docs: record live lifecycle acceptance and next release blockers

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

AGENTS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Blocking incident: Framework LND startup and false zero balance
+
+Before starting or resuming work in this repository, read
+`docs/incident-framework-lnd-startup.md` and check its status.
+
+The user explicitly required this incident to take priority over later work.
+While its status is OPEN:
+
+- Surface this blocker at session start, including when the user asks for unrelated work.
+- Prioritize investigation and repair on the actual Framework node. If access is
+  unavailable, ask for it and continue useful offline investigation; defer unrelated
+  work unless the user explicitly overrides this priority.
+- A manual LND restart, a source patch, passing local tests, or publishing an OTA
+  does not resolve the incident. Do not mark it fixed until the Framework's startup,
+  Receive flow, and balance behavior are verified on the node, including a controlled
+  reboot with access and recovery arrangements in place.
+- Preserve wallet identity, wallet/channel databases, credentials, and backups.
+  Never run wallet wipe/recreation as an automatic investigation or recovery step.
+- Record evidence, changes, validation, and remaining work in the incident document.
+
+This priority comes from the user's explicit instruction on 2026-09-15. It remains
+in effect across sessions until the documented acceptance criteria are met or the
+user explicitly changes it.
+
+## Unit tests on a live node
+
+Run backend unit tests through `scripts/test-backend-isolated.sh`. Do not run
+unrestricted `cargo test` on a node with installed apps: older mocked-runtime
+tests still reached real service commands. The runner isolates wallet data,
+service buses, container storage, networking, and process IDs. Compilation with
+`cargo test --no-run` is safe. Keep separately authorized live checks explicit.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,63 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+## v1.8.21-alpha (2026-09-30)
+
+- Fixed Bitcoin and other containers being forcibly stopped after ten seconds during managed updates and restarts.
+- Existing installations now receive the same graceful shutdown allowance as new containers, without restarting apps just to apply this setting.
+- Prevented unnecessary Lightning restarts when Bitcoin has stayed running; dependency restarts now require an observed Bitcoin container change.
+- Includes the Cashu payment, optional Bitcoin pruning, Lightning readiness, and explorer improvements from 1.8.20.
+
+## v1.8.20-alpha (2026-09-29)
+
+- Fixed Cashu file payments rejected despite a shared mint, and preserved the payment amount when mint fees reduce change.
+- Payment failures now report whether a refund actually succeeded; missing files and unsupported payment methods are rejected before charging.
+- Improved saving paid files into Files and reopening purchases without paying again.
+- Bitcoin Core and Knots installation offers optional pruning on larger disks, using the same settings as automatic pruning.
+- Fixed false missing-port checks that unnecessarily restarted Bitcoin and LND; recovery now respects managed shutdown timeouts.
+- LND explains when it is waiting for Bitcoin installation, startup, or sync, without treating normal synchronization as a restart-worthy failure.
+- Bitcoin startup messages explain block-index loading without exposing raw RPC errors, and Lightning keeps known balances clearly marked during outages.
+- Changed the public transaction-explorer default to mempool.space while preserving local explorers and custom choices.
+
+## v1.8.19-alpha (2026-09-28)
+
+- Fixed the embedded AIUI chat page painting a second background and dark scrim over Archy’s dashboard background.
+- Embedded AIUI now stays transparent so the dashboard background appears once.
+- AIUI background fixes are now included reliably in OTA updates and fresh installations.
+
+## v1.8.18-alpha (2026-09-18)
+
+- Framework startup prioritizes Bitcoin and LND before unrelated containers, and unavailable LND balances remain unavailable instead of appearing as false zeroes.
+- Cashu Receive guides unseeded wallets through recovery-phrase setup, with shorter backup guidance and a single-column layout.
+- Added live Framework verification for automatic LND unlock, native balance preservation, Cashu address registration, and proof preservation.
+
+## v1.8.17-alpha (2026-09-15)
+
+- Minibits claims that every mint reports as already spent leave the retry queue, clearing repeated failure notices. Network errors and mixed mint failures remain queued for another attempt.
+- Minibits polls its primary relay first and connects to public fallback relays only when the primary is unreachable, reducing unnecessary connections.
+- Large payment backlogs are fetched from newest to oldest with a saved cursor, so polling can resume after interruptions or page limits. Payments sharing the same timestamp remain reachable.
+- Added regression coverage for spent-claim classification, wrapped and mixed mint errors, same-second payments, and interrupted or multi-poll backlogs.
+
+## v1.8.16-alpha (2026-09-15)
+
+- App updates refresh and verify the signed catalog before changing containers. A failed refresh or manifest reload cancels the update, and automatic updates wait for a successful refresh.
+- Fixed repeated Mempool update offers: downstream `-archyN` patches now sort above their upstream release, and moving a published image between registry namespaces does not hide a genuine upgrade.
+- Updates inspect installed component versions, refuse known downgrades, skip containers already at the target versions, and verify the resulting versions before reporting success.
+- Added regression coverage for stale catalogs, matching versions, publisher namespace changes, stack component updates, and keeping running containers untouched when no upgrade is needed.
+
+## v1.8.15-alpha (2026-09-13)
+
+- Cuprate is presented as one user-facing app in My Apps, including its UI launch button; the generated dashboard companion is hidden as an implementation detail instead of appearing under Services.
+- Added regression coverage for Cuprate install and installed-state grouping.
+- Release validation was rerun on the corrected tree before OTA and ISO publication.
+
+## v1.8.14-alpha (2026-09-13)
+
+- **Cuprate gains a first-party companion dashboard.** The Monero node now has a Bitcoin-style status UI, safe app grouping, a 450 GB disk-safety gate, and a restricted RPC that is never exposed as a launch page.
+- **Bitcoin Core Tor enrollment uses the correct protocol identity.** `bitcoin-core` is forwarded on port 8333 and resolves to its own hidden-service directory without disturbing legacy Bitcoin aliases.
+- **GitWorkshop opens Archipelago’s canonical ngit repository by default.** The launcher and registry promotion use the full maintainer/relay/`archy` coordinate, with regression coverage for Companion and browser-tab launches.
+- **Release validation is stricter.** The registry gate now checks the complete canonical source deep link, and the merged candidate passed the full frontend and focused backend test suites.
+
 ## v1.8.13-alpha (2026-09-12)
 
 - **GitWorkshop installs reliably on fresh nodes.** The app is classified as a user-facing app while its install placeholder is being created, so it remains visible under My Apps instead of Services.

aiui/packages/app/server/dev-auth.ts

@@ -46,13 +46,14 @@ interface RateBucket {
 
 const rateBuckets = new Map<string, RateBucket>()
 
-// Clean up stale buckets every 5 minutes
+// Vite imports this module during builds too; cleanup must not keep the
+// process alive once compilation has finished.
 setInterval(() => {
   const now = Date.now()
   for (const [key, bucket] of rateBuckets) {
     if (now > bucket.resetAt) rateBuckets.delete(key)
   }
-}, 5 * 60_000)
+}, 5 * 60_000).unref()
 
 function getClientIp(req: IncomingMessage): string {
   return req.socket.remoteAddress ?? 'unknown'

aiui/packages/app/src/main.ts

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const PWA_CACHE_VERSION = '2'
 // Only embedded when explicitly requested via ?embedded param
 const _embeddedFlag = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).has('embedded')
 ;(window as unknown as Record<string, unknown>).__AIUI_EMBEDDED__ = _embeddedFlag
+document.documentElement.classList.toggle('aiui-embedded', _embeddedFlag)
 
 const router = createRouter({
   history: createWebHistory(import.meta.env.BASE_URL),

aiui/packages/app/src/pages/ChatPage.vue

@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
   <div
     class="h-full flex flex-col relative overflow-hidden transition-colors duration-300"
     :class="[]"
-    :style="isDark
-      ? { background: '#000 url(' + bgImageUrl + ') center center / cover no-repeat fixed' }
-      : isEmbedded
-        ? { background: 'transparent' }
+    :style="isEmbedded
+      ? { background: 'transparent' }
+      : isDark
+        ? { background: '#000 url(' + bgImageUrl + ') center center / cover no-repeat fixed' }
         : { backgroundColor: '#f5f4f1' }"
   >
-    <div v-if="isDark" class="absolute inset-0 pointer-events-none bg-black/20" />
+    <div v-if="isDark && !isEmbedded" class="absolute inset-0 pointer-events-none bg-black/20" />
 
     <!-- Desktop layout -->
     <div

aiui/packages/app/src/styles/main.css

@@ -57,12 +57,8 @@ body {
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
   overflow: hidden;
-  /* Every page paints its own explicit background (bg-[#0a0a0a] / bg-[#faf9f6])
-     EXCEPT the embedded Chat page, which intentionally goes transparent so
-     Archy's own dark chrome can show behind it (Chat.vue's iframe host). With
-     no background-color here, "transparent" fell through to the browser's
-     default white canvas instead. Match the theme's own dark/light default so
-     nothing above this ever needs to guess. */
+  /* Standalone canvas fallback. Embedded mode overrides this below so
+     Archy's wallpaper remains visible through the iframe. */
   background-color: #0a0a0a;
 }
 
@@ -70,6 +66,19 @@ html.light body {
   background-color: #faf9f6;
 }
 
+/* The host owns the wallpaper when AIUI is embedded. The document canvas
+   must be transparent too, otherwise it hides the host behind ChatPage. */
+html.aiui-embedded {
+  /* Match Archy's dark canvas scheme. Browsers otherwise give an iframe
+     with a different scheme an opaque canvas despite transparent CSS. */
+  color-scheme: dark;
+}
+
+html.aiui-embedded,
+html.aiui-embedded body {
+  background: transparent;
+}
+
 /* ===== DARK MODE GLASSMORPHISM — from Archy ===== */
 
 @layer components {

app-catalog/catalog.json

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         "headline": "Your node. Your source.",
         "description": "Install GitWorkshop to browse Archipelago's code from your own node, clone it with ngit, and contribute issues, patches, and reviews over Nostr.",
         "tag": "NGIT // NOSTR // NO SILO",
-        "path": "/npub1w3sqdkrhn0gyuvsex32effzgnfpyde6qrrc4u467flg5e9txh4wsfn5vjg/archy",
+        "path": "/npub1w3sqdkrhn0gyuvsex32effzgnfpyde6qrrc4u467flg5e9txh4wsfn5vjg/relay.ngit.dev/archy",
         "launchLabel": "Open GitWorkshop",
         "installLabel": "Install GitWorkshop",
         "detailsLabel": "How contribution works →"
@@ -378,13 +378,13 @@
     {
       "id": "mempool",
       "title": "Mempool Explorer",
-      "version": "3.0.0",
+      "version": "3.3.1-archy1",
       "description": "Bitcoin mempool and blockchain explorer. Real-time transaction and block visualization.",
       "icon": "/assets/img/app-icons/mempool.webp",
       "author": "Mempool",
       "category": "money",
       "tier": "core",
-      "dockerImage": "source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1",
+      "dockerImage": "source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1",
       "repoUrl": "https://github.com/mempool/mempool",
       "requires": [
         "bitcoin-knots",

apps/archy-mempool-web/manifest.yml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 app:
   id: archy-mempool-web
   name: Mempool Web
-  version: 3.0.1
+  version: 3.3.1-archy1
   # Where this app comes from, so scripts/check-upstream-releases.py can
   # tell us when the pin below has fallen behind. Without it nothing can:
   # container.image names our mirror, not the project it was mirrored from.
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ app:
   container_name: mempool
 
   container:
-    image: source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1
+    image: source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1
     pull_policy: if-not-present
     network: archy-net
 
@@ -45,7 +45,9 @@ app:
     # first, but nginx binds 0.0.0.0:8080 (IPv4) only -> localhost probe gets
     # "connection refused" -> perpetual unhealthy -> health_monitor restart loop.
     endpoint: http://127.0.0.1:8080
-    path: /
+    # Probe the backend through nginx: a static page can be healthy while
+    # every API/WebSocket request is stuck on a dead backend address.
+    path: /api/v1/backend-info
     interval: 30s
     timeout: 5s
     retries: 3

apps/bitcoin-core/manifest.yml

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ app:
         if [ -n "$RPC_TXRELAY_AUTH" ]; then
           RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS="$RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS -rpcauth=$RPC_TXRELAY_AUTH -rpcwhitelist=txrelay:sendrawtransaction,submitpackage,testmempoolaccept,getmempoolinfo,getrawmempool,getmempoolentry,getnetworkinfo,getblockchaininfo,getblockcount,getblockhash,getblock,getblockheader,getrawtransaction,gettxout,gettxspendingprevout,decoderawtransaction,decodescript,estimatesmartfee,uptime,ping,getconnectioncount,getpeerinfo,getindexinfo,getdeploymentinfo,getchaintips";
         fi;
-        if [ "${DISK_GB_VALUE:-0}" -lt 1000 ]; then
+        if [ "${BITCOIN_PRUNE:-0}" = "1" ] || [ "${DISK_GB_VALUE:-0}" -lt 1000 ]; then
           exec "$BITCOIND" -datadir=/home/bitcoin/.bitcoin -conf="$RPC_CONF" -allowignoredconf=1 -printtoconsole=0 -server=1 -prune=50000 -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0 -rpcbind=0.0.0.0:8332 -listen=1 -bind=0.0.0.0:8333 -dbcache=1024 -par=0 -maxconnections=125 $RPC_HEADROOM $RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS;
         else
           exec "$BITCOIND" -datadir=/home/bitcoin/.bitcoin -conf="$RPC_CONF" -allowignoredconf=1 -printtoconsole=0 -server=1 -txindex=1 -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0 -rpcbind=0.0.0.0:8332 -listen=1 -bind=0.0.0.0:8333 -dbcache=4096 -par=0 -maxconnections=125 $RPC_HEADROOM $RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS;

apps/bitcoin-knots/manifest.yml

@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ app:
         if [ -n "$RPC_TXRELAY_AUTH" ]; then
           RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS="$RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS -rpcauth=$RPC_TXRELAY_AUTH -rpcwhitelist=txrelay:sendrawtransaction,submitpackage,testmempoolaccept,getmempoolinfo,getrawmempool,getmempoolentry,getnetworkinfo,getblockchaininfo,getblockcount,getblockhash,getblock,getblockheader,getrawtransaction,gettxout,gettxspendingprevout,decoderawtransaction,decodescript,estimatesmartfee,uptime,ping,getconnectioncount,getpeerinfo,getindexinfo,getdeploymentinfo,getchaintips";
         fi;
-        if [ "${DISK_GB_VALUE:-0}" -lt 1000 ]; then
+        if [ "${BITCOIN_PRUNE:-0}" = "1" ] || [ "${DISK_GB_VALUE:-0}" -lt 1000 ]; then
           exec "$BITCOIND" -datadir=/home/bitcoin/.bitcoin -conf="$RPC_CONF" -allowignoredconf=1 -printtoconsole=0 -server=1 -prune=50000 -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0 -rpcbind=0.0.0.0:8332 -listen=1 -bind=0.0.0.0:8333 -dbcache=2048 -par=0 -maxconnections=125 $RPC_HEADROOM $RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS;
         else
           exec "$BITCOIND" -datadir=/home/bitcoin/.bitcoin -conf="$RPC_CONF" -allowignoredconf=1 -printtoconsole=0 -server=1 -txindex=1 -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0 -rpcbind=0.0.0.0:8332 -listen=1 -bind=0.0.0.0:8333 -dbcache=4096 -par=0 -maxconnections=125 $RPC_HEADROOM $RPC_TXRELAY_FLAGS;

apps/cuprate-ui/manifest.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+app:
+  id: cuprate-ui
+  name: Cuprate UI
+  version: 1.0.0
+  # Built by this project — there is no upstream release feed to watch.
+  upstream:
+    kind: internal
+  description: |
+    Archipelago-native HTTP frontend for the Cuprate Monero node. Runs nginx
+    inside a container, serves a static status dashboard, and proxies
+    /cuprate-rpc/ to the cuprate restricted RPC on 127.0.0.1:18090 (the
+    published host port for the container's 18089). No credentials are
+    injected — the restricted RPC is Monero's own safe-for-public subset — so
+    the nginx.conf is baked into the image and there is no rendered-config
+    bind-mount like bitcoin-ui's.
+
+  container:
+    build:
+      context: /opt/archipelago/docker/cuprate-ui
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+      tag: localhost/cuprate-ui:local
+
+  dependencies:
+    - app_id: cuprate
+
+  resources:
+    memory_limit: 64Mi
+
+  security:
+    readonly_root: false
+    network_policy: host
+
+  # Host networking: nginx listens on 18091 directly on the host IP.
+  # Declared so the APP GATE can see this port. Host networking means Podman
+  # publishes nothing (quadlet skips PublishPort in host mode), so `bind:` here
+  # is a statement of where the container's own nginx listens — 127.0.0.1 —
+  # not a publish instruction. Without this declaration the gate would have no
+  # idea the port existed: neither protected nor listed as unprotected.
+  ports:
+    - host: 18091
+      container: 18091
+      protocol: tcp
+      bind: 127.0.0.1
+      auth: gated
+      # First-party companion UI: its nginx forwards the node session cookie
+      # to the daemon's authenticated endpoints; without passthrough the gate
+      # strips it and every data call 401s while the page shell renders.
+      session_passthrough: true
+
+  volumes: []
+
+  environment: []
+
+  health_check:
+    type: http
+    endpoint: http://127.0.0.1:18091
+    path: /
+    interval: 30s
+    timeout: 5s
+    retries: 3
+
+  metadata:
+    icon: /assets/img/app-icons/cuprate.svg
+    category: money
+    tier: optional
+    author: Archipelago
+    repo: https://github.com/Cuprate/cuprate

apps/cuprate/manifest.yml

@@ -36,12 +36,26 @@ app:
     data_uid: "1000:1000"
 
   dependencies:
-    # Monero mainnet is ~250GiB unpruned as of 2026 and growing a few GB a
-    # month; cuprated's pruning support is not confirmed stable yet (the
-    # `pruning` crate exists in the workspace but nothing in this config
-    # surface toggles it), so this sizes for a full unpruned chain plus
-    # headroom rather than assuming pruning is available.
-    - storage: 300Gi
+    # Monero mainnet is ~250GiB unpruned as of 2026 and growing ~60GiB/year.
+    # Verified against upstream main (binaries/cuprated/src/config.rs, 2026-09):
+    # cuprated has NO on-disk pruning setting of any kind — the `pruning`
+    # crate in its workspace is Monero's p2p *protocol* pruning, not a
+    # smaller chain — so unlike bitcoin-knots this app CANNOT self-prune
+    # when disk is scarce (see the DISK_GB branch in
+    # apps/bitcoin-knots/manifest.yml). Left running on a too-small disk it
+    # syncs until the filesystem fills and takes Archipelago down. The
+    # disk-scarce equivalent is enforced in Rust instead: install, start,
+    # restart and update refuse, and boot reconcile skips, on any node under
+    # CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB (450GB — chain + headroom; refuses the 250GB VPS
+    # class, allows 500GB-class disks). If upstream ever ships a prune flag,
+    # replace that gate with the bitcoin-style entrypoint branch.
+    #
+    # 450Gi, not the chain size (~250GiB): every manifest-driven surface
+    # (store size display, install pre-checks, docs) must show the number the
+    # Rust gate actually enforces, or a user provisioned to the displayed
+    # value gets refused at a different, unexplained one. Single source of
+    # truth is crate::constants::CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB — keep in lockstep.
+    - storage: 450Gi
 
   resources:
     cpu_limit: 0
@@ -51,7 +65,9 @@ app:
     # CPU and ~595GB/24h of block I/O on a fully-synced node. 10Gi leaves
     # headroom above the 8GiB cache for the process itself.
     memory_limit: 10Gi
-    disk_limit: 300Gi
+    # Matches the storage dependency above (= the enforced disk floor),
+    # not the raw chain size — see the CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB note.
+    disk_limit: 450Gi
 
   security:
     # FROM scratch, no package manager/shell, ownership fixed at build time

apps/mempool/manifest.yml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 app:
   id: mempool
   name: Mempool Explorer
-  version: 3.0.0
+  version: 3.3.1-archy1
   # Where this app comes from, so scripts/check-upstream-releases.py can
   # tell us when the pin below has fallen behind. Without it nothing can:
   # container.image names our mirror, not the project it was mirrored from.
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ app:
   description: Bitcoin mempool and blockchain explorer. Real-time transaction and block visualization.
   
   container:
-    image: source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1
+    image: source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1
     image_signature: cosign://...
     pull_policy: if-not-present
     

catalog.json

@@ -67,13 +67,13 @@
     {
       "id": "mempool",
       "title": "Mempool Explorer",
-      "version": "3.0.0",
+      "version": "3.3.1-archy1",
       "description": "Bitcoin mempool and blockchain explorer. Real-time transaction and block visualization.",
       "icon": "/assets/img/app-icons/mempool.webp",
       "author": "Mempool",
       "category": "money",
       "tier": "core",
-      "dockerImage": "source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1",
+      "dockerImage": "source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1",
       "repoUrl": "https://github.com/mempool/mempool",
       "requires": [
         "bitcoin-knots",

core/Cargo.lock

@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "archipelago"
-version = "1.8.13-alpha"
+version = "1.8.21-alpha"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "archipelago-container",

core/archipelago/Cargo.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "archipelago"
-version = "1.8.13-alpha"
+version = "1.8.21-alpha"
 edition = "2021"
 license.workspace = true
 description = "Archipelago Bitcoin Node OS - Native backend"

core/archipelago/src/api/handler/proxy.rs

@@ -138,6 +138,19 @@ impl ApiHandler {
         cors_origin: &str,
     ) -> Result<Response<hyper::Body>> {
         let suffix = path.strip_prefix("/proxy/lnd").unwrap_or("/");
+        if suffix == "/archy-status" {
+            return Ok(Response::builder()
+                .status(StatusCode::OK)
+                .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
+                .header("Cache-Control", "no-store")
+                .header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", cors_origin)
+                .header("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", "true")
+                .header("Vary", "Origin")
+                .body(hyper::Body::from(
+                    rpc.handle_lnd_readiness().await.to_string(),
+                ))?);
+        }
+
         let url = format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}{suffix}");
         // LND REST serves a self-signed cert and requires the admin macaroon.
         // A bare reqwest::get() uses the default client, which rejects the

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/content.rs

@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ const FILE_CATALOG_PROTOCOL: &str = "https://archipelago.dev/protocols/file-cata
 /// Best-effort reclaim of an ecash payment token that was minted but the sale
 /// didn't complete (seller unreachable or couldn't redeem it), so the buyer
 /// doesn't lose the value. For Fedimint the spender can reissue its own
-/// un-redeemed notes; for Cashu the proofs are received back. Fails silently if
-/// the seller already claimed the token (then the value is genuinely gone).
-async fn reclaim_spent_ecash(data_dir: &std::path::Path, token: &str, backend: &str) {
+/// un-redeemed notes; for Cashu the proofs are received back. Report the actual
+/// recovered amount, or explicitly say when a refund could not be confirmed.
+async fn reclaim_spent_ecash(data_dir: &std::path::Path, token: &str, backend: &str) -> String {
     let res = match backend {
         "fedimint" => crate::wallet::fedimint_client::reissue_into_any(data_dir, token)
             .await
@@ -32,16 +32,101 @@ async fn reclaim_spent_ecash(data_dir: &std::path::Path, token: &str, backend: &
         _ => ecash::receive_token(data_dir, token).await,
     };
     match res {
-        Ok(sats) => tracing::info!(
-            "paid download: reclaimed {sats} sats of unspent {backend} ecash after a failed sale"
-        ),
-        Err(e) => tracing::warn!(
-            "paid download: could not reclaim {backend} ecash (the peer may have already \
-             claimed it): {e:#}"
-        ),
+        Ok(sats) => {
+            tracing::info!("paid download: reclaimed {sats} sats after failed sale");
+            format!("Refunded {sats} sats to your wallet.")
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            tracing::warn!("paid download: refund not confirmed: {e}");
+            "Your refund could not be confirmed. The seller may have received the payment. Do not pay again until this is checked.".to_string()
+        }
     }
 }
 
+/// Keep first purchases and cached repeats compatible with both existing clients.
+fn paid_content_response(bytes: &[u8], mime: &str, paid_sats: u64) -> serde_json::Value {
+    use base64::Engine;
+    let data = base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(bytes);
+    serde_json::json!({
+        "data": data, "data_base64": data,
+        "size": bytes.len(), "size_bytes": bytes.len(),
+        "mime_type": mime, "paid_sats": paid_sats, "owned": true,
+    })
+}
+
+/// FileBrowser owns its files through a rootless UID mapping. Use its authenticated
+/// API rather than writing host paths with the backend's unrelated UID. Its
+/// override=false upload atomically refuses existing names, including races.
+async fn file_purchase_in_files(
+    client: &reqwest::Client,
+    base_url: &str,
+    token: &str,
+    filename: &str,
+    mime: &str,
+    bytes: &[u8],
+) -> Result<String> {
+    let folder = if mime.starts_with("image/") || mime.starts_with("video/") {
+        "Photos"
+    } else if mime.starts_with("audio/") {
+        "Music"
+    } else {
+        "Documents"
+    };
+    let mut folder_url = reqwest::Url::parse(base_url)?;
+    folder_url
+        .path_segments_mut()
+        .map_err(|_| anyhow::anyhow!("Invalid Files URL"))?
+        .extend(["api", "resources", folder, ""]);
+    let response = client
+        .get(folder_url.clone())
+        .header("X-Auth", token)
+        .send()
+        .await?;
+    if response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
+        let response = client
+            .post(folder_url.clone())
+            .header("X-Auth", token)
+            .send()
+            .await?;
+        if response.status() != reqwest::StatusCode::CONFLICT {
+            response.error_for_status()?;
+        }
+    } else {
+        response.error_for_status()?;
+    }
+    let base = std::path::Path::new(filename)
+        .file_name()
+        .and_then(|n| n.to_str())
+        .filter(|n| !n.is_empty())
+        .unwrap_or("download");
+    let (stem, extension) = match base.rsplit_once('.') {
+        Some((stem, ext)) if !stem.is_empty() => (stem, format!(".{ext}")),
+        _ => (base, String::new()),
+    };
+    for attempt in 1..=100 {
+        let name = if attempt == 1 {
+            base.to_string()
+        } else {
+            format!("{stem} ({attempt}){extension}")
+        };
+        let mut url = folder_url.clone();
+        url.path_segments_mut().unwrap().pop_if_empty().push(&name);
+        url.query_pairs_mut().append_pair("override", "false");
+        let response = client
+            .post(url)
+            .header("X-Auth", token)
+            .body(bytes.to_vec())
+            .send()
+            .await?;
+        if response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::CONFLICT {
+            continue;
+        }
+        response.error_for_status()?;
+        return Ok(format!("{folder}/{name}"));
+    }
+    anyhow::bail!("Too many existing copies; purchased file remains in the purchase cache")
+}
+
 impl RpcHandler {
     /// List content I'm sharing.
     pub(super) async fn handle_content_list_mine(&self) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
@@ -463,17 +548,10 @@ impl RpcHandler {
                     crate::content_owned::read_owned(&self.config.data_dir, &o.onion, &o.content_id)
                         .await
                 {
-                    use base64::Engine;
-                    return Ok(serde_json::json!({
-                        "owned": true,
-                        "already_owned": true,
-                        "filename": o.filename,
-                        "mime_type": mime,
-                        "size_bytes": bytes.len(),
-                        "paid_sats": 0,
-                        "data_base64":
-                            base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(&bytes),
-                    }));
+                    let mut result = paid_content_response(&bytes, &mime, 0);
+                    result["already_owned"] = serde_json::json!(true);
+                    result["filename"] = serde_json::json!(o.filename);
+                    return Ok(result);
                 }
                 // Cache record exists but bytes are gone — fall through and
                 // repurchase rather than stranding the user.
@@ -547,29 +625,27 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         // Surface a real reason instead of the generic sanitized error (#30):
         // the dial already tries FIPS/mesh then falls back to Tor, so a failure
         // here means the peer is genuinely unreachable on both transports.
-        let (response, transport) = match crate::fips::dial::PeerRequest::new(
-            fips_npub.as_deref(),
-            onion,
-            &path,
-        )
-        .service(crate::settings::transport::PeerService::PeerFiles)
-        .header("X-Federation-DID", local_did)
-        .header("X-Payment-Token", token_str.clone())
-        .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(900))
-        .send_get()
-        .await
-        {
-            Ok(v) => v,
-            Err(e) => {
-                tracing::warn!("paid peer download dial failed for {}: {:#}", onion, e);
-                // The token was already minted/spent — reclaim it so the buyer
-                // doesn't lose the value when the seller was simply unreachable.
-                reclaim_spent_ecash(&self.config.data_dir, &token_str, used_backend).await;
-                return Ok(serde_json::json!({
-                    "error": "Could not reach the peer over mesh or Tor — it may be offline. Your ecash was refunded to your wallet. Please try again."
-                }));
-            }
-        };
+        let (response, transport) =
+            match crate::fips::dial::PeerRequest::new(fips_npub.as_deref(), onion, &path)
+                .service(crate::settings::transport::PeerService::PeerFiles)
+                .header("X-Federation-DID", local_did)
+                .header("X-Payment-Token", token_str.clone())
+                .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(900))
+                .send_get()
+                .await
+            {
+                Ok(v) => v,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    tracing::warn!("paid peer download dial failed for {}: {:#}", onion, e);
+                    // The token was already minted/spent — reclaim it so the buyer
+                    // doesn't lose the value when the seller was simply unreachable.
+                    let refund =
+                        reclaim_spent_ecash(&self.config.data_dir, &token_str, used_backend).await;
+                    return Ok(serde_json::json!({
+                        "error": format!("Could not reach the peer over mesh or Tor. {refund}")
+                    }));
+                }
+            };
         // Record which transport actually reached the peer (B14).
         if let Err(e) = crate::federation::record_peer_transport(
             &self.config.data_dir,
@@ -583,25 +659,17 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         }
 
         if response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::PAYMENT_REQUIRED {
-            // Payment was rejected by the seller. Surface the most likely cause
-            // per backend — for ecash both sides must share a redemption network
-            // (a Cashu mint, or a Fedimint federation).
+            // A 402 can mean mint validation, network failure, underpayment,
+            // or an unaccepted mint. Do not invent a mint-mismatch diagnosis.
             let body = response.text().await.unwrap_or_default();
             tracing::warn!(
                 "paid download: seller {onion} rejected {used_backend} payment of {price_sats} sats: {body}"
             );
             // Seller couldn't redeem the token — reclaim it so the buyer keeps
             // their funds (the spent-but-unredeemed-notes case the user hit).
-            reclaim_spent_ecash(&self.config.data_dir, &token_str, used_backend).await;
-            let hint = match used_backend {
-                "fedimint" => "the seller isn't in the same Fedimint federation as you",
-                _ => "the seller doesn't accept your Cashu mint",
-            };
+            let refund = reclaim_spent_ecash(&self.config.data_dir, &token_str, used_backend).await;
             return Ok(serde_json::json!({
-                "error": format!(
-                    "Payment rejected by the seller — {hint}. Your ecash was refunded to \
-                     your wallet. Try the other ecash type, or use a shared mint/federation."
-                )
+                "error": format!("The seller could not verify the payment. {refund}")
             }));
         }
 
@@ -609,9 +677,9 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             let status = response.status();
             let body = response.text().await.unwrap_or_default();
             tracing::warn!("paid download: seller {onion} returned {status}: {body}");
-            reclaim_spent_ecash(&self.config.data_dir, &token_str, used_backend).await;
+            let refund = reclaim_spent_ecash(&self.config.data_dir, &token_str, used_backend).await;
             return Ok(serde_json::json!({
-                "error": format!("Peer returned an error ({status}). Your ecash was refunded to your wallet.")
+                "error": format!("Peer returned an error ({status}). {refund}")
             }));
         }
 
@@ -658,63 +726,41 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             tracing::warn!("paid download: failed to cache purchased content (non-fatal): {e:#}");
         }
 
-        // Auto-file the purchase into the user's Files area (2026-07-22):
-        // Photos for images/video, Music for audio, Documents otherwise —
-        // same buckets the Cloud view uses. The in-app viewer still plays
-        // from the purchase cache; this makes the file ALSO show up where
-        // files live, on every device, without relying on a browser
-        // download. Best-effort: never fail a paid download over it.
-        {
-            let folder = if mime_type.starts_with("image/") || mime_type.starts_with("video/") {
-                "Photos"
-            } else if mime_type.starts_with("audio/") {
-                "Music"
-            } else {
-                "Documents"
-            };
-            let base = std::path::Path::new(&filename)
-                .file_name()
-                .and_then(|n| n.to_str())
-                .unwrap_or("download")
-                .to_string();
-            let dir = self.config.data_dir.join("filebrowser").join(folder);
-            if let Err(e) = tokio::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).await {
-                tracing::warn!("paid download: cannot create {}: {e}", dir.display());
-            } else {
-                // Don't clobber an existing file of the same name: "x.jpg"
-                // → "x (2).jpg" etc.
-                let mut target = dir.join(&base);
-                let (stem, ext) = match base.rsplit_once('.') {
-                    Some((s, e)) if !s.is_empty() => (s.to_string(), format!(".{e}")),
-                    _ => (base.clone(), String::new()),
-                };
-                let mut n = 2;
-                while target.exists() {
-                    target = dir.join(format!("{stem} ({n}){ext}"));
-                    n += 1;
-                }
-                match tokio::fs::write(&target, &bytes).await {
-                    Ok(()) => tracing::info!("paid download: filed into {}", target.display()),
-                    Err(e) => tracing::warn!(
-                        "paid download: filing into {} failed (non-fatal): {e}",
-                        target.display()
-                    ),
-                }
-            }
+        // The durable purchased-content cache above is primary. A Files copy
+        // remains optional: a stopped FileBrowser must not undo a paid download.
+        let filed = async {
+            let auth = self.handle_filebrowser_token().await?;
+            let token = auth
+                .get("token")
+                .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+                .context("FileBrowser omitted its authentication token")?;
+            let client = reqwest::Client::builder()
+                .no_proxy()
+                .redirect(reqwest::redirect::Policy::none())
+                .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(30))
+                .build()?;
+            file_purchase_in_files(
+                &client,
+                "http://127.0.0.1:8083",
+                token,
+                &filename,
+                &mime_type,
+                &bytes,
+            )
+            .await
+        }
+        .await;
+        match filed {
+            Ok(path) => tracing::info!("paid download: filed into Files/{path}"),
+            Err(error) => tracing::warn!(
+                "paid download: optional Files copy failed; purchase cache retained: {error}"
+            ),
         }
 
-        use base64::Engine;
-        let encoded = base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(&bytes);
-
         tracing::info!("paid download: received {} bytes from {onion} (paid {price_sats} sats via {used_backend})", bytes.len());
-        Ok(serde_json::json!({
-            "data": encoded,
-            "size": bytes.len(),
-            "paid_sats": price_sats,
-            "ecash_backend": used_backend,
-            "mime_type": mime_type,
-            "owned": true,
-        }))
+        let mut result = paid_content_response(&bytes, &mime_type, price_sats);
+        result["ecash_backend"] = serde_json::json!(used_backend);
+        Ok(result)
     }
 
     /// Buyer side (#46): ask the selling node to mint a Lightning invoice for a
@@ -1387,3 +1433,7 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "content_tests.rs"]
+mod tests;

