diff --git a/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.sol b/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.sol
index c8c684f..f43d0be 100644
--- a/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.sol
+++ b/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.sol
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ library LibRainDeploySnapshot {
         return tagForVersion(vm.parseTomlString(vm.readFile("foundry.toml"), ".package.version"));
     }
 
-    /// Whether `subject` is three non-empty runs of digits joined by exactly
-    /// two `separator`s.
+    /// Whether `subject` is three numbers joined by exactly two `separator`s,
+    /// each written without a leading zero.
     ///
     /// The ONE definition of the release-version shape. It is asked with `.`
     /// for a version out of `foundry.toml` and with `_` for the directory that
@@ -115,6 +115,16 @@ library LibRainDeploySnapshot {
                 separators++;
                 digitsInComponent = 0;
             } else if (char >= "0" && char <= "9") {
+                // A component is one number, so it has one spelling. `01` and
+                // `1` are the same release and would freeze to two directories,
+                // neither of which `SnapshotAlreadyFrozen` sees as the other,
+                // and which `recordPrecedes` cannot order because they compare
+                // equal as versions. `i` is at least 1 wherever
+                // `digitsInComponent == 1`, because that digit was read at an
+                // earlier index.
+                if (digitsInComponent == 1 && subjectBytes[i - 1] == "0") {
+                    return false;
+                }
                 digitsInComponent++;
             } else {
                 return false;
diff --git a/test/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.t.sol b/test/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.t.sol
index b917ea4..130d560 100644
--- a/test/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.t.sol
+++ b/test/src/lib/LibRainDeploySnapshot.t.sol
@@ -99,6 +99,25 @@ contract LibRainDeploySnapshotTest is Test {
         assertFalse(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isTag("collision-guard"));
     }
 
+    /// A component has ONE spelling. A padded component is the same release as
+    /// its unpadded form: it freezes to a second directory the immutability
+    /// check does not recognise as the first, and the two compare equal as
+    /// versions so nothing can order them either.
+    function testIsStrictTripleRefusesLeadingZeros() external pure {
+        assertFalse(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("0.01.5", "."));
+        assertFalse(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("01.1.5", "."));
+        assertFalse(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("0.1.05", "."));
+        assertFalse(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("00.0.0", "."));
+        assertFalse(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isTag("0_01_5"));
+
+        // The boundary: a single zero IS the number zero, and `0.0.0` is a real
+        // version.
+        assertTrue(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("0.0.0", "."));
+        assertTrue(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("0.10.0", "."));
+        assertTrue(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isStrictTriple("10.0.100", "."));
+        assertTrue(LibRainDeploySnapshot.isTag("0_0_0"));
+    }
+
     /// EVERY version a freeze accepts MUST produce a directory the record
     /// recognises as a release. A version that could be frozen to a directory
     /// the record then ignores is exactly the orphan snapshot
@@ -185,6 +204,16 @@ contract LibRainDeploySnapshotTest is Test {
         }
     }
 
+    /// The refusal MUST be reachable through the release path, naming the
+    /// version, rather than only through the predicate.
+    function testTagForVersionRefusesLeadingZeros() external {
+        string[3] memory bad = ["0.01.5", "01.1.5", "0.1.05"];
+        for (uint256 i = 0; i < bad.length; i++) {
+            vm.expectRevert(abi.encodeWithSelector(UnreleasableVersion.selector, bad[i]));
+            this.externalTagForVersion(bad[i]);
+        }
+    }
+
     /// The tag read from `foundry.toml` MUST go through the same guard, so a
     /// repo cannot reach a release path with a version the guard would refuse.
     function testDeployTagUsesTheGuardedConversion() external view {