diff --git a/.claude/CLAUDE.md b/.claude/CLAUDE.md
index 26912109..517ed90f 100644
--- a/.claude/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/.claude/CLAUDE.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Project Overview
 
-**bashunit** is a lightweight Bash testing framework (Bash 3.0+) focused on developer experience. Provides assertions, test doubles (spies/mocks), data providers, snapshots, and more.
+**bashunit** is a lightweight Bash testing framework (Bash 3.2+) focused on developer experience. Provides assertions, test doubles (spies/mocks), data providers, snapshots, and more.
 
 **Documentation:** https://bashunit.com
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 ### TDD by Default
 **RED → GREEN → REFACTOR** — every change starts from a failing test. No exceptions.
 
-### Bash 3.0+ Compatible
+### Bash 3.2+ Compatible
 
 Works on macOS default bash. **Prohibited features:**
 - `declare -A` (associative arrays - Bash 4.0+)
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ breaks `make lint`. See "Formatting" below.
 
 ```
 bashunit/
-├── src/                    # Core framework code (Bash 3.0+ compatible)
+├── src/                    # Core framework code (Bash 3.2+ compatible)
 │   ├── bashunit.sh        # Main entry point
 │   ├── assertions.sh      # Assertion functions
 │   ├── assert_*.sh        # Specialized assertions
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Rules auto-load based on file paths being edited (via `paths:` frontmatter in ea
 
 ### `src/**/*.sh`
 - Small, portable functions
-- Bash 3.0+ compatibility (no associative arrays, no `[[`, no `${var,,}`)
+- Bash 3.2+ compatibility (no associative arrays, no `[[`, no `${var,,}`)
 - Proper namespacing (`bashunit::*`)
 - No external dependencies in core
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ Rules auto-load based on file paths being edited (via `paths:` frontmatter in ea
 
 ### Never:
 - Invent commands/features not in the codebase
-- Break Bash 3.0+ compatibility
+- Break Bash 3.2+ compatibility
 - Skip tests or quality checks
 - Change public API without docs/CHANGELOG
 - Commit without tests passing
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ Rules auto-load based on file paths being edited (via `paths:` frontmatter in ea
 - Keep tests passing during REFACTOR
 - Update CHANGELOG.md for user-visible changes
 - Run quality checks before committing
-- Maintain Bash 3.0+ compatibility
+- Maintain Bash 3.2+ compatibility
 
 ## Definition of Done
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ Rules auto-load based on file paths being edited (via `paths:` frontmatter in ea
 - `make sa` passes (ShellCheck)
 - `make lint` passes (EditorConfig)
 - Code formatted to 2-space indent by hand (verified by `make lint`, never `shfmt -w`)
-- Bash 3.0+ compatible
+- Bash 3.2+ compatible
 - Parallel tests passing (`./bashunit --parallel tests/`)
 - CHANGELOG.md updated (if user-facing changes)
 - ADR created/updated (if architectural decision)
diff --git a/.claude/rules/bash-style.md b/.claude/rules/bash-style.md
index fdd59c76..3b592996 100644
--- a/.claude/rules/bash-style.md
+++ b/.claude/rules/bash-style.md
@@ -6,17 +6,38 @@ paths:
 
 # Bash Style & Compatibility Rules
 
-## Bash 3.0+ Compatibility (Critical)
+## Bash 3.2+ Compatibility (Critical)
 
-bashunit must work on **Bash 3.0+** (macOS default). These features are **prohibited**:
+bashunit must work on **Bash 3.2+** — the bash macOS ships, and the reason for
+supporting an old bash at all. Bash 3.0/3.1 are not supported: they predate
+`printf -v` and `+=`, and predate the 3.2 change to `[[ =~ ]]` quoting, so a
+regex match would behave differently across "supported" versions.