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/content_tests.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+use super::*;
+use hyper::{
+    service::{make_service_fn, service_fn},
+    Body, Response, Server,
+};
+use std::{
+    collections::VecDeque,
+    convert::Infallible,
+    sync::{Arc, Mutex},
+};
+
+struct FilesApi {
+    url: String,
+    seen: Arc<Mutex<Vec<(String, String, Vec<u8>)>>>,
+    task: tokio::task::JoinHandle<()>,
+}
+impl Drop for FilesApi {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.task.abort();
+    }
+}
+fn files_api(statuses: Vec<u16>) -> FilesApi {
+    let statuses = Arc::new(Mutex::new(VecDeque::from(statuses)));
+    let seen = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+    let history = seen.clone();
+    let server = Server::bind(&([127, 0, 0, 1], 0).into());
+    let address = server.local_addr();
+    let service = make_service_fn(move |_| {
+        let statuses = statuses.clone();
+        let seen = history.clone();
+        async move {
+            Ok::<_, Infallible>(service_fn(move |request: hyper::Request<Body>| {
+                let statuses = statuses.clone();
+                let seen = seen.clone();
+                async move {
+                    assert_eq!(request.headers().get("X-Auth").unwrap(), "test-session");
+                    let method = request.method().to_string();
+                    let uri = request.uri().to_string();
+                    let body = hyper::body::to_bytes(request.into_body())
+                        .await
+                        .unwrap()
+                        .to_vec();
+                    seen.lock().unwrap().push((method, uri, body));
+                    let status = statuses
+                        .lock()
+                        .unwrap()
+                        .pop_front()
+                        .expect("unexpected extra Files request");
+                    Ok::<_, Infallible>(
+                        Response::builder()
+                            .status(status)
+                            .body(Body::empty())
+                            .unwrap(),
+                    )
+                }
+            }))
+        }
+    });
+    FilesApi {
+        url: format!("http://{address}"),
+        seen,
+        task: tokio::spawn(async move {
+            server.serve(service).await.unwrap();
+        }),
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn first_and_cached_paid_downloads_have_the_same_client_payload_contract() {
+    use base64::Engine;
+    for paid in [0, 1] {
+        let response = paid_content_response(&[0, 255, 123], "application/octet-stream", paid);
+        assert_eq!(response["data"], response["data_base64"]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD
+                .decode(response["data"].as_str().unwrap())
+                .unwrap(),
+            [0, 255, 123]
+        );
+        assert_eq!(response["size"], 3);
+        assert_eq!(response["size_bytes"], 3);
+        assert_eq!(response["paid_sats"], paid);
+        assert_eq!(response["owned"], true);
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn files_copy_uses_authenticated_api_and_preserves_existing_names() {
+    let api = files_api(vec![200, 409, 200]);
+    let client = reqwest::Client::new();
+    let path = file_purchase_in_files(
+        &client,
+        &api.url,
+        "test-session",
+        "../my #file?.txt",
+        "text/plain",
+        b"paid bytes",
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(path, "Documents/my #file? (2).txt");
+    let seen = api.seen.lock().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(seen[0].0, "GET");
+    assert_eq!(seen[0].1, "/api/resources/Documents/");
+    assert_eq!(seen.len(), 3);
+    for (_, uri, body) in &seen[1..] {
+        assert!(uri.contains("override=false"));
+        assert!(uri.contains("%23file%3F"));
+        assert!(!uri.contains("../"));
+        assert_eq!(body, b"paid bytes");
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn files_copy_creates_missing_media_folder() {
+    for (mime, folder) in [
+        ("image/png", "Photos"),
+        ("video/mp4", "Photos"),
+        ("audio/ogg", "Music"),
+    ] {
+        let api = files_api(vec![404, 200, 200]);
+        let path = file_purchase_in_files(
+            &reqwest::Client::new(),
+            &api.url,
+            "test-session",
+            "file",
+            mime,
+            b"bytes",
+        )
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(path, format!("{folder}/file"));
+        let seen = api.seen.lock().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(seen[1].0, "POST");
+        assert!(seen[1].1.ends_with('/'));
+        assert!(seen[1].2.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(seen[2].2, b"bytes");
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn files_copy_fails_without_overwriting_or_claiming_success_on_errors() {
+    for statuses in [
+        vec![401],
+        vec![503],
+        vec![404, 500],
+        vec![200, 507],
+        vec![200, 403],
+    ] {
+        let expected = statuses.len();
+        let api = files_api(statuses);
+        assert!(file_purchase_in_files(
+            &reqwest::Client::new(),
+            &api.url,
+            "test-session",
+            "file.txt",
+            "text/plain",
+            b"bytes"
+        )
+        .await
+        .is_err());
+        assert_eq!(api.seen.lock().unwrap().len(), expected);
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/identity/handlers.rs

@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ impl RpcHandler {
                     "did": id.did,
                     "created_at": id.created_at,
                     "is_default": is_default,
+                    // The node's operational Nostr key is intentionally
+                    // distinguishable from user profile identities. Clients
+                    // must never offer it in app sign-in pickers.
+                    "is_node": is_node,
                     "nostr_pubkey": nostr_pubkey,
                     "nostr_npub": nostr_npub,
                     "profile": id.profile,

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/lnd/info.rs

@@ -73,7 +73,86 @@ struct LndChannelBalanceResponse {
     pending_open_local_balance: Option<LndAmount>,
 }
 
+/// Reject unavailable LND data before it can be decoded as an empty, zero wallet.
+async fn get_lnd_json<T: serde::de::DeserializeOwned>(
+    client: &reqwest::Client,
+    url: &str,
+    macaroon_hex: &str,
+) -> Result<T> {
+    client
+        .get(url)
+        .header("Grpc-Metadata-macaroon", macaroon_hex)
+        .send()
+        .await
+        .context("LND is unavailable; balance could not be checked")?
+        .error_for_status()
+        .context("LND is not ready; balance could not be checked")?
+        .json()
+        .await
+        .context("LND returned invalid wallet data")
+}
+
+fn checked_balances(
+    wallet: LndBalanceResponse,
+    channels: LndChannelBalanceResponse,
+) -> Result<(i64, i64, i64)> {
+    fn sats(value: Option<String>) -> Result<i64> {
+        let value = value.context("LND omitted a balance; balance is unavailable")?;
+        let amount: i64 = value.parse().context("LND returned an invalid balance")?;
+        anyhow::ensure!(amount >= 0, "LND returned a negative balance");
+        Ok(amount)
+    }
+    Ok((
+        sats(wallet.total_balance)?,
+        sats(channels.local_balance.and_then(|a| a.sat))?,
+        sats(channels.pending_open_local_balance.and_then(|a| a.sat))?,
+    ))
+}
+
+fn bitcoin_wait_state(
+    installed: bool,
+    running: bool,
+    fresh: bool,
+    ibd: Option<bool>,
+) -> (&'static str, &'static str) {
+    if !installed {
+        ("waiting_install", "Waiting for Bitcoin to be installed")
+    } else if !running {
+        ("waiting_start", "Waiting for Bitcoin to start")
+    } else if !fresh || ibd.is_none() {
+        ("waiting_start", "Waiting for Bitcoin to start")
+    } else if ibd == Some(true) {
+        ("waiting_sync", "Waiting for Bitcoin to sync")
+    } else {
+        ("bitcoin_ready", "Bitcoin is ready")
+    }
+}
+
 impl RpcHandler {
+    pub(crate) async fn handle_lnd_readiness(&self) -> serde_json::Value {
+        let (data, _) = self.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
+        if !data.server_info.status_info.containers_scanned {
+            return serde_json::json!({"state":"checking", "message":"Checking Bitcoin availability"});
+        }
+        let nodes: Vec<_> = ["bitcoin-core", "bitcoin-knots", "bitcoin"]
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|id| data.package_data.get(*id))
+            .collect();
+        let installed = !nodes.is_empty();
+        let running = nodes
+            .iter()
+            .any(|p| p.state == crate::data_model::PackageState::Running);
+        let bitcoin = crate::bitcoin_status::get_bitcoin_status().await;
+        let ibd = bitcoin
+            .blockchain_info
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(|v| v.get("initialblockdownload"))
+            .and_then(|v| v.as_bool());
+        let (state, message) =
+            bitcoin_wait_state(installed, running, bitcoin.ok && !bitcoin.stale, ibd);
+        serde_json::json!({"state": state, "message": message})
+    }
+
     pub(in crate::api::rpc) async fn handle_lnd_getinfo(&self) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
         let macaroon_bytes = read_lnd_admin_macaroon().await?;
         let macaroon_hex = hex::encode(&macaroon_bytes);
@@ -85,45 +164,26 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             .build()
             .context("Failed to create HTTP client")?;
 
-        let get_info: LndGetInfoResponse = client
-            .get(format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}/v1/getinfo"))
-            .header("Grpc-Metadata-macaroon", &macaroon_hex)
-            .send()
-            .await
-            .context("LND REST connection failed")?
-            .json()
-            .await
-            .context("Failed to parse LND getinfo response")?;
-
-        let channel_balance: LndChannelBalanceResponse = match client
-            .get(format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}/v1/balance/channels"))
-            .header("Grpc-Metadata-macaroon", &macaroon_hex)
-            .send()
-            .await
-        {
-            Ok(resp) => resp.json().await.unwrap_or(LndChannelBalanceResponse {
-                local_balance: None,
-                pending_open_local_balance: None,
-            }),
-            Err(_) => LndChannelBalanceResponse {
-                local_balance: None,
-                pending_open_local_balance: None,
-            },
-        };
-
-        let wallet_balance: LndBalanceResponse = match client
-            .get(format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}/v1/balance/blockchain"))
-            .header("Grpc-Metadata-macaroon", &macaroon_hex)
-            .send()
-            .await
-        {
-            Ok(resp) => resp.json().await.unwrap_or(LndBalanceResponse {
-                total_balance: None,
-            }),
-            Err(_) => LndBalanceResponse {
-                total_balance: None,
-            },
-        };
+        let get_info: LndGetInfoResponse = get_lnd_json(
+            &client,
+            &format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}/v1/getinfo"),
+            &macaroon_hex,
+        )
+        .await?;
+        let channel_balance: LndChannelBalanceResponse = get_lnd_json(
+            &client,
+            &format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}/v1/balance/channels"),
+            &macaroon_hex,
+        )
+        .await?;
+        let wallet_balance: LndBalanceResponse = get_lnd_json(
+            &client,
+            &format!("{LND_REST_BASE_URL}/v1/balance/blockchain"),
+            &macaroon_hex,
+        )
+        .await?;
+        let (balance_sats, channel_balance_sats, pending_open_balance) =
+            checked_balances(wallet_balance, channel_balance)?;
 
         let (identity_pubkey, uris) = map_identity(&get_info);
 
@@ -135,18 +195,9 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             num_peers: get_info.num_peers.unwrap_or(0),
             synced_to_chain: get_info.synced_to_chain.unwrap_or(false),
             block_height: get_info.block_height.unwrap_or(0),
-            balance_sats: wallet_balance
-                .total_balance
-                .and_then(|s| s.parse().ok())
-                .unwrap_or(0),
-            channel_balance_sats: channel_balance
-                .local_balance
-                .and_then(|a| a.sat.and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()))
-                .unwrap_or(0),
-            pending_open_balance: channel_balance
-                .pending_open_local_balance
-                .and_then(|a| a.sat.and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()))
-                .unwrap_or(0),
+            balance_sats,
+            channel_balance_sats,
+            pending_open_balance,
         };
 
         Ok(serde_json::to_value(info)?)
@@ -268,6 +319,76 @@ impl RpcHandler {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn unavailable_balances_are_not_zero() {
+        for body in [r#"{}"#, r#"{"code":14,"message":"wallet locked"}"#] {
+            assert!(checked_balances(
+                serde_json::from_str(body).unwrap(),
+                serde_json::from_str(body).unwrap(),
+            )
+            .is_err());
+        }
+        for value in ["bad", "-1", "9223372036854775808"] {
+            let wallet = LndBalanceResponse {
+                total_balance: Some(value.into()),
+            };
+            let channels = serde_json::from_str(
+                r#"{"local_balance":{"sat":"5"},"pending_open_local_balance":{"sat":"0"}}"#,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+            assert!(checked_balances(wallet, channels).is_err());
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn verified_zero_and_nonzero_balances_survive() {
+        for expected in [0, 42] {
+            let wallet = LndBalanceResponse {
+                total_balance: Some(expected.to_string()),
+            };
+            let channels = serde_json::from_value(serde_json::json!({
+                "local_balance":{"sat":expected.to_string()},
+                "pending_open_local_balance":{"sat":"0"}
+            }))
+            .unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(
+                checked_balances(wallet, channels).unwrap(),
+                (expected, expected, 0)
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn locked_wallet_http_response_is_not_successful_getinfo() {
+        use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt};
+        let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().unwrap();
+        let server = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let (mut stream, _) = listener.accept().await.unwrap();
+            let mut buf = [0; 2048];
+            stream.read(&mut buf).await.unwrap();
+            let body =
+                r#"{"code":9,"message":"wallet locked, unlock it to enable full RPC access"}"#;
+            stream.write_all(format!(
+                "HTTP/1.1 503 Service Unavailable\r\nContent-Type: application/json\r\nContent-Length: {}\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n{}",
+                body.len(), body
+            ).as_bytes()).await.unwrap();
+        });
+        let client = reqwest::Client::builder()
+            .no_proxy()
+            .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2))
+            .build()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(get_lnd_json::<LndGetInfoResponse>(
+            &client,
+            &format!("http://{addr}/v1/getinfo"),
+            "test"
+        )
+        .await
+        .is_err());
+        server.await.unwrap();
+    }
+
     /// A real compressed secp256k1 pubkey shape: 66 hex characters.
     const GOOD_PUBKEY: &str = "03a1b2c3d4e5f60718293a4b5c6d7e8f90a1b2c3d4e5f60718293a4b5c6d7e8f90";
 
@@ -341,3 +462,44 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!is_valid_identity_pubkey(&"g".repeat(66)));
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod dependency_readiness_tests {
+    use super::bitcoin_wait_state;
+    #[test]
+    fn waiting_states_cover_install_start_sync_outage_and_recovery() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(false, false, false, None).0,
+            "waiting_install"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, false, false, None).0,
+            "waiting_start"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, true, false, None).0,
+            "waiting_start"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, true, true, Some(true)).0,
+            "waiting_sync"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, true, true, Some(false)).0,
+            "bitcoin_ready"
+        );
+        // Previously synced cached information must not hide a current outage.
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, true, false, Some(false)).0,
+            "waiting_start"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, true, true, None).0,
+            "waiting_start"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            bitcoin_wait_state(true, true, true, Some(false)).0,
+            "bitcoin_ready"
+        );
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/lnd/mod.rs

@@ -133,12 +133,36 @@ async fn stream_lnd_transactions(sm: &crate::state::StateManager) -> Result<()>
 /// RPC-unreachable and locked-wallet states are deliberately NOT handled
 /// here — container-down is crash-recovery's job, and unlocking needs the
 /// operator.
+fn bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(status: &crate::bitcoin_status::BitcoinNodeStatus) -> bool {
+    status.ok
+        && !status.stale
+        && status.age_ms < 30_000
+        && status
+            .blockchain_info
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(|v| v.get("initialblockdownload"))
+            .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+            == Some(false)
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn spawn_lnd_health_watchdog() {
     tokio::spawn(async move {
         let mut bad_minutes: u32 = 0;
         let mut last_restart: Option<tokio::time::Instant> = None;
+        let mut last_height: Option<u64> = None;
         loop {
             tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(60)).await;
+            // Initial Bitcoin sync, warmup, and outages are dependencies to
+            // wait for, never evidence that LND is wedged. Do not accumulate
+            // restart pressure during a days-long initial block download.
+            let bitcoin = crate::bitcoin_status::get_bitcoin_status().await;
+            if !bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&bitcoin)
+                || crate::app_ops::lifecycle_op_in_flight("lnd")
+            {
+                bad_minutes = 0;
+                last_height = None;
+                continue;
+            }
             let Ok(bytes) = read_lnd_admin_macaroon().await else {
                 bad_minutes = 0; // no LND on this node (or not set up yet)
                 continue;
@@ -161,6 +185,10 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn_lnd_health_watchdog() {
                 bad_minutes = 0; // down/locked — not the wedge signature
                 continue;
             };
+            if !resp.status().is_success() {
+                bad_minutes = 0;
+                continue;
+            }
             let Ok(info) = resp.json::<serde_json::Value>().await else {
                 bad_minutes = 0;
                 continue;
@@ -182,7 +210,12 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn_lnd_health_watchdog() {
                     .get("num_pending_channels")
                     .and_then(|v| v.as_u64())
                     .unwrap_or(0);
-            let wedged = !synced || (channels > 0 && peers == 0);
+            let height = info.get("block_height").and_then(|v| v.as_u64());
+            let progressing = height
+                .zip(last_height)
+                .is_some_and(|(now, before)| now > before);
+            last_height = height;
+            let wedged = !progressing && (!synced || (channels > 0 && peers == 0));
             if !wedged {
                 bad_minutes = 0;
                 continue;
@@ -239,3 +272,31 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         Ok((client, macaroon_hex))
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod watchdog_dependency_tests {
+    use super::bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog;
+    use crate::bitcoin_status::BitcoinNodeStatus;
+    use serde_json::json;
+    #[test]
+    fn initial_sync_warmup_outage_stale_and_unknown_never_trigger_lnd_restart() {
+        let mut status = BitcoinNodeStatus::default();
+        assert!(!bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+        status.ok = true;
+        status.blockchain_info = Some(json!({"initialblockdownload":true}));
+        assert!(!bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+        status.blockchain_info = Some(json!({"initialblockdownload":false}));
+        assert!(bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+        status.stale = true;
+        assert!(!bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+        status.stale = false;
+        status.ok = false;
+        assert!(!bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+        status.ok = true;
+        status.age_ms = 30_000;
+        assert!(!bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+        status.age_ms = 0;
+        status.blockchain_info = Some(json!({}));
+        assert!(!bitcoin_ready_for_lnd_watchdog(&status));
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/async_lifecycle.rs

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             .to_string();
         super::validation::validate_app_id(&package_id)?;
         super::dependencies::check_bitcoin_pruning_compatibility(&package_id).await?;
+        super::dependencies::check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(&package_id).await?;
 
         // Reject if already in a transitional lifecycle (prevents double-click
         // queuing two installs on the same package).
@@ -88,6 +89,15 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             match handler.handle_package_install(params).await {
                 Ok(_) => {
                     info!("package.install {}: complete", package_id_spawn);
+                    for id in [&package_id_spawn, &format!("archy-{}", package_id_spawn)] {
+                        crate::crash_recovery::clear_user_uninstalled(&handler.config.data_dir, id)
+                            .await;
+                    }
+                    crate::crash_recovery::mark_installed(
+                        &handler.config.data_dir,
+                        &package_id_spawn,
+                    )
+                    .await;
                     // The install pipeline has verified the container is up
                     // and healthy (see install.rs post-start exit check).
                     // Kick the scanner first so the fresh manifest (with
@@ -183,17 +193,20 @@ impl RpcHandler {
                     // phase is cleared (None) so no stale InstallPhase
                     // lingers on the card.
                     let err_msg = format!("Install failed: {:#}", e);
-                    let (mut data, _) = handler.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-                    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(&package_id_spawn) {
-                        entry.state = PackageState::Stopped;
-                        entry.install_progress = Some(crate::data_model::InstallProgress {
-                            size: 0,
-                            downloaded: 0,
-                            phase: None,
-                            message: Some(err_msg),
-                        });
-                        handler.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-                    }
+                    handler
+                        .state_manager
+                        .mutate_data(|data| {
+                            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(&package_id_spawn) {
+                                entry.state = PackageState::Stopped;
+                                entry.install_progress = Some(crate::data_model::InstallProgress {
+                                    size: 0,
+                                    downloaded: 0,
+                                    phase: None,
+                                    message: Some(err_msg),
+                                });
+                            }
+                        })
+                        .await;
                 }
             }
         });
@@ -251,6 +264,11 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             match handler.handle_package_uninstall(params).await {
                 Ok(_) => {
                     info!("package.uninstall {}: complete", package_id_spawn);
+                    for id in [&package_id_spawn, &format!("archy-{}", package_id_spawn)] {
+                        crate::crash_recovery::mark_user_uninstalled(&handler.config.data_dir, id)
+                            .await;
+                        crate::crash_recovery::clear_installed(&handler.config.data_dir, id).await;
+                    }
                     // Inner handler already removed the package entry on
                     // success. Nothing more to do here.
                 }
@@ -294,6 +312,12 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Missing package id"))?
             .to_string();
         super::validation::validate_app_id(&package_id)?;
+        // Update is stop → pull → remove → recreate, i.e. a fresh start by
+        // another name: on a disk that shrank since install it would resume
+        // cuprate's unprunable sync unchecked. Same gate as install and
+        // start, run BEFORE the Updating flip so a refusal leaves the app
+        // cleanly in its previous state.
+        super::dependencies::check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(&package_id).await?;
 
         // Reject if already in a transitional lifecycle.
         {
@@ -323,7 +347,7 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         let package_id_spawn = package_id.clone();
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             match handler.handle_package_update(params).await {
-                Ok(_) => {
+                Ok(result) => {
                     info!("package.update {}: complete", package_id_spawn);
                     // Same reasoning as install: the merge_preserving_transitional
                     // helper treats Updating as RPC-owned, so we MUST write the
@@ -338,7 +362,11 @@ impl RpcHandler {
                     set_package_state(
                         &handler.state_manager,
                         &package_id_spawn,
-                        PackageState::Running,
+                        if result.get("status").and_then(|v| v.as_str()) == Some("up-to-date") {
+                            pre_state.clone().unwrap_or(PackageState::Running)
+                        } else {
+                            PackageState::Running
+                        },
                     )
                     .await;
                 }
@@ -371,52 +399,56 @@ impl RpcHandler {
 /// call, but fires before the spawn so the UI sees it immediately.
 async fn flip_to_installing(state_manager: &StateManager, package_id: &str) {
     use crate::data_model::{Description, Manifest, PackageDataEntry, StaticFiles};
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    let entry = data
-        .package_data
-        .entry(package_id.to_string())
-        .or_insert_with(|| PackageDataEntry {
-            state: PackageState::Installing,
-            health: None,
-            exit_code: None,
-            static_files: StaticFiles {
-                license: String::new(),
-                instructions: String::new(),
-                // Leave icon empty during the transient Installing window:
-                // hardcoding `<id>.png` is wrong for ~half our apps (many use
-                // `.svg` / `.webp`), producing a broken-image flicker until
-                // the scanner refreshes the entry. The frontend's `icon`
-                // computed falls through to `curatedMap.get(id)?.icon` which
-                // has the correct extensions for known apps.
-                icon: String::new(),
-            },
-            manifest: Manifest {
-                id: package_id.to_string(),
-                title: package_id.to_string(),
-                version: String::new(),
-                description: Description {
-                    short: "Installing...".to_string(),
-                    long: String::new(),
-                },
-                release_notes: String::new(),
-                license: String::new(),
-                wrapper_repo: String::new(),
-                upstream_repo: String::new(),
-                support_site: String::new(),
-                marketing_site: String::new(),
-                donation_url: None,
-                author: None,
-                website: None,
-                interfaces: None,
-                tier: None,
-            },
-            installed: None,
-            install_progress: None,
-            uninstall_stage: None,
-            available_update: None,
-        });
-    entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
-    state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            let entry = data
+                .package_data
+                .entry(package_id.to_string())
+                .or_insert_with(|| PackageDataEntry {
+                    ui_ready: None,
+                    state: PackageState::Installing,
+                    health: None,
+                    exit_code: None,
+                    static_files: StaticFiles {
+                        license: String::new(),
+                        instructions: String::new(),
+                        // Leave icon empty during the transient Installing window:
+                        // hardcoding `<id>.png` is wrong for ~half our apps (many use
+                        // `.svg` / `.webp`), producing a broken-image flicker until
+                        // the scanner refreshes the entry. The frontend's `icon`
+                        // computed falls through to `curatedMap.get(id)?.icon` which
+                        // has the correct extensions for known apps.
+                        icon: String::new(),
+                    },
+                    manifest: Manifest {
+                        id: package_id.to_string(),
+                        title: package_id.to_string(),
+                        version: String::new(),
+                        description: Description {
+                            short: "Installing...".to_string(),
+                            long: String::new(),
+                        },
+                        release_notes: String::new(),
+                        license: String::new(),
+                        wrapper_repo: String::new(),
+                        upstream_repo: String::new(),
+                        support_site: String::new(),
+                        marketing_site: String::new(),
+                        donation_url: None,
+                        author: None,
+                        website: None,
+                        interfaces: None,
+                        tier: None,
+                    },
+                    installed: None,
+                    install_progress: None,
+                    uninstall_stage: None,
+                    available_update: None,
+                });
+            entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+            entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
+        })
+        .await;
 }
 
 /// True when the failed install still has a real footprint: any container
@@ -474,20 +506,23 @@ async fn remove_entry_with_notification(
     id_prefix: &str,
     message: &str,
 ) {
-    let (mut data, _) = handler.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    data.package_data.remove(package_id);
-    data.notifications.push(crate::data_model::Notification {
-        id: format!("{id_prefix}-{package_id}"),
-        level: crate::data_model::NotificationLevel::Error,
-        title: format!("Could not install {package_id}"),
-        message: message.to_string(),
-        timestamp: chrono::Utc::now().to_rfc3339(),
-        app_id: Some(package_id.to_string()),
-    });
-    while data.notifications.len() > 20 {
-        data.notifications.remove(0);
-    }
-    handler.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+    handler
+        .state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            data.package_data.remove(package_id);
+            data.notifications.push(crate::data_model::Notification {
+                id: format!("{id_prefix}-{package_id}"),
+                level: crate::data_model::NotificationLevel::Error,
+                title: format!("Could not install {package_id}"),
+                message: message.to_string(),
+                timestamp: chrono::Utc::now().to_rfc3339(),
+                app_id: Some(package_id.to_string()),
+            });
+            while data.notifications.len() > 20 {
+                data.notifications.remove(0);
+            }
+        })
+        .await;
 }
 
 /// Flip an existing entry's state and return the pre-flip value (or None if
@@ -497,18 +532,23 @@ async fn flip_package_state(
     package_id: &str,
     new_state: PackageState,
 ) -> Option<PackageState> {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    let prev = data.package_data.get(package_id).map(|e| e.state.clone());
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-        entry.state = new_state;
-        state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-    } else {
-        warn!(
-            "flip_package_state: no entry for {} — cannot flip",
-            package_id
-        );
-    }
-    prev
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            let prev = data.package_data.get(package_id).map(|e| e.state.clone());
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                if new_state != PackageState::Running {
+                    entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                }
+                entry.state = new_state;
+            } else {
+                warn!(
+                    "flip_package_state: no entry for {} — cannot flip",
+                    package_id
+                );
+            }
+            prev
+        })
+        .await
 }
 
 /// Set state unconditionally (no-op if entry no longer exists).
@@ -517,13 +557,18 @@ async fn set_package_state(
     package_id: &str,
     new_state: PackageState,
 ) {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-        if entry.state != new_state {
-            entry.state = new_state;
-            state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-        }
-    }
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                if entry.state != new_state {
+                    if new_state != PackageState::Running {
+                        entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                    }
+                    entry.state = new_state;
+                }
+            }
+        })
+        .await
 }
 
 /// Set state and clear the uninstall_stage label. Used when an uninstall
@@ -534,12 +579,17 @@ async fn set_package_state_and_clear_uninstall_stage(
     package_id: &str,
     new_state: PackageState,
 ) {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-        entry.state = new_state;
-        entry.uninstall_stage = None;
-        state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-    }
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                if new_state != PackageState::Running {
+                    entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                }
+                entry.state = new_state;
+                entry.uninstall_stage = None;
+            }
+        })
+        .await
 }
 
 /// Kick the container scanner to run immediately and wait for it to finish

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/dependencies.rs

@@ -670,6 +670,50 @@ async fn detect_disk_gb() -> u64 {
         .unwrap_or(u64::MAX)
 }
 
+/// Smallest disk (GB, total) a cuprate node can live on. The value and its
+/// rationale live in ONE place — `crate::constants::CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB` —
+/// shared with the boot reconciler so install/start and boot can never
+/// disagree about where cuprate may run.
+use crate::constants::CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB;
+
+/// The bitcoin apps pick `-prune` automatically when disk is scarce, because
+/// bitcoind supports pruning. Cuprate CANNOT: upstream has no pruning config
+/// at all (the `pruning` crate in its workspace is Monero's p2p *protocol*
+/// pruning, not on-disk pruning), so the disk-scarce equivalent is to refuse
+/// to run cuprate at all rather than let it sync until the filesystem fills —
+/// which took Archipelago itself down on nodes with too little disk.
+fn cuprate_insufficient_disk_message(disk_gb: u64) -> String {
+    format!(
+        "Cuprate needs a disk of at least {} GB and this node has {} GB. \
+         A Monero node cannot run pruned — upstream cuprate has no pruning \
+         support — so the chain (~250 GB and growing) would fill the disk and \
+         take Archipelago down with it. Attach a larger disk (or move \
+         /var/lib/archipelago to one) and try again. Bitcoin apps CAN run \
+         pruned on smaller disks; Monero currently cannot.",
+        CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB, disk_gb
+    )
+}
+
+/// Pure decision half of the cuprate disk gate — testable without df.
+pub(super) fn cuprate_disk_gate(disk_gb: u64) -> Option<String> {
+    (disk_gb < CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB).then(|| cuprate_insufficient_disk_message(disk_gb))
+}
+
+/// Install/start-time pre-check: refuse cuprate on disks too small to hold
+/// the Monero chain. Mirrors `check_bitcoin_pruning_compatibility`'s
+/// fail-open-on-unknown-disk behaviour (`detect_disk_gb` returns u64::MAX
+/// when df fails, so an unreadable disk never blocks an install).
+pub(super) async fn check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(package_id: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    if package_id != "cuprate" {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    let disk_gb = detect_disk_gb().await;
+    if let Some(message) = cuprate_disk_gate(disk_gb) {
+        anyhow::bail!(message);
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Log informational messages about optional dependencies.
 pub(super) fn log_optional_dep_info(package_id: &str, deps: &RunningDeps) {
     if matches!(package_id, "btcpay-server" | "btcpayserver") && !deps.has_lnd {
@@ -873,9 +917,9 @@ pub(super) fn configure_fedimint_lnd(
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::{
-        bitcoin_is_warming_up, dependency_list_declares_archival_bitcoin,
+        bitcoin_is_warming_up, cuprate_disk_gate, dependency_list_declares_archival_bitcoin,
         manifest_declares_archival_bitcoin, order_present_containers, requires_unpruned_bitcoin,
-        startup_order, BITCOIN_WARMUP_BUDGET,
+        startup_order, BITCOIN_WARMUP_BUDGET, CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB,
     };
     use archipelago_container::Dependency;
 
@@ -1017,6 +1061,37 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!manifest_declares_archival_bitcoin("does-not-exist"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn cuprate_disk_gate_refuses_disks_too_small_for_the_monero_chain() {
+        // 250 GB VPS class: the ~250 GiB chain does not fit, full stop.
+        assert!(cuprate_disk_gate(0).is_some());
+        assert!(cuprate_disk_gate(250).is_some());
+        assert!(cuprate_disk_gate(CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB - 1).is_some());
+        assert!(cuprate_disk_gate(CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB).is_none());
+        assert!(cuprate_disk_gate(1000).is_none());
+        // df failure reads as u64::MAX — an unreadable disk must not block.
+        assert!(cuprate_disk_gate(u64::MAX).is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cuprate_disk_gate_message_names_the_fix_not_just_the_problem() {
+        let msg = cuprate_disk_gate(250).expect("250 GB must be refused");
+        assert!(msg.contains("cannot run pruned"), "{msg}");
+        assert!(msg.contains("larger disk"), "{msg}");
+        assert!(msg.contains("250 GB"), "{msg}");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn cuprate_disk_gate_only_applies_to_cuprate() {
+        // Every other package passes regardless of disk — including the
+        // bitcoin apps, which self-prune via their manifest entrypoint.
+        for package_id in ["bitcoin-knots", "bitcoin-core", "electrumx", "mempool"] {
+            super::check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(package_id)
+                .await
+                .expect("non-cuprate installs must not be gated here");
+        }
+    }
+
     mod dep_wait {
         use super::super::{wait_for_install_deps, DepProbe, DependencyGateError, RunningDeps};
         use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/install.rs

@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ use super::config::{
     is_readonly_compatible, is_valid_docker_image,
 };
 use super::dependencies::{
-    check_bitcoin_pruning_compatibility, configure_fedimint_lnd, detect_existing_containers,
-    detect_running_deps, detect_running_deps_from_package_data, log_optional_dep_info,
-    needs_archy_net, wait_for_install_deps, DepProbe, RunningDeps, DEP_WAIT_INTERVAL,
-    DEP_WAIT_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
+    check_bitcoin_pruning_compatibility, check_cuprate_disk_compatibility, configure_fedimint_lnd,
+    detect_existing_containers, detect_running_deps, detect_running_deps_from_package_data,
+    log_optional_dep_info, needs_archy_net, wait_for_install_deps, DepProbe, RunningDeps,
+    DEP_WAIT_INTERVAL, DEP_WAIT_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
 };
 use super::progress::parse_pull_progress;
 use super::validation::validate_app_id;
@@ -326,6 +326,10 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         // an older version pins it so install_fresh resolves that image and the
         // update badge stays suppressed. See docs/bitcoin-multi-version-design.md.
         if matches!(package_id, "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin-knots") {
+            if let Some(value) = params.get("prune") {
+                let prune = value.as_bool().context("prune must be a boolean")?;
+                crate::settings::bitcoin_storage::save(&self.config.data_dir, prune).await?;
+            }
             if let Some(version) = params.get("version").and_then(|v| v.as_str()) {
                 persist_install_version_selection(package_id, version).await;
             }
@@ -374,6 +378,7 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         // failing instantly.
         let deps = self.gate_install_deps(package_id).await?;
         check_bitcoin_pruning_compatibility(package_id).await?;
+        check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(package_id).await?;
         log_optional_dep_info(package_id, &deps);
         if matches!(package_id, "bitcoin" | "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin-knots") {
             // Materialise the RPC password file before any install path
@@ -540,7 +545,7 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         // Keep legacy install flow as default while migration is in progress.
         if orchestrator_managed {
             let orchestrator_app_id = orchestrator_install_app_id(package_id);
-            self.set_install_phase(package_id, InstallPhase::CreatingContainer)
+            self.set_install_phase(package_id, InstallPhase::PreparingApp)
                 .await;
             install_log(&format!(
                 "INSTALL ORCH: {} — attempting orchestrator install as {}",
@@ -2048,25 +2053,8 @@ fn parse_setup_token(lines: &[&str]) -> Option<String> {
 }
 
 async fn cleanup_stale_package_ports(package_id: &str) {
-    match package_id {
-        "grafana" => cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3000").await,
-        "homeassistant" | "home-assistant" => cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8123").await,
-        "searxng" => cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8888").await,
-        "uptime-kuma" => cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3002").await,
-        "gitea" => {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3001").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("2222").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3000").await;
-        }
-        "nginx-proxy-manager" => {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8081").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8084").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8444").await;
-        }
-        "nextcloud" => cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8085").await,
-        "portainer" => cleanup_stale_pasta_port("9000").await,
-        _ => {}
-    }
+    // Never kill by port: another app or the management gate may own it.
+    crate::container::ghost_reaper::reap_for_app(package_id).await;
 }
 
 fn install_command_tail(
@@ -2191,93 +2179,11 @@ async fn cleanup_start_conflict(package_id: &str, stderr: &str) -> bool {
         return true;
     }
 
