diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs
index 229dcf93..33d1eaa5 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs
@@ -657,36 +657,48 @@ const ESPTOOL_FALLBACK_BAUD: &str = "115200";
 
 async fn esptool_erase_and_write(path: &str, image: &Path, job: &Arc<FlashJob>) -> Result<()> {
     job.set_stage(FlashStage::Erasing).await;
-    esptool_with_retry(
-        &["--chip", ESPTOOL_CHIP, "--port", path, "erase_flash"],
-        job,
-    )
-    .await
-    .context("esptool erase_flash failed")?;
+    esptool_with_retry(path, &["erase_flash"], job)
+        .await
+        .context("esptool erase_flash failed")?;
 
     job.set_stage(FlashStage::Writing).await;
     let image_str = image.to_string_lossy().to_string();
-    esptool_with_retry(
-        &[
-            "--chip",
-            ESPTOOL_CHIP,
-            "--port",
-            path,
-            "write_flash",
-            "0x0",
-            &image_str,
-        ],
-        job,
-    )
-    .await
-    .context("esptool write_flash failed")?;
+    esptool_with_retry(path, &["write_flash", "0x0", &image_str], job)
+        .await
+        .context("esptool write_flash failed")?;
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
-async fn esptool_with_retry(args: &[&str], job: &Arc<FlashJob>) -> Result<()> {
+/// esptool's global flags (--chip/--port/--baud/--no-stub) MUST precede the
+/// subcommand token (erase_flash/write_flash/...) — confirmed live
+/// 2026-07-23: appending `--baud 115200` after the subcommand on the retry
+/// path produced "esptool: error: unrecognized arguments: --baud 115200"
+/// every time, so the fallback-baud retry never actually got a chance to
+/// run. Building global args separately from subcommand args keeps this
+/// correct by construction instead of relying on call-site ordering.
+///
+/// --no-stub is not optional here: Debian's `esptool` package
+/// (4.7.0+dfsg-0.1) ships without the precompiled "stub flasher" blobs
+/// (stripped for DFSG compliance), so the default stub-loader flash mode
+/// fails immediately with `FileNotFoundError: ... stub_flasher_32s3.json`
+/// — also confirmed live. --no-stub talks directly to the ROM bootloader
+/// instead, which doesn't need those files (slower, but actually works on
+/// this packaging).
+fn esptool_global_args<'a>(path: &'a str, baud: Option<&'a str>) -> Vec<&'a str> {
+    let mut args = vec!["--chip", ESPTOOL_CHIP, "--port", path];
+    if let Some(b) = baud {
+        args.push("--baud");
+        args.push(b);
+    }
+    args.push("--no-stub");
+    args
+}
+
+async fn esptool_with_retry(path: &str, subcommand: &[&str], job: &Arc<FlashJob>) -> Result<()> {
     let mut cmd = Command::new("esptool");
-    cmd.args(args);
+    cmd.args(esptool_global_args(path, None));
+    cmd.args(subcommand);
     match run_streamed(cmd, None, job).await {
         Ok(()) => Ok(()),
         Err(first_err) => {
@@ -695,8 +707,8 @@ async fn esptool_with_retry(args: &[&str], job: &Arc<FlashJob>) -> Result<()> {
             ))
             .await;
             let mut retry = Command::new("esptool");
-            retry.args(args);
-            retry.args(["--baud", ESPTOOL_FALLBACK_BAUD]);
+            retry.args(esptool_global_args(path, Some(ESPTOOL_FALLBACK_BAUD)));
+            retry.args(subcommand);
             run_streamed(retry, None, job)
                 .await
                 .context(format!("retry also failed (first attempt: {first_err:#})"))