diff --git a/scripts/mkdocs_hooks.py b/scripts/mkdocs_hooks.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..842bbf4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/mkdocs_hooks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+"""MkDocs build hooks for the Nubenetes V2 portal.
+
+Auto-versions cache-busted static assets so a CSS/JS change never goes stale
+behind a hand-maintained `?v=` query string again (see v2.9.45 regression where
+the Trending "Show more" disclosure was invisible to returning visitors because
+`?v=` was pinned to 2.9.42).
+
+The version is resolved from, in order:
+  1. $SITE_VERSION  (set explicitly by the deploy workflow)
+  2. the latest git tag (`git describe --tags --abbrev=0`)
+If neither is available (e.g. a local `mkdocs serve` in a shallow checkout),
+the asset URLs are left untouched so the build never fails.
+"""
+import os
+import subprocess
+
+# Static assets whose URL should carry the release version as a cache-buster.
+_VERSIONED_ASSETS = ("v2_elite.css", "v2_filter.js")
+
+
+def _resolve_version():
+    v = os.environ.get("SITE_VERSION", "").strip()
+    if not v:
+        try:
+            v = subprocess.check_output(
+                ["git", "describe", "--tags", "--abbrev=0"],
+                stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            ).decode().strip()
+        except Exception:
+            return None
+    return v.lstrip("v") or None
+
+
+def _bump(items, version):
+    out = []
+    for item in items:
+        # extra_javascript entries may be plain strings or ExtraScript objects.
+        path = item if isinstance(item, str) else getattr(item, "path", None)
+        if path and any(name in path for name in _VERSIONED_ASSETS):
+            new_path = f"{path.split('?')[0]}?v={version}"
+            if isinstance(item, str):
+                out.append(new_path)
+            else:
+                item.path = new_path
+                out.append(item)
+        else:
+            out.append(item)
+    return out
+
+
+def on_config(config, **kwargs):
+    version = _resolve_version()
+    if not version:
+        return config
+    config["extra_css"] = _bump(config.get("extra_css", []), version)
+    config["extra_javascript"] = _bump(config.get("extra_javascript", []), version)
+    return config
diff --git a/v2-mkdocs.yml b/v2-mkdocs.yml
index 2d705532..b588581b 100644
--- a/v2-mkdocs.yml
+++ b/v2-mkdocs.yml
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ theme:
     # the per-page Markdown "## Table of Contents" we no longer render.
     - toc.follow
 
+# Auto-version cache-busted static assets (v2_elite.css / v2_filter.js) from the
+# release tag, so a CSS/JS change never goes stale behind a hand-maintained ?v=.
+hooks:
+  - scripts/mkdocs_hooks.py
+
 plugins:
   - search
   # "Last updated" per-page date (freshness signal for SEO + reader trust).
@@ -115,10 +120,12 @@ extra:
 extra_css:
   - https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@400;500;700&display=swap
   - static/extra.css
-  - static/v2_elite.css?v=2.9.46
+  # ?v= cache-buster is appended automatically from the release tag by
+  # scripts/mkdocs_hooks.py — do not hand-maintain it here.
+  - static/v2_elite.css
 
 extra_javascript:
-  - static/v2_filter.js?v=2.9.19
+  - static/v2_filter.js
 
 markdown_extensions:
   - admonition