-    match package_id {
-        "grafana"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3000").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "homeassistant" | "home-assistant"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8123").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "searxng"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8888").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "uptime-kuma"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3002").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "gitea" if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") => {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3001").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("2222").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("3000").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "nginx-proxy-manager"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8081").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8084").await;
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8444").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "nextcloud"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("8085").await;
-            true
-        }
-        "portainer"
-            if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") =>
-        {
-            cleanup_stale_pasta_port("9000").await;
-            true
-        }
-        _ => false,
+    if stderr.contains("pasta failed") || stderr.contains("address already in use") {
+        crate::container::ghost_reaper::reap_for_app(package_id).await;
+        return true;
     }
-}
-
-async fn cleanup_stale_pasta_port(port: &str) {
-    // NEVER kill our own process. The daemon holds catalog app ports over
-    // IPv6 (the mesh app-port relay), so a blunt `fuser -k <port>/tcp` would
-    // terminate archipelago itself mid-install — installs failed and apps
-    // vanished on a test node 2026-07-27. Kill every listener on the port
-    // EXCEPT our PID (and our process group), leaving the relay/daemon alive.
-    let self_pid = std::process::id();
-    let kill_listener = format!(
-        "ss -ltnp 'sport = :{port}' 2>/dev/null | sed -n 's/.*pid=\\([0-9]*\\).*/\\1/p' | \
-         while read p; do [ \"$p\" = \"{self_pid}\" ] || kill \"$p\" 2>/dev/null; done || true",
-    );
-    let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("sh")
-        .args(["-c", &kill_listener])
-        .output()
-        .await;
-
-    // sudo fuser -k, but exclude our own PID: fuser prints the PIDs holding
-    // the port; kill each except self. (`fuser -k` has no exclusion flag.)
-    let fuser_kill = format!(
-        "for p in $(sudo fuser {port}/tcp 2>/dev/null); do [ \"$p\" = \"{self_pid}\" ] || sudo kill \"$p\" 2>/dev/null; done || true",
-    );
-    let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("sh")
-        .args(["-c", &fuser_kill])
-        .output()
-        .await;
-
-    let pattern = format!("pasta.*{}", port);
-    let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("pkill")
-        .args(["-f", &pattern])
-        .output()
-        .await;
-    tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+    false
 }
 
 async fn repair_nextcloud_permissions() {

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/progress.rs

@@ -14,20 +14,23 @@ impl RpcHandler {
     /// the rare case where the pull stream actually parses, but podman
     /// almost never emits parseable progress on a piped stderr.
     pub(super) async fn set_install_progress(&self, package_id: &str, downloaded: u64, size: u64) {
-        let (mut data, _rev) = self.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-        let entry = data
-            .package_data
-            .entry(package_id.to_string())
-            .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
-        entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
-        let existing_phase = entry.install_progress.as_ref().and_then(|p| p.phase);
-        entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
-            size,
-            downloaded,
-            phase: existing_phase,
-            message: None,
-        });
-        self.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+        self.state_manager
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                let entry = data
+                    .package_data
+                    .entry(package_id.to_string())
+                    .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
+                entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
+                let existing_phase = entry.install_progress.as_ref().and_then(|p| p.phase);
+                entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
+                    size,
+                    downloaded,
+                    phase: existing_phase,
+                    message: None,
+                });
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 
     /// Set the install pipeline phase and broadcast. This is the
@@ -35,76 +38,86 @@ impl RpcHandler {
     /// percentage and a user-facing label. Byte counters are retained
     /// for the rare case podman emits parseable progress.
     pub(super) async fn set_install_phase(&self, package_id: &str, phase: InstallPhase) {
-        let (mut data, _rev) = self.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-        let entry = data
-            .package_data
-            .entry(package_id.to_string())
-            .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
-        // Preparing / PullingImage / CreatingContainer / StartingContainer /
-        // WaitingHealthy / PostInstall all map to the Installing state.
-        // Updates use Updating state — the wrapper has already flipped
-        // state to Updating, so don't clobber it.
-        if entry.state != PackageState::Updating {
-            entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
-        }
-        let (size, downloaded) = entry
-            .install_progress
-            .as_ref()
-            .map(|p| (p.size, p.downloaded))
-            .unwrap_or((0, 0));
-        entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
-            size,
-            downloaded,
-            phase: Some(phase),
-            message: None,
-        });
-        self.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+        self.state_manager
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                let entry = data
+                    .package_data
+                    .entry(package_id.to_string())
+                    .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
+                // Preparing / PullingImage / CreatingContainer / StartingContainer /
+                // WaitingHealthy / PostInstall all map to the Installing state.
+                // Updates use Updating state — the wrapper has already flipped
+                // state to Updating, so don't clobber it.
+                if entry.state != PackageState::Updating {
+                    entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                    entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
+                }
+                let (size, downloaded) = entry
+                    .install_progress
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(|p| (p.size, p.downloaded))
+                    .unwrap_or((0, 0));
+                entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
+                    size,
+                    downloaded,
+                    phase: Some(phase),
+                    message: None,
+                });
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 
     /// Set a user-facing install status message (e.g. "Waiting for Bitcoin
     /// to start…") without disturbing the current phase/byte counters.
     pub(super) async fn set_install_message(&self, package_id: &str, message: &str) {
-        let (mut data, _rev) = self.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-        let entry = data
-            .package_data
-            .entry(package_id.to_string())
-            .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
-        if entry.state != PackageState::Updating {
-            entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
-        }
-        let (size, downloaded, phase) = entry
-            .install_progress
-            .as_ref()
-            .map(|p| (p.size, p.downloaded, p.phase))
-            .unwrap_or((0, 0, None));
-        entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
-            size,
-            downloaded,
-            phase,
-            message: Some(message.to_string()),
-        });
-        self.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+        self.state_manager
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                let entry = data
+                    .package_data
+                    .entry(package_id.to_string())
+                    .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
+                if entry.state != PackageState::Updating {
+                    entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                    entry.state = PackageState::Installing;
+                }
+                let (size, downloaded, phase) = entry
+                    .install_progress
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(|p| (p.size, p.downloaded, p.phase))
+                    .unwrap_or((0, 0, None));
+                entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
+                    size,
+                    downloaded,
+                    phase,
+                    message: Some(message.to_string()),
+                });
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 
     /// Clear install progress after pull completes or fails.
     pub(super) async fn clear_install_progress(&self, package_id: &str) {
-        let (mut data, _rev) = self.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-        if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-            entry.install_progress = None;
-        }
-        self.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+        self.state_manager
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                    entry.install_progress = None;
+                }
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 
     /// Set the uninstall stage label so the UI can show what's happening
     /// instead of a generic spinner. Each call broadcasts a state change
     /// — call sparingly (one per pipeline phase, not per container).
     pub(super) async fn set_uninstall_stage(&self, package_id: &str, stage: &str) {
-        let (mut data, _rev) = self.state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-        if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-            entry.uninstall_stage = Some(stage.to_string());
-            entry.state = crate::data_model::PackageState::Removing;
-        }
-        self.state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+        self.state_manager
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                    entry.uninstall_stage = Some(stage.to_string());
+                    entry.state = crate::data_model::PackageState::Removing;
+                }
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 
     /// Update install progress (static method for use in async closures).
@@ -114,25 +127,28 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         downloaded: u64,
         total: u64,
     ) {
-        let (mut data, _rev) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-        let entry = data
-            .package_data
-            .entry(package_id.to_string())
-            .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
-        let existing_phase = entry.install_progress.as_ref().and_then(|p| p.phase);
-        entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
-            size: total,
-            downloaded,
-            phase: existing_phase,
-            message: None,
-        });
-        state_manager.update_data(data).await;
+        state_manager
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                let entry = data
+                    .package_data
+                    .entry(package_id.to_string())
+                    .or_insert_with(|| create_installing_entry(package_id));
+                let existing_phase = entry.install_progress.as_ref().and_then(|p| p.phase);
+                entry.install_progress = Some(InstallProgress {
+                    size: total,
+                    downloaded,
+                    phase: existing_phase,
+                    message: None,
+                });
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 }
 
 /// Create a minimal PackageDataEntry for a package being installed.
 fn create_installing_entry(package_id: &str) -> PackageDataEntry {
     PackageDataEntry {
+        ui_ready: None,
         state: PackageState::Installing,
         health: None,
         exit_code: None,

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/runtime.rs

@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Missing package id"))?;
         validate_app_id(package_id)?;
+        // A cuprate node that starts on a too-small disk fills it and takes
+        // Archipelago down with it (no upstream pruning — see
+        // dependencies::check_cuprate_disk_compatibility). Fail the start
+        // before clearing user-stopped or flipping state, so the app stays
+        // cleanly stopped and the error carries the actionable message.
+        super::dependencies::check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(package_id).await?;
 
         let to_start = if self.orchestrator.is_some() && uses_single_orchestrator_app(package_id) {
             vec![orchestrator_app_id(package_id).to_string()]
@@ -251,6 +257,11 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Missing package id"))?;
         validate_app_id(package_id)?;
+        // Restart is stop + recreate, so on a disk that shrank below the cuprate
+        // minimum after install it resumes the doomed unprunable sync just like
+        // start would — same gate, same "fail before clearing user-stopped /
+        // flipping state" contract (see handle_package_start).
+        super::dependencies::check_cuprate_disk_compatibility(package_id).await?;
 
         let single_orchestrator_app =
             self.orchestrator.is_some() && uses_single_orchestrator_app(package_id);
@@ -1420,10 +1431,9 @@ async fn repair_before_package_start(container_name: &str) {
     // published port and the data-dir file locks, so the replacement either
     // fails to bind (`address already in use`) or starts and dies on the
     // lock — and `Restart=always` loops it there forever. Ordered before
-    // the port cleanup below: killing the owner is what actually frees the
-    // port, and the port sweep alone cannot tell a ghost from a live app.
+    // starting the replacement. A port sweep cannot distinguish a ghost
+    // from the dashboard gate or another live app and must never kill it.
     crate::container::ghost_reaper::reap_for_app(container_name).await;
-    cleanup_runtime_host_ports(container_name).await;
 }
 
 async fn wait_before_package_start(container_name: &str) {
@@ -1568,7 +1578,6 @@ async fn repair_netbird_network() {
 async fn repair_nginx_proxy_manager_container() {
     repair_nginx_proxy_manager_dirs().await;
     if !nginx_proxy_manager_has_legacy_admin_port().await {
-        cleanup_nginx_proxy_manager_ports().await;
         return;
     }
 
@@ -1577,7 +1586,7 @@ async fn repair_nginx_proxy_manager_container() {
     )
     .await;
     let _ = podman_control(&["rm", "-f", "nginx-proxy-manager"]).await;
-    cleanup_nginx_proxy_manager_ports().await;
+    crate::container::ghost_reaper::reap_for_app("nginx-proxy-manager").await;
     if let Err(err) = recreate_nginx_proxy_manager_container().await {
         tracing::warn!(error = %err, "failed to recreate stale nginx-proxy-manager container");
     }
@@ -1801,6 +1810,9 @@ fn manifest_host_ports(container_name: &str) -> Vec<u16> {
 
 pub(super) fn manifest_apps_dirs() -> Vec<std::path::PathBuf> {
     let mut dirs = Vec::new();
+    if let Some(root) = std::env::var_os("ARCHIPELAGO_APPS_DIR") {
+        dirs.push(root.into());
+    }
     if let Ok(manifest_dir) = std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR") {
         dirs.push(Path::new(&manifest_dir).join("../../apps"));
     }
@@ -2021,51 +2033,10 @@ async fn cleanup_start_conflict(container_name: &str, stderr: &str) {
         return;
     }
 
-    let ports = runtime_host_ports(container_name);
-    if !ports.is_empty() {
-        cleanup_ports(&ports).await;
-        return;
-    }
-}
-
-async fn cleanup_runtime_host_ports(container_name: &str) {
-    let ports = runtime_host_ports(container_name);
-    if !ports.is_empty() {
-        cleanup_ports(&ports).await;
-    }
-}
-
-async fn cleanup_nginx_proxy_manager_ports() {
-    cleanup_ports(&[8081, 8084, 8444]).await;
-}
-
-async fn cleanup_ports(ports: &[u16]) {
-    for port in ports {
-        cleanup_stale_pasta_port(&port.to_string()).await;
-    }
-}
-
-async fn cleanup_stale_pasta_port(port: &str) {
-    let kill_listener = format!(
-        "ss -ltnp 'sport = :{}' 2>/dev/null | sed -n 's/.*pid=\\([0-9]*\\).*/\\1/p' | xargs -r kill 2>/dev/null || true",
-        port
-    );
-    let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("sh")
-        .args(["-c", &kill_listener])
-        .output()
-        .await;
-
-    let pattern = format!("pasta.*{}", port);
-    let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("pkill")
-        .args(["-f", &pattern])
-        .output()
-        .await;
-    let pattern = format!("rootlessport.*{}", port);
-    let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("pkill")
-        .args(["-f", &pattern])
-        .output()
-        .await;
-    tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+    // Only reap processes proven to belong to an absent container. The app
+    // gate shares the app's port on other addresses and lives in this daemon;
+    // killing port owners (or matching argv with pkill) kills the dashboard.
+    crate::container::ghost_reaper::reap_for_app(container_name).await;
 }
 
 pub(super) fn is_missing_companion_ok(name: &str, stderr: &str) -> bool {
@@ -2084,13 +2055,16 @@ async fn flip_package_state(
     package_id: &str,
     transitional: PackageState,
 ) -> Option<PackageState> {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    let prev = data.package_data.get(package_id).map(|e| e.state.clone());
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-        entry.state = transitional;
-        state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-    }
-    prev
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            let prev = data.package_data.get(package_id).map(|e| e.state.clone());
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                entry.state = transitional;
+            }
+            prev
+        })
+        .await
 }
 
 /// Write the package entry's final state. No-op if the entry has since
@@ -2100,13 +2074,18 @@ async fn set_package_state(
     package_id: &str,
     new_state: PackageState,
 ) {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
-        if entry.state != new_state {
-            entry.state = new_state;
-            state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-        }
-    }
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(package_id) {
+                if entry.state != new_state {
+                    if new_state != PackageState::Running {
+                        entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                    }
+                    entry.state = new_state;
+                }
+            }
+        })
+        .await
 }
 
 pub(super) async fn reconcile_companions_for(package_id: &str) {
@@ -2174,6 +2153,20 @@ pub(super) fn orchestrator_uninstall_app_ids(package_id: &str) -> Vec<String> {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn port_conflict_cleanup_preserves_live_host_listener() {
+        // The previous ss|kill sweep terminated the daemon's app gate on a
+        // restart. Keep a real listening socket owned by this test process.
+        let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.2:2342")
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().unwrap();
+        cleanup_start_conflict("photoprism", "address already in use").await;
+        let client = tokio::net::TcpStream::connect(addr).await.unwrap();
+        let _connection = listener.accept().await.unwrap();
+        drop(client);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn missing_container_classifier_covers_podman5_phrasings() {
         // Regression (.228 gate 2026-07-08): podman 5.x `inspect` on a missing

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/set_config.rs

@@ -153,8 +153,18 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         let default = app_catalog::catalog_default_version(app_id);
         let cfg = version_config::read(app_id);
         let installed = installed_version(app_id).await;
+        let bitcoin_prune = if matches!(app_id, "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin-knots") {
+            Some(
+                crate::settings::bitcoin_storage::load(&self.config.data_dir)
+                    .await?
+                    .prune,
+            )
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
 
         Ok(serde_json::json!({
+            "bitcoinPrune": bitcoin_prune,
             "id": app_id,
             "supportsVersions": supports_versions(app_id),
             "default": default,

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/update.rs

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use tracing::{error, info, warn};
 const PODMAN_UPDATE_PULL_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(600);
 
 impl RpcHandler {
-    /// Update a package to the version pinned in image-versions.sh.
+    /// Update a package to the freshly verified catalog target.
     /// This is a manual operation — the user clicks "Update" in the UI.
     pub(in crate::api::rpc) async fn handle_package_update(
         &self,
@@ -32,6 +32,21 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Missing package id"))?;
         validate_app_id(package_id)?;
 
+        // An Update click must not act on an hourly cache that predates the
+        // button. Fetch and verify first; failure leaves running containers alone.
+        crate::container::app_catalog::refresh_catalog(&self.config.data_dir)
+            .await
+            .context(
+                "Cannot check the signed app catalog; update cancelled before changing containers",
+            )?;
+        if let Some(orch) = &self.orchestrator {
+            // Reload even when bytes did not change: a previous reload may have
+            // failed after the cache was written, or another refresher wrote it.
+            orch.reload_manifests()
+                .await
+                .context("Cannot load current app manifests; update cancelled")?;
+        }
+
         // Resolve the target image. Prefer the remote app catalog (decoupled
         // from the binary OTA), falling back to the image-versions.sh pin. This
         // is OPTIONAL for orchestrator-managed apps: the orchestrator resolves
@@ -42,6 +57,22 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         let pinned = crate::container::app_catalog::catalog_primary_image(package_id)
             .or_else(|| image_versions::pinned_image_for_app(package_id));
 
+        let targets = pinned
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|target| self.resolve_images_to_pull(package_id, target));
+        if let Some(targets) = &targets {
+            let installed = inspect_update_images(package_id).await?;
+            if !update_targets_need_change(targets, &installed)? {
+                install_log(&format!(
+                    "UPDATE SKIP: {} — target versions already installed",
+                    package_id
+                ))
+                .await;
+                self.clear_install_progress(package_id).await;
+                return Ok(serde_json::json!({"status": "up-to-date", "package_id": package_id}));
+            }
+        }
+
         // Note: the `already updating` guard lives in `spawn_package_update`
         // (the async wrapper that dispatch actually routes to). By the time
         // this inner function runs, the wrapper has already flipped state to
@@ -80,6 +111,12 @@ impl RpcHandler {
             if let Some(orchestrator) = self.orchestrator.as_ref() {
                 match orchestrator.upgrade(orchestrator_app_id).await {
                     Ok(()) => {
+                        if let Some(targets) = &targets {
+                            verify_update_targets(
+                                targets,
+                                &inspect_update_images(package_id).await?,
+                            )?;
+                        }
                         self.set_install_phase(package_id, InstallPhase::WaitingHealthy)
                             .await;
                         if let Ok(health) = orchestrator.health(orchestrator_app_id).await {
@@ -133,7 +170,8 @@ impl RpcHandler {
         };
 
         // Resolve images to pull — either a stack or single container
-        let images_to_pull = self.resolve_images_to_pull(package_id, &pinned);
+        let images_to_pull =
+            targets.unwrap_or_else(|| self.resolve_images_to_pull(package_id, &pinned));
 
         // Get all containers for this app
         let containers = get_containers_for_app(package_id).await?;
@@ -324,15 +362,22 @@ impl RpcHandler {
                 .await;
             if let Ok(o) = status {
                 let state = String::from_utf8_lossy(&o.stdout).trim().to_string();
-                if state == "exited" {
-                    warn!(
-                        "Update {}: container {} exited after recreate",
-                        package_id, name
-                    );
-                }
+                anyhow::ensure!(
+                    o.status.success() && state == "running",
+                    "Update {}: container {} is not running after recreate",
+                    package_id,
+                    name
+                );
+            } else {
+                anyhow::bail!(
+                    "Update {}: cannot inspect recreated container {}",
+                    package_id,
+                    name
+                );
             }
         }
 
+        verify_update_targets(images_to_pull, &inspect_update_images(package_id).await?)?;
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -514,6 +559,98 @@ impl RpcHandler {
     }
 }
 
+async fn inspect_update_images(package_id: &str) -> Result<Vec<(String, String)>> {
+    let containers = get_containers_for_app(package_id).await?;
+    anyhow::ensure!(
+        !containers.is_empty(),
+        "No containers found for {}",
+        package_id
+    );
+    let mut command = tokio::process::Command::new("podman");
+    command.arg("inspect").args(&containers).kill_on_drop(true);
+    let output = tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(30), command.output())
+        .await
+        .context("Timed out checking installed images")??;
+    anyhow::ensure!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "Cannot inspect installed images; update cancelled"
+    );
+    let inspected: Vec<serde_json::Value> = serde_json::from_slice(&output.stdout)?;
+    inspected
+        .iter()
+        .map(|entry| {
+            let name = entry
+                .get("Name")
+                .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+                .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Container inspection omitted Name"))?;
+            let image = entry
+                .get("ImageName")
+                .and_then(|v| v.as_str())
+                .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Container inspection omitted ImageName"))?;
+            Ok((name.trim_start_matches('/').to_string(), image.to_string()))
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+fn installed_image_for_target<'a>(
+    app_id: &str,
+    installed: &'a [(String, String)],
+) -> Option<&'a str> {
+    installed
+        .iter()
+        .find(|(name, _)| {
+            candidate_app_ids_for_container(name)
+                .iter()
+                .any(|id| id == app_id)
+        })
+        .map(|(_, image)| image.as_str())
+}
+
+/// A successful recreate is not proof that it used the downloaded image.
+fn verify_update_targets(
+    targets: &[(String, String)],
+    installed: &[(String, String)],
+) -> Result<()> {
+    for (app_id, target) in targets {
+        let running = installed_image_for_target(app_id, installed).ok_or_else(|| {
+            anyhow::anyhow!("Update {}: target container missing after recreate", app_id)
+        })?;
+        anyhow::ensure!(
+            image_versions::extract_version_from_image(target)
+                == image_versions::extract_version_from_image(running)
+                || image_versions::compare_image_versions(target, running)
+                    == Some(std::cmp::Ordering::Equal),
+            "Update {}: recreated container did not reach target version {}",
+            app_id,
+            image_versions::extract_version_from_image(target)
+        );
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Check every stack component, not just the version shown on its tile. A
+/// newer backend must still update when its frontend version is unchanged.
+/// A stale target for any component cancels before pulling or stopping anything.
+fn update_targets_need_change(
+    targets: &[(String, String)],
+    installed: &[(String, String)],
+) -> Result<bool> {
+    use std::cmp::Ordering;
+    let mut changed = false;
+    for (app_id, target) in targets {
+        let running = installed_image_for_target(app_id, installed);
+        match running.and_then(|image| image_versions::compare_image_versions(target, image)) {
+            Some(Ordering::Less) => anyhow::bail!(
+                "Catalog target for {} is older than the installed image; refusing downgrade",
+                app_id
+            ),
+            Some(Ordering::Equal) => {}
+            Some(Ordering::Greater) | None => changed = true,
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(changed)
+}
+
 fn should_try_orchestrator_update(package_id: &str, orchestrator_available: bool) -> bool {
     orchestrator_available && !uses_legacy_update_flow(package_id)
 }
@@ -526,11 +663,14 @@ fn orchestrator_update_app_id(package_id: &str) -> &str {
 }
 
 fn uses_legacy_update_flow(package_id: &str) -> bool {
-    matches!(
-        package_id,
-        // Multi-container stacks still updated via the stack-aware path.
-        "immich" | "penpot" | "penpot-frontend" | "indeedhub"
-    )
+    // A primary container already at its target does not mean its backend or
+    // database is current. Route every mapped stack through the component flow.
+    !image_versions::containers_for_stack(package_id).is_empty()
+        || matches!(
+            package_id,
+            // Multi-container stacks still updated via the stack-aware path.
+            "immich" | "penpot" | "penpot-frontend" | "indeedhub"
+        )
 }
 
 fn is_unknown_app_id_error(err: &anyhow::Error) -> bool {
@@ -554,7 +694,12 @@ fn candidate_app_ids_for_container(container_name: &str) -> Vec<String> {
         "archy-bitcoin-ui" => push("bitcoin-ui"),
         "archy-lnd-ui" => push("lnd-ui"),
         "archy-electrs-ui" => push("electrs-ui"),
-        "mempool" => {
+        "mysql-mempool" => push("archy-mempool-db"),
+        "btcpay" | "btcpayserver" | "archy-btcpay" => push("btcpay-server"),
+        "homeassistant" | "archy-homeassistant" => push("home-assistant"),
+        "fedimintd" => push("fedimint"),
+        "electrs" | "mempool-electrs" => push("electrumx"),
+        "mempool" | "mempool-web" => {
             push("archy-mempool-web");
             push("mempool");
         }
@@ -572,27 +717,89 @@ fn candidate_app_ids_for_container(container_name: &str) -> Vec<String> {
 mod tests {
     use super::{
         candidate_app_ids_for_container, orchestrator_update_app_id,
-        should_try_orchestrator_update, uses_legacy_update_flow,
+        should_try_orchestrator_update, update_targets_need_change, uses_legacy_update_flow,
+        verify_update_targets,
     };
 
+    #[test]
+    fn mempool_update_preflight_rejects_stale_catalog_without_reinstalling() {
+        let installed = vec![(
+            "mempool".into(),
+            "r.test/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1".into(),
+        )];
+        let stale = vec![(
+            "archy-mempool-web".into(),
+            "r.test/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1".into(),
+        )];
+        assert!(update_targets_need_change(&stale, &installed).is_err());
+        let current = vec![(
+            "archy-mempool-web".into(),
+            "r.test/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1".into(),
+        )];
+        assert!(!update_targets_need_change(&current, &installed).unwrap());
+        let legacy = vec![(
+            "mempool-web".into(),
+            "r.test/old/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1".into(),
+        )];
+        assert!(!update_targets_need_change(&current, &legacy).unwrap());
+        let newer = vec![(
+            "archy-mempool-web".into(),
+            "r.test/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy2".into(),
+        )];
+        assert!(update_targets_need_change(&newer, &installed).unwrap());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stack_update_checks_backend_even_when_frontend_matches() {
+        let installed = vec![
+            ("mempool".into(), "r.test/team/web:3.3.1-archy1".into()),
+            ("mempool-api".into(), "r.test/team/api:3.3.1".into()),
+        ];
+        let mut targets = vec![
+            (
+                "archy-mempool-web".into(),
+                "r.test/team/web:3.3.1-archy1".into(),
+            ),
+            ("mempool-api".into(), "r.test/team/api:3.3.2".into()),
+        ];
+        assert!(update_targets_need_change(&targets, &installed).unwrap());
+        targets[0].1 = "r.test/team/web:3.3.1".into();
+        assert!(update_targets_need_change(&targets, &installed).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn update_completion_requires_the_target_version_to_be_installed() {
+        let targets = vec![(
+            "archy-mempool-web".into(),
+            "r.test/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1".into(),
+        )];
+        let mut installed = vec![(
+            "mempool".into(),
+            "r.test/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1".into(),
+        )];
+        assert!(verify_update_targets(&targets, &installed).is_err());
+        assert!(verify_update_targets(&targets, &[]).is_err());
+        installed[0].1 = "r.test/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1".into();
+        assert!(verify_update_targets(&targets, &installed).is_ok());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn legacy_flow_for_stack_apps() {
-        for app in ["immich", "penpot", "indeedhub"] {
+        for app in [
+            "immich",
+            "penpot",
+            "indeedhub",
+            "mempool",
+            "btcpay-server",
+            "netbird",
+        ] {
             assert!(uses_legacy_update_flow(app), "{app} should stay legacy");
         }
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn orchestrator_flow_for_single_apps() {
-        for app in [
-            "lnd",
-            "bitcoin-core",
-            "searxng",
-            "grafana",
-            "btcpay-server",
-            "mempool",
-            "fedimint",
-        ] {
+        for app in ["lnd", "bitcoin-core", "searxng", "grafana", "fedimint"] {
             assert!(
                 !uses_legacy_update_flow(app),
                 "{app} should be orchestrator-first"

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/tor/mod.rs

@@ -377,6 +377,23 @@ async fn write_staged_torrc(content: &str, staging: &str) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod known_service_tests {
+    use super::{is_protocol_service, known_service_port};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bitcoin_core_is_a_protocol_service_on_the_p2p_port() {
+        // Regression: apps/bitcoin-core/manifest.yml uses id "bitcoin-core",
+        // distinct from the legacy "bitcoin"/"bitcoin-knots" ids. Missing
+        // here means auto-enrollment silently skips it (known_service_port
+        // returns 0) and, separately, regenerate_torrc falls back to the
+        // web-app HiddenServicePort-80 default instead of forwarding 8333
+        // straight through.
+        assert_eq!(known_service_port("bitcoin-core"), 8333);
+        assert!(is_protocol_service("bitcoin-core"));
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod torrc_tests {
     use super::app_hidden_service_port_line;
@@ -594,7 +611,7 @@ fn is_valid_v3_onion(s: &str) -> bool {
 pub(in crate::api::rpc) fn known_service_port(name: &str) -> u16 {
     match name {
         "archipelago" => 80,
-        "bitcoin" | "bitcoin-knots" => 8333,
+        "bitcoin" | "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin-knots" => 8333,
         "electrs" | "electrumx" => 50001,
         "lnd" => 8080,
         "btcpay" | "btcpay-server" | "btcpayserver" => 23000,
@@ -619,7 +636,7 @@ pub(in crate::api::rpc) fn known_service_port(name: &str) -> u16 {
 pub(in crate::api::rpc) fn is_protocol_service(name: &str) -> bool {
     matches!(
         name,
-        "bitcoin" | "bitcoin-knots" | "electrs" | "electrumx" | "lnd"
+        "bitcoin" | "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin-knots" | "electrs" | "electrumx" | "lnd"
     )
 }
 

core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/transitional.rs

@@ -150,23 +150,31 @@ async fn flip_to_transitional(
     app_id: &str,
     transitional: PackageState,
 ) -> Option<PackageState> {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    let prev = data.package_data.get(app_id).map(|e| e.state.clone());
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(app_id) {
-        entry.state = transitional;
-        state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-    }
-    prev
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            let prev = data.package_data.get(app_id).map(|e| e.state.clone());
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(app_id) {
+                entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                entry.state = transitional;
+            }
+            prev
+        })
+        .await
 }
 
 /// Set the entry's state to `new_state`. No-ops if the entry has since been
 /// removed (e.g. uninstall ran concurrently).
 async fn set_state(state_manager: &StateManager, app_id: &str, new_state: PackageState) {
-    let (mut data, _) = state_manager.get_snapshot().await;
-    if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(app_id) {
-        if entry.state != new_state {
-            entry.state = new_state;
-            state_manager.update_data(data).await;
-        }
-    }
+    state_manager
+        .mutate_data(|data| {
+            if let Some(entry) = data.package_data.get_mut(app_id) {
+                if entry.state != new_state {
+                    if new_state != PackageState::Running {
+                        entry.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                    }
+                    entry.state = new_state;
+                }
+            }
+        })
+        .await
 }

core/archipelago/src/appgate/identity.rs

@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ impl PortMap {
 /// there.
 fn apps_dirs() -> Vec<PathBuf> {
     let mut dirs = Vec::new();
+    if let Some(root) = std::env::var_os("ARCHIPELAGO_APPS_DIR") {
+        dirs.push(root.into());
+    }
     if let Ok(manifest_dir) = std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR") {
         dirs.push(PathBuf::from(manifest_dir).join("../../apps"));
     }

core/archipelago/src/appgate/listener.rs

@@ -144,6 +144,34 @@ pub fn shared_status() -> Arc<RwLock<GateStatus>> {
         .clone()
 }
 
+static REFRESH_KICK: std::sync::LazyLock<tokio::sync::Notify> =
+    std::sync::LazyLock::new(tokio::sync::Notify::new);
+static REFRESH_REV: std::sync::LazyLock<tokio::sync::watch::Sender<u64>> =
+    std::sync::LazyLock::new(|| tokio::sync::watch::channel(0).0);
+
+/// Installation must not wait for the minute sweep before becoming reachable.
+/// Wait for a completed sweep, bounded if shutdown/startup prevents one.
+pub async fn refresh_now() {
+    let mut completed = REFRESH_REV.subscribe();
+    REFRESH_KICK.notify_one();
+    let _ = tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(3), completed.changed()).await;
+}
+
+pub fn port_claimed(status: &GateStatus, port: u16) -> bool {
+    let mut external = false;
+    let mut tor = false;
+    for (claimed_port, address) in &status.claimed {
+        if *claimed_port != port {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Ok(ip) = address.parse::<IpAddr>() {
+            tor |= ip == GATE_TOR_UPSTREAM;
+            external |= !ip.is_loopback();
+        }
+    }
+    external && tor
+}
+
 /// Run the gate. Returns only on shutdown.
 pub async fn run(
     gate: Arc<AppGate>,
@@ -162,11 +190,12 @@ pub async fn run(
 
     loop {
         tokio::select! {
-            _ = interval.tick() => {
-                sweep(&gate, &status, &mut held, &shutdown_rx).await;
-            }
+            _ = interval.tick() => {}
+            _ = REFRESH_KICK.notified() => {}
             _ = shutdown_rx.changed() => return,
         }
+        sweep(&gate, &status, &mut held, &shutdown_rx).await;
+        REFRESH_REV.send_modify(|revision| *revision = revision.wrapping_add(1));
     }
 }
 
@@ -461,3 +490,19 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!status.is_fully_enforced());
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod readiness_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    #[test]
+    fn readiness_requires_external_and_tor_claims_for_the_same_port() {
+        let mut status = GateStatus::default();
+        assert!(!port_claimed(&status, 3001));
+        status.claimed.push((3001, "127.0.0.2".into()));
+        assert!(!port_claimed(&status, 3001));
+        status.claimed.push((3002, "192.0.2.10".into()));
+        assert!(!port_claimed(&status, 3001));
+        status.claimed.push((3001, "192.0.2.10".into()));
+        assert!(port_claimed(&status, 3001));
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/assistant/evals.rs

@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ async fn eval_rpc_handler() -> (Arc<RpcHandler>, tempfile::TempDir) {
 fn installed_entry(app_id: &str) -> crate::data_model::PackageDataEntry {
     use crate::data_model::{Description, Manifest, PackageDataEntry, PackageState, StaticFiles};
     PackageDataEntry {
+        ui_ready: None,
         state: PackageState::Running,
         health: None,
         exit_code: None,

core/archipelago/src/assistant/mod.rs

@@ -1069,6 +1069,7 @@ mod tests {
             Description, Manifest, PackageDataEntry, PackageState, StaticFiles,
         };
         PackageDataEntry {
+            ui_ready: None,
             state: PackageState::Running,
             health: None,
             exit_code: None,

core/archipelago/src/bitcoin_status.rs

@@ -100,7 +100,11 @@ fn friendly_transient_error(has_cached_state: bool, err_msg: &str) -> String {
         .trim()
         .trim_end_matches('.');
     let lower = detail.to_lowercase();
-    let state = if lower.contains("verifying blocks") {
+    let state = if lower.contains("loading block index") {
+        Some("loading its block index. This can take a while after installation or restart")
+    } else if lower.contains("replaying blocks") {
+        Some("checking saved blocks before startup completes")
+    } else if lower.contains("verifying blocks") {
         Some("verifying blocks after restart")
     } else if lower.contains("connection reset") {
         Some("starting up and not yet accepting RPC connections")
@@ -340,3 +344,21 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(msg.len() < 260);
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod startup_message_tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn loading_block_index_is_explained_without_rpc_error_dump() {
+        for cached in [false, true] {
+            let message = super::friendly_transient_error(
+                cached,
+                r#"getblockchaininfo: Bitcoin RPC returned 500 Internal Server Error: {"error":{"code":-28,"message":"Loading block index…"}}"#,
+            );
+            assert!(message.contains("loading its block index"));
+            for raw in ["500", "-28", "Detail:", "getblockchaininfo", "{", "RPC"] {
+                assert!(!message.contains(raw));
+            }
+            assert_eq!(message.contains("last known state"), cached);
+        }
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/constants.rs

@@ -9,3 +9,19 @@ pub const DWN_HEALTH_URL: &str = "http://127.0.0.1:3100/health";
 
 /// Tor SOCKS5 proxy for outbound onion connections.
 pub const TOR_SOCKS_PROXY: &str = "socks5h://127.0.0.1:9050";
+
+/// Smallest disk (GB, total) a cuprate node may be installed, started,
+/// restarted, updated, or boot-reconciled onto. Cuprate has no on-disk
+/// pruning (verified against upstream `cuprated/src/config.rs` — the
+/// `pruning` crate is Monero's p2p protocol pruning), so unlike the bitcoin
+/// apps it cannot self-shrink on a scarce disk; below this line the ~250 GiB
+/// Monero chain simply does not fit and running it would fill the filesystem
+/// and take Archipelago down. 450 = chain + growth/headroom: allows
+/// 500 GB-class disks, refuses the 250 GB VPS class.
+///
+/// SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH — the RPC gates
+/// (`api::rpc::package::dependencies`) and the boot reconciler
+/// (`container::prod_orchestrator`) both read this; a drift between them
+/// would silently reopen the disk-fill failure the gate exists to close.
+/// Keep `apps/cuprate/manifest.yml` (storage dependency + comments) aligned.
+pub const CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB: u64 = 450;

core/archipelago/src/container/app_catalog.rs

@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ pub fn available_update_for_app(app_id: &str, running_image: &str) -> Option<Str
     }
     if let Some(catalog_image) = catalog_primary_image(app_id) {
         // Catalog covers this app with a concrete image -> authoritative.
-        return crate::container::image_versions::available_update_for_images(
+        return crate::container::image_versions::available_catalog_update_for_images(
             &catalog_image,
             running_image,
         );

core/archipelago/src/container/companion.rs

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 //! | lnd              | archy-lnd-ui       | wallet/channel UI        |
 //! | electrumx        | archy-electrs-ui   | indexer status UI        |
 //! | fedimint         | archy-fedimint-ui  | wait/proxy Guardian UI   |
+//! | cuprate          | archy-cuprate-ui   | Monero node status UI    |
 //!
 //! Lifecycle: `install` writes a Quadlet `.container` unit to
 //! `~/.config/containers/systemd/`, daemon-reloads, then starts the
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ pub fn companions_for(package_id: &str) -> &'static [CompanionSpec] {
         "lnd" => LND_UI,
         "electrumx" | "electrs" | "mempool-electrs" => ELECTRS_UI,
         "fedimint" | "fedimintd" => FEDIMINT_UI,
+        "cuprate" => CUPRATE_UI,
         _ => &[],
     }
 }
@@ -104,7 +106,8 @@ pub fn companions_for(package_id: &str) -> &'static [CompanionSpec] {
 /// Every companion this build knows how to provision. Kept beside
 /// `companions_for` — a new companion must be added to both, or the reaper
 /// will not recognise it as one of ours and will leave it running forever.
-const ALL_COMPANIONS: &[&[CompanionSpec]] = &[BITCOIN_UI, LND_UI, ELECTRS_UI, FEDIMINT_UI];
+const ALL_COMPANIONS: &[&[CompanionSpec]] =
+    &[BITCOIN_UI, LND_UI, ELECTRS_UI, FEDIMINT_UI, CUPRATE_UI];
 
 const BITCOIN_UI: &[CompanionSpec] = &[CompanionSpec {
     name: "archy-bitcoin-ui",
@@ -172,6 +175,24 @@ const FEDIMINT_UI: &[CompanionSpec] = &[CompanionSpec {
     host_network: true,
 }];
 
+const CUPRATE_UI: &[CompanionSpec] = &[CompanionSpec {
+    name: "archy-cuprate-ui",
+    image_base: "cuprate-ui",
+    build_dir_candidates: &[
+        "/opt/archipelago/docker/cuprate-ui",
+        "/home/archipelago/archy/docker/cuprate-ui",
+        "/home/archipelago/Projects/archy/docker/cuprate-ui",
+    ],
+    // No pre-start hook and no bind mounts: unlike bitcoin-ui there is no
+    // secret to inject. Cuprate's restricted RPC (the only thing this UI
+    // proxies) is unauthenticated by design — Monero's safe-for-public
+    // subset — so the nginx.conf is baked into the image.
+    pre_start: None,
+    bind_mounts: &[],
+    ports: &[],
+    host_network: true,
+}];
+
 fn render_bitcoin_ui() -> futures_util::future::BoxFuture<'static, Result<()>> {
     Box::pin(async {
         let paths = crate::container::bitcoin_ui::RenderPaths::default();
@@ -292,7 +313,7 @@ async fn image_id(image_ref: &str) -> Option<String> {
 /// should reference (`localhost/<base>:latest` for build, registry
 /// URL for pull).
 async fn ensure_image_present(spec: &CompanionSpec) -> Result<String> {
-    let local_image = format!("localhost/{}:latest", spec.image_base);
+    let mut local_image = format!("localhost/{}:latest", spec.image_base);
     let local_image_compat = format!("localhost/{}:local", spec.image_base);
     let registry_image = format!("{}/{}:latest", COMPANION_REGISTRY, spec.image_base);
 
@@ -301,11 +322,13 @@ async fn ensure_image_present(spec: &CompanionSpec) -> Result<String> {
     for dir in spec.build_dir_candidates {
         let dockerfile = PathBuf::from(dir).join("Dockerfile");
         if fs::try_exists(&dockerfile).await.unwrap_or(false) {
-            // `:local` is a deliberate manual override — never auto-rebuild it.
+            // Older installers and self-update create :local themselves. It
+            // must receive source updates too; treating it as a permanent
+            // manual override silently kept the old LND UI after an OTA.
             if image_exists(&local_image_compat).await {
-                return Ok(local_image_compat);
+                local_image = local_image_compat.clone();
             }
-            // Reuse the auto-built `:latest` only when the build context has NOT
+            // Reuse either local tag only when the build context has NOT
             // changed since it was built. Without this staleness check an
             // already-present image is reused forever, so edits to the baked-in
             // context (Dockerfile, nginx.conf, …) never reach the node — this is
@@ -828,20 +851,43 @@ async fn needs_repair(spec: &CompanionSpec) -> Result<bool> {
     if !matches_known_shape {
         return Ok(true);
     }
-    if on_disk.contains(&local_image) && !on_disk.contains(&local_image_compat) {
+    if let Some(image) = managed_local_image(spec, &on_disk) {
         for dir in spec.build_dir_candidates {
             let dockerfile = PathBuf::from(dir).join("Dockerfile");
             if fs::try_exists(&dockerfile).await.unwrap_or(false) {
                 // Conservative on any timeout/error inside: reuse the cache.
-                return Ok(context_is_newer_than_image(dir, &local_image).await);
+                return Ok(context_is_newer_than_image(dir, &image).await);
             }
         }
     }
     Ok(false)
 }
 
