diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index dd7ced1..c996453 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "0.49.0"
+  ".": "0.49.1"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.stats.yml b/.stats.yml
index ad1b0f2..6b88334 100644
--- a/.stats.yml
+++ b/.stats.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 configured_endpoints: 111
-openapi_spec_url: https://storage.googleapis.com/stainless-sdk-openapi-specs/kernel%2Fkernel-49a1a92e00d1eb87e91e8527275cb0705fce2edea30e70fea745f134dd451fbd.yml
+openapi_spec_url: https://storage.googleapis.com/stainless-sdk-openapi-specs/kernel%2Fkernel-7d048a0d07483d4fa8d1094f5ec172d1758f044b4e5ced1f41f92f1de8b47def.yml
 openapi_spec_hash: 0ffef6a95f9d9b1096180fc5e4c5b39c
 config_hash: 9818dd634f87b677410eefd013d7a179
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cf3d652..4ab97d9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.49.1 (2026-04-11)
+
+Full Changelog: [v0.49.0...v0.49.1](https://github.com/kernel/kernel-python-sdk/compare/v0.49.0...v0.49.1)
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* ensure file data are only sent as 1 parameter ([e566aa5](https://github.com/kernel/kernel-python-sdk/commit/e566aa50a9022d5b284c6334b3704df2a96643cc))
+
 ## 0.49.0 (2026-04-10)
 
 Full Changelog: [v0.48.0...v0.49.0](https://github.com/kernel/kernel-python-sdk/compare/v0.48.0...v0.49.0)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 35efdc5..154ab37 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "kernel"
-version = "0.49.0"
+version = "0.49.1"
 description = "The official Python library for the kernel API"
 dynamic = ["readme"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/src/kernel/_utils/_utils.py b/src/kernel/_utils/_utils.py
index eec7f4a..63b8cd6 100644
--- a/src/kernel/_utils/_utils.py
+++ b/src/kernel/_utils/_utils.py
@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ def _extract_items(
     index += 1
     if is_dict(obj):
         try:
-            # We are at the last entry in the path so we must remove the field
-            if (len(path)) == index:
+            # Remove the field if there are no more dict keys in the path,
+            # only "<array>" traversal markers or end.
+            if all(p == "<array>" for p in path[index:]):
                 item = obj.pop(key)
             else:
                 item = obj[key]
diff --git a/src/kernel/_version.py b/src/kernel/_version.py
index 443cf3f..0cca083 100644
--- a/src/kernel/_version.py
+++ b/src/kernel/_version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # File generated from our OpenAPI spec by Stainless. See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.
 
 __title__ = "kernel"
-__version__ = "0.49.0"  # x-release-please-version
+__version__ = "0.49.1"  # x-release-please-version
diff --git a/tests/test_extract_files.py b/tests/test_extract_files.py
index e5cf4a1..14a3932 100644
--- a/tests/test_extract_files.py
+++ b/tests/test_extract_files.py
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ def test_multiple_files() -> None:
     assert query == {"documents": [{}, {}]}
 
 
+def test_top_level_file_array() -> None:
+    query = {"files": [b"file one", b"file two"], "title": "hello"}
+    assert extract_files(query, paths=[["files", "<array>"]]) == [
+        ("files[]", b"file one"),
+        ("files[]", b"file two"),
+    ]
+    assert query == {"title": "hello"}
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "query,paths,expected",
     [