+
+These are **version-breaking** above the floor and are prohibited. They are
+enforced mechanically by `tests/unit/bash_compatibility_test.sh`, which greps
+`src/` regardless of test coverage:
 
 | Feature | Bash ver | Alternative |
 |---------|----------|-------------|
 | `declare -A` (associative arrays) | 4.0+ | Parallel indexed arrays |
-| `[[ ]]` (test operator) | — | `[ ]` with `=` not `==` |
 | `${var,,}` / `${var^^}` (case) | 4.0+ | `tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'` |
 | `${array[-1]}` (negative index) | 4.3+ | `${array[${#array[@]}-1]}` |
 | `&>>` (append both) | 4.0+ | `>> file 2>&1` |
+| `BASHPID` | 4.0+ | fork (`mktemp`) or an assigned ordinal |
+| `mapfile` / `readarray` | 4.0+ | `while IFS= read -r` |
+| `declare -n` / `local -n` (nameref) | 4.3+ | Return-slot pattern (below) |
+| `coproc` | 4.0+ | — |
+| `${var@Q}` (transformations) | 4.4+ | — |
+
+### Style, not compatibility
+
+These are **house style**, not version constraints. Do not justify them as
+Bash 3 requirements, and do not add them to the compatibility gate:
+
+| Convention | Reality |
+|------------|---------|
+| Prefer `[ ]` over `[[ ]]` | `[[ ]]` works on every supported bash, including 3.0 (verified against a real build) |
+| Avoid `printf -v` | Works on 3.1+; the real objection is that it resolves against the *dynamic* scope, like `eval "$name=..."` |
 
 ## Coding Conventions
 
diff --git a/.claude/rules/perf-fork-budget.md b/.claude/rules/perf-fork-budget.md
index ecf57e2f..0231c413 100644
--- a/.claude/rules/perf-fork-budget.md
+++ b/.claude/rules/perf-fork-budget.md
@@ -68,8 +68,11 @@ only** — toggling it in the caller's shell clobbers caller state (#808).
   duplicate check) stay awk.
 - **`${var//pattern/}` on large strings**: quadratic on Bash 3.2 — 2.7 s where
   awk takes 3.5ms. Never string-replace over big captures.
-- **Regex assertions** (`assert_matches`): Bash 3.0 has no `[[ =~ ]]`; the
-  `grep -E` fork is mandatory.
+- **Regex assertions** (`assert_matches`): the `grep -E` fork follows from the
+  house rule preferring `[ ]` over `[[ ]]`, **not** from the version floor —
+  `[[ =~ ]]` was verified working on a real Bash 3.0 build. Since the floor is
+  now 3.2, where `=~` quoting semantics are stable, this fork is removable if
+  the style rule is revisited. Measure before assuming it is a win.
 - **Single-file build artifact**: sourcing `bin/bashunit` is *not* faster than
   sourcing `src/*.sh` (parse time dominates, file opens don't).
 - **`tput cols` at startup**: returns 80 on non-tty; snapshots depend on that
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-bash-3.0.yml b/.github/workflows/tests-bash-3.2.yml
similarity index 80%
rename from .github/workflows/tests-bash-3.0.yml
rename to .github/workflows/tests-bash-3.2.yml
index e8097764..7c939aba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests-bash-3.0.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-bash-3.2.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Bash 3.0 Compatibility
+name: Bash 3.2 Compatibility
 
 on:
   pull_request:
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   build-image:
-    name: "Build Bash 3.0 Image"
+    name: "Build Bash 3.2 Image"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 15
     steps:
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 1
 
-      - name: Build Bash 3.0 Docker image
+      - name: Build Bash 3.2 Docker image
         run: |
           docker build -t bashunit-bash3 -f - . <<'EOF'
           FROM debian:bookworm-slim
@@ -42,19 +42,19 @@ jobs:
               && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
           WORKDIR /tmp
-          RUN curl -LO https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bash/bash-3.0.tar.gz \
-              && tar xzf bash-3.0.tar.gz \
-              && cd bash-3.0 \
+          RUN curl -LO https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/bash/bash-3.2.tar.gz \
+              && tar xzf bash-3.2.tar.gz \
+              && cd bash-3.2 \
               && curl -fsSL -o support/config.guess 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gcc-mirror/gcc/master/config.guess' \
               && curl -fsSL -o support/config.sub 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gcc-mirror/gcc/master/config.sub' \
               && chmod +x support/config.guess support/config.sub \
-              && ./configure --prefix=/opt/bash-3.0 \
+              && ./configure --prefix=/opt/bash-3.2 \
               && make \
               && make install \
-              && rm -rf /tmp/bash-3.0*
+              && rm -rf /tmp/bash-3.2*
 
           WORKDIR /bashunit
-          CMD ["/opt/bash-3.0/bin/bash", "--version"]
+          CMD ["/opt/bash-3.2/bin/bash", "--version"]
           EOF
 
       - name: Save Docker image
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
           retention-days: 1
 
   test:
-    name: "Bash 3.0 - ${{ matrix.name }}"
+    name: "Bash 3.2 - ${{ matrix.name }}"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: build-image
     timeout-minutes: 15
@@ -104,13 +104,13 @@ jobs:
       - name: Load Docker image