+fn managed_local_image(spec: &CompanionSpec, unit: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    ["latest", "local"]
+        .iter()
+        .map(|tag| format!("localhost/{}:{tag}", spec.image_base))
+        .find(|image| build_unit(spec, image).render() == unit)
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn legacy_installer_local_tag_is_checked_for_source_updates_like_latest() {
+        for spec in ALL_COMPANIONS.iter().flat_map(|group| group.iter()) {
+            for tag in ["local", "latest"] {
+                let image = format!("localhost/{}:{tag}", spec.image_base);
+                let unit = build_unit(spec, &image).render();
+                assert_eq!(managed_local_image(spec, &unit), Some(image));
+            }
+            let registry = format!("{}/{}:latest", COMPANION_REGISTRY, spec.image_base);
+            assert_eq!(
+                managed_local_image(spec, &build_unit(spec, &registry).render()),
+                None
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     use super::*;
 
     fn names(specs: &[&'static CompanionSpec]) -> Vec<&'static str> {
@@ -869,6 +915,7 @@ mod tests {
             "mempool-electrs",
             "fedimint",
             "fedimintd",
+            "cuprate",
         ];
         let known: std::collections::HashSet<&str> = ALL_COMPANIONS
             .iter()
@@ -893,6 +940,7 @@ mod tests {
             names(&orphan_companions(&[])),
             vec![
                 "archy-bitcoin-ui",
+                "archy-cuprate-ui",
                 "archy-electrs-ui",
                 "archy-fedimint-ui",
                 "archy-lnd-ui"
@@ -906,7 +954,10 @@ mod tests {
         // electrumx installed, fedimint and lnd not — yet all four companions
         // were running because the reconciler was fed the manifest list.
         let orphans = orphan_companions(&ids(&["bitcoin-knots", "electrumx"]));
-        assert_eq!(names(&orphans), vec!["archy-fedimint-ui", "archy-lnd-ui"]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            names(&orphans),
+            vec!["archy-cuprate-ui", "archy-fedimint-ui", "archy-lnd-ui"]
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -926,12 +977,18 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn apps_without_companions_orphan_everything_and_panic_nothing() {
         let orphans = orphan_companions(&ids(&["nextcloud", "not-a-real-app"]));
-        assert_eq!(orphans.len(), 4);
+        assert_eq!(orphans.len(), 5);
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn every_backend_installed_leaves_no_orphans() {
-        let orphans = orphan_companions(&ids(&["bitcoin-knots", "lnd", "electrumx", "fedimint"]));
+        let orphans = orphan_companions(&ids(&[
+            "bitcoin-knots",
+            "lnd",
+            "electrumx",
+            "fedimint",
+            "cuprate",
+        ]));
         assert!(
             names(&orphans).is_empty(),
             "unexpected orphans: {:?}",
@@ -970,7 +1027,12 @@ mod tests {
         let due = due_after_grace(orphans, &names_seen, &mut since, start + ORPHAN_GRACE);
         assert_eq!(
             names(&due),
-            vec!["archy-electrs-ui", "archy-fedimint-ui", "archy-lnd-ui"]
+            vec![
+                "archy-cuprate-ui",
+                "archy-electrs-ui",
+                "archy-fedimint-ui",
+                "archy-lnd-ui"
+            ]
         );
     }
 
@@ -1024,6 +1086,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(companions_for("mempool-electrs").len(), 1);
         assert_eq!(companions_for("fedimint").len(), 1);
         assert_eq!(companions_for("fedimintd").len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(companions_for("cuprate").len(), 1);
         assert_eq!(companions_for("nextcloud").len(), 0);
         assert_eq!(companions_for("not-a-real-app").len(), 0);
     }

core/archipelago/src/container/docker_packages.rs

@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use archipelago_container::{
-    ContainerRuntime as ContainerRuntimeTrait, ContainerState, PodmanClient,
+    ContainerRuntime as ContainerRuntimeTrait, ContainerState, ContainerStatus, PodmanClient,
 };
+use futures_util::StreamExt;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use tracing::{debug, info};
@@ -25,8 +26,15 @@ impl DockerPackageScanner {
     }
 
     /// Scan Docker containers and convert to package data
-    pub async fn scan_containers(&self) -> Result<HashMap<String, PackageDataEntry>> {
-        let containers = self.runtime.list_containers().await?;
+    pub async fn scan_containers(
+        &self,
+        data_dir: &std::path::Path,
+        cached: &HashMap<String, PackageDataEntry>,
+    ) -> Result<HashMap<String, PackageDataEntry>> {
+        let mut containers = self.runtime.list_containers().await?;
+        let installed = crate::crash_recovery::load_installed_apps(data_dir).await;
+        let uninstalled = crate::crash_recovery::load_user_uninstalled(data_dir).await;
+        restore_absent_installed(&mut containers, &installed, &uninstalled);
 
         debug!("Found {} containers", containers.len());
 
@@ -139,6 +147,18 @@ impl DockerPackageScanner {
                 continue;
             }
 
+            if container.id.is_empty() {
+                if let Some(previous) = cached.get(&app_id) {
+                    let mut held = previous.clone();
+                    held.state = PackageState::Stopped;
+                    held.ui_ready = Some(false);
+                    held.health = None;
+                    held.exit_code = None;
+                    packages.insert(app_id.clone(), held);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+
             // Get metadata for this app
             let metadata = get_app_metadata(&app_id);
             // Manifest-owned metadata (icon) wins over the static table: the
@@ -179,14 +199,22 @@ impl DockerPackageScanner {
             let tor_address = read_tor_address(&app_id).await;
 
             // Extract actual version from container image tag
-            let running_version = image_versions::extract_version_from_image(&container.image);
+            let running_version = if container.id.is_empty() {
+                String::new() // Absence cannot establish the installed image version.
+            } else {
+                image_versions::extract_version_from_image(&container.image)
+            };
 
             // Decoupled from the binary OTA: prefer the remote app catalog,
             // falling back to the image-versions.sh pin when uncovered/offline.
-            let available_update =
-                crate::container::app_catalog::available_update_for_app(&app_id, &container.image);
+            let available_update = if container.id.is_empty() {
+                None
+            } else {
+                crate::container::app_catalog::available_update_for_app(&app_id, &container.image)
+            };
 
             let package = PackageDataEntry {
+                ui_ready: Some(false),
                 state: package_state.clone(),
                 health: container.health.clone(),
                 exit_code: if package_state == PackageState::Exited {
@@ -283,10 +311,215 @@ impl DockerPackageScanner {
             );
         }
 
+        let probes: Vec<_> = packages
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|(id, pkg)| {
+                if pkg.state != PackageState::Running {
+                    return None;
+                }
+                let url = pkg
+                    .installed
+                    .as_ref()?
+                    .interface_addresses
+                    .get("main")?
+                    .lan_address
+                    .clone()?;
+                Some((id.clone(), url))
+            })
+            .collect();
+        let mut results = futures_util::stream::iter(
+            probes
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|(id, url)| async move { (id, launch_http_ready(&url).await) }),
+        )
+        .buffer_unordered(8);
+        while let Some((id, ready)) = results.next().await {
+            if let Some(pkg) = packages.get_mut(&id) {
+                pkg.ui_ready = Some(ready);
+            }
+        }
+        // HTTP on loopback can precede the LAN/Tor listener after install.
+        let port_map = crate::appgate::identity::build_port_map();
+        let gated: Vec<_> = packages
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|(id, pkg)| {
+                if pkg.ui_ready != Some(true) {
+                    return None;
+                }
+                let url = pkg
+                    .installed
+                    .as_ref()?
+                    .interface_addresses
+                    .get("main")?
+                    .lan_address
+                    .as_deref()?;
+                let port = launch_url_port(url)?;
+                port_map
+                    .gated(port)
+                    .filter(|gate| gate.declared)
+                    .map(|_| (id.clone(), port))
+            })
+            .collect();
+        if !gated.is_empty() {
+            use crate::appgate::listener::{port_claimed, refresh_now, shared_status};
+            let status = shared_status();
+            let needs_refresh = {
+                let current = status.read().await;
+                gated.iter().any(|(_, port)| !port_claimed(&current, *port))
+            };
+            if needs_refresh {
+                refresh_now().await;
+            }
+            let current = status.read().await;
+            for (id, port) in gated {
+                if !port_claimed(&current, port) {
+                    packages.get_mut(&id).unwrap().ui_ready = Some(false);
+                }
+            }
+        }
         Ok(packages)
     }
 }
 
+/// Quadlet removes containers during ordinary stops/restarts. Rebuild installed
+/// entries even on the daemon's first scan; a runtime absence is not uninstall.
+fn restore_absent_installed(
+    containers: &mut Vec<ContainerStatus>,
+    installed: &std::collections::HashSet<String>,
+    uninstalled: &std::collections::HashSet<String>,
+) {
+    fn canonical(name: &str) -> &str {
+        let name = name.strip_prefix("archy-").unwrap_or(name);
+        match name {
+            "immich_server" => "immich",
+            _ => name,
+        }
+    }
+    let mut present: std::collections::HashSet<String> = containers
+        .iter()
+        .map(|c| canonical(&c.name).to_owned())
+        .collect();
+    let removed: std::collections::HashSet<_> =
+        uninstalled.iter().map(|id| canonical(id)).collect();
+    for name in installed {
+        let id = canonical(name);
+        if removed.contains(id) || !present.insert(id.to_owned()) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        containers.push(ContainerStatus {
+            id: String::new(),
+            name: id.to_owned(),
+            state: ContainerState::Stopped,
+            health: None,
+            exit_code: None,
+            started_at: None,
+            image: String::new(),
+            created: String::new(),
+            ports: Vec::new(),
+            lan_address: None,
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+/// Probe the actual loopback upstream, not the app gate's login page. A bound
+/// TCP socket alone can still reset requests or serve a startup 503.
+async fn launch_http_ready(candidate: &str) -> bool {
+    let Ok(mut url) = reqwest::Url::parse(candidate) else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    if !matches!(url.scheme(), "http" | "https") {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if url.set_host(Some("127.0.0.1")).is_err() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    static CLIENT: std::sync::OnceLock<reqwest::Client> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+    let client = CLIENT.get_or_init(|| {
+        reqwest::Client::builder()
+            .no_proxy()
+            .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(2))
+            .redirect(reqwest::redirect::Policy::none())
+            // Self-signed local app certificates are normal. This client only
+            // contacts loopback and never sends credentials or follows redirects.
+            .danger_accept_invalid_certs(true)
+            .build()
+            .expect("local readiness client")
+    });
+    match client.get(url).send().await {
+        Ok(response) => matches!(response.status().as_u16(), 200..=399 | 401 | 403),
+        Err(_) => false,
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod lifecycle_regression_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn registry_survives_empty_runtime_and_deduplicates_aliases() {
+        let installed = ["archy-gitea", "gitea", "immich_server", "archy-removed"]
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(str::to_owned)
+            .collect();
+        let removed = ["removed".to_owned()].into_iter().collect();
+        let mut containers = Vec::new();
+        restore_absent_installed(&mut containers, &installed, &removed);
+        assert_eq!(containers.len(), 2);
+        assert!(containers
+            .iter()
+            .all(|c| c.state == ContainerState::Stopped));
+        containers[0].state = ContainerState::Running;
+        restore_absent_installed(&mut containers, &installed, &removed);
+        assert_eq!(containers.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(containers[0].state, ContainerState::Running);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn readiness_rejects_startup_errors_and_accepts_auth_and_redirects() {
+        for (status, expected) in [
+            (200, true),
+            (302, true),
+            (401, true),
+            (403, true),
+            (404, false),
+            (500, false),
+            (502, false),
+            (503, false),
+        ] {
+            let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
+            let port = listener.local_addr().unwrap().port();
+            let task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+                let (mut stream, _) = listener.accept().await.unwrap();
+                let mut buf = [0; 2048];
+                let n = stream.read(&mut buf).await.unwrap();
+                assert!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&buf[..n]).starts_with("GET /start HTTP/1.1"));
+                stream.write_all(format!("HTTP/1.1 {status} Test\r\nContent-Length: 0\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n").as_bytes()).await.unwrap();
+            });
+            assert_eq!(
+                launch_http_ready(&format!("http://localhost:{port}/start")).await,
+                expected,
+                "status {status}"
+            );
+            task.await.unwrap();
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn readiness_rejects_tcp_accept_without_http() {
+        let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
+        let port = listener.local_addr().unwrap().port();
+        let task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let (stream, _) = listener.accept().await.unwrap();
+            drop(stream);
+        });
+        assert!(!launch_http_ready(&format!("http://localhost:{port}/")).await);
+        task.await.unwrap();
+        assert!(!launch_http_ready(&format!("http://localhost:{port}/")).await);
+        assert!(!launch_http_ready("file:///tmp/test").await);
+    }
+}
+
 struct AppMetadata {
     title: String,
     description: String,
@@ -657,9 +890,19 @@ fn apply_dynamic_metadata(app_id: &str, meta: &mut AppMetadata) {
 /// Map app_id to Tor hidden service directory name.
 /// "archipelago" is the main web UI (nginx port 80).
 /// Supports container names from deploy (archy-*, btcpay-server, etc.).
+///
+/// This must match what enrollment actually names the hidden service dir
+/// with — both the install-time auto-enroll (`install.rs`) and the manual
+/// `tor.create-service` RPC write `HiddenServiceDir` using the raw
+/// `package_id`/`name` verbatim, with no canonicalization. So `bitcoin-core`
+/// gets its own identity arm rather than folding into the "bitcoin" alias:
+/// aliasing it here without also canonicalizing the write side would point
+/// this lookup at `hidden_service_bitcoin`, which never gets created — the
+/// on-disk dir is always `hidden_service_bitcoin-core` for this app id.
 fn tor_service_name(app_id: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
     match app_id {
         "archipelago" => Some("archipelago"),
+        "bitcoin-core" => Some("bitcoin-core"),
         "bitcoin" | "bitcoin-knots" | "bitcoind" => Some("bitcoin"),
         "electrumx" | "electrs" | "electrum" => Some("electrumx"),
         "lnd" | "lnd-ui" => Some("lnd"),
@@ -906,6 +1149,28 @@ mod launch_url_port_tests {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tor_service_name_tests {
+    use super::tor_service_name;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bitcoin_core_resolves_to_its_own_hidden_service_dir() {
+        // Regression: enrollment (install.rs, tor.create-service) writes
+        // HiddenServiceDir/tor-hostnames entries using the raw package_id
+        // verbatim, never canonicalized. Aliasing "bitcoin-core" to the
+        // shared "bitcoin" name here would point reads at a directory
+        // enrollment never creates.
+        assert_eq!(tor_service_name("bitcoin-core"), Some("bitcoin-core"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn legacy_bitcoin_ids_share_the_bitcoin_alias() {
+        assert_eq!(tor_service_name("bitcoin"), Some("bitcoin"));
+        assert_eq!(tor_service_name("bitcoin-knots"), Some("bitcoin"));
+        assert_eq!(tor_service_name("bitcoind"), Some("bitcoin"));
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod extract_lan_address_tests {
     use super::extract_lan_address;

core/archipelago/src/container/image_versions.rs

@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ fn parse_image_versions(content: &str) -> HashMap<String, String> {
 
         // Match VAR="value" or VAR=value
         if let Some((key, val)) = parse_assignment(line) {
+            // Read a self-default assignment without evaluating shell code.
+            let default_prefix = format!("${{{key}:-");
+            let val = val
+                .strip_prefix(&default_prefix)
+                .and_then(|v| v.strip_suffix('}'))
+                .unwrap_or(val);
             let expanded = val.replace("$ARCHY_REGISTRY", &registry);
             if key == "ARCHY_REGISTRY" {
                 registry = expanded.clone();
@@ -146,6 +152,7 @@ fn image_var_for_app(app_id: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
         "bitcoin-ui" | "archy-bitcoin-ui" => Some("BITCOIN_UI_IMAGE"),
         "lnd-ui" | "archy-lnd-ui" => Some("LND_UI_IMAGE"),
         "electrs-ui" | "archy-electrs-ui" => Some("ELECTRS_UI_IMAGE"),
+        "cuprate-ui" | "archy-cuprate-ui" => Some("CUPRATE_UI_IMAGE"),
 
         // Mempool stack (primary = web)
         "mempool" | "mempool-web" | "archy-mempool-web" => Some("MEMPOOL_WEB_IMAGE"),
@@ -204,48 +211,71 @@ pub fn available_update_for_app(app_id: &str, running_image: &str) -> Option<Str
 }
 
 pub fn available_update_for_images(pinned: &str, running_image: &str) -> Option<String> {
-    let pinned_version = extract_version_from_image(&pinned);
+    if image_without_registry_or_tag(pinned) != image_without_registry_or_tag(running_image) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    available_catalog_update_for_images(pinned, running_image)
+}
+
+/// A signed catalog binds the image to an app id, so a publisher namespace
+/// migration must not hide a real upgrade. Baseline pins still require the
+/// same repository via `available_update_for_images` above.
+pub fn available_catalog_update_for_images(pinned: &str, running_image: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    let pinned_version = extract_version_from_image(pinned);
     if is_floating_tag(&pinned_version) {
         return None;
     }
-
-    let running_version = extract_version_from_image(running_image);
-    if pinned_version == running_version {
-        return None;
-    }
-
-    let pinned_repo = image_without_registry_or_tag(&pinned);
-    let running_repo = image_without_registry_or_tag(running_image);
-    if pinned_repo != running_repo {
-        return None;
-    }
-
-    // Never advertise a LOWER version as an update.
-    //
-    // Everything upstream of here is a version claim that can go stale: the
-    // signed catalog, a legacy catalog entry with no manifest, the
-    // image-versions.sh baseline pin. When one lags behind what a node is
-    // actually running, a bare `pinned != running` check turns that staleness
-    // into an "Update" button that rolls the node BACKWARDS — and a rollback
-    // to a version withdrawn for a vulnerability is precisely the case where
-    // that must not happen. Observed with BTCPay: 2.4.2 installed, a stale
-    // 2.3.9 pin, and the UI offering "update" to the exploited release.
-    //
-    // Only suppress when both tags parse as comparable version numbers, so
-    // apps with opaque tags (RELEASE.2024-11-07T00-52-20Z, 14-vectorchord0.4.3)
-    // keep the previous behaviour rather than silently losing updates.
-    if let (Some(p), Some(r)) = (
-        parse_version_parts(&pinned_version),
-        parse_version_parts(&running_version),
+    if matches!(
+        compare_image_versions(pinned, running_image),
+        Some(std::cmp::Ordering::Less | std::cmp::Ordering::Equal)
     ) {
-        if p < r {
-            return None;
-        }
+        return None;
     }
-
     Some(pinned_version)
 }
 
+/// Compare explicit image tags, ignoring registry and namespace. `None` means
+/// unknown ordering (including floating tags), never permission to downgrade.
+/// Archipelago's `-archyN` is a downstream patch revision ABOVE the upstream
+/// release, not a SemVer prerelease below it.
+pub fn compare_image_versions(target: &str, running: &str) -> Option<std::cmp::Ordering> {
+    use std::cmp::Ordering;
+    let target = extract_version_from_image(target);
+    let running = extract_version_from_image(running);
+    if is_floating_tag(&target) || is_floating_tag(&running) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let target = target.strip_prefix('v').unwrap_or(&target);
+    let running = running.strip_prefix('v').unwrap_or(&running);
+    if target == running {
+        return Some(Ordering::Equal);
+    }
+    let mut target_core = parse_version_parts(target)?;
+    let mut running_core = parse_version_parts(running)?;
+    while target_core.last() == Some(&0) {
+        target_core.pop();
+    }
+    while running_core.last() == Some(&0) {
+        running_core.pop();
+    }
+    match target_core.cmp(&running_core) {
+        Ordering::Equal => {
+            fn patch_revision(tag: &str) -> Option<u64> {
+                if let Some((base, revision)) = tag.rsplit_once("-archy") {
+                    if base.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_digit() || c == '.') {
+                        return revision.parse().ok();
+                    }
+                }
+                tag.chars()
+                    .all(|c| c.is_ascii_digit() || c == '.')
+                    .then_some(0)
+            }
+            Some(patch_revision(target)?.cmp(&patch_revision(running)?))
+        }
+        order => Some(order),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Numeric components of a version tag, for ordering comparisons only.
 ///
 /// Accepts a leading `v` and a trailing pre-release suffix (`v0.18.4-beta`),
@@ -422,6 +452,57 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn downstream_patch_is_newer_than_upstream_and_orders_revisions() {
+        let upstream = "registry.test/team/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1";
+        let patch1 = "registry.test/team/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1";
+        let patch2 = "registry.test/team/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy2";
+        assert_eq!(available_update_for_images(upstream, patch1), None);
+        assert_eq!(available_update_for_images(patch1, patch2), None);
+        assert_eq!(
+            available_update_for_images(patch1, upstream),
+            Some("v3.3.1-archy1".into())
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            available_update_for_images(patch2, patch1),
+            Some("v3.3.1-archy2".into())
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn catalog_namespace_migration_does_not_hide_patch_or_offer_reinstall() {
+        let old = "registry.test/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1";
+        let patched = "registry.test/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1";
+        assert_eq!(
+            available_catalog_update_for_images(patched, old),
+            Some("v3.3.1-archy1".into())
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            available_catalog_update_for_images(
+                patched,
+                "registry.test/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1"
+            ),
+            None
+        );
+        assert_eq!(available_update_for_images(patched, old), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn equivalent_version_spelling_does_not_offer_update() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            available_update_for_images("r.test/team/app:v3.3.1", "r.test/team/app:3.3.1"),
+            None
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            available_update_for_images("r.test/team/app:3.3.0", "r.test/team/app:3.3"),
+            None
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            compare_image_versions("r.test/team/app:latest", "r.test/team/app:latest"),
+            None
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_parse_image_versions() {
         let content = r#"
@@ -444,6 +525,22 @@ NOT_AN_IMAGE="something"
         assert!(!parsed.contains_key("ARCHY_REGISTRY"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn shipped_image_pins_expand_shell_defaults_to_concrete_refs() {
+        let images = parse_image_versions(include_str!("../../../../scripts/image-versions.sh"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            images["MEMPOOL_WEB_IMAGE"],
+            "source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            images["MEMPOOL_BACKEND_IMAGE"],
+            "source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-backend:v3.3.1"
+        );
+        assert!(images
+            .values()
+            .all(|v| !v.contains('$') && !v.contains('}')));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_image_var_mapping() {
         assert_eq!(image_var_for_app("lnd"), Some("LND_IMAGE"));

core/archipelago/src/container/lnd.rs

@@ -89,136 +89,84 @@ bitcoind.estimatemode=ECONOMICAL\n"
     Ok(EnsureOutcome::Written)
 }
 
+/// Bitcoin can accept TCP while returning RPC_IN_WARMUP for many minutes.
+/// Unlocking LND then triggers its short chain-backend timeout and a restart loop.
+/// Leave the wallet intact and locked; the next reconciliation retries readiness.
+async fn bitcoin_rpc_ready() -> bool {
+    let (user, password) = crate::bitcoin_rpc::bitcoin_rpc_credentials().await;
+    let client = match reqwest::Client::builder()
+        .no_proxy()
+        .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
+        .build()
+    {
+        Ok(client) => client,
+        Err(_) => return false,
+    };
+    let response = client.post(crate::constants::BITCOIN_RPC_URL)
+        .basic_auth(user, Some(password))
+        .json(&serde_json::json!({"jsonrpc":"1.0","id":"lnd-readiness","method":"getblockchaininfo","params":[]}))
+        .send().await;
+    match response {
+        Ok(response) if response.status().is_success() => response
+            .json::<serde_json::Value>()
+            .await
+            .is_ok_and(|value| bitcoin_readiness_response(&value)),
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
+fn bitcoin_readiness_response(value: &serde_json::Value) -> bool {
+    value.get("error").is_none_or(|e| e.is_null())
+        && value
+            .pointer("/result/blocks")
+            .and_then(|v| v.as_u64())
+            .is_some()
+        && value
+            .pointer("/result/initialblockdownload")
+            .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
+            .is_some()
+}
+
 pub async fn ensure_wallet_initialized() -> Result<()> {
     let admin_macaroon = "/var/lib/archipelago/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon";
     let wallet_db = "/var/lib/archipelago/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/wallet.db";
     if file_exists_as_root(wallet_db).await {
+        // GetInfo can wait for Bitcoin sync even though the wallet is already
+        // unlocked. State RPC stays available during that normal startup phase.
+        let client = reqwest::Client::builder()
+            .no_proxy()
+            .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
+            .danger_accept_invalid_certs(true)
+            .build()?;
+        if wallet_is_unlocked(wallet_state(&client).await.as_deref()) {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
         if file_exists_as_root(admin_macaroon).await && lnd_getinfo_ready(admin_macaroon).await {
             return Ok(());
         }
-        match unlock_existing_wallet().await? {
-            true => {
-                wait_for_admin_macaroon(admin_macaroon).await?;
-                return Ok(());
-            }
-            false => {
-                // Every candidate password was actively rejected: this wallet was
-                // created with a password this node no longer has, so it can never
-                // auto-unlock unattended. Alpha nodes hold no real funds and a wallet
-                // locked with an unknown password is already inaccessible, so wipe +
-                // recreate it on the per-node secret to self-heal at boot.
-                recreate_wallet_destructively().await?;
-                wait_for_admin_macaroon(admin_macaroon).await?;
-                return Ok(());
-            }
+        if !bitcoin_rpc_ready().await {
+            tracing::debug!("[lnd] waiting for Bitcoin RPC readiness before wallet unlock");
+            return Ok(());
         }
+        unlock_existing_wallet_no_wipe().await?;
+        wait_for_admin_macaroon(admin_macaroon).await?;
+        return Ok(());
     }
 
+    if !bitcoin_rpc_ready().await {
+        tracing::debug!("[lnd] waiting for Bitcoin RPC readiness before wallet initialization");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
     init_wallet_via_rest().await?;
     wait_for_admin_macaroon(admin_macaroon).await
 }
 
-/// LND data subdirectories holding wallet + channel + graph state. Removing them
-/// returns LND to a NON_EXISTING wallet state. Funds-bearing data lives here too,
-/// so deletion is destructive — only done once the wallet is already unrecoverable.
-const LND_STATE_DIRS: &[&str] = &[
-    "/var/lib/archipelago/lnd/data/chain",
-    "/var/lib/archipelago/lnd/data/graph",
-];
-
-/// Podman container name for the core LND app (see `compute_container_name`:
-/// non-UI core apps keep their bare id). LND runs as a plain bridge-network
-/// container, not a Quadlet unit, so it is restarted via `podman`, not systemctl.
-const LND_CONTAINER: &str = "lnd";
-
 /// Canonical on-host admin macaroon — same path the RPC layer reads.
 const LND_ADMIN_MACAROON: &str =
     "/var/lib/archipelago/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon";
 
-/// Archipelago data dir (default; not overridden in prod). Holds the
-/// `user-stopped.json` that gates health-monitor auto-restart.
 const ARCHY_DATA_DIR: &str = "/var/lib/archipelago";
 
-/// Destroy an unrecoverable LND wallet and recreate a fresh one keyed to the
-/// per-node secret. Suppresses health-monitor auto-restart for the wipe window,
-/// stops LND, deletes its wallet/chain/graph state as root, restarts it, waits
-/// for NON_EXISTING, then inits a fresh wallet. Destructive — only called when no
-/// candidate password can open the existing wallet.
-async fn recreate_wallet_destructively() -> Result<()> {
-    tracing::warn!(
-        "[lnd] wallet is locked with an unknown password and cannot auto-unlock; \
-         wiping and recreating it on the per-node secret (DESTRUCTIVE)"
-    );
-
-    // The health monitor restarts any container it sees stopped; mark LND
-    // user-stopped so it doesn't re-launch (and re-open the wallet) mid-wipe.
-    // Always cleared below so LND auto-recovers normally afterwards.
-    let data_dir = std::path::Path::new(ARCHY_DATA_DIR);
-    crate::crash_recovery::mark_user_stopped(data_dir, LND_CONTAINER).await;
-    let result = wipe_and_reinit_wallet().await;
-    crate::crash_recovery::clear_user_stopped(data_dir, LND_CONTAINER).await;
-    result
-}
-
-async fn wipe_and_reinit_wallet() -> Result<()> {
-    podman_user_scoped(&["stop", LND_CONTAINER])
-        .await
-        .context("stopping lnd before wallet wipe")?;
-
-    for dir in LND_STATE_DIRS {
-        let status = host_sudo(&["rm", "-rf", dir])
-            .await
-            .with_context(|| format!("removing {dir}"))?;
-        if !status.success() {
-            anyhow::bail!("removing {dir} exited with {status}");
-        }
-    }
-
-    podman_user_scoped(&["start", LND_CONTAINER])
-        .await
-        .context("restarting lnd after wallet wipe")?;
-
-    wait_for_wallet_state("NON_EXISTING").await?;
-    init_wallet_via_rest().await
-}
-
-/// Run `podman <args>` inside a transient `systemd-run --user --scope`, matching
-/// how the orchestrator/health-monitor manage rootless containers (keeps the
-/// container out of the archipelago service's cgroup).
-async fn podman_user_scoped(args: &[&str]) -> Result<()> {
-    let out = tokio::process::Command::new("systemd-run")
-        .args(["--user", "--scope", "--quiet", "--collect", "podman"])
-        .args(args)
-        .output()
-        .await
-        .with_context(|| format!("systemd-run --user --scope podman {}", args.join(" ")))?;
-    if !out.status.success() {
-        anyhow::bail!(
-            "podman {} failed: {}",
-            args.join(" "),
-            String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).trim()
-        );
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
-
-/// Poll `/v1/state` until LND reports `target`, or time out after ~120s.
-async fn wait_for_wallet_state(target: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let client = reqwest::Client::builder()
-        .no_proxy()
-        .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
-        .danger_accept_invalid_certs(true)
-        .build()
-        .context("building LND REST client")?;
-    for _ in 0..120 {
-        if wallet_state(&client).await.as_deref() == Some(target) {
-            return Ok(());
-        }
-        tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
-    }
-    anyhow::bail!("LND did not reach state {target} after wallet wipe")
-}
-
 async fn file_exists_as_root(path: &str) -> bool {
     if std::path::Path::new(path).exists() {
         return true;
@@ -366,6 +314,9 @@ async fn unlock_existing_wallet_via_rest() -> Result<bool> {
     // exactly the nodes least able to afford it. Waiting longer costs nothing —
     // a wrong password still exits on the first pass via `all_rejected`.
     for _ in 0..UNLOCK_NOT_READY_ATTEMPTS {
+        if wallet_is_unlocked(wallet_state(&client).await.as_deref()) {
+            return Ok(true);
+        }
         let mut all_rejected = true;
         for pw in &candidates {
             match try_unlock_once(&client, pw).await {
@@ -390,14 +341,8 @@ async fn unlock_existing_wallet_via_rest() -> Result<bool> {
     )
 }
 
-/// Unlock an existing wallet WITHOUT the destructive fallback.
-///
-/// `ensure_wallet_initialized` wipes and recreates a wallet no candidate
-/// password can open — correct for a boot path that must self-heal, and exactly
-/// wrong for macaroon rotation, which restarts LND against a wallet the operator
-/// still wants. Rotation calls this instead, so there is no code path from
-/// "rotate my credentials" to "delete my wallet": a rejected password surfaces
-/// as an error the caller reports, never as a wipe.
+/// Unlock the existing wallet, preserving its identity and channel data when
+/// passwords are unavailable or rejected. Used by boot and credential rotation.
 pub(crate) async fn unlock_existing_wallet_no_wipe() -> Result<()> {
     match unlock_existing_wallet().await? {
         true => Ok(()),
@@ -408,6 +353,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn unlock_existing_wallet_no_wipe() -> Result<()> {
     }
 }
 
+fn wallet_is_unlocked(state: Option<&str>) -> bool {
+    matches!(state, Some("UNLOCKED" | "RPC_ACTIVE" | "SERVER_ACTIVE"))
+}
+
 /// Current LND wallet state via the unauthenticated `/v1/state` endpoint
 /// (NON_EXISTING / LOCKED / UNLOCKED / RPC_ACTIVE / …). None if unreachable.
 async fn wallet_state(client: &reqwest::Client) -> Option<String> {
@@ -538,7 +487,7 @@ async fn init_wallet_via_rest() -> Result<()> {
     {
         UnlockerResponse::Value(seed) => seed,
         UnlockerResponse::WalletAlreadyExists => {
-            unlock_existing_wallet().await?;
+            unlock_existing_wallet_no_wipe().await?;
             return Ok(());
         }
     };
@@ -569,7 +518,7 @@ async fn init_wallet_via_rest() -> Result<()> {
             .await;
         }
         UnlockerResponse::WalletAlreadyExists => {
-            unlock_existing_wallet().await?;
+            unlock_existing_wallet_no_wipe().await?;
         }
     }
 
@@ -1203,3 +1152,44 @@ mod tests {
         .is_empty());
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod bitcoin_readiness_tests {
+    use super::bitcoin_readiness_response;
+    use serde_json::json;
+    #[test]
+    fn only_usable_bitcoin_rpc_allows_wallet_unlock() {
+        for response in [
+            json!({}),
+            json!({"error":{"code":-28,"message":"Loading block index"},"result":null}),
+            json!({"result":{"blocks":null}}),
+        ] {
+            assert!(!bitcoin_readiness_response(&response));
+        }
+        // Initial sync is supported by LND. Loading the database is not.
+        for ibd in [true, false] {
+            assert!(bitcoin_readiness_response(
+                &json!({"result":{"blocks":100,"initialblockdownload":ibd},"error":null})
+            ));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod syncing_wallet_state_tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn an_unlocked_wallet_waiting_for_chain_sync_is_never_unlocked_again() {
+        for state in ["UNLOCKED", "RPC_ACTIVE", "SERVER_ACTIVE"] {
+            assert!(super::wallet_is_unlocked(Some(state)));
+        }
+        for state in [
+            None,
+            Some("LOCKED"),
+            Some("NON_EXISTING"),
+            Some("WAITING_TO_START"),
+            Some("unknown"),
+        ] {
+            assert!(!super::wallet_is_unlocked(state));
+        }
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/container/prod_orchestrator.rs

@@ -47,8 +47,17 @@ use crate::update::host_sudo;
 ///
 /// Keep in sync with the running fixture on .116. Centralized as a constant
 /// so the rule is visible in one place and unit-testable.
-const UI_APP_IDS: &[&str] = &["bitcoin-ui", "electrs-ui", "lnd-ui"];
+const UI_APP_IDS: &[&str] = &["bitcoin-ui", "electrs-ui", "lnd-ui", "cuprate-ui"];
 const ARCHIVAL_BITCOIN_DISK_GB: u64 = 1000;
+// The cuprate disk floor is `crate::constants::CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB` — one
+// value shared with the install/start/restart/update RPC gates so boot
+// reconcile can never resume below the line they refuse at.
+
+use crate::constants::CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB;
+
+fn requires_cuprate_disk(app_id: &str, disk_gb: u64) -> bool {
+    app_id == "cuprate" && disk_gb < CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB
+}
 
 /// Apps expected to exist from first boot on every node — the ONLY apps the
 /// boot reconciler may install from nothing. Every other app needs
@@ -789,6 +798,10 @@ fn host_port_bindings_drifted(
 }
 
 async fn ensure_user_podman_socket() -> Result<()> {
+    // Unit tests inject a runtime; they must not restart the host Podman API.
+    if cfg!(test) {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
     let socket_path = "/run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock";
     if podman_socket_accepts_connections(socket_path).await {
         return Ok(());
@@ -1161,15 +1174,21 @@ impl ReconcileReport {
 fn cascade_pairs_for_report<'r>(
     report: &'r ReconcileReport,
     user_stopped: &std::collections::HashSet<String>,
+    changed_backends: &HashSet<String>,
 ) -> Vec<(&'r str, &'static str)> {
     let mut pairs = Vec::new();
     for (backend, action) in &report.actions {
         if !matches!(
             action,
-            ReconcileAction::Installed | ReconcileAction::Started
+            ReconcileAction::NoOp | ReconcileAction::Started | ReconcileAction::Installed
         ) {
             continue;
         }
+        // A successful systemctl start can be a no-op after a transient
+        // Podman inspect failure. Require a witnessed lifecycle change.
+        if !changed_backends.contains(backend) {
+            continue;
+        }
         for dep in crate::app_ops::address_caching_dependents(backend) {
             let dep_untouched = report
                 .actions
@@ -1183,6 +1202,25 @@ fn cascade_pairs_for_report<'r>(
     pairs
 }
 
