diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index da72e063..72e1097e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ Otherwise:
 
 | | how it differs from MRI 4.0.5 |
 | --- | --- |
-| `RUBY_VERSION` | rbgo reports `"3.4.1"`; the differential oracle it is developed against is MRI 4.0.5 |
+| `RUBY_VERSION` | rbgo reports `"3.4.1"`; the differential oracle it is developed against is MRI 4.0.5, and the latest MRI release is 4.0.9 (2026-10-23). The Ruby 4.0 **`Ruby` namespace** *is* implemented — all nine of `Ruby::{VERSION,RELEASE_DATE,PLATFORM,PATCHLEVEL,REVISION,COPYRIGHT,ENGINE,ENGINE_VERSION,DESCRIPTION}` are the **same objects** as their `RUBY_`-prefixed globals, as `version.c` defines them, so `Ruby::VERSION.equal?(RUBY_VERSION)` is `true`. The conformance shim resolves `ruby_version_is` at the reported `3.4.1`, so the ten examples asserting that in `core/builtin_constants` are **not counted by the gate**: measured here, that file yields 17 at 3.4.1 and 27 at 4.0.9 ([#799](https://github.com/go-embedded-ruby/ruby/issues/799)) |
 | `Numeric#to_int` | not defined — `Complex(2.9, 0).to_int` raises `NoMethodError`; MRI returns `2` |
 | `File::Stat#==` | `a == b` is `false` for two stats of the same file (MRI: `true`); `a.==(b)` answers `true` |
 | `File#stat` on a file unlinked while open | raises `Errno::ENOENT`; MRI answers from the open descriptor. rbgo's streams are buffered by path and hold no descriptor |
diff --git a/internal/vm/kernel_introspect.go b/internal/vm/kernel_introspect.go
index 32ada5f0..11df7471 100644
--- a/internal/vm/kernel_introspect.go
+++ b/internal/vm/kernel_introspect.go
@@ -33,27 +33,64 @@ func Description() string { return "ruby " + rubyVersion + " [" + rubyPlatform()
 
 func (vm *VM) registerVersionConstants() {
 	version := rubyVersion
+
+	// The Ruby module, new in Ruby 4.0: "the Ruby module that contains portable
+	// information among implementations. The constants defined here are aliased
+	// in the toplevel with +RUBY_+ prefix" (version.c, Init_version at tag
+	// v4.0.9).
+	//
+	// ⛔ ONE OBJECT, TWO NAMES — this is the whole of it. version.c does not
+	// define the pair twice; it defines each value once and installs it under
+	// both names:
+	//
+	//	static inline void
+	//	define_ruby_const(VALUE mod, const char *name, VALUE value, bool toplevel)
+	//	{
+	//	    if (toplevel) {
+	//	        rb_define_global_const(name, value);   // RUBY_VERSION
+	//	        name += rb_strlen_lit("RUBY_");
+	//	    }
+	//	    rb_define_const(mod, name, value);         // Ruby::VERSION
+	//	}
+	//
+	// which is why core/builtin_constants asserts `Ruby::VERSION.should.equal?
+	// (RUBY_VERSION)` — `equal?` is IDENTITY, not equality. Two separate frozen
+	// strings holding the same bytes would satisfy `==` and fail every one of
+	// those nine examples, and the failure would read as "the constant is
+	// wrong" rather than "it is a different object". Hence define() below: the
+	// value is built once, by one expression, and the two names cannot drift.
+	mRuby := newClass("Ruby", nil)
+	mRuby.isModule = true
+	vm.consts["Ruby"] = mRuby
+	define := func(name string, v object.Value) {
+		vm.consts["RUBY_"+name] = v
+		mRuby.consts[name] = v
+	}
+
 	// Every RUBY_* String constant is frozen. version.c's Init_version at tag
 	// v3_4_0 builds each one through
 	//     #define MKSTR(name) rb_obj_freeze(rb_usascii_str_new_static(ruby_##name, sizeof(ruby_##name)-1))
 	//     rb_define_global_const("RUBY_VERSION", MKSTR(version));
 	// so core/builtin_constants asserts `.should.frozen?` on all nine; rbgo only
 	// froze RUBY_RELEASE_DATE and RUBY_REVISION.
-	vm.consts["RUBY_VERSION"] = object.NewFrozenStringView(version)
-	vm.consts["RUBY_ENGINE"] = object.NewFrozenStringView("ruby")
-	vm.consts["RUBY_ENGINE_VERSION"] = object.NewFrozenStringView(version)
-	vm.consts["RUBY_PATCHLEVEL"] = object.IntValue(0)
-	vm.consts["RUBY_PLATFORM"] = object.NewFrozenStringView(rubyPlatform())
-	vm.consts["RUBY_DESCRIPTION"] = object.NewFrozenStringView(Description())
-	vm.consts["RUBY_COPYRIGHT"] = object.NewFrozenStringView("ruby - Copyright (C) 1993-2025 Yukihiro Matsumoto")
+	versionStr := object.NewFrozenStringView(version)
+	define("VERSION", versionStr)
+	define("ENGINE", object.NewFrozenStringView("ruby"))
+	// The SAME object as VERSION, as in version.c, which passes the one `version`
+	// VALUE to both: `rb_define_const(mRuby, "ENGINE_VERSION", version)`.
