diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/fips/anchors.rs b/core/archipelago/src/fips/anchors.rs
index 9362d15b..899fd689 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/fips/anchors.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/fips/anchors.rs
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ pub const DEFAULT_PUBLIC_ANCHOR_NPUB: &str =
 pub const DEFAULT_PUBLIC_ANCHOR_ADDR: &str = "185.18.221.160:8443";
 pub const DEFAULT_PUBLIC_ANCHOR_TRANSPORT: &str = "tcp";
 
-/// The default public anchor as a ready-to-apply `SeedAnchor`. Carried
-/// implicitly by `load()` on nodes that have never edited their anchor
-/// list, so every node dials it without operator action.
+/// The upstream public anchor as a ready-to-apply `SeedAnchor`.
 pub fn default_public_anchor() -> SeedAnchor {
     SeedAnchor {
         npub: DEFAULT_PUBLIC_ANCHOR_NPUB.to_string(),
@@ -61,6 +59,38 @@ pub fn default_public_anchor() -> SeedAnchor {
     }
 }
 
+// Archipelago-operated anchor on vps2 (the OTA/registry host, 146.59.87.168).
+// Every node already reaches this host for updates, so it is reachable from
+// networks that the upstream anchor is not — which is most of them (the
+// upstream anchor answers on one IPv4 that many home/office networks can't
+// reach, and its DNS resolves IPv6-first while the daemon is IPv4-only).
+// TCP because that traverses NAT/firewalls best; 8444 because 8443 on that
+// host is already taken by a container.
+pub const ARCHY_ANCHOR_NPUB: &str =
+    "npub1dptaktwxv0mm245g2lqjykwm5ll0jpc6m3r4242ydfa9z7qe6urs3jvrak";
+pub const ARCHY_ANCHOR_ADDR: &str = "146.59.87.168:8444";
+pub const ARCHY_ANCHOR_TRANSPORT: &str = "tcp";
+
+/// The Archipelago-operated anchor as a ready-to-apply `SeedAnchor`.
+pub fn archy_anchor() -> SeedAnchor {
+    SeedAnchor {
+        npub: ARCHY_ANCHOR_NPUB.to_string(),
+        address: ARCHY_ANCHOR_ADDR.to_string(),
+        transport: ARCHY_ANCHOR_TRANSPORT.to_string(),
+        label: "Archipelago anchor (vps2)".to_string(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// The default anchor set carried implicitly by `load()` on nodes that have
+/// never edited their anchor list, so every node dials them without operator
+/// action. Multiple anchors so one unreachable rendezvous host can't strand a
+/// node: `fipsctl connect` is attempted for each, and whichever the node's
+/// network can reach wins. The Archipelago-operated anchor is listed first
+/// because it is reachable from the widest set of networks.
+pub fn default_public_anchors() -> Vec<SeedAnchor> {
+    vec![archy_anchor(), default_public_anchor()]
+}
+
 /// One seed-anchor entry. `address` must be directly dialable (IP or
 /// resolvable hostname + UDP port); `transport` is one of "udp", "tcp",
 /// "tor", "ethernet" (the values upstream `fipsctl connect` accepts).
@@ -94,7 +124,7 @@ fn anchors_path(data_dir: &Path) -> PathBuf {
 pub async fn load(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<Vec<SeedAnchor>> {
     let path = anchors_path(data_dir);
     if !path.exists() {
-        return Ok(vec![default_public_anchor()]);
+        return Ok(default_public_anchors());
     }
     let bytes = tokio::fs::read(&path)
         .await
@@ -268,28 +298,46 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn load_missing_seeds_default_public_anchor() {
-        // A node that has never edited its anchor list should still get
-        // the public anchor so it can bootstrap the mesh out of the box.
+    async fn load_missing_seeds_default_public_anchors() {
+        // A node that has never edited its anchor list should still get the
+        // full default anchor set so it can bootstrap the mesh out of the box.
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
         let got = load(dir.path()).await.unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(got, vec![default_public_anchor()]);
-        // ...and the default must be the TCP/8443 form, not the dead udp:8668.
-        assert_eq!(got[0].transport, "tcp");
-        assert!(got[0].address.ends_with(":8443"));
+        assert_eq!(got, default_public_anchors());
+        // The Archipelago-operated anchor must come first (widest reachability)
+        // and the upstream anchor must remain present as a fallback.
+        assert_eq!(got[0], archy_anchor());
+        assert!(got.contains(&default_public_anchor()));
+        // Every default must be a TCP form (traverses NAT/firewalls), never the
+        // dead udp:8668 the upstream anchor never answers on.
+        assert!(got.iter().all(|a| a.transport == "tcp"));
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn removing_default_persists_as_empty() {
-        // Once the operator removes the default, a file exists and is
-        // authoritative — we must not silently re-seed it on next load.
+    async fn removing_one_default_persists_and_keeps_the_other() {
+        // Editing the anchor list (here removing one default) makes the file
+        // authoritative: the removed anchor must not be silently re-seeded on
+        // next load, and the remaining default must stay.
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let list = remove(dir.path(), ARCHY_ANCHOR_NPUB).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(!list.iter().any(|a| a.npub == ARCHY_ANCHOR_NPUB));
+        assert!(list.contains(&default_public_anchor()));
+        let got = load(dir.path()).await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(got, list, "edited list is authoritative; no re-seed");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn removing_all_defaults_persists_as_empty() {
+        // Removing every default leaves an empty authoritative list that must
+        // not be re-seeded on next load.
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        remove(dir.path(), ARCHY_ANCHOR_NPUB).await.unwrap();
         let list = remove(dir.path(), DEFAULT_PUBLIC_ANCHOR_NPUB)
             .await
             .unwrap();
         assert!(list.is_empty());
         let got = load(dir.path()).await.unwrap();
-        assert!(got.is_empty(), "default must stay removed once edited");
+        assert!(got.is_empty(), "defaults must stay removed once edited");
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]