diff --git a/schema/content-manifest.schema.json b/schema/content-manifest.schema.json
index 3c8fffd..64c09af 100644
--- a/schema/content-manifest.schema.json
+++ b/schema/content-manifest.schema.json
@@ -305,5 +305,5 @@
   ],
   "title": "ContentManifest",
   "type": "object",
-  "x-schema-version": "1.7"
+  "x-schema-version": "1.8"
 }
diff --git a/schema/engine-version.txt b/schema/engine-version.txt
index 26acbf0..54d1a4f 100644
--- a/schema/engine-version.txt
+++ b/schema/engine-version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.12.2
+0.13.0
diff --git a/schema/lesson.schema.json b/schema/lesson.schema.json
index ffcdfed..c00069d 100644
--- a/schema/lesson.schema.json
+++ b/schema/lesson.schema.json
@@ -943,11 +943,20 @@
           "type": "string"
         },
         "src": {
-          "description": "Relative path inside the set's ``assets/`` directory ('assets/img/cat.png'). Resolved by the asset loader.",
-          "maxLength": 500,
-          "minLength": 1,
-          "title": "Src",
-          "type": "string"
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "maxLength": 500,
+              "minLength": 1,
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "maxLength": 250000,
+              "pattern": "^data:image/[a-z0-9.+-]+;base64,",
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          ],
+          "description": "Image reference in one of two explicit formats (schema v1.8): a relative path inside the set's ``assets/`` directory ('assets/img/cat.png', <= 500 chars, resolved by the asset loader) OR an inline base64 data URI ('data:image/...;base64,...', its own 250000-char cap - sized for the reference consumer's 150-KiB upload compression: 153600 bytes -> 204800 base64 chars plus header). Repo content should prefer the assets/ path; the ``W-PIC-DATA-URI`` author lint flags inline data URIs.",
+          "title": "Src"
         }
       },
       "required": [
@@ -1168,5 +1177,5 @@
   ],
   "title": "Lesson",
   "type": "object",
-  "x-schema-version": "1.7"
+  "x-schema-version": "1.8"
 }
diff --git a/schema/quality-rules.json b/schema/quality-rules.json
index ba1a981..ef23cd5 100644
--- a/schema/quality-rules.json
+++ b/schema/quality-rules.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "$schema-version": "1.7",
+  "$schema-version": "1.8",
   "_comment": "GENERATED from scripts/generate_lesson_schema.py (EXP-039). Do not edit. Shared quality minimums for the content quality gate (app + content repo).",
   "rules": {
     "minExerciseTypes": 2,