diff --git a/core/Cargo.lock b/core/Cargo.lock
index 20f4ba60..67902f0a 100644
--- a/core/Cargo.lock
+++ b/core/Cargo.lock
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "archipelago"
-version = "1.7.117-alpha"
+version = "1.7.118-alpha"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "archipelago-container",
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/update.rs b/core/archipelago/src/update.rs
index a4c3fa25..f76b90f3 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/update.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/update.rs
@@ -1589,10 +1589,24 @@ pub async fn apply_update(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
                 if !mk.success() {
                     anyhow::bail!("mkdir {} failed", staging_new);
                 }
-                let extract =
-                    host_sudo(&["tar", "-xzf", &src.to_string_lossy(), "-C", &staging_new])
-                        .await
-                        .with_context(|| format!("Failed to extract {}", name))?;
+                // Idle-priority IO: extracting a 200MB tarball at normal
+                // priority starved small nodes so badly during the v1.7.118
+                // rollout that podman/status calls timed out for minutes and
+                // the update looked broken. The extraction can take as long
+                // as it likes — the node staying responsive matters more.
+                let extract = host_sudo(&[
+                    "ionice",
+                    "-c3",
+                    "nice",
+                    "-n10",
+                    "tar",
+                    "-xzf",
+                    &src.to_string_lossy(),
+                    "-C",
+                    &staging_new,
+                ])
+                .await
+                .with_context(|| format!("Failed to extract {}", name))?;
                 if !extract.success() {
                     let _ = host_sudo(&["rm", "-rf", &staging_new]).await;
                     anyhow::bail!("tar extraction failed for {}", name);
@@ -1687,9 +1701,12 @@ pub async fn apply_update(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
                     anyhow::bail!("mkdir {} failed", staging_new);
                 }
 
-                let extract = host_sudo(&["tar", "-xzf", &archive, "-C", &staging_new])
-                    .await
-                    .with_context(|| format!("Failed to extract {}", name))?;
+                // Idle-priority IO — same reasoning as the frontend tarball.
+                let extract = host_sudo(&[
+                    "ionice", "-c3", "nice", "-n10", "tar", "-xzf", &archive, "-C", &staging_new,
+                ])
+                .await
+                .with_context(|| format!("Failed to extract {}", name))?;
                 if !extract.success() {
                     let _ = host_sudo(&["rm", "-rf", &staging_new]).await;
                     anyhow::bail!("tar extraction failed for {}", name);
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/locales/en.json b/neode-ui/src/locales/en.json
index 98b2e15a..6165b68c 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/locales/en.json
+++ b/neode-ui/src/locales/en.json
@@ -706,6 +706,8 @@
     "downloadFailed": "Download failed. Please try again.",
     "applySuccess": "Update applied. The service will restart momentarily.",
     "applyFailed": "Failed to apply update. You can try again or rollback.",
+    "applyInProgress": "An update is already being installed — hang tight, the node will restart when it finishes.",
+    "downloadInProgress": "An update download is already in progress — progress will appear above.",
     "rollbackSuccess": "Rolled back to previous version. Service will restart.",
     "rollbackFailed": "Rollback failed.",
     "pullAndRebuild": "Pull & Rebuild",
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/locales/es.json b/neode-ui/src/locales/es.json
index 3c9dd268..e322fe1e 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/locales/es.json
+++ b/neode-ui/src/locales/es.json
@@ -693,6 +693,8 @@
     "downloadFailed": "La descarga fall\u00f3. Intente de nuevo.",
     "applySuccess": "Actualizaci\u00f3n aplicada. El servicio se reiniciar\u00e1 en un momento.",
     "applyFailed": "Error al aplicar la actualizaci\u00f3n. Puede intentar de nuevo o revertir.",
+    "applyInProgress": "Ya se est\u00e1 instalando una actualizaci\u00f3n \u2014 espere, el nodo se reiniciar\u00e1 al terminar.",
+    "downloadInProgress": "Ya hay una descarga de actualizaci\u00f3n en curso \u2014 el progreso aparecer\u00e1 arriba.",
     "rollbackSuccess": "Se revirti\u00f3 a la versi\u00f3n anterior. El servicio se reiniciar\u00e1.",
     "rollbackFailed": "Error al revertir.",
     "pullAndRebuild": "Pull y Recompilar",
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue
index c4176bc5..f9f9436c 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue
@@ -978,6 +978,11 @@ async function downloadUpdate() {
       updateInProgress.value = false
       await loadStatus()
       showStatus(t('systemUpdate.upToDateMessage'))
+    } else if (/already running/i.test(msg)) {
+      // A download/apply is already in flight (auto-updater or another tab) —
+      // that's progress, not failure. Re-sync state and say so calmly.
+      await loadStatus()
+      showStatus(t('systemUpdate.downloadInProgress'))
     } else {
       // A failed download is NOT a staged update — return the UI to the
       // Download button so the user can retry, instead of stranding them on
@@ -1065,6 +1070,20 @@ async function applyUpdate() {
       setTimeout(() => window.location.reload(), 3000)
     }
   } catch (e) {
+    // "Another update operation is already running" is NOT a failure — an
+    // apply (or the auto-updater) is already doing the work. Presenting it
+    // as an error made a successfully-updating node look broken (OptiPlex,
+    // v1.7.118 rollout). Join the in-flight apply instead: same overlay,
+    // same wait-for-new-version polling.
+    if (/already running/i.test(errorMessage(e))) {
+      applying.value = false
+      if (target) {
+        startInstallOverlay(target)
+      } else {
+        showStatus(t('systemUpdate.applyInProgress'))
+      }
+      return
+    }
     showStatus(t('systemUpdate.applyFailed'), true)
     if (import.meta.env.DEV) console.warn('Apply failed', e)
     applying.value = false