+/// Only positive runtime evidence permits disrupting an address-caching wallet.
+/// A known absent/stopped backend becoming running, a new container ID, or a
+/// changed start timestamp qualifies. A failed observation never does.
+fn backend_instance_changed(before: Option<&ContainerStatus>, after: &ContainerStatus) -> bool {
+    if after.state != ContainerState::Running || after.id.is_empty() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    let Some(before) = before else {
+        return true;
+    };
+    if before.id.is_empty() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if before.id != after.id || before.state != ContainerState::Running {
+        return true;
+    }
+    matches!((&before.started_at, &after.started_at), (Some(a), Some(b)) if !a.is_empty() && !b.is_empty() && a != b)
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
 pub struct AdoptionReport {
     pub adopted: Vec<String>,
@@ -1855,7 +1893,7 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
         // Durable installation record, consulted alongside the perishable
         // `was_running` snapshot for desired-state recovery below.
         let installed_apps = crate::crash_recovery::load_installed_apps(&self.data_dir).await;
-        let (manifests, container_name_by_app_id): (
+        let (mut manifests, container_name_by_app_id): (
             Vec<LoadedManifest>,
             std::collections::HashMap<String, String>,
         ) = {
@@ -1886,15 +1924,50 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
                 .collect();
             (filtered, names)
         };
+        // Wallet readiness must not wait behind unrelated image pulls/builds.
+        // A running LND container can still be locked after boot; its post-start
+        // hook must run promptly. Reconcile Bitcoin first, then LND, before the
+        // rest of the catalog. Each app still honors stopped/uninstalled markers.
+        manifests.sort_by_key(|lm| match lm.manifest.app.id.as_str() {
+            "bitcoin-knots" | "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin" => 0,
+            "lnd" => 1,
+            _ => 2,
+        });
         // Live container names (any state), for the same recovery check.
-        let present_containers: std::collections::HashSet<String> = self
-            .runtime
-            .list_containers()
-            .await
-            .map(|cs| cs.into_iter().map(|c| c.name).collect())
+        let listed_containers = self.runtime.list_containers().await.ok();
+        let present_containers: HashSet<String> = listed_containers
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|cs| cs.iter().map(|c| c.name.clone()).collect())
             .unwrap_or_default();
+        // Keep unknown distinct from confirmed absence. Runtime queries can
+        // fail under load while systemd still has a healthy running backend.
+        let mut backend_before: HashMap<String, Option<ContainerStatus>> = HashMap::new();
+        for lm in &manifests {
+            let id = &lm.manifest.app.id;
+            if crate::app_ops::address_caching_dependents(id).is_empty() {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let name = compute_container_name(&lm.manifest);
+            match self.runtime.get_container_status(&name).await {
+                Ok(status) => {
+                    backend_before.insert(id.clone(), Some(status));
+                }
+                Err(_) if listed_containers.is_some() && !present_containers.contains(&name) => {
+                    backend_before.insert(id.clone(), None);
+                }
+                Err(err) => {
+                    tracing::warn!(backend = %id, error = %err,
+                        "cannot observe backend before reconcile; will not infer a dependency restart from an action report");
+                }
+            }
+        }
         let mut report = ReconcileReport::default();
         let disk_gb = self.disk_gb().await;
+        let bitcoin_pruned = disk_gb < ARCHIVAL_BITCOIN_DISK_GB
+            || crate::settings::bitcoin_storage::load(&self.data_dir)
+                .await
+                .map(|settings| settings.prune)
+                .unwrap_or(true);
         // Register every candidate before the (sequential, possibly slow)
         // pass so the scanner overlays queued-but-down apps as Restarting
         // instead of Stopped. Each app is deregistered as its turn finishes,
@@ -1934,7 +2007,7 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
             }
             if mode == ReconcileMode::ExistingOnly
                 && requires_archival_bitcoin(&app_id)
-                && disk_gb < ARCHIVAL_BITCOIN_DISK_GB
+                && bitcoin_pruned
             {
                 report.record(
                     &app_id,
@@ -1944,6 +2017,23 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
                 crate::crash_recovery::pending_boot_start_done(&container_name);
                 continue;
             }
+            // Same shape as the archival-bitcoin skip above: recorded BEFORE
+            // ensure_running_with_mode, so the "absent" desired-state recovery
+            // below can never fire on this reason and undo it.
+            if mode == ReconcileMode::ExistingOnly && requires_cuprate_disk(&app_id, disk_gb) {
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    app_id = %app_id,
+                    disk_gb,
+                    "cuprate needs a larger disk (no pruning support) — skipping start"
+                );
+                report.record(
+                    &app_id,
+                    ReconcileAction::Left("cuprate-insufficient-disk".into()),
+                );
+                crate::crash_recovery::pending_boot_start_done(&app_id);
+                crate::crash_recovery::pending_boot_start_done(&container_name);
+                continue;
+            }
             match self.ensure_running_with_mode(&lm, mode).await {
                 // Desired-state recovery: the app has no container and was left
                 // "absent" by boot reconcile, BUT it was running at the last
@@ -2052,7 +2142,20 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
         // state recovery, repair recreate, boot InstallMissing) moves the
         // address behind a running dependent's back — §C "restart lnd after
         // ANY bitcoin recreate".
-        for (backend, dep) in cascade_pairs_for_report(&report, &user_stopped) {
+        let mut changed_backends = HashSet::new();
+        for (backend, before) in &backend_before {
+            let Some(name) = container_name_by_app_id.get(backend) else {
+                continue;
+            };
+            if let Ok(after) = self.runtime.get_container_status(name).await {
+                if backend_instance_changed(before.as_ref(), &after) {
+                    changed_backends.insert(backend.clone());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // A user stop during a slow reconcile pass still takes precedence.
+        let user_stopped = crate::crash_recovery::load_user_stopped(&self.data_dir).await;
+        for (backend, dep) in cascade_pairs_for_report(&report, &user_stopped, &changed_backends) {
             // Same rule as the RPC cascade: hold the dependent's op lock
             // across the restart; skip when a worker is mid-sequence.
             let lock = crate::app_ops::op_lock(dep);
@@ -3191,6 +3294,9 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
     }
 
     async fn ensure_container_network(&self, manifest: &AppManifest) -> Result<()> {
+        if cfg!(test) {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
         let Some(network) = manifest.app.container.network.as_deref() else {
             return Ok(());
         };
@@ -3377,11 +3483,9 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
     }
 
     async fn cleanup_stale_grafana_port(&self) {
-        let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("pkill")
-            .args(["-f", "pasta.*3001"])
-            .output()
-            .await;
-        tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
+        // Port 3001 can belong to Gitea or the daemon's gate. Reap only a
+        // Grafana container proven absent from Podman's inventory.
+        crate::container::ghost_reaper::reap_for_app("grafana").await;
     }
 
     async fn detect_host_facts(&self) -> HostFacts {
@@ -3685,6 +3789,17 @@ impl ProdContainerOrchestrator {
         }
         let mut env = manifest.app.environment.clone();
         env.extend(manifest.app.container.resolve_derived_env(&facts));
+        if matches!(manifest.app.id.as_str(), "bitcoin-core" | "bitcoin-knots") {
+            let storage = crate::settings::bitcoin_storage::load(&self.data_dir).await?;
+            env.retain(|entry| !entry.starts_with("BITCOIN_PRUNE="));
+            if storage.prune {
+                anyhow::ensure!(
+                    manifest.app.container.custom_args.iter().any(|arg| arg.contains("BITCOIN_PRUNE")),
+                    "This Bitcoin app definition cannot honor the pruning choice. Refresh the app catalog and try again."
+                );
+                env.push("BITCOIN_PRUNE=1".to_string());
+            }
+        }
 
         // FM_BITCOIND_URL now comes from the manifest's {{BITCOIN_HOST}}
         // derived_env (works on Knots/Core/any distro). The old hardcoded
@@ -4641,6 +4756,27 @@ impl ContainerOrchestrator for ProdContainerOrchestrator {
         let lock = self.app_lock(app_id).await;
         let _guard = lock.lock().await;
         let name = compute_container_name(&lm.manifest);
+        let mut resolved = lm.manifest.clone();
+        resolve_catalog_image(&mut resolved);
+        if resolved.app.container.build.is_none() {
+            if let Some(target) = &resolved.app.container.image {
+                if let Ok(running) = self.runtime.get_container_status(&name).await {
+                    match crate::container::image_versions::compare_image_versions(
+                        target,
+                        &running.image,
+                    ) {
+                        Some(std::cmp::Ordering::Less) => anyhow::bail!(
+                            "Refusing to downgrade {} from {} to {} during update",
+                            app_id,
+                            running.image,
+                            target
+                        ),
+                        Some(std::cmp::Ordering::Equal) => return Ok(()),
+                        _ => {}
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
         let _ = self.runtime.stop_container(&name).await;
         let _ = self.runtime.remove_container(&name).await;
         self.install_fresh(&lm).await
@@ -5050,6 +5186,7 @@ mod tests {
         calls: StdMutex<Vec<String>>,
         /// container_name -> ContainerState. Absence = "doesn't exist".
         containers: StdMutex<HashMap<String, ContainerState>>,
+        running_images: StdMutex<HashMap<String, String>>,
         /// container_name -> Podman health status.
         health: StdMutex<HashMap<String, String>>,
         /// image_ref -> present. Absence = "not present in local storage".
@@ -5174,7 +5311,13 @@ mod tests {
                 health,
                 exit_code: None,
                 started_at: None,
-                image: "test-image".to_string(),
+                image: self
+                    .running_images
+                    .lock()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .get(name)
+                    .cloned()
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| "test-image".to_string()),
                 created: "now".to_string(),
                 ports: vec![],
                 lan_address: None,
@@ -5365,6 +5508,27 @@ app:
         assert_eq!(compute_container_name(&m), "archy-electrs-ui");
         let m = pull_manifest("lnd-ui", "foo:1");
         assert_eq!(compute_container_name(&m), "archy-lnd-ui");
+        let m = pull_manifest("cuprate-ui", "foo:1");
+        assert_eq!(compute_container_name(&m), "archy-cuprate-ui");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cuprate_disk_gate_blocks_only_cuprate_on_small_disks() {
+        // 250 GB VPS class: the ~250 GiB Monero chain cannot fit and cuprate
+        // has no pruning — boot reconcile must leave it down.
+        assert!(requires_cuprate_disk("cuprate", 250));
+        assert!(requires_cuprate_disk("cuprate", CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB - 1));
+        assert!(!requires_cuprate_disk("cuprate", CUPRATE_MIN_DISK_GB));
+        assert!(!requires_cuprate_disk("cuprate", 1000));
+        // df failure in detect_disk_gb reads as 0 → fail closed at boot: a
+        // doomed sync is worse than a node that stays down until it can
+        // measure (same direction as the archival-bitcoin skip).
+        assert!(requires_cuprate_disk("cuprate", 0));
+        // Nothing else is gated here: bitcoin apps self-prune, everything
+        // else is irrelevant to the Monero chain.
+        for app_id in ["bitcoin-knots", "bitcoin-core", "electrumx", "mempool"] {
+            assert!(!requires_cuprate_disk(app_id, 0), "{app_id}");
+        }
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -5989,6 +6153,48 @@ app:
         );
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn bitcoin_storage_choice_is_applied_and_old_catalog_cannot_silently_ignore_it() {
+        let rt = Arc::new(MockRuntime::default());
+        let mut orch = orch_with(rt).await;
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        orch.set_data_dir(dir.path().to_path_buf());
+        for id in ["bitcoin-core", "bitcoin-knots"] {
+            let mut old = pull_manifest(id, "docker.io/bitcoin/bitcoin:28");
+            // No preference: existing containers need no new environment flag.
+            crate::settings::bitcoin_storage::save(dir.path(), false)
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+            orch.resolve_dynamic_env(&mut old).await.unwrap();
+            assert!(!old
+                .app
+                .environment
+                .iter()
+                .any(|s| s.starts_with("BITCOIN_PRUNE=")));
+            crate::settings::bitcoin_storage::save(dir.path(), true)
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+            assert!(orch
+                .resolve_dynamic_env(&mut old)
+                .await
+                .unwrap_err()
+                .to_string()
+                .contains("cannot honor"));
+            let mut current = pull_manifest(id, "docker.io/bitcoin/bitcoin:28");
+            current
+                .app
+                .container
+                .custom_args
+                .push("if [ ${BITCOIN_PRUNE:-0} = 1 ]; then :; fi".into());
+            orch.resolve_dynamic_env(&mut current).await.unwrap();
+            assert!(current
+                .app
+                .environment
+                .iter()
+                .any(|s| s == "BITCOIN_PRUNE=1"));
+        }
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn install_resolves_derived_and_secret_env_before_create() {
         let rt = Arc::new(MockRuntime::default());
@@ -6260,6 +6466,67 @@ app:
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn backend_cascade_requires_observed_instance_change() {
+        let running = ContainerStatus {
+            id: "container-1".into(),
+            name: "bitcoin-core".into(),
+            state: ContainerState::Running,
+            started_at: Some("start-1".into()),
+            health: None,
+            exit_code: None,
+            image: "bitcoin:1".into(),
+            created: "created-1".into(),
+            ports: vec![],
+            lan_address: None,
+        };
+        assert!(!backend_instance_changed(Some(&running), &running));
+        assert!(backend_instance_changed(None, &running));
+        let mut before = running.clone();
+        before.state = ContainerState::Exited;
+        assert!(backend_instance_changed(Some(&before), &running));
+        before = running.clone();
+        before.id = "old-container".into();
+        assert!(backend_instance_changed(Some(&before), &running));
+        before = running.clone();
+        before.started_at = Some("earlier-start".into());
+        assert!(backend_instance_changed(Some(&before), &running));
+        before.started_at = None;
+        assert!(!backend_instance_changed(Some(&before), &running));
+        before.id.clear();
+        assert!(!backend_instance_changed(Some(&before), &running));
+        let mut after = running.clone();
+        after.state = ContainerState::Exited;
+        assert!(!backend_instance_changed(None, &after));
+        after = running.clone();
+        after.id.clear();
+        assert!(!backend_instance_changed(None, &after));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cascade_ignores_false_started_report_but_detects_real_exec_drift() {
+        let none = HashSet::new();
+        let mut report = ReconcileReport {
+            actions: vec![
+                ("bitcoin-core".into(), ReconcileAction::Started),
+                ("lnd".into(), ReconcileAction::NoOp),
+            ],
+            failures: vec![],
+        };
+        // systemctl start of an already active unit does not move its address.
+        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&report, &none, &none).is_empty());
+        // A unit exec rewrite can restart Bitcoin while the outer reconcile
+        // action remains NoOp. Runtime evidence still requires LND to reconnect.
+        let changed = ["bitcoin-core".into()].into();
+        report.actions[0].1 = ReconcileAction::NoOp;
+        assert_eq!(
+            cascade_pairs_for_report(&report, &none, &changed),
+            vec![("bitcoin-core", "lnd")]
+        );
+        report.actions[0].1 = ReconcileAction::Left("lifecycle-op-in-flight".into());
+        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&report, &none, &changed).is_empty());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn cascade_pairs_cover_backend_recreate_with_running_dependent() {
         use std::collections::HashSet;
@@ -6271,6 +6538,7 @@ app:
             failures: vec![],
         };
         let none = HashSet::new();
+        let changed: HashSet<String> = ["bitcoin-core".into(), "bitcoin-knots".into()].into();
 
         // Backend recreated while lnd sat running (NoOp) → cascade.
         let r = report(vec![
@@ -6278,7 +6546,7 @@ app:
             ("lnd", ReconcileAction::NoOp),
         ]);
         assert_eq!(
-            cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none),
+            cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none, &changed),
             vec![("bitcoin-knots", "lnd")]
         );
 
@@ -6288,7 +6556,7 @@ app:
             ("lnd", ReconcileAction::NoOp),
         ]);
         assert_eq!(
-            cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none),
+            cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none, &changed),
             vec![("bitcoin-core", "lnd")]
         );
 
@@ -6297,7 +6565,7 @@ app:
             ("bitcoin-knots", ReconcileAction::NoOp),
             ("lnd", ReconcileAction::NoOp),
         ]);
-        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none).is_empty());
+        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none, &none).is_empty());
 
         // Dependent itself (re)started this pass → it already resolved the
         // fresh address; no cascade.
@@ -6305,7 +6573,7 @@ app:
             ("bitcoin-knots", ReconcileAction::Installed),
             ("lnd", ReconcileAction::Started),
         ]);
-        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none).is_empty());
+        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none, &changed).is_empty());
 
         // User-stopped dependent is never bounced.
         let r = report(vec![
@@ -6313,14 +6581,50 @@ app:
             ("lnd", ReconcileAction::NoOp),
         ]);
         let stopped: HashSet<String> = ["lnd".to_string()].into();
-        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &stopped).is_empty());
+        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &stopped, &changed).is_empty());
 
         // Non-backend recreates don't cascade anything.
         let r = report(vec![
             ("grafana", ReconcileAction::Installed),
             ("lnd", ReconcileAction::NoOp),
         ]);
-        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none).is_empty());
+        assert!(cascade_pairs_for_report(&r, &none, &changed).is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn reconcile_wallet_start_precedes_unrelated_failed_image_pull() {
+        let rt = Arc::new(MockRuntime::default());
+        rt.set_state("bitcoin-knots", ContainerState::Exited);
+        rt.set_state("lnd", ContainerState::Exited);
+        *rt.fail_pull.lock().unwrap() = Some("registry unreachable".into());
+        let mut orch = orch_with(rt.clone()).await;
+        orch.set_disk_gb_for_test(2000);
+        for id in ["unrelated", "lnd", "bitcoin-knots"] {
+            orch.insert_manifest_for_test(
+                pull_manifest(id, &format!("docker.io/example/{id}:1")),
+                PathBuf::from(format!("/tmp/{id}")),
+            )
+            .await;
+        }
+        let report = orch.reconcile_all().await;
+        assert!(report.failures.iter().any(|(id, _)| id == "unrelated"));
+        let calls = rt.calls();
+        let bitcoin = calls
+            .iter()
+            .position(|c| c == "start_container:bitcoin-knots")
+            .unwrap();
+        let lnd = calls
+            .iter()
+            .position(|c| c == "start_container:lnd")
+            .unwrap();
+        let pull = calls
+            .iter()
+            .position(|c| c.starts_with("pull_image:"))
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            bitcoin < lnd && lnd < pull,
+            "wallet startup was delayed by unrelated recovery: {calls:?}"
+        );
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
@@ -6724,6 +7028,41 @@ app:
         assert_eq!(ids, vec!["bitcoin-knots", "bitcoin-ui"]);
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn upgrade_preserves_container_when_catalog_is_stale_or_already_installed() {
+        for (target, should_error) in [("v3.3.1", true), ("v3.3.1-archy1", false)] {
+            let rt = Arc::new(MockRuntime::default());
+            rt.set_state("update-regression", ContainerState::Running);
+            rt.running_images.lock().unwrap().insert(
+                "update-regression".into(),
+                "registry.test/old/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1".into(),
+            );
+            let orch = orch_with(rt.clone()).await;
+            orch.insert_manifest_for_test(
+                pull_manifest(
+                    "update-regression",
+                    &format!("registry.test/new/mempool-frontend:{target}"),
+                ),
+                PathBuf::from("/tmp/update-regression"),
+            )
+            .await;
+            assert_eq!(
+                orch.upgrade("update-regression").await.is_err(),
+                should_error
+            );
+            assert!(
+                !rt.calls()
+                    .iter()
+                    .any(|call| call.starts_with("stop_container:")
+                        || call.starts_with("remove_container:")
+                        || call.starts_with("pull_image:")
+                        || call.starts_with("create_container:")),
+                "{:?}",
+                rt.calls()
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn upgrade_removes_and_reinstalls() {
         let rt = Arc::new(MockRuntime::default());

core/archipelago/src/container/quadlet.rs

@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ pub struct QuadletUnit {
     pub no_new_privileges: bool,
     pub cpu_quota: Option<u32>,
     pub restart_policy: RestartPolicy,
+    pub stop_grace_secs: Option<u64>,
 }
 
 impl QuadletUnit {
@@ -216,6 +217,10 @@ impl QuadletUnit {
         let _ = writeln!(s, "[Container]");
         let _ = writeln!(s, "ContainerName={}", self.name);
         let _ = writeln!(s, "Image={}", self.image);
+        let grace = self
+            .stop_grace_secs
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| archipelago_container::runtime::stop_grace_secs_for(&self.name));
+        let _ = writeln!(s, "StopTimeout={grace}");
         // Pull=never: companions are pre-pulled or built. A missing image
         // must surface as a unit start failure, not a silent retry storm.
         let _ = writeln!(s, "Pull=never");
@@ -350,6 +355,15 @@ impl QuadletUnit {
         // the unit stuck in deactivating. Health/status remains app-level state,
         // not a systemd start gate.
         let _ = writeln!(s, "TimeoutStartSec=0");
+        let _ = writeln!(s, "TimeoutStopSec={}", grace.saturating_add(15));
+        // Stop explicitly before Quadlet's generated `podman rm -f`. The
+        // existing container may still carry Podman's old 10-second default;
+        // StopTimeout alone only protects containers created after migration.
+        let _ = writeln!(s, "ExecStop=");
+        let _ = writeln!(
+            s,
+            "ExecStop=/usr/bin/podman stop --ignore --time={grace} --cidfile=%t/%N.cid"
+        );
         // Restart policy + 10s backoff. RestartSec keeps a crash-loop
         // from saturating the journal. Companions: Always. Backends:
         // OnFailure (clean stops stay stopped).
@@ -525,6 +539,9 @@ impl QuadletUnit {
             // Always, not OnFailure: with quadlet's `--rm`, OnFailure left a
             // cleanly-exited app deleted and unrestarted. See RestartPolicy.
             restart_policy: RestartPolicy::Always,
+            stop_grace_secs: Some(super::prod_orchestrator::resolve_stop_grace_secs(
+                manifest, name,
+            )),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -676,6 +693,13 @@ pub async fn unit_exists(name: &str) -> bool {
 
 /// Resolve the per-user quadlet dir under $HOME. Created if missing.
 pub async fn unit_dir() -> Result<PathBuf> {
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    {
+        static TEST_UNITS: std::sync::OnceLock<PathBuf> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+        return Ok(TEST_UNITS
+            .get_or_init(|| tempfile::tempdir().unwrap().keep())
+            .clone());
+    }
     let home = std::env::var_os("HOME")
         .map(PathBuf::from)
         .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("HOME not set; cannot locate quadlet unit dir"))?;
@@ -785,7 +809,11 @@ pub async fn stop_service(service: &str) -> Result<()> {
 /// corruption — so the orchestrator passes the per-app grace here. Never waits
 /// less than `QUADLET_STOP_TIMEOUT`.
 pub async fn stop_service_with_timeout(service: &str, timeout: Duration) -> Result<()> {
-    let timeout = timeout.max(QUADLET_STOP_TIMEOUT);
+    let name = service.strip_suffix(".service").unwrap_or(service);
+    let body = fs::read_to_string(unit_dir().await?.join(format!("{name}.container")))
+        .await
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    let timeout = timeout.max(stop_wait_timeout(name, &body));
     match systemctl_user_status(&["stop", service], timeout).await {
         Ok(status) if status.success() => Ok(()),
         Ok(status) => Err(anyhow!("systemctl --user stop {service} exited {status}")),
@@ -806,10 +834,29 @@ pub async fn stop_service_with_timeout(service: &str, timeout: Duration) -> Resu
     }
 }
 
+/// The command waiter must outlive both the container grace and systemd's
+/// stop deadline. Restart/repair callers must not kill Bitcoin at 45 seconds.
+fn stop_wait_timeout(name: &str, unit_body: &str) -> Duration {
+    Duration::from_secs(stop_grace_from_unit(name, unit_body).saturating_add(30))
+        .max(QUADLET_STOP_TIMEOUT)
+}
+
+fn stop_grace_from_unit(name: &str, unit_body: &str) -> u64 {
+    directive_values(unit_body, "StopTimeout=")
+        .last()
+        .and_then(|value| value.parse::<u64>().ok())
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| archipelago_container::runtime::stop_grace_secs_for(name))
+}
+
 async fn systemctl_user_status(
     args: &[&str],
     timeout: Duration,
 ) -> Result<std::process::ExitStatus> {
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    {
+        use std::os::unix::process::ExitStatusExt;
+        return Ok(std::process::ExitStatus::from_raw(0));
+    }
     let mut cmd = Command::new("systemctl");
     cmd.arg("--user").args(args);
     cmd.kill_on_drop(true);
@@ -856,6 +903,10 @@ async fn wait_not_deactivating(service: &str, timeout: Duration) -> bool {
 }
 
 async fn systemctl_user_output(args: &[&str], timeout: Duration) -> Result<std::process::Output> {
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    {
+        anyhow::bail!("Unit tests have no real user service manager");
+    }
     let mut cmd = Command::new("systemctl");
     cmd.arg("--user").args(args);
     cmd.kill_on_drop(true);
@@ -923,6 +974,10 @@ fn directive_values(unit_body: &str, prefix: &str) -> Vec<String> {
 /// that systemd no longer knows about.
 pub async fn disable_remove(unit_name: &str, dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
     let svc = format!("{unit_name}.service");
+    let path = dir.join(format!("{unit_name}.container"));
+    let body = fs::read_to_string(&path).await.unwrap_or_default();
+    let timeout = stop_wait_timeout(unit_name, &body);
+    let grace = stop_grace_from_unit(unit_name, &body).to_string();
     // Stop first; ignore failure (unit may already be down). BOUNDED — on
     // rootless podman a generated unit can wedge in "deactivating" while
     // `podman rm -f` hangs underneath it, and an unbounded `systemctl stop`
@@ -930,13 +985,12 @@ pub async fn disable_remove(unit_name: &str, dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
     // the package entry is stranded in `Removing` (a ghost in My Apps that also
     // blocks reinstall). If the graceful stop times out, escalate to
     // SIGKILL + reset-failed so teardown always proceeds.
-    if systemctl_user_status(&["stop", &svc], QUADLET_STOP_TIMEOUT)
+    if systemctl_user_status(&["stop", &svc], timeout)
         .await
         .is_err()
     {
         let _ = kill_and_reset_service(&svc).await;
     }
-    let path = dir.join(format!("{unit_name}.container"));
     if fs::try_exists(&path).await.unwrap_or(false) {
         match fs::remove_file(&path).await {
             Ok(()) => {}
@@ -949,9 +1003,9 @@ pub async fn disable_remove(unit_name: &str, dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
     // Bounded so a hung podman store can't re-introduce the stall this function
     // exists to avoid.
     let _ = tokio::time::timeout(
-        QUADLET_STOP_TIMEOUT,
+        timeout,
         Command::new("podman")
-            .args(["rm", "-f", unit_name])
+            .args(["rm", "-f", "--ignore", "--time", &grace, unit_name])
             .status(),
     )
     .await;
@@ -960,6 +1014,9 @@ pub async fn disable_remove(unit_name: &str, dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
 
 /// Is the quadlet-generated service currently active?
 pub async fn is_active(service: &str) -> bool {
+    if cfg!(test) {
+        return false;
+    }
     Command::new("systemctl")
         .args(["--user", "is-active", "--quiet", service])
         .status()
@@ -973,6 +1030,118 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use tempfile::tempdir;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn shutdown_grace_covers_container_systemd_and_caller() {
+        for (name, grace) in [
+            ("bitcoin-core", 600),
+            ("bitcoin-knots", 600),
+            ("lnd", 330),
+            ("electrumx", 300),
+            ("other", 30),
+        ] {
+            let unit = QuadletUnit {
+                name: name.into(),
+                ..Default::default()
+            };
+            let body = unit.render();
+            assert!(body.contains(&format!("StopTimeout={grace}\n")));
+            assert!(body.contains(&format!("TimeoutStopSec={}\n", grace + 15)));
+            assert!(body.contains(&format!("podman stop --ignore --time={grace} --cidfile=")));
+            assert_eq!(
+                stop_wait_timeout(name, &body),
+                Duration::from_secs(grace + 30)
+            );
+            // Legacy units have no StopTimeout directive yet.
+            assert_eq!(stop_wait_timeout(name, ""), Duration::from_secs(grace + 30));
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn custom_stop_grace_survives_render_and_restart_budget() {
+        let manifest: AppManifest = serde_yaml::from_str(
+            r#"
+app:
+  id: custom-db
+  name: Custom database
+  version: 1.0.0
+  stop_grace_secs: 900
+  container:
+    image: example/db:1
+"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let unit = QuadletUnit::from_manifest(&manifest, "custom-db");
+        assert_eq!(unit.stop_grace_secs, Some(900));
+        assert_eq!(
+            stop_wait_timeout("custom-db", &unit.render()),
+            Duration::from_secs(930)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            stop_wait_timeout("lnd", "StopTimeout=invalid"),
+            Duration::from_secs(360)
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stop_grace_migration_does_not_request_an_execution_restart() {
+        let unit = sample_unit();
+        let new = unit.render();
+        let old = new
+            .lines()
+            .filter(|line| {
+                !line.starts_with("StopTimeout=")
+                    && !line.starts_with("TimeoutStopSec=")
+                    && !line.starts_with("ExecStop=")
+            })
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .join("\n");
+        assert!(!exec_changed(&old, &new));
+        assert!(!publish_ports_changed(&old, &new));
+        assert!(!network_aliases_changed(&old, &new));
+        assert!(!health_cmd_changed(&old, &new));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn actual_quadlet_generator_stops_before_forced_removal() {
+        let generator = Path::new("/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/podman-system-generator");
+        if !generator.exists() {
+            eprintln!(
+                "Quadlet generator unavailable; run this regression on the Linux release host"
+            );
+            return;
+        }
+        let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let unit = QuadletUnit {
+            name: "grace-test".into(),
+            image: "localhost/test:latest".into(),
+            stop_grace_secs: Some(600),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        std::fs::write(dir.path().join("grace-test.container"), unit.render()).unwrap();
+        let output = std::process::Command::new(generator)
+            .args(["--user", "--dryrun"])
+            .env("QUADLET_UNIT_DIRS", dir.path())
+            .output()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            output.status.success(),
+            "{}",
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+        );
+        let generated = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout).to_string()
+            + &String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+        let stop = generated
+            .find("ExecStop=/usr/bin/podman stop --ignore --time=600")
+            .unwrap();
+        let remove = generated.find("ExecStop=/usr/bin/podman rm ").unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            stop < remove,
+            "Legacy container must stop gracefully before removal"
+        );
+        assert!(generated.contains("--stop-timeout 600"));
+        assert!(generated.contains("TimeoutStopSec=615"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn render_emits_secret_env_by_reference_never_value() {
         let u = QuadletUnit {

core/archipelago/src/content_server.rs

@@ -296,6 +296,24 @@ pub async fn serve_content(
         }
     }
 
+    let file_path = content_file_path(data_dir, item);
+    if !file_path.exists() {
+        // The catalog entry survived (it's a separate JSON file) but its
+        // backing file is gone — most likely lost in an unrelated data-dir
+        // reset (a shared filebrowser file, 2026-07-01: two catalog entries
+        // outlived a filebrowser reinstall that wiped the files themselves).
+        // Leaving the entry in place would keep advertising it as available
+        // to every peer forever, each hitting the exact same dead end this
+        // one just did. Prune it so it stops being offered.
+        warn!(
+            content_id = %id,
+            filename = %item.filename,
+            "content catalog entry's file is missing on disk — pruning the stale entry"
+        );
+        prune_missing_content_entry(data_dir, id).await;
+        return Ok(ServeResult::NotFound);
+    }
+
     // Check access control
     if !owner_session {
         match &item.access {
@@ -307,8 +325,12 @@ pub async fn serve_content(
                 // Each path only counts when the sharer accepts that method.
                 let mut authorized = false;
                 if let Some(token) = payment_token {
-                    if (method_accepted(&item.access, "ecash")
-                        || method_accepted(&item.access, "fedimint"))
+                    let method = if token.trim().starts_with("cashu") {
+                        "ecash"
+                    } else {
+                        "fedimint"
+                    };
+                    if method_accepted(&item.access, method)
                         && verify_payment_token(data_dir, token, *price_sats).await
                     {
                         authorized = true;
@@ -336,24 +358,6 @@ pub async fn serve_content(
         }
     }
 
-    let file_path = content_file_path(data_dir, item);
-    if !file_path.exists() {
-        // The catalog entry survived (it's a separate JSON file) but its
-        // backing file is gone — most likely lost in an unrelated data-dir
-        // reset (a shared filebrowser file, 2026-07-01: two catalog entries
-        // outlived a filebrowser reinstall that wiped the files themselves).
-        // Leaving the entry in place would keep advertising it as available
-        // to every peer forever, each hitting the exact same dead end this
-        // one just did. Prune it so it stops being offered.
-        warn!(
-            content_id = %id,
-            filename = %item.filename,
-            "content catalog entry's file is missing on disk — pruning the stale entry"
-        );
-        prune_missing_content_entry(data_dir, id).await;
-        return Ok(ServeResult::NotFound);
-    }
-
     let metadata = fs::metadata(&file_path)
         .await
         .context("Failed to read file metadata")?;
@@ -573,7 +577,7 @@ pub async fn serve_content_preview(data_dir: &Path, id: &str) -> Result<PreviewR
 }
 
 /// Verify a payment token covers the required amount.
-/// Accepts both cashuA tokens (real Cashu) and legacy cashuSend_ format.
+/// Accepts real Cashu tokens and Fedimint notes.
 /// Swaps proofs at the mint to verify they're unspent before accepting.
 async fn verify_payment_token(data_dir: &Path, token: &str, required_sats: u64) -> bool {
     match crate::wallet::ecash::verify_and_receive_payment(data_dir, token, required_sats).await {

core/archipelago/src/crash_recovery.rs

@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ pub async fn clear_user_stopped(data_dir: &Path, name: &str) {
 // Installation is a decision, not a runtime observation, so it gets a record
 // of its own that no amount of downtime erodes.
 const INSTALLED_APPS_FILE: &str = "installed-apps.json";
+static INSTALLED_APPS_LOCK: tokio::sync::Mutex<()> = tokio::sync::Mutex::const_new(());
 
 /// Load the durable set of installed app ids / container names.
 pub async fn load_installed_apps(data_dir: &Path) -> std::collections::HashSet<String> {
@@ -220,12 +221,23 @@ pub async fn load_installed_apps_if_recorded(
 async fn save_installed_apps(data_dir: &Path, installed: &std::collections::HashSet<String>) {
     let path = data_dir.join(INSTALLED_APPS_FILE);
     if let Ok(json) = serde_json::to_string_pretty(installed) {
-        let _ = fs::write(&path, json).await;
+        let tmp = path.with_extension("json.tmp");
+        let result = async {
+            fs::write(&tmp, json).await?;
+            fs::File::open(&tmp).await?.sync_all().await?;
+            fs::rename(&tmp, &path).await?;
+            fs::File::open(data_dir).await?.sync_all().await
+        }
+        .await;
+        if let Err(error) = result {
+            warn!(%error, "could not persist installed apps");
+        }
     }
 }
 
 /// Record that an app is installed. Called when an install succeeds.
 pub async fn mark_installed(data_dir: &Path, name: &str) {
+    let _guard = INSTALLED_APPS_LOCK.lock().await;
     let mut installed = load_installed_apps(data_dir).await;
     if installed.insert(name.to_string()) {
         save_installed_apps(data_dir, &installed).await;
@@ -235,6 +247,7 @@ pub async fn mark_installed(data_dir: &Path, name: &str) {
 /// Forget an app. Called on uninstall, beside `mark_user_uninstalled` — the
 /// two must move together or a reinstall-after-uninstall leaves a stale claim.
 pub async fn clear_installed(data_dir: &Path, name: &str) {
+    let _guard = INSTALLED_APPS_LOCK.lock().await;
     let mut installed = load_installed_apps(data_dir).await;
     if installed.remove(name) {
         save_installed_apps(data_dir, &installed).await;
@@ -252,6 +265,7 @@ pub async fn clear_installed(data_dir: &Path, name: &str) {
 /// need it. Runs on every boot, so an app installed before the upgrade is
 /// still picked up whenever it is next seen alive.
 pub async fn backfill_installed_apps(data_dir: &Path, present_container_names: &[String]) {
+    let _guard = INSTALLED_APPS_LOCK.lock().await;
     if present_container_names.is_empty() {
         return;
     }
@@ -1497,3 +1511,26 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod installed_concurrency_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn concurrent_install_records_are_not_lost() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let mut tasks = Vec::new();
+        for i in 0..24 {
+            let path = dir.path().to_owned();
+            tasks.push(tokio::spawn(async move {
+                mark_installed(&path, &format!("app-{i}")).await;
+            }));
+        }
+        for task in tasks {
+            task.await.unwrap();
+        }
+        assert_eq!(load_installed_apps(dir.path()).await.len(), 24);
+        clear_installed(dir.path(), "app-3").await;
+        assert_eq!(load_installed_apps(dir.path()).await.len(), 23);
+        assert!(!dir.path().join("installed-apps.json.tmp").exists());
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/data_model.rs

