diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 505691d..968ab3c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,13 +13,14 @@ send to the core — inheriting rotation, proxy, retry, and result for free.
 ## Install
 
 ```
-aiowebhooks @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/aiowebhooks.git@v0.1.0
+aiowebhooks @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/aiowebhooks.git@v0.1.1
 # discord embeds / identity helpers need the extra:
-aiowebhooks[discord] @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/aiowebhooks.git@v0.1.0
+aiowebhooks[discord] @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/aiowebhooks.git@v0.1.1
 ```
 
-The base pulls `aiohttp`. Only `aiowebhooks[discord]` adds `discord.py` (>=2.3,
-mainline — not discord.py-self), and only for `DiscordWebhook`.
+The base pulls `aiohttp` and `commons` (for the retry/backoff engine). Only
+`aiowebhooks[discord]` adds `discord.py` (>=2.3, mainline — not discord.py-self), and
+only for `DiscordWebhook`.
 
 ## Core sender
 
@@ -65,12 +66,15 @@ result.proxy     # canonical proxy string used (host:port:user:pass / host:port)
 
 ## Retry & rate limits
 
-- **429** — waits the `retry_after` from the body first (Discord sends seconds), then
-  the `Retry-After` header, then retries; capped by `max_retries`.
-- **5xx** — retried, capped by `max_retries`.
+Status retries run through `commons.aretry` (exponential backoff + cap):
+
+- **429** — honors the `retry_after` from the body first (Discord sends seconds), then
+  the `Retry-After` header, sleeping that exact value; capped by `max_retries`.
+- **5xx** — retried with exponential backoff, capped by `max_retries`.
 - **4xx** (other than 429) — fails immediately (no retry), returned as `ok=False`.
 
-Exceeding a cap returns a failed result rather than looping.
+Exceeding a cap returns a failed result rather than looping — and the result carries the
+**real** last status/body (not a synthetic placeholder).
 
 ## Proxy rotation (optional, duck-typed)
 
@@ -91,9 +95,10 @@ result = await wh.send(payload)   # sends through pm.get(); on a timeout/connect
 ```
 
 On a timeout/connection error the current proxy is burned and the next is tried, up to
-`max_proxy_retries`. A provider `ProxiesExhaustedError` (or hitting the cap) returns a
-failed result — never an infinite loop. With no provider, a timeout just fails after
-normal retry.
+`max_proxy_retries`. Hitting the cap, or **any exception from the provider's
+`get()`/`burn()`** (the provider is duck-typed and never imported, so its exception
+types can't be caught by class), returns a failed result — never an infinite loop, never
+an escape. With no provider, a timeout just fails after normal retry.
 
 ## Discord (`aiowebhooks[discord]`)
 
@@ -124,11 +129,27 @@ Without the extra installed, importing `aiowebhooks` still works; constructing o
 
 - Every send returns a `WebhookResult`; the core never raises on a send failure and
   never prints. Callers check `result.ok`.
-- v0.1.0 is JSON-only: **files/attachments, `tts`, and `allowed_mentions` are out**
-  (deliberate scope cut, addable later). The Discord surface is content + embeds +
-  identity.
-- v0.1.0 rotation is round-robin only; try-next-on-failure across URLs is a later
-  feature.
+- JSON-only: **files/attachments, `tts`, and `allowed_mentions` are out** (deliberate
+  scope cut, addable later). The Discord surface is content + embeds + identity.
+- Rotation is round-robin only; try-next-on-failure across URLs is a later feature.
+
+## Changelog
+
+### v0.1.2
+
+- Removed a dead `clock` constructor param (it was stored but never used). Pinned
+  `commons` to v0.2.1.
+
+### v0.1.1
+
+- **Never-raises contract hardened:** an error from a duck-typed proxy provider's
+  `get()`/`burn()` (e.g. `aioproxies.burn()` raising `ValueError` for an unknown proxy)
+  used to escape `send()`. Now any provider exception is caught and converted to a
+  failed result.
+- **Retry via `commons.aretry`:** 429/5xx retry moved onto the shared backoff engine —
+  5xx now backs off (was a tight no-backoff loop), and exhausted retries return the
+  **real** last status/body instead of a synthetic placeholder. Adds a `commons`
+  dependency.
 
 ## Versioning
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9f55fc6..7f4b64a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "aiowebhooks"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.1.2"
 description = "async webhook sender (aiohttp) with round-robin urls, retry, and proxy rotation; optional discord.py embeds"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
     "aiohttp>=3.9",
-    "commons @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/commons.git@v0.2.0",
+    "commons @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/commons.git@v0.2.1",
 ]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
diff --git a/src/aiowebhooks/__init__.py b/src/aiowebhooks/__init__.py
index e00ce4b..c212c69 100644
--- a/src/aiowebhooks/__init__.py
+++ b/src/aiowebhooks/__init__.py
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ from .sender import Webhook
 
 __all__ = ["Webhook", "WebhookResult", "WebhookError", "NoUrlsError"]
 
-__version__ = "0.1.1"
+__version__ = "0.1.2"
diff --git a/src/aiowebhooks/sender.py b/src/aiowebhooks/sender.py
index 9cc873d..33c4406 100644
--- a/src/aiowebhooks/sender.py
+++ b/src/aiowebhooks/sender.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ the actual POST here so it inherits rotation / proxy / retry / result.
 
 import asyncio
 import logging
-import time
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Union
 from urllib.parse import unquote, urlsplit
 
@@ -72,7 +71,6 @@ class Webhook:
         timeout: float = 15,
         max_retries: int = 3,
         max_proxy_retries: int = 3,
-        clock=time.monotonic,
     ):
         self._urls = [urls] if isinstance(urls, str) else list(urls)
         if not self._urls:
@@ -82,7 +80,6 @@ class Webhook:
         self.timeout = timeout
         self.max_retries = max_retries
         self.max_proxy_retries = max_proxy_retries
-        self._clock = clock
         self._index = 0
 
     def _next_url(self) -> str: