diff --git a/plugins/platforms/photon/cli.py b/plugins/platforms/photon/cli.py
index 220f9e26e96..789746860f8 100644
--- a/plugins/platforms/photon/cli.py
+++ b/plugins/platforms/photon/cli.py
@@ -332,9 +332,13 @@ def _install_sidecar() -> int:
             file=sys.stderr,
         )
         return 1
-    print(f"  $ cd {_SIDECAR_DIR} && {npm} install")
+    # Always pull the newest published spectrum-ts so every setup runs against
+    # the latest SDK. `spectrum-ts@latest` bumps package.json + package-lock.json
+    # to the current release before installing — a plain `npm install` would
+    # stay pinned to whatever the committed lockfile already resolved.
+    print(f"  $ cd {_SIDECAR_DIR} && {npm} install spectrum-ts@latest")
     proc = subprocess.run(  # noqa: S603
-        [npm, "install"],
+        [npm, "install", "spectrum-ts@latest"],
         cwd=str(_SIDECAR_DIR),
         check=False,
     )
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package-lock.json b/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package-lock.json
index 4e989a8966e..56b9aca48e4 100644
--- a/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package-lock.json
+++ b/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package-lock.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       "name": "@hermes-agent/photon-sidecar",
       "version": "0.2.0",
       "dependencies": {
-        "spectrum-ts": "^1.17.1"
+        "spectrum-ts": "^1.18.0"
       },
       "engines": {
         "node": ">=18.17"
diff --git a/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package.json b/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package.json
index 08a9f1128bc..d835e260784 100644
--- a/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package.json
+++ b/plugins/platforms/photon/sidecar/package.json
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@
     "node": ">=18.17"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "spectrum-ts": "^1.17.1"
+    "spectrum-ts": "^1.18.0"
   }
 }