         run: docker load --input /tmp/bashunit-bash3.tar
 
-      - name: Verify Bash 3.0 version
-        run: docker run --rm bashunit-bash3 /opt/bash-3.0/bin/bash --version
+      - name: Verify Bash 3.2 version
+        run: docker run --rm bashunit-bash3 /opt/bash-3.2/bin/bash --version
 
-      - name: Run tests with Bash 3.0 (${{ matrix.name }})
+      - name: Run tests with Bash 3.2 (${{ matrix.name }})
         run: |
           docker run --rm \
             -v "$(pwd)":/bashunit \
             -w /bashunit \
             bashunit-bash3 \
-            /opt/bash-3.0/bin/bash ./bashunit ${{ matrix.flags }} tests/
+            /opt/bash-3.2/bin/bash ./bashunit ${{ matrix.flags }} tests/
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7bb36578..171d7222 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Breaking
+- The minimum supported bash is now **3.2**, up from 3.0. 3.2 is the version macOS ships, which is the reason for supporting an old bash at all; 3.0 (2004) and 3.1 (2005) have no practical install base. They also lack `printf -v` and `+=`, and predate the 3.2 change to `[[ =~ ]]` quoting — so at a 3.0 floor a regex match behaves *differently across supported versions*, which is worse than not supporting them. The runtime gate previously compared only the major version, so any 3.x was accepted regardless of the declared minimum; it now checks the minor and refuses 3.0/3.1 with a clear message. CI builds and tests against a real bash 3.2 instead of 3.0
+
 ### Added
 - Docs: an [Agentic coding](https://bashunit.com/ai-agents) page covering machine-readable results (`--report-json`, `--output tap`), the flags that keep an AI agent's edit-run loop tight (`--filter`, `--rerun-failed`, `--test-timeout`), and the API traps that make generated tests pass for the wrong reason. It also surfaces `llms.txt` / `llms-full.txt`, which were already published but linked from nowhere
 - A drop-in agent skill at [bashunit.com/bashunit-skill.md](https://bashunit.com/bashunit-skill.md) for Claude Code and other tools that load a `SKILL.md`
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a7c255e3..a79a6fa5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 ## Why bashunit
 
-A lightweight, fast testing framework for **Bash 3.0+**, focused on developer experience.
+A lightweight, fast testing framework for **Bash 3.2+**, focused on developer experience.
 It ships 71 assertions plus spies, mocks, data providers, snapshots and more.
 
 ## Quick start
diff --git a/bashunit b/bashunit
index a1339826..b6f3fb19 100755
--- a/bashunit
+++ b/bashunit
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -euo pipefail
 
-declare -r BASHUNIT_MIN_BASH_VERSION="3.0"
+# 3.2 is the bash macOS ships, which is the reason for supporting an old bash at
+# all. 3.0 and 3.1 lack `printf -v` and `+=`, and predate the 3.2 change to
+# `[[ =~ ]]` quoting -- so at a 3.0 floor a regex match behaves differently
+# across supported versions, which is worse than not supporting them.
+declare -r BASHUNIT_MIN_BASH_VERSION="3.2"
 
 function _check_bash_version() {
   local current_version
@@ -16,10 +20,13 @@ function _check_bash_version() {
     current_version="$(bash --version | head -n1 | cut -d' ' -f4 | cut -d. -f1,2)"
   fi
 
-  local major
-  IFS=. read -r major _ <<<"$current_version"
+  local major minor
+  IFS=. read -r major minor <<<"$current_version"
+  minor=${minor:-0}
 
-  if ((major < 3)); then
+  # The minor matters now: the previous gate compared only the major, so every
+  # 3.x passed regardless of the declared minimum.
+  if ((major < 3)) || { ((major == 3)) && ((minor < 2)); }; then
     printf 'Bashunit requires Bash >= %s. Current version: %s\n' "$BASHUNIT_MIN_BASH_VERSION" "$current_version" >&2
     exit 1
   fi
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index 802a4e03..809dedd7 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 # https://vitepress.dev/reference/default-theme-home-page
 layout: home
-description: "bashunit is a fast, simple bash testing framework: assertions, mocks, spies, data providers, snapshots and coverage. Runs on Bash 3.0+ (Linux, macOS, WSL)."
+description: "bashunit is a fast, simple bash testing framework: assertions, mocks, spies, data providers, snapshots and coverage. Runs on Bash 3.2+ (Linux, macOS, WSL)."
 
 hero:
   name: bashunit
diff --git a/docs/installation.md b/docs/installation.md
index 6e9cf478..1dc1cf76 100644
--- a/docs/installation.md
+++ b/docs/installation.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-description: "Install bashunit via install.sh, npm, Brew, MacPorts or bashdep: a single-file bash testing framework running on Bash 3.0+ (Linux, macOS, WSL)."
+description: "Install bashunit via install.sh, npm, Brew, MacPorts or bashdep: a single-file bash testing framework running on Bash 3.2+ (Linux, macOS, WSL)."
 ---
 
 # Installation
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ description: "Install bashunit via install.sh, npm, Brew, MacPorts or bashdep: a
 
 ## Requirements
 
-bashunit requires **Bash 3.0** or newer. On Windows use [WSL](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/wsl/install).