@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ pub enum PackageState {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq)]
 pub struct PackageDataEntry {
+    /// Whether the app's HTTP upstream answered this scan (independent of
+    /// container health and blockchain sync). Missing on older nodes.
+    #[serde(rename = "ui-ready", default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub ui_ready: Option<bool>,
     pub state: PackageState,
     /// Container health: "healthy", "unhealthy", "starting", or null
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
@@ -297,6 +301,8 @@ pub enum InstallPhase {
     /// `podman pull` in progress (the longest phase — up to several
     /// minutes for large images on slow networks).
     PullingImage,
+    /// Orchestrator owns download/build and startup as one operation.
+    PreparingApp,
     /// Creating data directories, writing app-specific configs
     /// (bitcoin.conf, lnd.conf, searxng settings.yml, chown).
     CreatingContainer,

core/archipelago/src/fips/app_ports.rs

@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@
 pub const APP_LAUNCH_PORTS: &[u16] = &[
     2283, 2342, 3000, 3001, 3002, 4080, 5180, 7778, 8080, 8081, 8082, 8083, 8084, 8085, 8087, 8090,
     8096, 8123, 8175, 8176, 8187, 8240, 8334, 8336, 8337, 8888, 8999, 9000, 9100, 10380, 11434,
-    18081, 18083, 23000, 32838, 50002,
+    18081, 18083, 18091, 23000, 32838, 50002,
 ];

core/archipelago/src/health_monitor.rs

@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ fn container_tier(name: &str) -> StartupTier {
         | "indeedhub-api" => StartupTier::DependentService,
 
         // Tier 4: Frontend/UI
-        "mempool-web" | "bitcoin-ui" | "lnd-ui" | "electrs-ui" | "penpot-frontend"
-        | "penpot-exporter" | "indeedhub" => StartupTier::Frontend,
+        "mempool-web" | "bitcoin-ui" | "lnd-ui" | "electrs-ui" | "cuprate-ui"
+        | "penpot-frontend" | "penpot-exporter" | "indeedhub" => StartupTier::Frontend,
 
         // Tier 3: Application layer (everything else)
         _ => StartupTier::Application,

core/archipelago/src/server.rs

@@ -1765,12 +1765,17 @@ fn merge_preserving_transitional(
     };
 
     crate::data_model::PackageDataEntry {
-        state,
+        state: state.clone(),
         // install_progress and uninstall_stage are also owned by the
         // initiating op (same reason as state) — keep them.
         install_progress: existing.install_progress.clone(),
         uninstall_stage: existing.uninstall_stage.clone(),
         // Everything else comes from the fresh scan.
+        ui_ready: if state == crate::data_model::PackageState::Running {
+            fresh.ui_ready
+        } else {
+            Some(false)
+        },
         health: fresh.health.clone(),
         exit_code: fresh.exit_code,
         static_files: fresh.static_files.clone(),
@@ -1809,7 +1814,10 @@ async fn scan_and_update_packages(
     absence_tracker: &mut HashMap<String, u32>,
     transitional_since: &mut HashMap<String, Instant>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-    let mut packages = scanner.scan_containers().await?;
+    let (before_scan, _) = state.get_snapshot().await;
+    let mut packages = scanner
+        .scan_containers(data_dir, &before_scan.package_data)
+        .await?;
     let user_stopped = crate::crash_recovery::load_user_stopped(data_dir).await;
     for (id, pkg) in packages.iter_mut() {
         if pkg.state == crate::data_model::PackageState::Exited && user_stopped.contains(id) {
@@ -1870,11 +1878,14 @@ async fn scan_and_update_packages(
     // once at load ~2). Better to keep saying "scanning…" than to say "empty".
     if packages.is_empty() && (!first_scan || !installed_registry.is_empty()) {
         if tor_changed || update_changed {
-            let mut data = current_data;
-            data.server_info.tor_address = tor_addr.clone();
-            data.server_info.node_address = tor_addr.as_ref().map(|t| identity.node_address(t));
-            data.server_info.status_info.updated = update_available;
-            state.update_data(data).await;
+            state
+                .mutate_data(|data| {
+                    data.server_info.tor_address = tor_addr.clone();
+                    data.server_info.node_address =
+                        tor_addr.as_ref().map(|t| identity.node_address(t));
+                    data.server_info.status_info.updated = update_available;
+                })
+                .await;
         }
         return Ok(());
     }
@@ -1899,6 +1910,13 @@ async fn scan_and_update_packages(
     // died without cleanup and let the scan override it.
     let now = Instant::now();
     for (id, pkg) in &packages {
+        if user_uninstalled.contains(id)
+            || user_uninstalled.contains(&format!("archy-{id}"))
+            || (before_scan.package_data.contains_key(id)
+                && !current_data.package_data.contains_key(id))
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
         absence_tracker.remove(id);
         let existing = merged.get(id);
         let overwrite = match existing {
@@ -2054,22 +2072,40 @@ async fn scan_and_update_packages(
     }
 
     if changed || tor_changed || first_scan || update_changed {
-        let mut data = current_data;
-        data.package_data = merged;
-        data.server_info.tor_address = tor_addr.clone();
-        data.server_info.node_address = tor_addr.as_ref().map(|t| identity.node_address(t));
-        data.server_info.status_info.containers_scanned = true;
-        data.server_info.status_info.updated = update_available;
-        state.update_data(data).await;
-        debug!(
-            "📦 State changed (packages={}, tor={}, first_scan={}, update={}), broadcasting update",
-            changed, tor_changed, first_scan, update_changed
-        );
+        state
+            .mutate_data(|data| {
+                // A lifecycle operation may have started/finished while this scan
+                // awaited probes or disk I/O. Never overwrite that newer entry or
+                // resurrect one that an uninstall removed in the meantime.
+                apply_scanned_packages(&mut data.package_data, &current_data.package_data, &merged);
+                data.server_info.tor_address = tor_addr.clone();
+                data.server_info.node_address = tor_addr.as_ref().map(|t| identity.node_address(t));
+                data.server_info.status_info.containers_scanned = true;
+                data.server_info.status_info.updated = update_available;
+            })
+            .await;
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn apply_scanned_packages(
+    latest: &mut HashMap<String, crate::data_model::PackageDataEntry>,
+    base: &HashMap<String, crate::data_model::PackageDataEntry>,
+    scanned: &HashMap<String, crate::data_model::PackageDataEntry>,
+) {
+    for (id, fresh) in scanned {
+        if latest.get(id) == base.get(id) {
+            latest.insert(id.clone(), fresh.clone());
+        }
+    }
+    for id in base.keys() {
+        if !scanned.contains_key(id) && latest.get(id) == base.get(id) {
+            latest.remove(id);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 async fn normalize_reachable_package_health(
     packages: &mut HashMap<String, crate::data_model::PackageDataEntry>,
 ) {
@@ -2268,6 +2304,7 @@ mod merge_tests {
 
     fn make_entry(state: PackageState, health: Option<&str>) -> PackageDataEntry {
         PackageDataEntry {
+            ui_ready: None,
             state,
             health: health.map(|s| s.to_string()),
             exit_code: None,
@@ -2280,6 +2317,37 @@ mod merge_tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn stale_scan_cannot_remove_new_installs_or_overwrite_lifecycle_changes() {
+        let running = make_entry(PackageState::Running, Some("healthy"));
+        let restarting = make_entry(PackageState::Restarting, None);
+        let base = [
+            ("restart".into(), running.clone()),
+            ("uninstalled".into(), running.clone()),
+        ]
+        .into_iter()
+        .collect();
+        let mut latest = [
+            ("restart".into(), restarting.clone()),
+            ("new".into(), running.clone()),
+        ]
+        .into_iter()
+        .collect();
+        let scanned = [
+            ("restart".into(), running.clone()),
+            ("uninstalled".into(), running.clone()),
+        ]
+        .into_iter()
+        .collect();
+        apply_scanned_packages(&mut latest, &base, &scanned);
+        assert_eq!(latest.get("restart"), Some(&restarting));
+        assert_eq!(latest.get("new"), Some(&running));
+        assert!(!latest.contains_key("uninstalled"));
+        apply_scanned_packages(&mut latest, &base, &HashMap::new());
+        assert_eq!(latest.get("restart"), Some(&restarting));
+        assert!(latest.contains_key("new"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn peer_path_filter_allows_content_catalog_and_items() {
         // Regression: the content *catalog* is exactly "/content" (no trailing

core/archipelago/src/settings/bitcoin_storage.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+//! Install-time pruning preference, shared by Bitcoin Core and Knots.
+//! Missing preference preserves the existing disk-based automatic selection.
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use std::path::Path;
+
+#[derive(Default, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct BitcoinStorage {
+    pub prune: bool,
+}
+
+pub async fn load(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<BitcoinStorage> {
+    match tokio::fs::read(data_dir.join("settings/bitcoin-storage.json")).await {
+        Ok(bytes) => serde_json::from_slice(&bytes).context("Invalid Bitcoin storage settings"),
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Ok(BitcoinStorage::default()),
+        Err(e) => Err(e.into()),
+    }
+}
+
+pub async fn save(data_dir: &Path, prune: bool) -> Result<()> {
+    let dir = data_dir.join("settings");
+    tokio::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).await?;
+    let path = dir.join("bitcoin-storage.json");
+    let temporary = dir.join("bitcoin-storage.json.tmp");
+    tokio::fs::write(&temporary, serde_json::to_vec(&BitcoinStorage { prune })?).await?;
+    tokio::fs::rename(temporary, path).await?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn missing_setting_keeps_auto_and_explicit_pruning_survives_reload() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        assert!(!load(dir.path()).await.unwrap().prune);
+        save(dir.path(), true).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(load(dir.path()).await.unwrap().prune);
+        save(dir.path(), false).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(!load(dir.path()).await.unwrap().prune);
+    }
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn corrupt_setting_is_not_silently_changed_to_archival() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        save(dir.path(), true).await.unwrap();
+        tokio::fs::write(dir.path().join("settings/bitcoin-storage.json"), "broken")
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(load(dir.path()).await.is_err());
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/settings/mod.rs

@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@
 pub mod ai_permissions;
 pub mod session_policy;
 pub mod transport;
+
+pub mod bitcoin_storage;

core/archipelago/src/state.rs

@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ impl StateManager {
         let _ = self.broadcast_tx.send(message);
     }
 
+    /// Apply a small state change while holding the write lock. A lifecycle
+    /// task must not replace the entire model from an earlier snapshot.
+    pub async fn mutate_data<T>(&self, change: impl FnOnce(&mut DataModel) -> T) -> T {
+        let mut data = self.data.write().await;
+        let result = change(&mut data);
+        let mut rev = self.revision.write().await;
+        *rev += 1;
+        let _ = self.broadcast_tx.send(WebSocketMessage {
+            rev: *rev,
+            data: Some(data.clone()),
+            patch: None,
+        });
+        result
+    }
+
     /// Get a WebSocket message with the current state
     pub async fn get_initial_message(&self) -> WebSocketMessage {
         let (data, rev) = self.get_snapshot().await;
@@ -190,3 +205,29 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(rev, 1);
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod atomic_mutation_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn concurrent_updates_preserve_independent_entries() {
+        let state = Arc::new(StateManager::new());
+        let mut tasks = Vec::new();
+        for i in 0..24 {
+            let state = state.clone();
+            tasks.push(tokio::spawn(async move {
+                state
+                    .mutate_data(|data| {
+                        data.peer_health.insert(format!("peer-{i}"), true);
+                    })
+                    .await;
+            }));
+        }
+        for task in tasks {
+            task.await.unwrap();
+        }
+        let (data, revision) = state.get_snapshot().await;
+        assert_eq!(data.peer_health.len(), 24);
+        assert_eq!(revision, 24);
+    }
+}

core/archipelago/src/update.rs

@@ -1481,6 +1481,21 @@ pub async fn cancel_download(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
 /// service unit that inherits systemd's default protections (i.e. none
 /// of ours), escaping the namespace.
 pub(crate) async fn host_sudo(args: &[&str]) -> Result<std::process::ExitStatus> {
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    {
+        anyhow::ensure!(
+            std::env::var("ARCHY_TEST_ISOLATED").as_deref() == Ok("1"),
+            "Host-operation tests require scripts/test-backend-isolated.sh"
+        );
+        let (program, args) = args.split_first().context("Missing test command")?;
+        // Run inside the test namespace, never escape through sudo/systemd-run.
+        return tokio::process::Command::new(program)
+            .args(args)
+            .status()
+            .await
+            .context("isolated test command failed");
+    }
+
     let mut full: Vec<&str> = vec![
         "systemd-run",
         "--wait",
@@ -1505,6 +1520,21 @@ pub(crate) async fn host_sudo(args: &[&str]) -> Result<std::process::ExitStatus>
 /// Same mechanism as `host_sudo` but captures stdout — for read-only probes
 /// (e.g. `stat`) where the answer is in the output, not the exit status.
 pub(crate) async fn host_sudo_output(args: &[&str]) -> Result<std::process::Output> {
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    {
+        anyhow::ensure!(
+            std::env::var("ARCHY_TEST_ISOLATED").as_deref() == Ok("1"),
+            "Host-operation tests require scripts/test-backend-isolated.sh"
+        );
+        let (program, args) = args.split_first().context("Missing test command")?;
+        // Run inside the test namespace, never escape through sudo/systemd-run.
+        return tokio::process::Command::new(program)
+            .args(args)
+            .output()
+            .await
+            .context("isolated test command failed");
+    }
+
     let mut full: Vec<&str> = vec![
         "systemd-run",
         "--wait",
@@ -2159,20 +2189,25 @@ async fn apply_per_app_auto_updates(
     }
 }
 
-/// After a catalog refresh that changed the cached bytes, rebuild the
-/// orchestrator's manifest map so registry-shipped manifest changes take
-/// effect now instead of at the next service restart.
-async fn reload_manifests_if_changed(
-    refresh: crate::container::app_catalog::CatalogRefresh,
+/// Reload after every successful refresh, including unchanged bytes: the cache
+/// may have been written before a previous reload failed. Auto-updates only run
+/// when the catalog and the orchestrator's manifests are ready together.
+async fn reload_catalog_manifests(
+    _refresh: crate::container::app_catalog::CatalogRefresh,
     orchestrator: &Option<std::sync::Arc<dyn crate::container::traits::ContainerOrchestrator>>,
-) {
-    if !refresh.changed {
-        return;
-    }
-    let Some(orch) = orchestrator else { return };
+) -> bool {
+    let Some(orch) = orchestrator else {
+        return false;
+    };
     match orch.reload_manifests().await {
-        Ok(n) => info!("Update scheduler: catalog changed, reloaded {n} manifest(s)"),
-        Err(e) => warn!("Update scheduler: manifest reload after catalog change failed: {e}"),
+        Ok(n) => {
+            info!("Update scheduler: refreshed catalog, reloaded {n} manifest(s)");
+            true
+        }
+        Err(e) => {
+            warn!("Update scheduler: manifest reload failed; skipping auto-updates: {e}");
+            false
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -2188,7 +2223,9 @@ pub async fn run_update_scheduler(
     // Refresh the app catalog once at startup so per-app "update available"
     // badges appear without waiting for the first hourly tick.
     match crate::container::app_catalog::refresh_catalog(&data_dir).await {
-        Ok(refresh) => reload_manifests_if_changed(refresh, &orchestrator).await,
+        Ok(refresh) => {
+            reload_catalog_manifests(refresh, &orchestrator).await;
+        }
         Err(e) => debug!(
             "Update scheduler: initial app-catalog refresh failed: {}",
             e
@@ -2204,14 +2241,22 @@ pub async fn run_update_scheduler(
         // previously cached catalog stays in place (origin-always-wins).
         // A changed catalog also reloads the orchestrator's manifest overlay so
         // catalog-shipped manifest fixes apply without a service restart.
-        match crate::container::app_catalog::refresh_catalog(&data_dir).await {
-            Ok(refresh) => reload_manifests_if_changed(refresh, &orchestrator).await,
-            Err(e) => debug!("Update scheduler: app-catalog refresh failed: {}", e),
-        }
+        let catalog_ready = match crate::container::app_catalog::refresh_catalog(&data_dir).await {
+            Ok(refresh) => reload_catalog_manifests(refresh, &orchestrator).await,
+            Err(e) => {
+                debug!(
+                    "Update scheduler: app-catalog refresh failed; skipping auto-updates: {}",
+                    e
+                );
+                false
+            }
+        };
 
-        // Per-app auto-update-to-latest (multi-version support). Runs every tick
-        // regardless of the binary-OTA schedule below; opt-in + pin-respecting.
-        apply_per_app_auto_updates(&orchestrator).await;
+        // Per-app updates require fresh, loaded manifests; a failed refresh
+        // may still show cached badges but must not trigger container changes.
+        if catalog_ready {
+            apply_per_app_auto_updates(&orchestrator).await;
+        }
 
         let state = match load_state(&data_dir).await {
             Ok(s) => s,

core/archipelago/src/wallet/ecash.rs

@@ -775,7 +775,9 @@ pub async fn send_token_at(data_dir: &Path, mint_url: &str, amount_sats: u64) ->
         let mut all_target: Vec<u64> = send_denoms.clone();
         all_target.extend(&change_denoms);
 
-        let swap_result = client.swap(&selected_proofs, &all_target).await?;
+        let swap_result = client
+            .swap_at_least(&selected_proofs, &all_target, amount_sats)
+            .await?;
 
         // Mark original proofs as spent
         wallet.mark_spent(&indices);
@@ -1192,7 +1194,11 @@ pub async fn receive_token(data_dir: &Path, token_str: &str) -> Result<u64> {
     // Verify all mints in the token are accepted
     let accepted = load_accepted_mints(data_dir).await?;
     for mint_url in token.mint_urls() {
-        if !accepted.mints.iter().any(|m| m == mint_url) {
+        if !accepted
+            .mints
+            .iter()
+            .any(|m| m.trim_end_matches('/') == mint_url.trim_end_matches('/'))
+        {
             anyhow::bail!("Mint '{}' is not in accepted mints list", mint_url);
         }
     }
@@ -1205,6 +1211,7 @@ pub async fn receive_token(data_dir: &Path, token_str: &str) -> Result<u64> {
     // for the log. Remember the last one so a total failure can tell the user
     // *why* instead of just "nothing was received".
     let mut last_reason: Option<String> = None;
+    let mut all_already_redeemed = true;
 
     // Swap proofs at each mint
     for entry in &token.token {
@@ -1216,7 +1223,8 @@ pub async fn receive_token(data_dir: &Path, token_str: &str) -> Result<u64> {
                 received_total += amount;
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                warn!("Failed to swap proofs from mint {}: {:#}", entry.mint, e);
+                warn!("Failed to swap proofs from mint {}: {}", entry.mint, e);
+                all_already_redeemed &= e.is::<super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed>();
                 last_reason = Some(e.to_string());
                 // Continue with other mints if any
             }
@@ -1224,10 +1232,7 @@ pub async fn receive_token(data_dir: &Path, token_str: &str) -> Result<u64> {
     }
 
     if received_total == 0 {
-        match last_reason {
-            Some(reason) => anyhow::bail!("Could not receive this ecash: {}", reason),
-            None => anyhow::bail!("Failed to receive any proofs from token"),
-        }
+        return Err(receive_failure(last_reason, all_already_redeemed));
     }
 
     wallet.record_tx(
@@ -1243,6 +1248,17 @@ pub async fn receive_token(data_dir: &Path, token_str: &str) -> Result<u64> {
     Ok(received_total)
 }
 
+fn receive_failure(last_reason: Option<String>, all_already_redeemed: bool) -> anyhow::Error {
+    match last_reason {
+        Some(reason) if all_already_redeemed => {
+            anyhow::Error::new(super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed)
+                .context(format!("Could not receive this ecash: {reason}"))
+        }
+        Some(reason) => anyhow::anyhow!("Could not receive this ecash: {reason}"),
+        None => anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to receive any proofs from token"),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Receive a legacy format token (cashuSend_{amount}_{uuid}_{timestamp}).
 /// For backwards compatibility during migration period.
 async fn receive_legacy_token(data_dir: &Path, token_str: &str) -> Result<u64> {
@@ -1288,22 +1304,10 @@ pub async fn verify_and_receive_payment(
     token_str: &str,
     required_sats: u64,
 ) -> Result<u64> {
-    // Handle legacy tokens
+    let token_str = token_str.trim();
+    // Synthetic legacy balances are not cryptographic proof of payment.
     if token_str.starts_with("cashuSend_") {
-        let amount = token_str
-            .split('_')
-            .nth(1)
-            .and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok())
-            .unwrap_or(0);
-        if amount < required_sats {
-            anyhow::bail!(
-                "Insufficient payment: {} sats, need {} sats",
-                amount,
-                required_sats
-            );
-        }
-        let received = receive_legacy_token(data_dir, token_str).await?;
-        return Ok(received);
+        anyhow::bail!("Legacy ecash cannot authorize a paid download");
     }
 
     // Fedimint notes (#3): a buyer whose balance is in Fedimint pays with notes
@@ -1326,52 +1330,45 @@ pub async fn verify_and_receive_payment(
 
     // Parse and validate the token (cashuA or cashuB)
     let token = CashuToken::deserialize(token_str)?;
-    let total = token.total_amount();
-
+    if token.unit.as_deref().unwrap_or("sat") != "sat" {
+        anyhow::bail!("Payment must be denominated in sats");
+    }
+    // A sale must redeem atomically at one mint. Otherwise a later mint
+    // failure can consume earlier inputs without delivering the purchase.
+    let entry = match token.token.as_slice() {
+        [entry] => entry,
+        _ => anyhow::bail!("Use a single-mint token for this payment"),
+    };
+    let total = entry
+        .proofs
+        .iter()
+        .try_fold(0u64, |sum, p| sum.checked_add(p.amount))
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("Payment amount overflow"))?;
     if total < required_sats {
-        anyhow::bail!(
-            "Insufficient payment: {} sats, need {} sats",
-            total,
-            required_sats
-        );
+        anyhow::bail!("Insufficient payment: {total} sats, need {required_sats} sats");
     }
-
-    // Verify mints are accepted
     let accepted = load_accepted_mints(data_dir).await?;
-    for mint_url in token.mint_urls() {
-        if !accepted.mints.iter().any(|m| m == mint_url) {
-            anyhow::bail!("Mint '{}' not accepted", mint_url);
-        }
+    if !accepted
+        .mints
+        .iter()
+        .any(|m| m.trim_end_matches('/') == entry.mint.trim_end_matches('/'))
+    {
+        anyhow::bail!("Mint is not in the seller's accepted mints list");
     }
 
-    // Swap proofs at mint (this verifies they're unspent and gives us fresh proofs)
+    let client = mint_client(data_dir, &entry.mint).await?;
+    let result = client
+        .swap_at_least(
+            &entry.proofs,
+            &amount_to_denominations(total),
+            required_sats,
+        )
+        .await?;
+    let received_total = result.new_proofs.iter().map(|p| p.amount).sum();
+    // Load after the network call, so an unrelated wallet update during the
+    // swap is not overwritten with a pre-swap snapshot.
     let mut wallet = load_wallet(data_dir).await?;
-    let mut received_total = 0u64;
-
-    for entry in &token.token {
-        let client = mint_client(data_dir, &entry.mint).await?;
-        let entry_total: u64 = entry.proofs.iter().map(|p| p.amount).sum();
-        let target_amounts = amount_to_denominations(entry_total);
-
-        match client.swap(&entry.proofs, &target_amounts).await {
-            Ok(result) => {
-                let amount: u64 = result.new_proofs.iter().map(|p| p.amount).sum();
-                wallet.add_proofs(&entry.mint, result.new_proofs);
-                received_total += amount;
-            }
-            Err(e) => {
-                warn!("Payment verification failed at mint {}: {}", entry.mint, e);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    if received_total < required_sats {
-        anyhow::bail!(
-            "Payment verification failed: only {} of {} sats verified",
-            received_total,
-            required_sats
-        );
-    }
+    wallet.add_proofs(entry.mint.trim_end_matches('/'), result.new_proofs);
 
     wallet.record_tx(
         TransactionType::Receive,
@@ -1632,6 +1629,18 @@ fn default_mint_url() -> String {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn mixed_mint_failures_do_not_discard_a_retryable_claim() {
+        let reason = super::super::mint_client::ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG.to_string();
+        assert!(super::receive_failure(Some(reason.clone()), true)
+            .is::<super::super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed>());
+        assert!(!super::receive_failure(Some(reason), false)
+            .is::<super::super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed>());
+        assert!(
+            !super::receive_failure(None, true).is::<super::super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed>()
+        );
+    }
+
     use super::*;
     use tempfile::TempDir;
 
@@ -2443,3 +2452,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(w.mint_url, "https://mint.minibits.cash/Bitcoin");
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "payment_tests.rs"]
+mod payment_tests;

core/archipelago/src/wallet/minibits.rs

@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@
 //! key, a crash mid-loop) must not silently lose the coins, so every fetched
 //! token is persisted to `MinibitsState::pending_claims` *before* decrypt/
 //! redeem is attempted, and stays there — retried on every later poll — until
-//! it succeeds. `ClaimOutcome::failed_count` reports how many are still
+//! it succeeds or every mint reports that it was already spent.
+//! `ClaimOutcome::failed_count` reports how many are still
 //! stuck so the caller can surface it instead of it being a log-only event.
 //! Separately, `ensure_mint_accepted` keeps the Minibits mint on the node's
 //! accepted-mints allow-list: the address is inherently backed by that one
@@ -167,6 +168,9 @@ pub struct MinibitsState {
     /// already-spent token) but wasteful and noisy.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub last_dm_seen_at: u64,
+    /// Resume a bounded backward scan before advancing to newer relay events.
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub relay_scan: Option<RelayScan>,
     /// Event ids already queued from the relay. `created_at` has only
     /// one-second resolution, so a strict `since = last + 1` watermark can
     /// permanently miss a second payment published later in the same second.
@@ -627,6 +631,7 @@ async fn register_new_state(
         created_at: chrono::Utc::now().to_rfc3339(),
         pending_claims: Vec::new(),
         last_dm_seen_at: 0,
+        relay_scan: None,
         seen_dm_ids: Vec::new(),
         last_receipt_id: 0,
         last_receipt_sats: 0,
@@ -652,6 +657,16 @@ pub struct ClaimOutcome {
     pub receipt_at: u64,
 }
 
+/// True when `ecash::receive_token` failed because the token was already
+/// redeemed (mint error 11001, see `mint_client::describe_mint_error_code`) —
+/// a terminal condition, not a reason to retry. Seen on a deployed node,
+/// 2026-09-15: a claim that had already been swept kept failing this way on
+/// every poll forever, since nothing distinguished it from a transient
+/// failure worth retrying.
+fn is_already_redeemed(err: &anyhow::Error) -> bool {
+    err.is::<super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed>()
+}
+
 const NO_CLAIMS: ClaimOutcome = ClaimOutcome {
     claimed_count: 0,
     received_sats: 0,
@@ -697,38 +712,58 @@ fn outcome_with_latest_receipt(
 /// three real payments that `/claim` never surfaced. Best-effort: a relay
 /// error here must not abort the poll, since `pending_claims` may still hold
 /// earlier fetches worth retrying.
+///
+/// Queries `RELAY_URL` (the service's own relay) alone first — the happy
+/// path for a poll is one WebSocket connection, not three, and the wallet's
+/// derived Nostr pubkey isn't broadcast to the public fallback relays unless
+/// it's actually needed. Only when that relay is unreachable does it fall
+/// back to all of `CLAIM_RELAY_URLS`. Results are paged (capped at
+/// `CLAIM_MAX_PAGES`) since a relay returns only the newest `limit` events for
+/// a filter. A durable backward cursor keeps older pages reachable even after
+/// newly queued claims advance the normal forward watermark.
 async fn fetch_relay_dms(
     our_pubkey: nostr_sdk::PublicKey,
     server_pubkey: nostr_sdk::PublicKey,
     since: u64,
-) -> Vec<(String, u64, String, String)> {
+    resume: Option<RelayScan>,
+) -> RelayBatch {
     let client = Client::default();
-    for url in CLAIM_RELAY_URLS {
-        if let Err(e) = client.add_relay(*url).await {
-            warn!("Minibits: could not add relay {url}: {e}");
+    if let Err(e) = client.add_relay(RELAY_URL).await {
+        warn!("Minibits: could not add relay {RELAY_URL}: {e}");
+    }
+    let primary_reachable = client
+        .try_connect_relay(RELAY_URL, std::time::Duration::from_secs(3))
+        .await
+        .is_ok();
+    if !primary_reachable {
+        warn!("Minibits: primary relay {RELAY_URL} unreachable, falling back to public relays too");
+        for url in &CLAIM_RELAY_URLS[1..] {
+            if let Err(e) = client.add_relay(*url).await {
+                warn!("Minibits: could not add relay {url}: {e}");
+            }
         }
+        client.connect().await;
     }
-    client.connect().await;
     // Give relays a moment to finish the WebSocket handshake before the
     // fetch's own timeout starts consuming that time.
     tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(400)).await;
 
-    // Nostr timestamps have one-second resolution. Query the boundary second
-    // inclusively: a later-published payment may legitimately share that
-    // timestamp. `seen_dm_ids` performs the exact deduplication locally.
-    let filter = Filter::new()
-        .author(server_pubkey)
-        .pubkey(our_pubkey)
-        .kind(Kind::from(4u16))
-        .since(Timestamp::from(since))
-        .limit(200);
-
-    let result = match client
-        .fetch_events(filter, std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
-        .await
-    {
-        Ok(events) => {
-            let mut out: Vec<(String, u64, String, String)> = events
+    let batch = collect_relay_pages(since, resume, |scan| {
+        let client = &client;
+        async move {
+            let mut filter = Filter::new()
+                .author(server_pubkey)
+                .pubkey(our_pubkey)
+                .kind(Kind::from(4u16))
+                .since(Timestamp::from(scan.since))
+                .limit(scan.limit);
+            if let Some(until) = scan.until {
+                filter = filter.until(Timestamp::from(until));
+            }
+            let events = client
+                .fetch_events(filter, std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
+                .await?;
+            Ok(events
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(|e| {
                     (
@@ -738,18 +773,83 @@ async fn fetch_relay_dms(
                         e.id.to_hex(),
                     )
                 })
-                .collect();
-            out.sort_by_key(|(_, created_at, _, _)| *created_at);
-            out
+                .collect())
         }
-        Err(e) => {
-            warn!("Minibits: relay fetch for claim DMs failed: {e}");
-            Vec::new()
-        }
-    };
-
+    })
+    .await;
     client.shutdown().await;
-    result
+    batch
+}
+
+const CLAIM_PAGE_LIMIT: usize = 200;
+const CLAIM_MAX_PAGES: usize = 5;
+type RelayDm = (String, u64, String, String);
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct RelayScan {
+    since: u64,
+    until: Option<u64>,
+    limit: usize,
+}
+
+struct RelayBatch {
+    dms: Vec<RelayDm>,
+    resume: Option<RelayScan>,
+}
+
+/// NIP-01 returns newest events first. Walk backward with an inclusive `until`
+/// boundary, deduplicating event ids. A full boundary second needs a larger
+/// limit, not `until - 1`, which would skip payments sharing that timestamp.
+/// Persist the cursor at the page cap or on failure so older claims cannot be
+/// hidden by the newest timestamp already queued in `last_dm_seen_at`.
+async fn collect_relay_pages<F, Fut>(
+    since: u64,
+    resume: Option<RelayScan>,
+    mut fetch: F,
+) -> RelayBatch
+where
+    F: FnMut(RelayScan) -> Fut,
+    Fut: std::future::Future<Output = Result<Vec<RelayDm>>>,
+{
+    let mut scan = resume.unwrap_or(RelayScan {
+        since,
+        until: None,
+        limit: CLAIM_PAGE_LIMIT,
+    });
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    let mut ids = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+    let mut resume = Some(scan);
+    for _ in 0..CLAIM_MAX_PAGES {
+        let events = match fetch(scan).await {
+            Ok(events) => events,
+            Err(e) => {
+                warn!("Minibits: relay fetch failed; preserving scan cursor: {e}");
+                break;
+            }
+        };
+        let count = events.len();
+        let oldest = events.iter().map(|e| e.1).min();
+        for event in events {
+            if ids.insert(event.3.clone()) {
+                out.push(event);
+            }
+        }
+        if count < scan.limit {
+            resume = None;
+            break;
+        }
+        if let Some(oldest) = oldest {
+            if scan.until == Some(oldest) {
+                scan.limit = scan.limit.saturating_add(CLAIM_PAGE_LIMIT);
+            } else {
+                scan.until = Some(oldest);
+                scan.limit = CLAIM_PAGE_LIMIT;
+            }
+        }
+        resume = Some(scan);
+    }
+    out.sort_by(|a, b| (a.1, &a.3).cmp(&(b.1, &b.3)));
+    RelayBatch { dms: out, resume }
 }
 
 fn queue_relay_dm(
@@ -907,8 +1007,15 @@ pub async fn claim_and_redeem(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<ClaimOutcome> {
     // NIP-04 DM on relays, not via `/claim` above. `since` is our own
     // watermark (Nostr events never expire off a relay, so without it we'd
     // re-fetch and re-attempt every claim ever sent on every poll).
-    let dms = fetch_relay_dms(identity.keys.public_key(), server_pk, state.last_dm_seen_at).await;
-    for (content, created_at, author, event_id) in dms {
+    let batch = fetch_relay_dms(
+        identity.keys.public_key(),
+        server_pk,
+        state.last_dm_seen_at,
+        state.relay_scan,
+    )
+    .await;
+    state.relay_scan = batch.resume;
+    for (content, created_at, author, event_id) in batch.dms {
         if author != state.server_nostr_pubkey {
             warn!("Minibits: ignoring claim DM from unexpected pubkey {author}");
             continue;
@@ -964,6 +1071,14 @@ pub async fn claim_and_redeem(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<ClaimOutcome> {
                 sats += got;
                 info!("Minibits: redeemed a claimed payment ({got} sats)");
             }
+            Err(e) if is_already_redeemed(&e) => {
+                // Terminal: the value was already swept (a relay-watermark
+                // replay, or a claim redeemed by an earlier run before a
+                // crash lost track of it). Retrying can never succeed, so
+                // drop it instead of leaving `failed_count` stuck non-zero
+                // forever — see archy-x250-pa3, 2026-09-15.
+                info!("Minibits mint reports this claim was already redeemed; removing it from the retry queue");
+            }
             Err(e) => {
                 warn!("Minibits claim decrypted but failed to redeem ({e}); will retry next poll");
                 still_pending.push(claim.clone());
@@ -994,6 +1109,123 @@ pub async fn claim_and_redeem(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<ClaimOutcome> {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    fn simulated_relay_page(events: &[RelayDm], scan: RelayScan) -> Vec<RelayDm> {
+        let mut page: Vec<_> = events
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|e| e.1 >= scan.since && scan.until.is_none_or(|until| e.1 <= until))
+            .cloned()
+            .collect();
+        page.sort_by(|a, b| b.1.cmp(&a.1).then_with(|| a.3.cmp(&b.3)));
+        page.truncate(scan.limit);
+        page
+    }
+
+    fn relay_fixture(count: usize, same_second: bool) -> Vec<RelayDm> {
+        (1..=count)
+            .map(|n| {
+                (
+                    format!("claim-{n}"),
+                    if same_second { 100 } else { n as u64 },
+                    "service".into(),
+                    format!("id-{n:06}"),
+                )
+            })
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn relay_paging_fetches_older_claims_in_newest_first_backlog() {
+        let events = relay_fixture(450, false);
+        let batch = collect_relay_pages(0, None, |scan| {
+            std::future::ready(Ok(simulated_relay_page(&events, scan)))
+        })
+        .await;
+        assert_eq!(batch.dms.len(), 450);
+        assert!(batch.resume.is_none());
+        assert_eq!(batch.dms.first().unwrap().1, 1);
+        assert_eq!(batch.dms.last().unwrap().1, 450);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn relay_paging_preserves_payments_at_the_same_timestamp() {
+        let events = relay_fixture(250, true);
+        let batch = collect_relay_pages(100, None, |scan| {
+            std::future::ready(Ok(simulated_relay_page(&events, scan)))
+        })
+        .await;
+        assert_eq!(batch.dms.len(), 250);
+        assert!(batch.resume.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn relay_page_cap_resumes_older_claims_after_watermark_advances() {
+        let events = relay_fixture(1300, false);
+        let mut state = MinibitsState::default();
+        let first = collect_relay_pages(0, None, |scan| {
+            std::future::ready(Ok(simulated_relay_page(&events, scan)))
+        })
+        .await;
+        assert!(first.resume.is_some());
+        state.relay_scan = first.resume;
+        let mut ids = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+        for (content, time, author, id) in first.dms {
+            ids.insert(id.clone());
+            queue_relay_dm(&mut state, content, time, id, author);
+        }
+        assert_eq!(state.last_dm_seen_at, 1300);
+        let state: MinibitsState =
+            serde_json::from_str(&serde_json::to_string(&state).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let second = collect_relay_pages(state.last_dm_seen_at, state.relay_scan, |scan| {
+            std::future::ready(Ok(simulated_relay_page(&events, scan)))
+        })
+        .await;
+        assert!(second.resume.is_none());
+        ids.extend(second.dms.into_iter().map(|e| e.3));
+        assert_eq!(ids.len(), 1300);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn relay_fetch_failure_keeps_the_unfinished_page_cursor() {
+        let events = relay_fixture(450, false);
+        let mut requests = 0;
+        let first = collect_relay_pages(0, None, |scan| {
+            requests += 1;
+            std::future::ready(if requests == 1 {
+                Ok(simulated_relay_page(&events, scan))
+            } else {
+                Err(anyhow!("relay timeout"))
+            })
+        })
+        .await;
+        assert_eq!(first.dms.len(), 200);
+        assert_eq!(first.resume.unwrap().until, Some(251));
+        let second = collect_relay_pages(450, first.resume, |scan| {
+            std::future::ready(Ok(simulated_relay_page(&events, scan)))
+        })
+        .await;
+        let ids: std::collections::HashSet<_> = first
+            .dms
+            .into_iter()
+            .chain(second.dms)
+            .map(|e| e.3)
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(ids.len(), 450);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn only_typed_spent_claims_are_terminal_even_with_wrapped_errors() {
+        let spent = anyhow::Error::new(super::super::mint_client::AlreadyRedeemed)
+            .context("receive token")
+            .context("claim failed");
+        assert!(is_already_redeemed(&spent));
+        assert!(!is_already_redeemed(&anyhow!(
+            super::super::mint_client::ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG
+        )));
+        assert!(!is_already_redeemed(&anyhow!(
+            "mint temporarily unreachable"
+        )));
+    }
+
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]

core/archipelago/src/wallet/mint_client.rs

@@ -71,10 +71,28 @@ pub struct MintResult {
 /// keyset codes shared by NUT-02/03/04/05 — the codes a swap/melt/mint call
 /// can actually hit. Returns `None` for anything else (e.g. Lightning/quote
 /// codes in the 20000s) so the caller falls back to the mint's own `detail`.
+///
+/// Text of the NUT error-code-11001 translation, exposed so callers that
+/// received an `anyhow::Error` from a receive/redeem path (e.g. a replayed
+/// Minibits claim) can recognize an already-spent token as terminal rather
+/// than retrying it forever.
+pub const ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG: &str =
+    "This ecash has already been redeemed — it can't be claimed twice.";
+
+/// Typed terminal condition: never infer spent proofs from a mint's free text.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(super) struct AlreadyRedeemed;
+impl std::fmt::Display for AlreadyRedeemed {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.write_str(ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG)
+    }
+}
+impl std::error::Error for AlreadyRedeemed {}
+
 fn describe_mint_error_code(code: i64) -> Option<&'static str> {
     Some(match code {
         10001 => "The mint rejected these coins as invalid.",
-        11001 => "This ecash has already been redeemed — it can't be claimed twice.",
+        11001 => ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG,
         11002 => "This ecash is already being redeemed elsewhere — try again in a moment.",
         11003 => "The mint already issued new coins for this exact request — there's nothing left to redeem.",
         11004 => "This request is still being processed by the mint — try again in a moment.",
@@ -124,8 +142,29 @@ fn describe_mint_error_body(status: reqwest::StatusCode, body: &str) -> String {
 /// translation layered on top via `.context()` so `{}` — what reaches the
 /// wallet user — shows something actionable instead of raw mint JSON.
 fn mint_error(op: &str, status: reqwest::StatusCode, body: &str) -> anyhow::Error {
-    let friendly = describe_mint_error_body(status, body);
-    anyhow::anyhow!("{} failed ({}): {}", op, status, body).context(friendly)
+    let cause = anyhow::anyhow!("{} failed ({}): {}", op, status, body);
+    if serde_json::from_str::<serde_json::Value>(body)
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|v| v.get("code").and_then(|c| c.as_i64()))
+        == Some(11001)
+    {
+        return cause.context(AlreadyRedeemed);
+    }
+    cause.context(describe_mint_error_body(status, body))
+}
+
+fn fee_adjusted_targets(requested: &[u64], mut available: u64) -> Vec<u64> {
+    let mut outputs = Vec::new();
+    for &amount in requested {
+        if available >= amount {
+            outputs.push(amount);
+            available -= amount;
+        } else {
+            outputs.extend(amount_to_denominations(available));
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    outputs
 }
 
