_version.py b/bioengine/_version.py
index a64a172f..60b31ee6 100644
--- a/bioengine/_version.py
+++ b/bioengine/_version.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 Must stay in lock-step with ``pyproject.toml``'s ``version`` field.
 The ``version-check.yml`` CI workflow enforces the match.
 """
-__version__ = "0.16.27"
+__version__ = "0.16.28"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 43b101b5..0af8d6c8 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "bioengine"
-version = "0.16.27"
+version = "0.16.28"
 description = "BioEngine — CLI and SDK for deploying and calling AI model services on BioEngine workers"
 requires-python = ">=3.11"
 authors = [
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_worker_cli.py b/tests/cli/test_worker_cli.py
index a27501ed..3a16e081 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_worker_cli.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_worker_cli.py
@@ -207,13 +207,24 @@ def test_worker_arguments_are_forwarded_verbatim():
     assert _build("native", worker_args=args)[3:] == list(args)
 
 
-def test_an_option_the_cli_also_defines_still_reaches_the_worker():
-    """``--workspace-dir`` after ``--`` configures the worker, not the container."""
-    result = _run(
-        ["start", "--runtime", "native", "--dry-run", "--", "--workspace-dir", "/data/ws"]
-    )
+def test_an_option_the_cli_also_defines_still_reaches_the_worker(monkeypatch):
+    """``--workspace-dir`` after ``--`` configures the worker, not the container.
+
+    Asserted against the argv the runtime was called with rather than against
+    ``result.output``: click 8.2 dropped ``mix_stderr``, so ``output`` is stdout
+    and stderr merged, and anything else the process writes to stderr inside the
+    invoke window would land in it.
+    """
+    started = _fake_runtime(monkeypatch, "")
+    result = _run(["start", "--runtime", "native", "--", "--workspace-dir", "/data/ws"])
     assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
-    assert result.output.strip().endswith("--workspace-dir /data/ws")
+    assert started[0][0] == [
+        "python",
+        "-m",
+        "bioengine.worker",
+        "--workspace-dir",
+        "/data/ws",
+    ]
 
 
 def test_no_worker_arguments_still_starts_the_worker_module():