diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/install.rs b/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/install.rs
index b0bc972f..eef2e000 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/install.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/install.rs
@@ -816,6 +816,15 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         };
         run_args.push(&effective_image);
 
+        // Bitcoin-dependent apps (LND, electrs, BTCPay…) exit immediately if
+        // bitcoind's RPC isn't answering when they start; the 60s post-start
+        // poll then reads that exit as INSTALL CRASH and the whole install
+        // fails — the "LND took 5 attempts" failure mode on fresh installs.
+        // Gate the container start on the RPC actually responding (IBD is
+        // fine — getblockchaininfo answers during sync) with a generous wait,
+        // and fail with an actionable message instead of a crash-looping app.
+        wait_for_bitcoin_rpc_gate(package_id).await?;
+
         install_log(&format!(
             "INSTALL RUN: {} — podman run {} (image: {})",
             package_id, container_name, effective_image
@@ -1380,11 +1389,18 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         // (self-shrunk on restart); duplicating it to stdout pushed every IBD
         // "UpdateTip" line through conmon into journald (>1 GB/day). Deep
         // debugging uses /var/lib/archipelago/bitcoin/debug.log.
+        // rpcbind=0.0.0.0 is REQUIRED inside a container: with rpcallowip set
+        // but no rpcbind, bitcoind binds RPC to 127.0.0.1 in the container
+        // netns only — LND / the Bitcoin UI dialing bitcoin-knots:8332 over
+        // the bridge get connection refused (fresh-install LND crash-loop +
+        // bitcoin-rpc 502, seen on the 1.7.99 ISO). The port publish stays
+        // 127.0.0.1-only on the host, so exposure is unchanged.
         let bitcoin_conf = format!(
             "\
 # rpcauth: salted hash only - no plaintext password in config or CLI\n\
 {}\n\
 server=1\n\
+rpcbind=0.0.0.0\n\
 rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0\n\
 listen=1\n\
 rpcthreads=16\n\
@@ -2475,6 +2491,82 @@ async fn wait_for_adopted_container(package_id: &str, container_name: &str) -> R
     ))
 }
 
+/// One-shot probe: does bitcoind answer an authenticated getblockchaininfo?
+/// Works during IBD (the call answers with progress while syncing). Goes via
+/// the host-published RPC port, which fails in exactly the same conditions
+/// as the container-network path (bitcoind down, still binding, bad rpcbind).
+async fn bitcoin_rpc_answering() -> bool {
+    let (user, pass) = crate::bitcoin_rpc::bitcoin_rpc_credentials().await;
+    let client = match reqwest::Client::builder()
+        .timeout(Duration::from_secs(5))
+        .build()
+    {
+        Ok(c) => c,
+        Err(_) => return false,
+    };
+    let body = serde_json::json!({
+        "jsonrpc": "1.0",
+        "id": "install-gate",
+        "method": "getblockchaininfo",
+        "params": [],
+    });
+    match client
+        .post(crate::constants::BITCOIN_RPC_URL)
+        .basic_auth(&user, Some(&pass))
+        .json(&body)
+        .send()
+        .await
+    {
+        Ok(resp) => resp.status().is_success(),
+        Err(_) => false,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Hold the install of a bitcoin-dependent app until bitcoind's RPC answers,
+/// up to 3 minutes. No-op for apps that don't need bitcoin at start.
+async fn wait_for_bitcoin_rpc_gate(package_id: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    if !matches!(
+        package_id,
+        "lnd" | "electrumx" | "electrs" | "mempool-electrs" | "btcpay-server" | "btcpayserver"
+    ) {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(180);
+    let mut announced = false;
+    while !bitcoin_rpc_answering().await {
+        if tokio::time::Instant::now() >= deadline {
+            install_log(&format!(
+                "INSTALL FAIL: {} — Bitcoin RPC not answering after 180s; refusing to start a container that would crash-loop",
+                package_id
+            ))
+            .await;
+            anyhow::bail!(
+                "Bitcoin's RPC is not responding, and {} needs it to start. \
+                 Bitcoin may still be starting up — wait a minute and try again. \
+                 If this persists, check the Bitcoin app logs.",
+                package_id
+            );
+        }
+        if !announced {
+            install_log(&format!(
+                "INSTALL WAIT: {} — waiting for Bitcoin RPC to become ready (up to 3 min)",
+                package_id
+            ))
+            .await;
+            announced = true;
+        }
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(5)).await;
+    }
+    if announced {
+        install_log(&format!(
+            "INSTALL WAIT OK: {} — Bitcoin RPC is answering, starting container",
+            package_id
+        ))
+        .await;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 async fn ensure_bitcoin_rpc_config() -> Result<bool> {
     let script = r#"
 set -eu
@@ -2502,6 +2594,7 @@ ensure_line() {
     fi
 }
 ensure_line server=1
+ensure_line rpcbind=0.0.0.0
 ensure_line rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0
 ensure_line listen=1
 ensure_line rpcthreads=16