diff --git a/earned_time/README.md b/earned_time/README.md
index 6a69b32..d671b58 100644
--- a/earned_time/README.md
+++ b/earned_time/README.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ never a same-day cut):
 The two floors are derived separately (`_resolve._shutdown_floor`), so the
 ladder cannot move a gaming minute.
 
-**Unified ladder (0.12.0, `UNIFIED_FROM` 2026-10-18):** each rung pays what
+**Unified ladder (0.12.0; `UNIFIED_FROM` parked at 2027-01-01 in 0.12.1):** each rung pays what
 its earner pays in gaming (workout 120, LeetCode 60, reading 60, tutor 1/unit
 to 60), so the floor drops 18:50 -> 18:00 under the same 23:00 ceiling:
 nothing 3 h / 18:00, workout 5 h / 20:00, +LeetCode 21:00, +reading 22:00.
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ on the day itself is logged and does not count.
 ## Install
 
 ```console
-pip install --user --break-system-packages --no-deps "earned-time @ git+https://github.com/kuhyx/utils@earned-time-v0.12.0#subdirectory=earned_time"
+pip install --user --break-system-packages --no-deps "earned-time @ git+https://github.com/kuhyx/utils@earned-time-v0.12.1#subdirectory=earned_time"
 ```
 
 The root `steam-backlog-enforcer.service` sets `HOME=/home/kuhy`, so it imports
diff --git a/earned_time/earned_time/_ladder.py b/earned_time/earned_time/_ladder.py
index c2d0386..bddbb97 100644
--- a/earned_time/earned_time/_ladder.py
+++ b/earned_time/earned_time/_ladder.py
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ TUTOR_FROM: Final = date(2026, 10, 10)
 ANKI_WAIVED_FROM: Final = date(2026, 10, 9)
 # From this day every rung pays exactly the gaming time its earner pays
 # (:data:`UNIFIED_LADDER`, 0.12.0). It lowers the floor 18:50 -> 18:00, so it
-# lands the day after the deploy (2026-10-17), never on it.
-UNIFIED_FROM: Final = date(2026, 10, 18)
+# lands the day after the deploy, never on it. Parked (0.12.1) until
+# screen-locker's late-credit rule ships: an 18:00 floor without it locks out
+# a credit landing after the shutdown.
+UNIFIED_FROM: Final = date(2027, 1, 1)
 _SLEEP_MINUTES: Final = 8 * 60
 _DAY_MINUTES: Final = 24 * 60
 
diff --git a/earned_time/earned_time/tests/test_unified.py b/earned_time/earned_time/tests/test_unified.py
index 267695e..0a43118 100644
--- a/earned_time/earned_time/tests/test_unified.py
+++ b/earned_time/earned_time/tests/test_unified.py
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ def _day(day: date, **done: int) -> tuple[int, str]:
 
 
 def test_switch_is_the_day_after_the_deploy() -> None:
-    assert date(2026, 10, 18) == UNIFIED_FROM
+    assert date(2027, 1, 1) == UNIFIED_FROM  # parked until the late-credit rule
+    assert ladder_for(date(2026, 10, 18)) is TUTOR_LADDER
     assert ladder_for(EVE) is TUTOR_LADDER  # deploy day keeps the old rungs
     assert ladder_for(UNIFIED_FROM) is UNIFIED_LADDER
 
diff --git a/earned_time/pyproject.toml b/earned_time/pyproject.toml
index cd87d0c..d22c4e2 100644
--- a/earned_time/pyproject.toml
+++ b/earned_time/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "earned-time"
-version = "0.12.0"
+version = "0.12.1"
 description = "Penalty-then-reward registry: what every gate app earns in gaming time and shutdown time"
 requires-python = ">=3.14"
 dependencies = []