diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 7d8d026b..f1f9292d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ jobs:
             ".git/*" \
             ".github/*" \
             ".gitignore" \
+            ".distignore" \
             "index.php" \
             "node_modules/*" \
             "models/*" \
@@ -60,7 +61,16 @@ jobs:
             ".vscode/*" \
             "assets/css/src/*" \
             "assets/js/src/*" \
-            "_docs/*"
+            "_docs/*" \
+            "README.md" \
+            "AGENTS.md" \
+            "CLAUDE.md" \
+            "SECURITY.md" \
+            ".agents/*" \
+            "e2e/*" \
+            ".wp-env.json" \
+            "playwright-report/*" \
+            "test-results/*"
 
       - name:  Release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v1
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cab20088..26d4fdaf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 **Requires at least:** 6.4  
 **Tested up to:** 6.9  
 **Requires PHP:** 7.4  
-**Stable tag:** 1.4.1 
+**Stable tag:** 1.4.2
 **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later  
 **License URI:** https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
 
diff --git a/internet-archive-wayback-machine-link-fixer.php b/internet-archive-wayback-machine-link-fixer.php
index 20fbcfdb..2c67d0ab 100644
--- a/internet-archive-wayback-machine-link-fixer.php
+++ b/internet-archive-wayback-machine-link-fixer.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * The wayback-link-fixer bootstrap file.
  *
  * @since       1.0.0
- * @version     1.4.1
+ * @version     1.4.2-RC1
  * @author       Internet Archive
  * @license     GPL-3.0-or-later
  *
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * @wordpress-plugin
  * Plugin Name:             Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer
  * Description:             This plugin scans your content for links, replacing broken ones with archived versions from the Wayback Machine. It also features Auto Archiving, which automatically creates snapshots of your own pages and any other links on your site that aren’t yet archived, ensuring long-term accessibility.
- * Version:                 1.4.1
+ * Version:                 1.4.2-RC1
  * Requires at least:       6.4
  * Tested up to:            7.0
  * Requires PHP:            7.4
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 define( 'IAWMLF_BASENAME', plugin_basename( __FILE__ ) );
 define( 'IAWMLF_PATH', plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) );
 define( 'IAWMLF_URL', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) );
-define( 'IAWMLF_VERSION', '1.4.1' );
+define( 'IAWMLF_VERSION', '1.4.2-RC1' );
 define(
 	'IAWMLF_MINIMUM_VERSIONS',
 	array(
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index 33ebbc9e..4db9113e 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Contributors: waybackmachineplugin, wpspecialprojects, cagrimmett, glynnquelch
 Tags: wayback machine, internet archive, broken links, archive links
 Requires at least: 6.4
 Tested up to: 6.9
-Stable tag: 1.4.1-RC1
+Stable tag: 1.4.2
 Requires PHP: 7.4
 License: GPL-3.0-or-later
 License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving digita
 
 == Changelog ==
 
+= 1.4.2 =
+* Fix: Manually excluded links sometimes revert to unexcluded and can still be run through the link checker process. Now fully respects manual exclusions.
+
 = 1.4.1 =
 * Fix: link data span now survives themes that wrap post content in `wp_kses_post` (previously the JSON could leak as visible text on category and archive templates).