 /// HTTP client for a single Cashu mint.
@@ -487,6 +526,21 @@ impl MintClient {
     /// Swap proofs for new proofs of different denominations.
     /// This is how we "receive" a token — swap it for fresh proofs that only we know.
     pub async fn swap(&self, inputs: &[Proof], target_amounts: &[u64]) -> Result<SwapResult> {
+        self.swap_at_least(inputs, target_amounts, 0).await
+    }
+
+    /// Refuse a payment whose mint fees would leave the seller underpaid,
+    /// before consuming any input proofs.
+    pub async fn swap_at_least(
+        &self,
+        inputs: &[Proof],
+        target_amounts: &[u64],
+        minimum: u64,
+    ) -> Result<SwapResult> {
+        // V4 tokens carry short keyset IDs. Every swap path (including paid
+        // files and streams) must expand these, not only wallet imports.
+        let resolved = self.resolve_truncated_keyset_ids(inputs).await?;
+        let inputs = resolved.as_slice();
         let keyset = self.get_active_sat_keyset().await?;
 
         // NUT-02: a mint may charge a per-input fee, and it rejects the swap
@@ -494,16 +548,35 @@ impl MintClient {
         // should equal outputs less fee`). Applied here rather than at each
         // call site so send, receive and cross-mint swaps are all covered.
         // Fee-free mints (Minibits) compute 0 and are unaffected.
-        let inputs_total: u64 = inputs.iter().map(|p| p.amount).sum();
-        let fee = match self.get_keysets().await {
-            Ok(ks) => super::cashu::swap_fee_for(inputs, &ks),
-            Err(e) => {
-                debug!("Could not read keyset fees ({e:#}) — assuming fee-free mint");
-                0
-            }
-        };
+        anyhow::ensure!(!inputs.is_empty(), "No input proofs to swap");
+        let inputs_total = inputs
+            .iter()
+            .try_fold(0u64, |sum, p| sum.checked_add(p.amount))
+            .context("Input amount overflow")?;
+        let keysets = self.get_keysets().await?;
+        let mut fee_ppk = 0u64;
+        for proof in inputs {
+            let input_keyset = keysets
+                .iter()
+                .find(|k| k.id == proof.id)
+                .context("The mint does not recognize an input keyset")?;
+            anyhow::ensure!(
+                input_keyset.unit == "sat",
+                "Input keyset is not denominated in sats"
+            );
+            fee_ppk = fee_ppk
+                .checked_add(input_keyset.input_fee_ppk)
+                .context("Mint fee overflow")?;
+        }
+        let fee = fee_ppk.div_ceil(1000);
         let spendable = inputs_total.saturating_sub(fee);
-        let requested: u64 = target_amounts.iter().sum();
+        if spendable < minimum {
+            anyhow::bail!("Payment would leave {spendable} sats after mint fees; need {minimum} sats. No proofs were redeemed.");
+        }
+        let requested = target_amounts
+            .iter()
+            .try_fold(0u64, |sum, amount| sum.checked_add(*amount))
+            .context("Output amount overflow")?;
         let owned_targets: Vec<u64>;
         let target_amounts: &[u64] = if requested > spendable {
             if spendable == 0 {
@@ -514,7 +587,10 @@ impl MintClient {
             debug!(
                 "Reducing swap outputs {requested} -> {spendable} to cover a {fee} sat mint fee"
             );
-            owned_targets = amount_to_denominations(spendable);
+            // Callers put payment outputs before change. Keep that prefix
+            // intact while fees reduce change; re-splitting the entire sum
+            // can omit a payment denomination after consuming the inputs.
+            owned_targets = fee_adjusted_targets(target_amounts, spendable);
             &owned_targets
         } else {
             target_amounts
@@ -559,6 +635,9 @@ impl MintClient {
 
         let mut new_proofs = Vec::new();
         for (sig, (secret, r, amount)) in signatures.iter().zip(blinding_data.iter()) {
+            if sig.amount != *amount || sig.id != keyset.id {
+                anyhow::bail!("Mint returned a swap signature for an unexpected amount or keyset");
+            }
             let c_prime = sig.c_prime_as_pubkey()?;
             let mint_key = keyset.key_for_amount(*amount)?;
             let c = bdhke::unblind_signature(&c_prime, r, &mint_key)?;
@@ -705,43 +784,35 @@ impl MintClient {
     /// Repair proofs whose keyset id is a truncated NUT-02 **v2** id.
     ///
     /// A v2 keyset id is 33 bytes (version byte `0x01` + 32-byte hash), but
-    /// wallets written against the original 8-byte format truncate it when
-    /// they build a token. The mint then reads the `0x01` version, expects 33
+    /// compact V4 tokens carry an 8-byte short ID. The swap endpoint needs
+    /// the full ID restored from the mint's keyset list. The mint then reads the `0x01` version, expects 33
     /// bytes, and rejects the swap — reported as
     /// `inputs[0].id: NUT02: ID length invalid` behind a bare 422 (seen with
     /// a Minibits-issued token, 2026-08-17).
     ///
     /// The id only names which keyset signed the proof, so restoring the full
     /// id the mint advertises is exactly what the sender meant. It is also
-    /// safe to attempt: an id that names the wrong keyset fails signature
-    /// verification at the mint and no coins move. Anything already valid, or
-    /// with no unambiguous match, is passed through untouched so the mint's
-    /// own error is what the operator sees.
-    async fn resolve_truncated_keyset_ids(&self, proofs: &[Proof]) -> Vec<Proof> {
+    /// safe to attempt: the mint still verifies the proof signature. Unknown
+    /// or ambiguous short IDs are rejected before redemption.
+    async fn resolve_truncated_keyset_ids(&self, proofs: &[Proof]) -> Result<Vec<Proof>> {
         let needs_repair = proofs.iter().any(|p| is_truncated_v2_keyset_id(&p.id));
         if !needs_repair {
-            return proofs.to_vec();
+            return Ok(proofs.to_vec());
         }
 
         // The mint's own keyset list, in the reference implementation's shape
         // so its NUT-02 resolver can consume it directly.
-        let known = match self.get_cdk_keysets().await {
-            Ok(k) => k,
-            Err(e) => {
-                debug!("Could not list keysets to repair truncated keyset ids: {e:#}");
-                return proofs.to_vec();
-            }
-        };
+        let known = self.get_cdk_keysets().await?;
 
         proofs
             .iter()
             .cloned()
             .map(|mut p| {
-                if let Some(full) = super::cashu::resolve_keyset_id(&p.id, &known) {
-                    debug!("Expanded short keyset id {} to {} for swap", p.id, full);
-                    p.id = full;
+                if is_truncated_v2_keyset_id(&p.id) {
+                    p.id = super::cashu::resolve_keyset_id(&p.id, &known)
+                        .context("The mint cannot resolve this short keyset ID unambiguously")?;
                 }
-                p
+                Ok(p)
             })
             .collect()
     }
@@ -777,7 +848,7 @@ impl MintClient {
         let mut all_new_proofs = Vec::new();
 
         for entry in &token.token {
-            if entry.mint != self.url {
+            if entry.mint.trim_end_matches('/') != self.url {
                 debug!(
                     "Skipping proofs from different mint {} (ours: {})",
                     entry.mint, self.url
@@ -788,8 +859,7 @@ impl MintClient {
             let total: u64 = entry.proofs.iter().map(|p| p.amount).sum();
             let target_amounts = amount_to_denominations(total);
 
-            let proofs = self.resolve_truncated_keyset_ids(&entry.proofs).await;
-            let result = self.swap(&proofs, &target_amounts).await?;
+            let result = self.swap(&entry.proofs, &target_amounts).await?;
             all_new_proofs.extend(result.new_proofs);
         }
 
@@ -803,6 +873,28 @@ impl MintClient {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn spent_condition_comes_from_code_not_remote_text_and_survives_context() {
+        let spent = super::mint_error(
+            "Swap",
+            reqwest::StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
+            r#"{"code":11001,"detail":"Token Already Spent"}"#,
+        )
+        .context("Receive failed");
+        assert!(spent.is::<super::AlreadyRedeemed>());
+        let body =
+            serde_json::json!({"code":11002,"detail":super::ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG}).to_string();
+        assert!(
+            !super::mint_error("Swap", reqwest::StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST, &body)
+                .is::<super::AlreadyRedeemed>()
+        );
+        let body = serde_json::json!({"detail":super::ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG}).to_string();
+        assert!(
+            !super::mint_error("Swap", reqwest::StatusCode::BAD_GATEWAY, &body)
+                .is::<super::AlreadyRedeemed>()
+        );
+    }
+
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]

core/archipelago/src/wallet/payment_tests.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,428 @@
+//! Real HTTP/curve-signature regressions for paid Cashu redemption.
+use super::*;
+use crate::wallet::{bdhke, cashu::Proof};
+use bitcoin::secp256k1::{PublicKey, Scalar, Secp256k1, SecretKey};
+use hyper::{
+    service::{make_service_fn, service_fn},
+    Body, Request, Response, Server,
+};
+use serde_json::{json, Value};
+use std::{
+    convert::Infallible,
+    sync::{Arc, Mutex},
+};
+
+const ACTIVE: &str = "0011223344556677";
+const V2: &str = "011111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111";
+
+struct Mint {
+    url: String,
+    requests: Arc<Mutex<Vec<Value>>>,
+    task: tokio::task::JoinHandle<()>,
+    failure: Arc<std::sync::atomic::AtomicU16>,
+}
+impl Drop for Mint {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.task.abort();
+    }
+}
+
+fn signing_key() -> SecretKey {
+    SecretKey::from_slice(&[7; 32]).unwrap()
+}
+fn signed_point(point: PublicKey) -> String {
+    point
+        .mul_tweak(&Secp256k1::new(), &Scalar::from(signing_key()))
+        .unwrap()
+        .to_string()
+}
+fn proof(id: &str, amount: u64) -> Proof {
+    let secret = format!("test-{id}-{amount}");
+    Proof {
+        amount,
+        id: id.into(),
+        c: signed_point(bdhke::hash_to_curve(secret.as_bytes()).unwrap()),
+        secret,
+    }
+}
+impl Mint {
+    async fn start(fee: u64, failure: Option<u16>) -> Self {
+        let listener = std::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").unwrap();
+        listener.set_nonblocking(true).unwrap();
+        let url = format!("http://{}", listener.local_addr().unwrap());
+        let requests = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+        let seen = requests.clone();
+        let failure = Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicU16::new(failure.unwrap_or(0)));
+        let rejection = failure.clone();
+        let spent = Arc::new(Mutex::new(std::collections::HashSet::<String>::new()));
+        let service = make_service_fn(move |_| {
+            let seen = seen.clone();
+            let rejection = rejection.clone();
+            let spent = spent.clone();
+            async move {
+                Ok::<_, Infallible>(service_fn(move |req: Request<Body>| {
+                    let seen = seen.clone();
+                    let rejection = rejection.clone();
+                    let spent = spent.clone();
+                    async move {
+                        let mut status = 200;
+                        let body = match req.uri().path() {
+                            "/v1/keysets" => json!({"keysets":[
+                                {"id": ACTIVE,"unit":"sat","active":true,"input_fee_ppk":fee},
+                                {"id": V2,"unit":"sat","active":false,"input_fee_ppk":fee}
+                            ]}),
+                            "/v1/keys" => {
+                                let public =
+                                    PublicKey::from_secret_key(&Secp256k1::new(), &signing_key())
+                                        .to_string();
+                                let keys: serde_json::Map<String, Value> = (0..16)
+                                    .map(|i| ((1u64 << i).to_string(), json!(public)))
+                                    .collect();
+                                json!({"keysets":[{"id": ACTIVE,"unit":"sat","keys":keys}]})
+                            }
+                            "/v1/swap" => {
+                                let body: Value = serde_json::from_slice(
+                                    &hyper::body::to_bytes(req.into_body()).await.unwrap(),
+                                )
+                                .unwrap();
+                                seen.lock().unwrap().push(body.clone());
+                                let inputs = body["inputs"].as_array().unwrap();
+                                let outputs = body["outputs"].as_array().unwrap();
+                                let code = rejection.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+                                if code != 0 {
+                                    status = code;
+                                    json!({"detail":"mock mint rejection"})
+                                } else if inputs.iter().any(|p| p["id"] != V2 && p["id"] != ACTIVE)
+                                {
+                                    status = 422;
+                                    json!({"detail":[{"msg":"NUT02: ID length invalid"}]})
+                                } else if inputs.iter().any(|p| {
+                                    spent
+                                        .lock()
+                                        .unwrap()
+                                        .contains(p["secret"].as_str().unwrap())
+                                }) {
+                                    status = 400;
+                                    json!({"code":11001,"detail":"Token Already Spent"})
+                                } else {
+                                    let total: u64 =
+                                        inputs.iter().map(|p| p["amount"].as_u64().unwrap()).sum();
+                                    let out: u64 =
+                                        outputs.iter().map(|p| p["amount"].as_u64().unwrap()).sum();
+                                    assert_eq!(
+                                        out,
+                                        total - (inputs.len() as u64 * fee).div_ceil(1000)
+                                    );
+                                    for p in inputs {
+                                        spent
+                                            .lock()
+                                            .unwrap()
+                                            .insert(p["secret"].as_str().unwrap().into());
+                                    }
+                                    json!({"signatures":outputs.iter().map(|o| json!({
+                                    "amount":o["amount"],"id":ACTIVE,
+                                    "C_":signed_point(o["B_"].as_str().unwrap().parse().unwrap())
+                                })).collect::<Vec<_>>()})
+                                }
+                            }
+                            _ => {
+                                status = 404;
+                                json!({})
+                            }
+                        };
+                        Ok::<_, Infallible>(
+                            Response::builder()
+                                .status(status)
+                                .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
+                                .body(Body::from(body.to_string()))
+                                .unwrap(),
+                        )
+                    }
+                }))
+            }
+        });
+        let server = Server::from_tcp(listener).unwrap().serve(service);
+        let task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            server.await.unwrap();
+        });
+        Self {
+            url,
+            requests,
+            task,
+            failure,
+        }
+    }
+    async fn wallet(&self) -> tempfile::TempDir {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        save_accepted_mints(
+            dir.path(),
+            &AcceptedMints {
+                mints: vec![format!("{}/", self.url)],
+            },
+        )
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+        dir
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn paid_v4_inactive_v2_keyset_is_expanded_and_cryptographic_proofs_saved() {
+    let mint = Mint::start(0, None).await;
+    let dir = mint.wallet().await;
+    let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 64), proof(V2, 32), proof(V2, 4)])
+        .serialize_v4()
+        .unwrap();
+    let decoded = CashuToken::deserialize(&token).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        decoded.token[0].proofs[0].id.len(),
+        16,
+        "reproduce the short V4 ID"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 100)
+            .await
+            .unwrap(),
+        100
+    );
+    let wallet = load_wallet(dir.path()).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(wallet.balance(), 100);
+    for p in wallet.proofs {
+        assert_eq!(
+            p.proof.c,
+            signed_point(bdhke::hash_to_curve(p.proof.secret.as_bytes()).unwrap())
+        );
+    }
+    assert!(mint.requests.lock().unwrap()[0]["inputs"]
+        .as_array()
+        .unwrap()
+        .iter()
+        .all(|p| p["id"] == V2));
+    assert!(verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 100)
+        .await
+        .is_err());
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(dir.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 100);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn paid_v3_full_v2_and_v1_ids_work() {
+    for id in [V2, ACTIVE] {
+        let mint = Mint::start(0, None).await;
+        let dir = mint.wallet().await;
+        let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(id, 128)])
+            .serialize()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 100)
+                .await
+                .unwrap(),
+            128
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn fees_cannot_consume_underpayment_and_allowed_fees_credit_actual_value() {
+    let mint = Mint::start(1000, None).await;
+    let dir = mint.wallet().await;
+    let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 128)])
+        .serialize_v4()
+        .unwrap();
+    assert!(verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 128)
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err()
+        .to_string()
+        .contains("after mint fees"));
+    assert!(mint.requests.lock().unwrap().is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(
+        verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 127)
+            .await
+            .unwrap(),
+        127
+    );
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(dir.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 127);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn rejected_mint_response_does_not_credit_wallet() {
+    for status in [200, 400, 422, 500, 503] {
+        let mint = Mint::start(0, Some(status)).await;
+        let dir = mint.wallet().await;
+        let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 128)])
+            .serialize_v4()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 100)
+            .await
+            .is_err());
+        assert_eq!(load_wallet(dir.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 0);
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn invalid_untrusted_multimint_and_underpaid_tokens_never_reach_swap() {
+    let mint = Mint::start(0, None).await;
+    let dir = mint.wallet().await;
+    let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 128)]);
+    let mut invalid = vec![
+        "cashuSend_500_abc_1700000000".into(),
+        "cashuBinvalid".into(),
+    ];
+    let mut wrong_unit = token.clone();
+    wrong_unit.unit = Some("usd".into());
+    invalid.push(wrong_unit.serialize().unwrap());
+    let mut multi = token.clone();
+    multi.token.push(token.token[0].clone());
+    invalid.push(multi.serialize().unwrap());
+    let mut untrusted = token.clone();
+    untrusted.token[0].mint = "http://127.0.0.1:1".into();
+    invalid.push(untrusted.serialize().unwrap());
+    for id in ["00ffffffffffffff", "01ffffffffffffff"] {
+        invalid.push(
+            CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(id, 128)])
+                .serialize()
+                .unwrap(),
+        );
+    }
+    for value in invalid {
+        assert!(verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &value, 100)
+            .await
+            .is_err());
+    }
+    assert!(
+        verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token.serialize().unwrap(), 129)
+            .await
+            .is_err()
+    );
+    assert!(mint.requests.lock().unwrap().is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(dir.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 0);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn buyer_token_rejected_by_seller_can_be_refunded_without_balance_loss() {
+    let mint = Mint::start(0, Some(422)).await;
+    let buyer = mint.wallet().await;
+    let seller = mint.wallet().await;
+    let mut wallet = load_wallet(buyer.path()).await.unwrap();
+    wallet.mint_url = mint.url.clone();
+    wallet.add_proofs(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 64), proof(V2, 32), proof(V2, 4)]);
+    save_wallet(buyer.path(), &wallet).await.unwrap();
+    let token = send_token(buyer.path(), 100).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(buyer.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 0);
+    assert!(verify_and_receive_payment(seller.path(), &token, 100)
+        .await
+        .is_err());
+    mint.failure.store(0, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+    assert_eq!(receive_token(buyer.path(), &token).await.unwrap(), 100);
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(buyer.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 100);
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(seller.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 0);
+    assert!(receive_token(buyer.path(), &token).await.is_err());
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(buyer.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 100);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn unreachable_mint_does_not_credit_seller() {
+    let mint = Mint::start(0, None).await;
+    let dir = mint.wallet().await;
+    let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 128)])
+        .serialize_v4()
+        .unwrap();
+    mint.task.abort();
+    tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+    assert!(verify_and_receive_payment(dir.path(), &token, 100)
+        .await
+        .is_err());
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(dir.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 0);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn send_with_fees_preserves_payment_denominations_and_saves_change() {
+    // 128 inputs - 2 fee = 126. Splitting 126 as one sum omits 1,
+    // which is needed for a 65-sat payment, after consuming the inputs.
+    let mint = Mint::start(1000, None).await;
+    let buyer = mint.wallet().await;
+    let mut wallet = load_wallet(buyer.path()).await.unwrap();
+    wallet.mint_url = mint.url.clone();
+    let first = proof(V2, 64);
+    let mut second = first.clone();
+    second.secret.push_str("-second");
+    second.c = signed_point(bdhke::hash_to_curve(second.secret.as_bytes()).unwrap());
+    wallet.add_proofs(&mint.url, vec![first, second]);
+    save_wallet(buyer.path(), &wallet).await.unwrap();
+    let encoded = send_token(buyer.path(), 65).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        CashuToken::deserialize(&encoded).unwrap().total_amount(),
+        65
+    );
+    assert_eq!(load_wallet(buyer.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 61);
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn paid_file_gate_delivers_bytes_only_after_payment_and_does_not_charge_missing_files() {
+    use crate::content_server::{
+        self, AccessControl, Availability, ContentCatalog, ContentItem, ServeResult,
+    };
+    for (exists, accepts_cashu, price) in [
+        (true, true, 100),
+        (true, false, 100),
+        (false, true, 100),
+        (true, true, 129),
+    ] {
+        let mint = Mint::start(0, None).await;
+        let seller = mint.wallet().await;
+        let item = ContentItem {
+            id: "paid-test".into(),
+            filename: "test.txt".into(),
+            mime_type: "text/plain".into(),
+            size_bytes: 5,
+            description: String::new(),
+            added_at: String::new(),
+            availability: Availability::AllPeers,
+            access: AccessControl::Paid {
+                price_sats: price,
+                accepted: vec![if accepts_cashu { "ecash" } else { "fedimint" }.into()],
+            },
+        };
+        content_server::save_catalog(seller.path(), &ContentCatalog { items: vec![item] })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        if exists {
+            tokio::fs::create_dir_all(seller.path().join("content/files"))
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+            tokio::fs::write(seller.path().join("content/files/test.txt"), b"hello")
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+        }
+        let token = CashuToken::new(&mint.url, vec![proof(V2, 128)])
+            .serialize_v4()
+            .unwrap();
+        let result = content_server::serve_content(
+            seller.path(),
+            "paid-test",
+            Some(&token),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            false,
+        )
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+        if exists && accepts_cashu && price <= 128 {
+            match result {
+                ServeResult::Ok(bytes, mime) => {
+                    assert_eq!(bytes, b"hello");
+                    assert_eq!(mime, "text/plain");
+                }
+                _ => panic!("paid content was not delivered"),
+            }
+            assert_eq!(load_wallet(seller.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 128);
+        } else {
+            assert!(matches!(
+                result,
+                ServeResult::NotFound | ServeResult::PaymentRequired(_)
+            ));
+            assert_eq!(load_wallet(seller.path()).await.unwrap().balance(), 0);
+            assert!(mint.requests.lock().unwrap().is_empty());
+        }
+    }
+}

docker/archipelago-source/UPSTREAM.md

@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ lookup relays from the defaults. It does not replace GitWorkshop's NIP-34,
 GRASP, repository browser, issue, pull-request, or review interfaces.
 
 The separate dependency patch refreshes the npm lockfile and moves `fflate` to
-0.8.3, `react-router-dom` to 7.18.3, and Vitest to 5.0.0. The resulting clean
-install reports zero npm advisories; its type-check, 152 unit tests, and
-Archipelago subpath production build pass. Keeping this mechanical security
+0.8.3, `react-router-dom` to 7.18.3, and Vitest to 5.0.0. On 2026-09-30 the lockfile was refreshed again for `brace-expansion`
+1.1.21/5.0.12, `fast-uri` 3.1.8 and `ip-address` 10.7.2 after fresh node
+installs failed the retained dependency audit. The resulting clean install
+reports zero npm advisories; its type-check, 152 unit tests, and Archipelago
+subpath production build pass. The complete image also builds on the X250. Keeping this mechanical security
 update separate makes both the upstream integration and future dependency
 refreshes auditable.
 

docker/archipelago-source/gitworkshop-dependencies.patch

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
-index 20631bb..0933917 100644
+index 20631bb..86b6f86 100644
 --- a/package-lock.json
 +++ b/package-lock.json
 @@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
@@ -495,9 +495,9 @@ index 20631bb..0933917 100644
 -      "version": "5.0.7",
 -      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-5.0.7.tgz",
 -      "integrity": "sha512-7oFy703dxfY3/NLxC1fh2SUCQ0H9rmAY+5EpDVfXjUTTs+HEwR2nYaqLv+GWcTsumwxPfiz6CzCNkwXwBUwqCA==",
-+      "version": "5.0.9",
-+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-5.0.9.tgz",
-+      "integrity": "sha512-ScQ4IuvIEF1TMlP7Zt+vjJ//9zlPb2SDcxWxM3bk8s6t6GGdJ7KO1dCcTidOPJKePW30LE/2cT7wCyPho9/Wxg==",
++      "version": "5.0.12",
++      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-5.0.12.tgz",
++      "integrity": "sha512-YovQ3rzhaLMIrDjNDMkNS01tea93qhEhG5xy8f6+R0l+dw3Ki+5sCoIoI942iuLZTHWogWktgwVDhU09iNEimQ==",
        "dev": true,
        "license": "MIT",
        "dependencies": {
@@ -678,9 +678,9 @@ index 20631bb..0933917 100644
 -      "version": "1.1.15",
 -      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-1.1.15.tgz",
 -      "integrity": "sha512-EwOCDEex4quD37XhqM3omwtMoJjr//isUZz1JopUNWms+4Z2ViyM/k1YIRePpoVNnQhENnxtFjLaxNHrT7xIUg==",
-+      "version": "1.1.18",
-+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-1.1.18.tgz",
-+      "integrity": "sha512-Edep/X9fGqVNmzKBVsDYIOtD+z1tuezV70LBjdCst9Tqu76lsnvRiZ6oTic1n+/BIwX6QDGAO94PN4N2SADvtw==",
++      "version": "1.1.21",
++      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-1.1.21.tgz",
++      "integrity": "sha512-9zeA+KLZNNzglF2TPKRQEDyx6Yby7daAkuy8MiPzpXPsYDWi/DRM8jmwUDxokQjYqBpv5DgPiwD4h4ZZSy1Ujw==",
        "dev": true,
        "license": "MIT",
        "dependencies": {
@@ -833,9 +833,9 @@ index 20631bb..0933917 100644
 -      "version": "3.1.3",
 -      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fast-uri/-/fast-uri-3.1.3.tgz",
 -      "integrity": "sha512-i70LwGWUduXqzicKXWshooq+sWL1K3WUU5rKZNG/0i3a1OSoX3HqhH5WbWwTmqWfor4urUakGPiRQcleRZTwOg==",
-+      "version": "3.1.7",
-+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fast-uri/-/fast-uri-3.1.7.tgz",
-+      "integrity": "sha512-dOvZVzjdZdz7phd9v6jCbwxrBW3fK6n8Rc0CtdmM4bumzMnxywBYhuph6J819RRw/ku+rLbelwfMunktuzVVHg==",
++      "version": "3.1.8",
++      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fast-uri/-/fast-uri-3.1.8.tgz",
++      "integrity": "sha512-GZMtZUTNRpOVIECoXwLNZS5xUGE+mVNbTB8h/7Rwh2TFWcBQiPzTgyZi05BF9UMZKkLJv8XBRJTlU7zg8+ZfMg==",
        "funding": [
          {
            "type": "github",
@@ -859,9 +859,9 @@ index 20631bb..0933917 100644
 -      "version": "5.0.7",
 -      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-5.0.7.tgz",
 -      "integrity": "sha512-7oFy703dxfY3/NLxC1fh2SUCQ0H9rmAY+5EpDVfXjUTTs+HEwR2nYaqLv+GWcTsumwxPfiz6CzCNkwXwBUwqCA==",
-+      "version": "5.0.9",
-+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-5.0.9.tgz",
-+      "integrity": "sha512-ScQ4IuvIEF1TMlP7Zt+vjJ//9zlPb2SDcxWxM3bk8s6t6GGdJ7KO1dCcTidOPJKePW30LE/2cT7wCyPho9/Wxg==",
++      "version": "5.0.12",
++      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-5.0.12.tgz",
++      "integrity": "sha512-YovQ3rzhaLMIrDjNDMkNS01tea93qhEhG5xy8f6+R0l+dw3Ki+5sCoIoI942iuLZTHWogWktgwVDhU09iNEimQ==",
        "dev": true,
        "license": "MIT",
        "dependencies": {
@@ -893,9 +893,9 @@ index 20631bb..0933917 100644
 -      "version": "10.2.0",
 -      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ip-address/-/ip-address-10.2.0.tgz",
 -      "integrity": "sha512-/+S6j4E9AHvW9SWMSEY9Xfy66O5PWvVEJ08O0y5JGyEKQpojb0K0GKpz/v5HJ/G0vi3D2sjGK78119oXZeE0qA==",
-+      "version": "10.7.0",
-+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ip-address/-/ip-address-10.7.0.tgz",
-+      "integrity": "sha512-BGFsyJd5mpXp3rK6jIdADLNgpJUK1jnjzvYF8lK+VyDab9JAmqN0YOKDdP17HlgKb2+ehPgDc8EtnRLbGCAMhA==",
++      "version": "10.7.2",
++      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ip-address/-/ip-address-10.7.2.tgz",
++      "integrity": "sha512-7H/2gFSIitxc0hG3nOI1glS8QLo/EHBFFLk8vEUjXY/xu0AdL8jZ9U1IzO2PUm0d2D/ofQcAifb0g6OBkt8U7w==",
        "license": "MIT",
        "engines": {
          "node": ">= 12"
@@ -1445,4 +1445,3 @@ index bd7190c..6aa5a6f 100644
  import { vi } from "vitest";
  
  // Mock window.matchMedia
-

docker/cuprate-ui/50x.html

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head>
+<title>Error</title>
+<style>
+html { color-scheme: light dark; }
+body { width: 35em; margin: 0 auto;
+font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; }
+</style>
+</head>
+<body>
+<h1>An error occurred.</h1>
+<p>Sorry, the page you are looking for is currently unavailable.<br/>
+Please try again later.</p>
+<p>If you are the system administrator of this resource then you should check
+the error log for details.</p>
+<p><em>Faithfully yours, nginx.</em></p>
+</body>
+</html>

docker/cuprate-ui/Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+FROM git.tx1138.com/lfg2025/nginx:1.27.4-alpine
+# Static site content.
+COPY index.html /usr/share/nginx/html/
+COPY 50x.html /usr/share/nginx/html/
+COPY assets/ /usr/share/nginx/html/assets/
+# Unlike bitcoin-ui, the nginx.conf is baked into the image, not
+# bind-mounted: there is no secret to render in. Cuprate's restricted RPC
+# (the only upstream this UI proxies) is unauthenticated by design —
+# Monero's safe-for-public subset — so there is nothing to substitute at
+# start time and no rotation to follow.
+COPY nginx.conf /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
+#
+# Run nginx as root to avoid chown failures in rootless Podman user
+# namespaces. The rest of the nginx image is unchanged.
+RUN sed -i 's/^user  nginx;/user  root;/' /etc/nginx/nginx.conf && \
+    mkdir -p /var/cache/nginx/client_temp /var/cache/nginx/proxy_temp \
+             /var/cache/nginx/fastcgi_temp /var/cache/nginx/uwsgi_temp \
+             /var/cache/nginx/scgi_temp
+EXPOSE 18091
+ENTRYPOINT []
+CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]

