diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 98d89cd8..ae0e4ebb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,82 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## v2.52.0 - 2026-05-12
+
+### Added
+
+- parser: validation for bit, byte, and escape string types (#1132)
+
+  ```sql
+  select b'01' '10';
+  select x'0F' '10';
+  select e'foo' 'bar';
+  ```
+
+  now gives:
+
+  ```sql
+  error[syntax-error]: Expected new line or comma between string literals
+    ╭▸ stdin:1:13
+    │
+  1 │ select b'01' '10';
+    ╰╴            ━
+  error[syntax-error]: Expected new line or comma between string literals
+    ╭▸ stdin:2:13
+    │
+  2 │ select x'0F' '10';
+    ╰╴            ━
+  error[syntax-error]: Expected new line or comma between string literals
+    ╭▸ stdin:3:14
+    │
+  3 │ select e'foo' 'bar';
+    ╰╴             ━
+  ```
+
+- parser: validation for escape sequences (#1125, #1123, #1122, #1128, #1129)
+
+  ```sql
+  select U&'wrong: !061' UESCAPE '!';
+  select U&"wrong: \06" UESCAPE '\';
+  ```
+
+  now gives:
+
+  ```sql
+  error[syntax-error]: Unicode escape requires 4 hex digits: !XXXX
+    ╭▸ stdin:1:20
+    │
+  1 │   select U&'wrong: !061' UESCAPE '!';
+    ╰╴                   ━━━━
+  error[syntax-error]: Unicode escape requires 4 hex digits: \XXXX
+    ╭▸ stdin:2:20
+    │
+  2 │   select U&"wrong: \06" UESCAPE '\';
+    ╰╴                   ━━━
+  ```
+
+### Changed
+
+- ci: update npm based install method (#1133)
+
+  Instead of fetching the binary via an install script we use an optional
+  peer dependency, mirroring ESBuild and Sentry.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- cli: fix missing binary exit code (#1130)
+
+  Before if the install script didn't run the NPM JS shim would exit without
+  erroring. Thanks @nwalters512!
+
+- parser: parsing unicode escape idents in cast position (#1127)
+
+  ```sql
+  select 2::U&"!0069!006E!0074!0038" UESCAPE '!' from t;
+  ```
+
+  now parses without error
+
 ## v2.51.0 - 2026-05-06
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index af972a9b..c2d60d59 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2434,7 +2434,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "annotate-snippets",
  "anyhow",
@@ -2465,7 +2465,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-fmt"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "camino",
@@ -2481,7 +2481,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-github"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "jsonwebtoken",
  "log",
@@ -2492,7 +2492,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-ide"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "annotate-snippets",
  "etcetera",
@@ -2514,14 +2514,14 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-lexer"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "insta",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-linter"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "annotate-snippets",
  "enum-iterator",
@@ -2536,7 +2536,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-parser"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "annotate-snippets",
  "camino",
@@ -2549,7 +2549,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-server"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "crossbeam-channel",
@@ -2575,7 +2575,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-syntax"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "annotate-snippets",
  "camino",
@@ -2589,7 +2589,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-thread"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "crossbeam-channel",
  "crossbeam-utils",
@@ -2601,7 +2601,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "squawk-wasm"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "console_error_panic_hook",
  "console_log",
@@ -3477,7 +3477,7 @@ checksum = "32ac00cd3f8ec9c1d33fb3e7958a82df6989c42d747bd326c822b1d625283547"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "xtask"
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "camino",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 16fa49dd..469dd238 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ members = ["crates/*"]
 resolver = "2"
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "2.51.0"
+version = "2.52.0"
 edition = "2024"
 rust-version = "1.94"
 authors = ["Squawk Team & Contributors"]
@@ -79,14 +79,14 @@ rustc-hash = "2.1.1"
 
 # local
 # we have to make the versions explicit otherwise `cargo publish` won't work
-squawk-github = { path = "./crates/squawk_github", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-ide = { path = "./crates/squawk_ide", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-lexer = { path = "./crates/squawk_lexer", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-parser = { path = "./crates/squawk_parser", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-syntax = { path = "./crates/squawk_syntax", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-linter = { path = "./crates/squawk_linter", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-server = { path = "./crates/squawk_server", version = "2.51.0" }
