diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index dc0a858..53a9c1c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ on:
       tag:
         description: Reviewed GitHub release tag
         required: true
-        default: v1.4.0
+        default: v1.5.0
         type: string
 permissions:
   contents: read
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7aa312e..0846642 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.5.0 — 2026-10-27
+
+- Rename ParsedMessage.area_code to area, including serialized message fields.
+
 ## 1.4.0 — 2026-10-25
 
 - Add recoverable writer contracts, physical base identity, staged mutations and
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 12c2da1..7c55014 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 
 Repository: [`golded-ftn-python`](https://github.com/golded-dev/golded-ftn-python).
 The distribution remains `golded-ftn`; imports use `golded_ftn`.
-The source is public on GitHub. [Version 1.4.0 is available on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/golded-ftn/1.4.0/).
+The source is public on GitHub. [Version 1.5.0 is available on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/golded-ftn/1.5.0/).
 
 Install with Python 3.12 or newer:
 
 ```sh
-python -m pip install golded-ftn==1.4.0
+python -m pip install golded-ftn==1.5.0
 ```
 
 Shared FTN message values, reader/writer protocols and text helpers for Python
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ git clone https://github.com/golded-dev/golded-ftn-python.git
 cd golded-ftn-python
 uv sync --locked
 uv build
-python -m pip install dist/golded_ftn-1.4.0-py3-none-any.whl
+python -m pip install dist/golded_ftn-1.5.0-py3-none-any.whl
 ```
 
 ```python
diff --git a/RELEASE-SHA256.txt b/RELEASE-SHA256.txt
index 1ca8c0a..887b3ee 100644
--- a/RELEASE-SHA256.txt
+++ b/RELEASE-SHA256.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-0637eb67f19485792d195d5b099c89c076bc50ce1a617b0cbf32079aa9494840  dist/golded_ftn-1.4.0-py3-none-any.whl
-81ad0db681edc81e3011921422899e20876eae3f1dbf05dc122b9fa5cf4b5045  dist/golded_ftn-1.4.0.tar.gz
+2119b573a56f7779ab013589b23d004ef4d4f2390a4c0530269a57dd1e6d1b17  dist/golded_ftn-1.5.0-py3-none-any.whl
+77edb452254be66992dd3894175a4dd4c2964403d125ed5eb616bdf648bb1be0  dist/golded_ftn-1.5.0.tar.gz
diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
index 40bc174..b0f3bc0 100644
--- a/docs/api.md
+++ b/docs/api.md
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # API reference for golded-ftn
 
-This reference covers all public names exported by `golded_ftn` in the 1.3.0 candidate
-working tree. Import public values and functions from `golded_ftn`. Core owns
+This reference covers all public names exported by `golded_ftn` in version 1.5.0. Import public values and functions from `golded_ftn`. Core owns
 values, protocols and pure text helpers. Concrete format packages own files,
 serialization, record validation and writer sessions.
 
@@ -422,7 +421,7 @@ ParsedMessage(*, msgno: int, from_name: str, to_name: str, subject: str,
               body_text: str, attributes_raw: int, posted_at=None,
               external_id=None, from_address=None, to_address=None,
               reply_to_msgno=None, reply1st_msgno=None, reply_next_msgno=None,
-              area_code=None, area_name=None, area_sort_order=None,
+              area=None, area_name=None, area_sort_order=None,
               area_meta_key=None, control_lines=None, provenance=None)
 ```
 
@@ -441,7 +440,7 @@ ParsedMessage(*, msgno: int, from_name: str, to_name: str, subject: str,
 | `reply_to_msgno` | `int \| None` | `None` | Format-specific parent message link. |
 | `reply1st_msgno` | `int \| None` | `None` | Format-specific first reply link. |
 | `reply_next_msgno` | `int \| None` | `None` | Format-specific next reply link. |
-| `area_code` | `str \| None` | `None` | Area code when supplied by the reader. |
+| `area` | `str \| None` | `None` | Area code when supplied by the reader. |
 | `area_name` | `str \| None` | `None` | Area name when supplied by the reader. |
 | `area_sort_order` | `int \| None` | `None` | Area ordering value when supplied. |
 | `area_meta_key` | `str \| None` | `None` | Consumer metadata key when supplied. |
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2384c20..609e7a9 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "golded-ftn"
-version = "1.4.0"
+version = "1.5.0"
 description = "Shared FTN message contracts, values and text helpers"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"
diff --git a/src/golded_ftn/models.py b/src/golded_ftn/models.py
index 6b6f5ea..9045099 100644
--- a/src/golded_ftn/models.py
+++ b/src/golded_ftn/models.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class ParsedMessage:
     reply_to_msgno: int | None = None
     reply1st_msgno: int | None = None
     reply_next_msgno: int | None = None
-    area_code: str | None = None
+    area: str | None = None
     area_name: str | None = None
     area_sort_order: int | None = None
     area_meta_key: str | None = None
diff --git a/tests/test_contracts.py b/tests/test_contracts.py
index c32a532..845588e 100644
--- a/tests/test_contracts.py
+++ b/tests/test_contracts.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from collections.abc import Iterable
+from dataclasses import asdict
 from os import PathLike, fspath
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ def read(
             body_text="Message body",
             attributes_raw=0,
             external_id="fake:1",
-            area_code="GENERAL",
+            area="GENERAL",
             area_name="General",
         )
 
@@ -69,6 +70,9 @@ def test_consumers() -> None:
     (source,) = catalog.sources(Path("/bbs/messages"))
     (message,) = reader.read(source.path)
     assert source.code == "GENERAL" and message.subject == "Hello"
+    assert message.area == "GENERAL"
+    assert asdict(message)["area"] == "GENERAL"
+    assert "area_code" not in asdict(message)
     assert Path(source.path) == Path("/bbs/messages") / "general"
     assert (
         writer.write(