+bashunit requires **Bash 3.2** or newer. On Windows use [WSL](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/wsl/install).
 
 ## install.sh
 
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 2e8f582b..6574098b 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # success message must be unreachable on any failure path (#840).
 set -euo pipefail
 
-# Helper function for regex matching (Bash 3.0+ compatible)
+# Helper function for regex matching (Bash 3.2+ compatible)
 function regex_match() {
   [[ $1 =~ $2 ]]
 }
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/install_test.sh b/tests/acceptance/install_test.sh
index b6c36c0b..70fbbe52 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/install_test.sh
+++ b/tests/acceptance/install_test.sh
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ function test_install_downloads_the_given_version_without_dir() {
 
 function test_install_downloads_the_non_stable_beta_version() {
   # Skip on Bash 3.0 - mocks don't work for external scripts
-  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}" -eq 3 ]] && [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[1]}" -lt 1 ]]; then
-    bashunit::skip "Mocks don't work for external scripts in Bash 3.0"
+  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}" -eq 3 ]]; then
+    bashunit::skip "Mocks do not reach external scripts on Bash 3.x"
     return
   fi
   if [[ "$ACTIVE_INTERNET" -eq 1 ]]; then
diff --git a/tests/functional/doubles_test.sh b/tests/functional/doubles_test.sh
index 798c7bb0..cc0a01d1 100644
--- a/tests/functional/doubles_test.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/doubles_test.sh
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ function test_mock_ps_when_executing_a_sourced_function() {
 
 function test_spy_commands_called_when_executing_a_script() {
   # Skip on Bash 3.0 - shell function exports don't work for external scripts
-  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}" -eq 3 ]] && [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[1]}" -lt 1 ]]; then
-    bashunit::skip "Spies don't work for external scripts in Bash 3.0"
+  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}" -eq 3 ]]; then
+    bashunit::skip "Spies do not reach external scripts on Bash 3.x"
     return
   fi
 
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ function test_spy_commands_called_when_executing_a_sourced_function() {
 
 function test_spy_commands_called_once_when_executing_a_script() {
   # Skip on Bash 3.0 - shell function exports don't work for external scripts
-  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}" -eq 3 ]] && [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[1]}" -lt 1 ]]; then
-    bashunit::skip "Spies don't work for external scripts in Bash 3.0"
+  if [[ "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}" -eq 3 ]]; then
+    bashunit::skip "Spies do not reach external scripts on Bash 3.x"
     return
   fi
   # Skip when coverage is enabled because coverage uses head internally,
diff --git a/tests/unit/bash_version_test.sh b/tests/unit/bash_version_test.sh
index 22180ec0..bde3c80b 100755
--- a/tests/unit/bash_version_test.sh
+++ b/tests/unit/bash_version_test.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,41 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-function test_fail_with_old_bash_version() {
+# The floor is 3.2, not 3.0: that is the bash macOS ships, and bash 3.0/3.1 lack
+# `printf -v` and `+=`, and predate the 3.2 change to `[[ =~ ]]` quoting that
+# makes regex matching behave consistently across supported versions.
+# The gate used to compare only the major, so any 3.x was accepted.
+
+function test_fail_with_bash_2() {
   local output
   local exit_code=0
   output=$(BASHUNIT_TEST_BASH_VERSION=2.05 ./bashunit --version 2>&1) || exit_code=$?
-  assert_contains "Bashunit requires Bash >= 3.0. Current version: 2.05" "$output"
+  assert_contains "Bashunit requires Bash >= 3.2. Current version: 2.05" "$output"
   assert_general_error "$output" "" "$exit_code"
 }
+
+function test_fail_with_bash_3_0() {
+  local output
+  local exit_code=0
+  output=$(BASHUNIT_TEST_BASH_VERSION=3.0 ./bashunit --version 2>&1) || exit_code=$?
+  assert_contains "Bashunit requires Bash >= 3.2. Current version: 3.0" "$output"
+  assert_general_error "$output" "" "$exit_code"
+}
+
+function test_fail_with_bash_3_1() {
+  local output
+  local exit_code=0
+  output=$(BASHUNIT_TEST_BASH_VERSION=3.1 ./bashunit --version 2>&1) || exit_code=$?
+  assert_general_error "$output" "" "$exit_code"
+}
+
+function test_accepts_bash_3_2() {
+  local exit_code=0
+  BASHUNIT_TEST_BASH_VERSION=3.2 ./bashunit --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit_code=$?
+  assert_successful_code "" "" "$exit_code"
+}
+
+function test_accepts_bash_4_and_newer() {
+  local exit_code=0
+  BASHUNIT_TEST_BASH_VERSION=5.2 ./bashunit --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit_code=$?
+  assert_successful_code "" "" "$exit_code"
+}