-squawk-thread = { path = "./crates/squawk_thread", version = "2.51.0" }
+squawk-github = { path = "./crates/squawk_github", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-ide = { path = "./crates/squawk_ide", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-lexer = { path = "./crates/squawk_lexer", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-parser = { path = "./crates/squawk_parser", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-syntax = { path = "./crates/squawk_syntax", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-linter = { path = "./crates/squawk_linter", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-server = { path = "./crates/squawk_server", version = "2.52.0" }
+squawk-thread = { path = "./crates/squawk_thread", version = "2.52.0" }
 
 [workspace.lints.clippy]
 collapsible_else_if = "allow"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2d5ca37a..961b26d4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ to your project's `.pre-commit-config.yaml`:
 ```yaml
 repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/sbdchd/squawk
-    rev: 2.51.0
+    rev: 2.52.0
     hooks:
       - id: squawk
         files: path/to/postgres/migrations/written/in/sql
diff --git a/crates/squawk_github/src/app.rs b/crates/squawk_github/src/app.rs
index 3118e396..a2f55568 100644
--- a/crates/squawk_github/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/squawk_github/src/app.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use serde_json::Value;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
-pub(crate) const SQUAWK_USER_AGENT: &str = "squawk/2.51.0";
+pub(crate) const SQUAWK_USER_AGENT: &str = "squawk/2.52.0";
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
 struct CommentBody {
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 952bcc3b..94858eb5 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
           {
             squawk = final.rustPlatform.buildRustPackage {
               pname = "squawk";
-              version = "2.51.0";
+              version = "2.52.0";
 
               cargoLock = {
                 lockFile = ./Cargo.lock;
diff --git a/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json b/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json
index 73563b11..01a93697 100644
--- a/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json
+++ b/npm/darwin-arm64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@squawk-cli/darwin-arm64",
-  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "description": "squawk-cli binary for darwin-arm64",
   "repository": "git@github.com:sbdchd/squawk.git",
   "license": "(Apache-2.0 OR MIT)",
diff --git a/npm/darwin-x64/package.json b/npm/darwin-x64/package.json
index e7dbd14f..9996afb8 100644
--- a/npm/darwin-x64/package.json
+++ b/npm/darwin-x64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@squawk-cli/darwin-x64",
-  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "description": "squawk-cli binary for darwin-x64",
   "repository": "git@github.com:sbdchd/squawk.git",
   "license": "(Apache-2.0 OR MIT)",
diff --git a/npm/linux-arm64/package.json b/npm/linux-arm64/package.json
index 970027e5..b6eda1ca 100644
--- a/npm/linux-arm64/package.json
+++ b/npm/linux-arm64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@squawk-cli/linux-arm64",
-  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "description": "squawk-cli binary for linux-arm64",
   "repository": "git@github.com:sbdchd/squawk.git",
   "license": "(Apache-2.0 OR MIT)",
diff --git a/npm/linux-x64/package.json b/npm/linux-x64/package.json
index 9f3b04aa..1dd6b280 100644
--- a/npm/linux-x64/package.json
+++ b/npm/linux-x64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@squawk-cli/linux-x64",
-  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "description": "squawk-cli binary for linux-x64",
   "repository": "git@github.com:sbdchd/squawk.git",
   "license": "(Apache-2.0 OR MIT)",
diff --git a/npm/win32-x64/package.json b/npm/win32-x64/package.json
index 03429a0b..5d2679e7 100644
--- a/npm/win32-x64/package.json
+++ b/npm/win32-x64/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@squawk-cli/win32-x64",
-  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "description": "squawk-cli binary for win32-x64",
   "repository": "git@github.com:sbdchd/squawk.git",
   "license": "(Apache-2.0 OR MIT)",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d359aa61..c834e88e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "squawk-cli",
-  "version": "2.51.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "description": "linter for PostgreSQL, focused on migrations",
   "repository": "git@github.com:sbdchd/squawk.git",
   "author": "Squawk Team & Contributors",
diff --git a/squawk-vscode/package.json b/squawk-vscode/package.json
index adaf35ec..720c4e9c 100644
--- a/squawk-vscode/package.json
+++ b/squawk-vscode/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   "icon": "icon.png",
   "author": "Squawk Team & Contributors",
   "license": "(Apache-2.0 OR MIT)",
-  "version": "2.51.0",
+  "version": "2.52.0",
   "engines": {
     "vscode": "^1.101.0"
   },