diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/container/prod_orchestrator.rs b/core/archipelago/src/container/prod_orchestrator.rs
index fb05df92..718dbbdc 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/container/prod_orchestrator.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/container/prod_orchestrator.rs
@@ -3159,6 +3159,10 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
                 if !mkdir.success() {
                     return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("mkdir -p {dir} failed with status {mkdir}"));
                 }
+                // Drift-gated like the other ownership hooks.
+                if ownership_already_correct_from_host(dir, "1000:1000").await {
+                    return Ok(Some(HookOutcome::Unchanged));
+                }
                 let chown = host_sudo(&["chown", "-R", "1000:1000", dir])
                     .await
                     .with_context(|| format!("chown {dir}"))?;
@@ -3194,6 +3198,13 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
             "/var/lib/archipelago/btcpay",
             "/var/lib/archipelago/nbxplorer",
         ] {
+            // These hooks exist to repair old installs, not to churn on every
+            // prepare — a healthy stack was being re-chowned on each reconcile
+            // tick (operator-visible journal flood, 2026-08-07). Skip when the
+            // ownership is already right.
+            if ownership_already_correct_from_host(dir, "1000:1000").await {
+                continue;
+            }
             let status = host_sudo(&["chown", "-R", "1000:1000", dir])
                 .await
                 .with_context(|| format!("chown {dir}"))?;
@@ -3203,13 +3214,15 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
         }
 
         let db_dir = "/var/lib/archipelago/postgres-btcpay";
-        let status = host_sudo(&["chown", "-R", "100998:100998", db_dir])
-            .await
-            .with_context(|| format!("chown {db_dir}"))?;
-        if !status.success() {
-            return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
-                "chown {db_dir} failed with status {status}"
-            ));
+        if !ownership_already_correct_from_host(db_dir, "100998:100998").await {
+            let status = host_sudo(&["chown", "-R", "100998:100998", db_dir])
+                .await
+                .with_context(|| format!("chown {db_dir}"))?;
+            if !status.success() {
+                return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                    "chown {db_dir} failed with status {status}"
+                ));
+            }
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -3230,6 +3243,10 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
             // container. Container uid 0 maps to the Archipelago host user
             // (1000), not to subuid 100000. Repair old installs that were
             // chowned into the subuid range and crash on database.db.lock.
+            // Drift-gated like the btcpay hook — see ensure_btcpay_stack_dirs.
+            if ownership_already_correct_from_host(dir, "1000:1000").await {
+                continue;
+            }
             let chown = host_sudo(&["chown", "-R", "1000:1000", dir])
                 .await
                 .with_context(|| format!("chown {dir}"))?;