+	define("ENGINE_VERSION", versionStr)
+	define("PATCHLEVEL", object.IntValue(0))
+	define("PLATFORM", object.NewFrozenStringView(rubyPlatform()))
+	define("DESCRIPTION", object.NewFrozenStringView(Description()))
+	define("COPYRIGHT", object.NewFrozenStringView("ruby - Copyright (C) 1993-2025 Yukihiro Matsumoto"))
 	// RUBY_RELEASE_DATE and RUBY_REVISION describe the MRI release this runtime
 	// targets, and both are frozen Strings (core/builtin_constants asserts the
 	// class and the frozen-ness of each). version.h at tag v3_4_1 builds
 	// RUBY_RELEASE_DATE out of RUBY_RELEASE_YEAR/MONTH/DAY and takes RUBY_REVISION
 	// from the generated revision.h, i.e. the tagged commit: ruby/ruby v3_4_1 is
 	// 48d4efcb85000e1ebae42004e963b5d0cedddcf2, committed 2024-12-25.
-	vm.consts["RUBY_RELEASE_DATE"] = object.NewFrozenStringView(releaseDate)
-	vm.consts["RUBY_REVISION"] = object.NewFrozenStringView(revision)
+	define("RELEASE_DATE", object.NewFrozenStringView(releaseDate))
+	define("REVISION", object.NewFrozenStringView(revision))
 	vm.registerRbConfig(version)
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/vm/ruby_namespace_test.go b/internal/vm/ruby_namespace_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b7eda54e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/vm/ruby_namespace_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package vm_test
+
+import "testing"
+
+// The Ruby module, new in Ruby 4.0: "the Ruby module that contains portable
+// information among implementations. The constants defined here are aliased in
+// the toplevel with +RUBY_+ prefix" (ruby/ruby version.c, Init_version at tag
+// v4.0.9 -- note the tag naming changed at 4.0.0, from v3_4_1 to v4.0.9).
+//
+// ⛔ THESE ARE IDENTITY TESTS, NOT EQUALITY TESTS, and that is the only reason
+// they are interesting. version.c installs each value under both names in one
+// step:
+//
+//	if (toplevel) {
+//	    rb_define_global_const(name, value);   // RUBY_VERSION
+//	    name += rb_strlen_lit("RUBY_");
+//	}
+//	rb_define_const(mod, name, value);         // Ruby::VERSION
+//
+// so core/builtin_constants/builtin_constants_spec.rb asserts
+// `Ruby::VERSION.should.equal?(RUBY_VERSION)` for all nine. An implementation
+// that built two frozen strings with the same bytes would pass `==` and fail
+// every one of those nine examples -- and the failure would read as "the
+// constant has the wrong value", which it does not.
+//
+// The nine are spelled out rather than looped over a list of names: a loop that
+// silently iterated eight would print `true` eight times and look exactly like
+// a pass. Nine lines, nine `true`s in the expected output, so the COUNT is part
+// of what is asserted.
+func TestTheRubyNamespaceAliasesTheSameObjects(t *testing.T) {
+	checkCases(t, []runCase{
+		{`p Ruby.instance_of?(Module)`, "true\n"},
+		{
+			`p Ruby::VERSION.equal?(RUBY_VERSION)
+p Ruby::RELEASE_DATE.equal?(RUBY_RELEASE_DATE)
+p Ruby::PLATFORM.equal?(RUBY_PLATFORM)
+p Ruby::PATCHLEVEL.equal?(RUBY_PATCHLEVEL)
+p Ruby::REVISION.equal?(RUBY_REVISION)
+p Ruby::COPYRIGHT.equal?(RUBY_COPYRIGHT)
+p Ruby::ENGINE.equal?(RUBY_ENGINE)
+p Ruby::ENGINE_VERSION.equal?(RUBY_ENGINE_VERSION)
+p Ruby::DESCRIPTION.equal?(RUBY_DESCRIPTION)`,
+			"true\ntrue\ntrue\ntrue\ntrue\ntrue\ntrue\ntrue\ntrue\n",
+		},
+		// version.c passes the one `version` VALUE to both VERSION and
+		// ENGINE_VERSION, so in MRI these are the same object too. Nothing in
+		// ruby/spec requires it either way; matching it is free, and a reader who
+		// checks against the reference should find no difference to explain.
+		{`p RUBY_VERSION.equal?(RUBY_ENGINE_VERSION)`, "true\n"},
+		// The values still have to be the values. An alias to the wrong object
+		// would satisfy every identity above.
+		{`p Ruby::VERSION == RUBY_VERSION && Ruby::VERSION.frozen?`, "true\n"},
+	})
+}
+
+// ⛔ The control for the tests above: `equal?` must actually be identity in this
+// VM. If it answered on value, every assertion above would pass whatever the
+// implementation did, and the nine examples in ruby/spec would still fail.
+//
+// Two separately-built strings with the same bytes are `==` and not `equal?`;
+// one object is both. Without this, the test file above is nine assertions
+// resting on an untested assumption about the matcher.
+func TestEqualIsIdentityNotEquality(t *testing.T) {
+	checkCases(t, []runCase{
+		{`a = "x" + "y"; b = "x" + "y"; p a == b, a.equal?(b), a.equal?(a)`, "true\nfalse\ntrue\n"},
+	})
+}