docker/cuprate-ui/index.html

@@ -0,0 +1,407 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+    <meta charset="UTF-8">
+    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
+    <meta http-equiv="Cache-Control" content="no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate">
+    <meta http-equiv="Pragma" content="no-cache">
+    <meta http-equiv="Expires" content="0">
+    <title>Cuprate Node - Archipelago</title>
+    <style>
+        * { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
+
+        body {
+            font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Roboto', 'Oxygen', 'Ubuntu', sans-serif;
+            min-height: 100vh;
+            background: #000;
+            color: white;
+            overflow-x: hidden;
+        }
+
+        .bg-layer {
+            position: fixed;
+            inset: 0;
+            z-index: -10;
+            background-image: url('assets/img/bg-network.jpg');
+            background-size: cover;
+            background-position: center;
+            opacity: .42;
+        }
+
+        .glass-card {
+            position: relative;
+            background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.60);
+            backdrop-filter: blur(24px);
+            -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(24px);
+            box-shadow:
+                0 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45),
+                inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.22);
+            border-radius: 1rem;
+            padding: 1.5rem;
+        }
+
+        .glass-button {
+            background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6);
+            backdrop-filter: blur(18px);
+            border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.18);
+            color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9);
+            border-radius: 0.5rem;
+            padding: 0.4rem 0.9rem;
+            font-size: 0.8rem;
+            cursor: pointer;
+            transition: all 0.3s ease;
+        }
+
+        .glass-button:hover { color: white; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); }
+
+        .wrap { max-width: 1100px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem 1rem 3rem; }
+
+        /* Match the Bitcoin dashboard's app-header rhythm: identity on the
+           left, compact live status cards on the right. */
+        .app-header { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:1.5rem; flex-wrap:wrap; }
+        .app-header-id { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:1rem; min-width:0; flex:1 1 auto; }
+        .app-header-actions { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:flex-end; gap:.75rem; flex:0 0 auto; flex-wrap:nowrap; margin-left:auto; }
+        .info-card { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:.75rem; background:rgba(0,0,0,.6); backdrop-filter:blur(24px); border-radius:.75rem; padding:.65rem .85rem; box-shadow:inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255,255,255,.16); min-height:3.25rem; }
+        .info-card .card-icon { width:1.25rem; height:1.25rem; color:rgba(255,255,255,.6); flex:0 0 auto; }
+        .info-card-copy { display:flex; flex-direction:column; gap:.15rem; }
+        .info-card-copy .sub { margin:0; font-size:.6875rem; }
+        .info-card-copy strong { font-size:.8125rem; font-weight:600; color:rgba(255,255,255,.95); white-space:nowrap; }
+        .node-mark { width:3.25rem; height:3.25rem; border-radius:.85rem; display:grid; place-items:center; background:#050505; border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.18); box-shadow:0 8px 24px rgba(0,0,0,.55),inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255,255,255,.2); }
+        .tabbar { display:flex; gap:.35rem; padding:.35rem; margin:1.25rem 0; background:rgba(0,0,0,.62); border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.12); border-radius:.85rem; overflow-x:auto; }
+        .tab-btn { flex:1 0 auto; border:0; border-radius:.6rem; padding:.65rem 1rem; background:transparent; color:rgba(255,255,255,.55); cursor:pointer; font-size:.8rem; font-weight:600; }
+        .tab-btn:hover { color:#fff; background:rgba(255,255,255,.06); }
+        .tab-btn.active { color:#fff; background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(247,147,26,.3),rgba(255,255,255,.08)); box-shadow:inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255,255,255,.15); }
+        [data-panel].tab-hidden { display:none; }
+        @media (max-width:700px) {
+            .wrap { padding:1rem 1rem calc(6.75rem + env(safe-area-inset-bottom, 0px)); }
+            .app-header { flex-direction:column; align-items:stretch; gap:1rem; }
+            .app-header-id { flex-direction:column; justify-content:center; text-align:center; }
+            .app-header-text { text-align:center; }
+            .app-header-actions { flex-direction:column; align-items:stretch; justify-content:center; gap:.6rem; margin-left:0; }
+            .app-header-actions > .info-card { width:100%; }
+            .tabbar { position:fixed; left:.75rem; right:.75rem; bottom:calc(.5rem + env(safe-area-inset-bottom, 0px)); z-index:40; margin:0; padding:.35rem; border-radius:1rem; box-shadow:0 10px 30px rgba(0,0,0,.65); }
+            .tab-btn { min-width:4.5rem; padding:.7rem .5rem; font-size:.7rem; }
+        }
+        @media (min-width:701px) {
+            .app-header { flex-wrap:nowrap; }
+            .app-header-text { min-width:0; }
+        }
+
+        header { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 1rem; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; }
+        header h1 { font-size: 1.6rem; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.02em; }
+        header h1 .accent { color: inherit; }
+        .sub { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.55); font-size: 0.85rem; margin-top: 0.2rem; }
+
+        .pill {
+            display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.45rem;
+            padding: 0.35rem 0.8rem; border-radius: 999px;
+            font-size: 0.78rem; font-weight: 600;
+            border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2);
+            background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06);
+        }
+        .dot { width: 8px; height: 8px; border-radius: 50%; background: #777; }
+        .dot.online { background: #22c55e; box-shadow: 0 0 8px #22c55e; }
+        .dot.syncing { background: #f7931a; box-shadow: 0 0 8px #f7931a; }
+        .dot.offline { background: #ef4444; box-shadow: 0 0 8px #ef4444; }
+        .pill.online .dot { background: #22c55e; box-shadow: 0 0 8px #22c55e; }
+        .pill.syncing .dot { background: #f7931a; box-shadow: 0 0 8px #f7931a; }
+        .pill.offline .dot { background: #ef4444; box-shadow: 0 0 8px #ef4444; }
+
+        .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(300px, 1fr)); gap: 1rem; }
+
+        .card-title {
+            font-size: 0.72rem; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.12em;
+            text-transform: uppercase; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);
+            margin-bottom: 1rem;
+        }
+
+        .stat { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: baseline; padding: 0.45rem 0; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.07); }
+        .stat:last-child { border-bottom: none; }
+        .stat .label { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.55); font-size: 0.82rem; }
+        .stat .value { font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.95rem; text-align: right; }
+        .stat .value.warn { color: #f7931a; }
+        .stat .value.err { color: #ef4444; }
+        .stat .value.ok { color: #22c55e; }
+
+        .height-hero { display: flex; align-items: baseline; gap: 0.6rem; margin-bottom: 0.75rem; }
+        .height-hero .big { font-size: 2.4rem; font-weight: 800; font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; letter-spacing: -0.02em; }
+        .height-hero .of { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.45); font-size: 1rem; font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; }
+
+        .progress { height: 8px; border-radius: 999px; background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); overflow: hidden; margin: 0.5rem 0 0.35rem; }
+        .progress-fill { height: 100%; width: 0%; border-radius: 999px; background: linear-gradient(90deg, #f7931a, #ffc46b); transition: width 0.6s ease; }
+        .progress-label { font-size: 0.75rem; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.55); font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; }
+
+        .notice {
+            margin-top: 1rem; padding: 0.9rem 1.1rem; border-radius: 0.75rem;
+            background: rgba(247, 147, 26, 0.08);
+            border: 1px solid rgba(247, 147, 26, 0.35);
+            font-size: 0.82rem; line-height: 1.5; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
+        }
+        .notice.error { background: rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.08); border-color: rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.4); }
+        .notice b { color: white; }
+
+        .endpoint {
+            display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.6rem;
+            background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
+            border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
+            border-radius: 0.5rem; padding: 0.55rem 0.75rem;
+            font-family: ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, monospace;
+            font-size: 0.82rem; overflow-x: auto; white-space: nowrap;
+        }
+        .hint { font-size: 0.75rem; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.45); margin-top: 0.6rem; line-height: 1.5; }
+
+        footer { margin-top: 2rem; text-align: center; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.35); font-size: 0.72rem; }
+    </style>
+</head>
+<body>
+    <div class="bg-layer"></div>
+    <div class="wrap">
+        <header class="glass-card" style="padding:1.5rem;">
+            <div class="app-header">
+                <div class="app-header-id">
+                    <div class="node-mark"><img src="assets/img/app-icons/cuprate.svg" alt="Cuprate" style="width:2.35rem;height:2.35rem;object-fit:contain"></div>
+                    <div class="app-header-text">
+                        <h1><span class="accent">Cuprate</span> Monero Node</h1>
+                        <div class="sub">Rust implementation of the Monero protocol, on Archipelago</div>
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+                <div class="app-header-actions">
+                    <div class="info-card">
+                        <div class="relative"><span class="dot" id="headerStatusDot"></span><span class="absolute inset-0 dot animate-ping opacity-50"></span></div>
+                        <div class="info-card-copy"><div class="sub">Status</div><strong id="statusText">Connecting…</strong></div>
+                    </div>
+                    <div class="info-card">
+                        <svg class="card-icon" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M21 12a9 9 0 01-9 9m9-9a9 9 0 00-9-9m9 9H3m9 9a9 9 0 01-9-9m9 9c1.657 0 3-4.03 3-9s-1.343-9-3-9m0 18c-1.657 0-3-4.03-3-9s1.343-9 3-9m-9 9a9 9 0 019-9" /></svg>
+                        <div class="info-card-copy"><div class="sub">Network</div><strong id="headerNetwork">—</strong></div>
+                    </div>
+                    <div class="info-card">
+                        <svg class="card-icon" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M4 7h16M4 12h16M4 17h16" /></svg>
+                        <div class="info-card-copy"><div class="sub">Height</div><strong id="headerHeight">—</strong></div>
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+        </header>
+
+        <div id="offlineNotice" class="notice error" style="display:none;">
+            <b>Cuprate is not reachable.</b> The node may be stopped, still installing, or syncing.
+            Check the service status and try again shortly.
+        </div>
+
+        <nav class="tabbar" role="tablist" aria-label="Cuprate dashboard sections">
+            <button class="tab-btn active" data-tab="node" role="tab">Node</button>
+            <button class="tab-btn" data-tab="insights" role="tab">Insights</button>
+            <button class="tab-btn" data-tab="peers" role="tab">Peers</button>
+            <button class="tab-btn" data-tab="connect" role="tab">Connect</button>
+        </nav>
+
+        <div class="grid" style="margin-top:1rem;">
+            <div class="glass-card" data-panel="node">
+                <div class="card-title">Blockchain Sync</div>
+                <div class="height-hero">
+                    <span class="big" id="height">—</span>
+                    <span class="of" id="targetOf">of —</span>
+                </div>
+                <div class="progress"><div class="progress-fill" id="syncBar"></div></div>
+                <div class="progress-label" id="syncLabel">Waiting for node…</div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Network</span><span class="value" id="nettype">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Uptime</span><span class="value" id="uptime">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Node time</span><span class="value" id="nodeTime">—</span></div>
+            </div>
+
+            <div class="glass-card tab-hidden" data-panel="peers">
+                <div class="card-title">Peers &amp; Traffic</div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Outgoing connections</span><span class="value" id="outConns">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Incoming connections</span><span class="value" id="inConns">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">RPC connections</span><span class="value" id="rpcConns">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Known peers (white)</span><span class="value" id="whitePeers">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Known peers (gray)</span><span class="value" id="grayPeers">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Mempool transactions</span><span class="value" id="txPool">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Alt blocks</span><span class="value" id="altBlocks">—</span></div>
+            </div>
+
+            <div class="glass-card tab-hidden" data-panel="insights">
+                <div class="card-title">Chain &amp; Disk</div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Difficulty</span><span class="value" id="difficulty">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Chain size</span><span class="value" id="chainSize">—</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Free disk</span><span class="value" id="freeSpace">—</span></div>
+            </div>
+
+            <div class="glass-card tab-hidden" data-panel="connect">
+                <div class="card-title">Connect a Wallet</div>
+                <div class="endpoint">
+                    <span id="walletEndpoint">—</span>
+                    <button class="glass-button" onclick="copyEndpoint(this)">Copy</button>
+                </div>
+                <div class="hint">
+                    Restricted RPC — Monero's own safe-for-public subset, what Feather,
+                    monero-wallet-rpc and the GUI use for a “remote node”. Full (unrestricted) RPC
+                    stays container-loopback only and is never published.
+                </div>
+                <div class="stat" style="margin-top:0.9rem;"><span class="label">P2P port</span><span class="value" id="p2pPort">18183</span></div>
+                <div class="stat"><span class="label">Restricted RPC port</span><span class="value">18090</span></div>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+
+        <footer>
+            Cuprate is work-in-progress software; it independently validates Monero consensus rules.
+            Data served from this node's restricted RPC, refreshed every 15 seconds.
+        </footer>
+    </div>
+
+    <script>
+        const RPC = 'cuprate-rpc/';
+        const POLL_MS = 15000;
+
+        function tabular(n) { return Number(n || 0).toLocaleString('en-US'); }
+
+        function formatBytes(bytes) {
+            const n = Number(bytes);
+            if (!Number.isFinite(n) || n <= 0) return '—';
+            const units = ['B', 'KiB', 'MiB', 'GiB', 'TiB'];
+            let v = n, i = 0;
+            while (v >= 1024 && i < units.length - 1) { v /= 1024; i += 1; }
+            return `${v >= 100 || i === 0 ? tabular(Math.round(v)) : v.toFixed(1)} ${units[i]}`;
+        }
+
+        function formatUptime(secs) {
+            const s = Number(secs);
+            if (!Number.isFinite(s) || s < 0) return '—';
+            const d = Math.floor(s / 86400), h = Math.floor((s % 86400) / 3600), m = Math.floor((s % 3600) / 60);
+            if (d > 0) return `${d}d ${h}h`;
+            if (h > 0) return `${h}h ${m}m`;
+            return `${m}m`;
+        }
+
+        function setStat(id, value, cls) {
+            const el = document.getElementById(id);
+            el.textContent = (value === null || value === undefined || value === '') ? '—' : value;
+            el.className = 'value' + (cls ? ' ' + cls : '');
+        }
+
+        function setStatus(kind, text) {
+            document.getElementById('statusText').textContent = text;
+            const dot = document.getElementById('headerStatusDot');
+            dot.className = 'dot ' + kind;
+            document.getElementById('offlineNotice').style.display = (kind === 'offline') ? '' : 'none';
+        }
+
+        async function callRpc(endpoint) {
+            const response = await fetch(RPC + endpoint, {
+                method: 'POST',
+                headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+                body: '{}',
+                cache: 'no-store',
+            });
+            if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
+            const data = await response.json();
+            if (data && data.error) throw new Error(data.error);
+            return data;
+        }
+
+        function render(info, heightFallback) {
+            const height = info.height ?? heightFallback ?? 0;
+            // Monero's get_info returns target_height == 0 when the node is
+            // FULLY SYNCED — the field is the height being caught up to, not
+            // the chain tip, so `??` cannot substitute for the 0 case (a
+            // synced node would sit forever at "Syncing — 0.00%"). Treat
+            // 0/absent as "target is our own height" — the same sentinel
+            // core/archipelago/src/electrs_status.rs branches on.
+            const rawTarget = info.target_height ?? info.target ?? 0;
+            const target = rawTarget > 0 ? rawTarget : height;
+            document.getElementById('height').textContent = tabular(height);
+            document.getElementById('targetOf').textContent = `of ${tabular(target)}`;
+
+            const pct = target > 0 ? Math.min(100, (height / target) * 100) : 0;
+            document.getElementById('syncBar').style.width = pct.toFixed(2) + '%';
+
+            const synced = target > 0 && height >= target;
+            if (synced) {
+                document.getElementById('syncLabel').textContent = 'Fully synced';
+                setStatus('online', 'Synced');
+            } else {
+                const behind = Math.max(0, target - height);
+                document.getElementById('syncLabel').textContent =
+                    `${pct.toFixed(2)}% — ${tabular(behind)} blocks behind`;
+                setStatus('syncing', 'Syncing');
+            }
+
+            const nettype = info.mainnet ? 'Mainnet'
+                : info.testnet ? 'Testnet'
+                : info.stagenet ? 'Stagenet'
+                : (info.net || info.nettype || '—');
+            setStat('nettype', nettype);
+            document.getElementById('headerNetwork').textContent = nettype;
+            document.getElementById('headerHeight').textContent = tabular(height);
+
+            const nowSecs = info.time ?? info.adjusted_time ?? Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
+            const started = info.start_time ?? info.startup_time;
+            setStat('uptime', started ? formatUptime(nowSecs - started) : '—');
+            setStat('nodeTime', new Date(nowSecs * 1000).toLocaleString());
+
+            setStat('outConns', tabular(info.outgoing_connections_count));
+            setStat('inConns', tabular(info.incoming_connections_count));
+            setStat('rpcConns', tabular(info.rpc_connections_count));
+            setStat('whitePeers', tabular(info.white_peerlist_size));
+            setStat('grayPeers', tabular(info.grey_peerlist_size));
+            setStat('txPool', tabular(info.tx_pool_size));
+            const alt = Number(info.alt_blocks_count || 0);
+            setStat('altBlocks', tabular(alt), alt > 0 ? 'warn' : undefined);
+
+            setStat('difficulty', tabular(info.difficulty));
+            setStat('chainSize', formatBytes(info.blocks_size ?? info.block_sizes?.[0]));
+            const free = info.free_space;
+            const freeWarn = Number.isFinite(free) && free > 0 && free < 50 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024;
+            setStat('freeSpace', formatBytes(free), freeWarn ? 'warn' : undefined);
+
+            if (!document.getElementById('walletEndpoint').textContent.includes(':')) {
+                document.getElementById('walletEndpoint').textContent =
+                    `${window.location.hostname}:18090`;
+            }
+        }
+
+        async function refresh() {
+            let height = null;
+            try {
+                const h = await callRpc('get_height');
+                height = h.height;
+            } catch { /* get_info below carries the real error */ }
+            try {
+                const info = await callRpc('get_info');
+                render(info, height);
+            } catch {
+                setStatus('offline', 'Node offline');
+                if (height !== null) document.getElementById('height').textContent = tabular(height);
+            }
+        }
+
+        function copyEndpoint(btn) {
+            const text = document.getElementById('walletEndpoint').textContent;
+            const done = () => { btn.textContent = 'Copied'; setTimeout(() => { btn.textContent = 'Copy'; }, 1500); };
+            if (navigator.clipboard && window.isSecureContext) {
+                navigator.clipboard.writeText(text).then(done).catch(() => { done(); });
+            } else {
+                const ta = document.createElement('textarea');
+                ta.value = text;
+                document.body.appendChild(ta);
+                ta.select();
+                try { document.execCommand('copy'); } catch { /* best effort */ }
+                document.body.removeChild(ta);
+                done();
+            }
+        }
+
+        document.querySelectorAll('.tab-btn').forEach((button) => {
+            button.addEventListener('click', () => {
+                const tab = button.dataset.tab;
+                document.querySelectorAll('.tab-btn').forEach((b) => b.classList.toggle('active', b === button));
+                document.querySelectorAll('[data-panel]').forEach((panel) => panel.classList.toggle('tab-hidden', panel.dataset.panel !== tab));
+            });
+        });
+
+        // Height alone answers even while get_info is warming up; if both
+        // fail the offline card explains the disk gate as a likely cause.
+        refresh();
+        setInterval(refresh, POLL_MS);
+    </script>
+</body>
+</html>

docker/cuprate-ui/nginx.conf

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+server {
+    # Loopback ONLY — same rule as docker/bitcoin-ui and docker/electrs-ui.
+    # This container is host-networked, so nginx binds the HOST's address
+    # directly; a bare `listen` would expose the page on LAN, Tailscale and
+    # the mesh with the app gate nowhere in front of it. Binding loopback lets
+    # the daemon claim the external addresses and authenticate them;
+    # see appgate::listener and apps/cuprate-ui/manifest.yml (auth: gated).
+    listen 127.0.0.1:18091;
+    server_name _;
+
+    root /usr/share/nginx/html;
+    index index.html;
+
+    # Session gate for the RPC proxy below. Internal: reachable only by
+    # nginx's own auth_request subrequest, never by a client.
+    location = /_session_check {
+        internal;
+        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5678/auth/session-check;
+        proxy_pass_request_body off;
+        proxy_set_header Content-Length "";
+        proxy_set_header Host $host;
+        proxy_set_header Cookie $http_cookie;
+        proxy_set_header X-CSRF-Token $http_x_csrf_token;
+    }
+
+    # Cuprate's restricted RPC (host-published on 127.0.0.1:18090, auth: open
+    # — Monero's own safe-for-public subset, what remote-node wallets use).
+    # It injects no credentials the caller lacks, but it is still session-
+    # gated here so the whole companion behaves as one authenticated surface
+    # (same defence-in-depth bitcoin-ui applies to its credential-injecting
+    # proxy: loopback reaches it without the gate's challenge).
+    location /cuprate-rpc/ {
+        # Preflight carries no cookies by design — answer it before the gate,
+        # otherwise the browser reports an opaque CORS failure instead of a 401.
+        if ($request_method = OPTIONS) { return 204; }
+        auth_request /_session_check;
+        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:18090/;
+        proxy_http_version 1.1;
+        proxy_set_header Host $host;
+        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
+        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+        add_header Access-Control-Allow-Origin $scheme://$http_host always;
+        add_header Access-Control-Allow-Credentials "true" always;
+        add_header Vary "Origin" always;
+        add_header Access-Control-Allow-Methods "POST, GET, OPTIONS" always;
+        add_header Access-Control-Allow-Headers "Content-Type, Authorization" always;
+    }
+
+    # no-cache (revalidate), not no-store — same reasoning as docker/bitcoin-ui:
+    # a rebuilt companion image must actually be seen by the browser, while the
+    # ETag still saves the transfer when nothing changed.
+    location / {
+        add_header Cache-Control "no-cache";
+        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
+    }
+}

docker/lnd-ui/index.html

@@ -989,7 +989,7 @@
 
         // ── State ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
         let unit = 'sats';
-        let state = { info: null, channels: [], pending: null, peers: [], payments: [], invoices: [], txns: [], fees: null, graph: null };
+        let state = { readiness: null, info: null, channels: [], pending: null, peers: [], payments: [], invoices: [], txns: [], fees: null, graph: null };
         let peerSort = { col: 'peer', dir: 1 };
         let activityFilter = 'all';
         let logsLoaded = false;
@@ -1142,9 +1142,19 @@
         }
 
         async function refreshAll() {
+            if (state.refreshing) return;
+            state.refreshing = true;
             const icon = document.getElementById('refreshIcon');
             if (icon) icon.classList.add('animate-spin-slow');
             try {
+                state.readiness = await lndSafe('/archy-status', null);
+                if (state.readiness && state.readiness.state.startsWith('waiting_')) {
+                    state.info = null;
+                    state.onchainStale = true;
+                    state.chanbalStale = true;
+                    renderAll();
+                    return;
+                }
                 const [info, channels, pending, peers, fees, graph, payments, invoices, txns] = await Promise.all([
                     lndSafe('/v1/getinfo', null),
                     lndSafe('/v1/channels', { channels: [] }),
@@ -1166,10 +1176,17 @@
                 state.invoices = (invoices && invoices.invoices) || [];
                 state.txns = (txns && txns.transactions) || [];
 
-                // Balances are separate so one failing endpoint can't blank the rest.
-                state.onchain = await lndSafe('/v1/balance/blockchain', null);
-                state.chanbal = await lndSafe('/v1/balance/channels', null);
+                // Preserve known balances on outage; never decode an error as zero.
+                const [onchain, chanbal] = await Promise.all([
+                    lndSafe('/v1/balance/blockchain', null),
+                    lndSafe('/v1/balance/channels', null),
+                ]);
+                state.onchainStale = !validBalance(onchain && (onchain.confirmed_balance ?? onchain.total_balance));
+                state.chanbalStale = !validBalance(chanbal && (chanbal.local_balance?.sat ?? chanbal.balance));
+                if (!state.onchainStale) state.onchain = onchain;
+                if (!state.chanbalStale) state.chanbal = chanbal;
             } finally {
+                state.refreshing = false;
                 if (icon) icon.classList.remove('animate-spin-slow');
             }
             renderAll();
@@ -1192,11 +1209,17 @@
             const pill = document.getElementById('headerStatusPill');
             const dot = document.getElementById('headerStatusDot');
 
-            if (!g) {
-                setText('headerStatusText', 'Unreachable');
-                pill.className = 'pill bad';
-                dot.className = 'status-dot-sm bg-red';
-                document.getElementById('syncCard').style.display = 'none';
+            const waiting = state.readiness && state.readiness.state.startsWith('waiting_');
+            if (!g || waiting) {
+                setText('headerStatusText', waiting ? state.readiness.message : 'Connecting to LND');
+                pill.className = 'pill warn';
+                dot.className = 'status-dot-sm bg-yellow';
+                document.getElementById('syncCard').style.display = '';
+                setText('syncSubtitle', waiting ? state.readiness.message + '. Lightning will become available automatically.' : 'Checking Lightning availability. Retrying automatically.');
+                setText('syncBlockLabel', '');
+                setText('syncPercent', '');
+                document.getElementById('syncProgressBar').style.width = '0%';
+                for (const id of ['syncChain', 'syncGraph', 'syncHeight', 'syncPeers']) setText(id, '—');
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -1237,6 +1260,11 @@
         }
 
         // ── Balances ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        function validBalance(value) {
+            return (typeof value === 'number' || (typeof value === 'string' && /^\d+$/.test(value)))
+                && Number.isSafeInteger(Number(value)) && Number(value) >= 0;
+        }
+
         function renderBalances() {
             const onchainConfirmed = num(state.onchain && (state.onchain.confirmed_balance ?? state.onchain.total_balance));
             const onchainUnconfirmed = num(state.onchain && state.onchain.unconfirmed_balance);
@@ -1253,22 +1281,23 @@
             const haveOnchain = !!state.onchain;
             const haveChan = !!cb;
 
-            setBalance('balTotal', haveOnchain || haveChan ? onchainConfirmed + lnLocal : null);
-            setText('balTotalSub', haveOnchain || haveChan ? 'on-chain + lightning' : 'waiting for LND');
+            setBalance('balTotal', haveOnchain && haveChan ? onchainConfirmed + lnLocal : null);
+            setText('balTotalSub', state.onchainStale || state.chanbalStale ? 'balance unavailable · last known values' : haveOnchain && haveChan ? 'on-chain + lightning' : 'waiting for LND');
             setBalance('balLightning', haveChan ? lnLocal : null);
-            setText('balLightningSub', !haveChan ? 'waiting for LND'
+            setText('balLightningSub', !haveChan ? 'waiting for LND' : state.chanbalStale ? 'last known balance'
                 : lnPending > 0 ? fmtAmount(lnPending) + ' pending open' : 'spendable over channels');
             setBalance('balOnchain', haveOnchain ? onchainConfirmed : null);
-            setText('balOnchainSub', !haveOnchain ? 'waiting for LND'
+            setText('balOnchainSub', !haveOnchain ? 'waiting for LND' : state.onchainStale ? 'last known balance'
                 : onchainUnconfirmed > 0 ? fmtAmount(onchainUnconfirmed) + ' unconfirmed' : 'confirmed');
 
-            setText('liqLocal', fmtAmount(lnLocal));
-            setText('liqRemote', fmtAmount(lnRemote));
+            const liquidityReady = haveChan && !state.chanbalStale && !!state.info;
+            setText('liqLocal', liquidityReady ? fmtAmount(lnLocal) : '—');
+            setText('liqRemote', liquidityReady ? fmtAmount(lnRemote) : '—');
             const total = lnLocal + lnRemote;
             const localPct = total > 0 ? (lnLocal / total) * 100 : 50;
-            document.getElementById('liqBarLocal').style.width = localPct + '%';
-            document.getElementById('liqBarRemote').style.width = (100 - localPct) + '%';
-            setText('liqHint', total > 0
+            document.getElementById('liqBarLocal').style.width = (liquidityReady ? localPct : 0) + '%';
+            document.getElementById('liqBarRemote').style.width = (liquidityReady ? 100 - localPct : 0) + '%';
+            setText('liqHint', !liquidityReady ? 'Channel capacity is unavailable while waiting for LND.' : total > 0
                 ? Math.round(localPct) + '% of your channel capacity is outbound (sendable).'
                 : 'Open a channel to start sending and receiving over Lightning.');
         }
@@ -1284,6 +1313,15 @@
 
         function renderSummary() {
             const g = state.info;
+            if (!g) {
+                for (const id of ['statPeers', 'statActiveChannels', 'statCapacity', 'statRoutingMonth', 'healthHeight', 'healthPending', 'chActive', 'chInactive', 'chPending', 'chCapacity']) setText(id, '—');
+                for (const id of ['statChannelsSub', 'channelsLinkSub']) setText(id, 'Waiting for LND');
+                for (const id of ['healthChain', 'healthGraph']) {
+                    const pill = document.getElementById(id);
+                    pill.textContent = '—'; pill.className = 'pill warn';
+                }
+                return;
+            }
             const chans = state.channels;
             const active = chans.filter(c => c.active).length;
             const inactive = chans.length - active;
@@ -1321,6 +1359,10 @@
         function renderChannels() {
             const el = document.getElementById('channelList');
             if (!el) return;
+            if (!state.info) {
+                el.innerHTML = '<div class="empty-state">Waiting for LND. Existing channels will appear when it is ready.</div>';
+                return;
+            }
             const q = (document.getElementById('channelFilter').value || '').toLowerCase();
             let list = state.channels.slice();
             if (q) list = list.filter(c => String(c.remote_pubkey || '').toLowerCase().includes(q) || String(c.chan_id || '').includes(q));

docker/mempool-frontend/Dockerfile

@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 # Archipelago mempool frontend — adds a resilient nginx backend proxy.
 #
-# The only delta vs the upstream image is /patch/entrypoint.sh, which rewrites
-# the generated nginx-mempool.conf to use `resolver` + a variable proxy_pass so
-# the frontend re-resolves the backend (mempool-api) via DNS on every request.
-# Without this, nginx pins the backend IP at startup and serves 502 / "offline"
-# after any backend restart (podman reassigns the IP). See the script header.
-ARG BASE=source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.0.0
+# Keep the upstream startup logic; repair its rendered proxy configuration.
+# Publish this derived image under an Archipelago-specific tag, never the
+# upstream version tag that the registry mirror can overwrite.
+ARG BASE=source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend@sha256:d63498a109622475c913db4e3199d893f2440a451450e542923d2e55a38407a0
 FROM ${BASE}
 
 # --chmod keeps the exec bit (build runs as USER 1000, plain COPY lands root:0644
 # → "not executable"). Base USER/ENTRYPOINT/CMD (1000 / /patch/entrypoint.sh /
 # nginx -g "daemon off;") are inherited unchanged.
-COPY --chmod=0755 entrypoint.sh /patch/entrypoint.sh
+RUN cp /patch/entrypoint.sh /patch/upstream-entrypoint.sh
+COPY --chmod=0755 entrypoint.sh start-nginx.sh repair-nginx.sh /patch/

docker/mempool-frontend/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Mempool frontend DNS recovery
+
+The stock v3.3.1 nginx configuration resolves `mempool-api` only when workers
+start. Recreating the backend can change its Podman address while the frontend
+continues to serve its static page, leaving all API/WebSocket requests offline.
+
+Build and test the derived image before publishing:
+
+```sh
+podman build --pull=never -t source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1 docker/mempool-frontend
+python3 scripts/test-mempool-dns-recovery.py
+```
+
+The base is pinned by digest. The wrapper preserves upstream runtime options,
+then repairs all four local API/WebSocket routes after placeholder rendering.
+DNS is cached for five seconds using the container network resolver. Explicit
+rewrites preserve API prefixes and query arguments; backend absence does not
+prevent nginx startup. An unexpected upstream configuration fails startup
+instead of silently omitting the fix.
+
+Use an Archipelago-specific image tag. Do not replace it with a stock upstream
+mirror when updating mempool. Every upstream update must rebuild this wrapper
+and pass the recovery test (backend absent, changed IP, HTTP and WebSocket
+mapping, repeated repair, and frontend restart).
+
+Publish the tested image before publishing the signed app catalog. Both the
+mempool umbrella image mapping and the archy-mempool-web embedded manifest must
+point at the patched image. Keep scripts/image-versions.sh in sync. The frontend
+health check must reach `/api/v1/backend-info` through nginx, not only `/`.

docker/mempool-frontend/entrypoint.sh

@@ -1,137 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__=${BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST:=127.0.0.1}
-__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__=${BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT:=8999}
-__MEMPOOL_FRONTEND_HTTP_PORT__=${FRONTEND_HTTP_PORT:=8080}
-
-CONF=/etc/nginx/conf.d/nginx-mempool.conf
-
-# ─── archipelago patch ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# The stock frontend writes `proxy_pass http://<backend>:8999` with a literal
-# hostname and NO resolver, so nginx resolves the backend IP ONCE at worker
-# start and caches it for the process lifetime. Podman reassigns the backend
-# container's IP whenever it is restarted/recreated (gate, OTA, crash, reboot
-# re-IPAM), after which nginx keeps proxying to the dead IP → /api hangs, the
-# websocket 502s, and the mempool UI shows "offline" until nginx is reloaded.
-#
-# Fix: force per-request DNS re-resolution via `resolver` + a variable in
-# proxy_pass. Because a variable in proxy_pass disables nginx's automatic
-# location→URI rewriting, each block is rewritten to preserve its original
-# path mapping exactly:
-#   /api/v1/ws, /ws → "/"            (var + "/" replaces the whole URI)
-#   /api/v1         → identity       (no-URI proxy_pass passes $uri unchanged)
-#   /api/           → /api/v1/$1     (explicit rewrite, then no-URI proxy_pass)
-# Operates on the __PLACEHOLDER__ tokens so the host/port sed below fills in
-# the concrete values (incl. the `set $mp_backend` line). Idempotent.
-# Resolver address: podman's aardvark-dns answers on the network gateway
-# (e.g. 10.89.0.1), NOT Docker's 127.0.0.11. Read it from resolv.conf so this
-# works on any podman network/subnet (and still falls back for Docker).
-ARCHY_RESOLVER=$(awk '/^nameserver/ { print $2; exit }' /etc/resolv.conf 2>/dev/null)
-ARCHY_RESOLVER=${ARCHY_RESOLVER:-127.0.0.11}
-
-if ! grep -q 'set \$mp_backend' "$CONF"; then
-  awk -v res_addr="$ARCHY_RESOLVER" '
-    BEGIN { res = 0 }
-    /^[[:space:]]*location / && res == 0 {
-      print "\tresolver " res_addr " valid=10s ipv6=off;"
-      res = 1
-    }
-    /proxy_pass http:\/\/__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__:__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__\/;/ {
-      print "\t\tset $mp_backend __MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__;"
-      print "\t\tproxy_pass http://$mp_backend:__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__/;"
-      next
-    }
-    /proxy_pass http:\/\/__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__:__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__\/api\/v1\/;/ {
-      print "\t\tset $mp_backend __MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__;"
-      print "\t\trewrite ^/api/(.*)$ /api/v1/$1 break;"
-      print "\t\tproxy_pass http://$mp_backend:__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__;"
-      next
-    }
-    /proxy_pass http:\/\/__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__:__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__\/api\/v1;/ {
-      print "\t\tset $mp_backend __MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__;"
-      print "\t\tproxy_pass http://$mp_backend:__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__;"
-      next
-    }
-    { print }
-  ' "$CONF" > "$CONF.archy" && mv "$CONF.archy" "$CONF"
-fi
-# ─── end archipelago patch ────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-sed -i "s/__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__/${__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST__}/g" /etc/nginx/conf.d/nginx-mempool.conf
-sed -i "s/__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__/${__MEMPOOL_BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT__}/g" /etc/nginx/conf.d/nginx-mempool.conf
-
-cp /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /patch/nginx.conf
-sed -i "s/__MEMPOOL_FRONTEND_HTTP_PORT__/${__MEMPOOL_FRONTEND_HTTP_PORT__}/g" /patch/nginx.conf
-cat /patch/nginx.conf > /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
-
-if [ "${LIGHTNING_DETECTED_PORT}" != "" ];then
-  export LIGHTNING=true
-fi
-
-# Runtime overrides - read env vars defined in docker compose
-
-__MAINNET_ENABLED__=${MAINNET_ENABLED:=true}
-__TESTNET_ENABLED__=${TESTNET_ENABLED:=false}
-__TESTNET4_ENABLED__=${TESTNET_ENABLED:=false}
-__SIGNET_ENABLED__=${SIGNET_ENABLED:=false}
-__LIQUID_ENABLED__=${LIQUID_ENABLED:=false}
-__LIQUID_TESTNET_ENABLED__=${LIQUID_TESTNET_ENABLED:=false}
-__ITEMS_PER_PAGE__=${ITEMS_PER_PAGE:=10}
-__KEEP_BLOCKS_AMOUNT__=${KEEP_BLOCKS_AMOUNT:=8}
-__NGINX_PROTOCOL__=${NGINX_PROTOCOL:=http}
-__NGINX_HOSTNAME__=${NGINX_HOSTNAME:=localhost}
-__NGINX_PORT__=${NGINX_PORT:=8999}
-__BLOCK_WEIGHT_UNITS__=${BLOCK_WEIGHT_UNITS:=4000000}
-__MEMPOOL_BLOCKS_AMOUNT__=${MEMPOOL_BLOCKS_AMOUNT:=8}
-__BASE_MODULE__=${BASE_MODULE:=mempool}
-__ROOT_NETWORK__=${ROOT_NETWORK:=}
-__MEMPOOL_WEBSITE_URL__=${MEMPOOL_WEBSITE_URL:=https://mempool.space}
-__LIQUID_WEBSITE_URL__=${LIQUID_WEBSITE_URL:=https://liquid.network}
-__MINING_DASHBOARD__=${MINING_DASHBOARD:=true}
-__LIGHTNING__=${LIGHTNING:=false}
-__AUDIT__=${AUDIT:=false}
-__MAINNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT__=${MAINNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT:=0}
-__TESTNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT__=${TESTNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT:=0}
-__SIGNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT__=${SIGNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT:=0}
-__ACCELERATOR__=${ACCELERATOR:=false}
-__ACCELERATOR_BUTTON__=${ACCELERATOR_BUTTON:=true}
-__SERVICES_API__=${SERVICES_API:=https://mempool.space/api/v1/services}
-__PUBLIC_ACCELERATIONS__=${PUBLIC_ACCELERATIONS:=false}
-__HISTORICAL_PRICE__=${HISTORICAL_PRICE:=true}
-__ADDITIONAL_CURRENCIES__=${ADDITIONAL_CURRENCIES:=false}
-
-# Export as environment variables to be used by envsubst
-export __MAINNET_ENABLED__
-export __TESTNET_ENABLED__
-export __TESTNET4_ENABLED__
-export __SIGNET_ENABLED__
-export __LIQUID_ENABLED__
-export __LIQUID_TESTNET_ENABLED__
-export __ITEMS_PER_PAGE__
-export __KEEP_BLOCKS_AMOUNT__
-export __NGINX_PROTOCOL__
-export __NGINX_HOSTNAME__
-export __NGINX_PORT__
-export __BLOCK_WEIGHT_UNITS__
-export __MEMPOOL_BLOCKS_AMOUNT__
-export __BASE_MODULE__
-export __ROOT_NETWORK__
-export __MEMPOOL_WEBSITE_URL__
-export __LIQUID_WEBSITE_URL__
-export __MINING_DASHBOARD__
-export __LIGHTNING__
-export __AUDIT__
-export __MAINNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT__
-export __TESTNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT__
-export __SIGNET_BLOCK_AUDIT_START_HEIGHT__
-export __ACCELERATOR__
-export __ACCELERATOR_BUTTON__
-export __SERVICES_API__
-export __PUBLIC_ACCELERATIONS__
-export __HISTORICAL_PRICE__
-export __ADDITIONAL_CURRENCIES__
-
-folder=$(find /var/www/mempool -name "config.js" | xargs dirname)
-echo ${folder}
-envsubst < ${folder}/config.template.js > ${folder}/config.js
-
-exec "$@"
+set -eu
+# Preserve the pinned upstream entrypoint (including new runtime options).
+# Apply our DNS repair only after it has rendered the nginx configuration.
+exec /patch/upstream-entrypoint.sh /patch/start-nginx.sh "$@"

docker/mempool-frontend/repair-nginx.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Resolve the backend again after container IP changes. Run after upstream
+# placeholder substitution, so the repair also works on an existing container.
+set -eu
+conf=${1:-/etc/nginx/conf.d/nginx-mempool.conf}
+resolv=${2:-/etc/resolv.conf}
+backend=${BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_HOST:-127.0.0.1}
+port=${BACKEND_MAINNET_HTTP_PORT:-8999}
+resolver=$(awk '/^nameserver/ { print $2; exit }' "$resolv")
+[ -n "$resolver" ] || { echo 'No DNS resolver configured' >&2; exit 1; }
+case "$resolver" in *:*) resolver="[$resolver]" ;; esac
+case "$backend" in *[!a-zA-Z0-9._-]*|'') echo 'Invalid backend hostname' >&2; exit 1 ;; esac
+case "$port" in *[!0-9]*|'') echo 'Invalid backend port' >&2; exit 1 ;; esac
+
+tmp=$(mktemp "${conf}.archy.XXXXXX")
+trap 'rm -f "$tmp"' EXIT HUP INT TERM
+awk -v backend="$backend" -v port="$port" -v resolver="$resolver" '
+  BEGIN {
+    base = "http://" backend ":" port
+    print "# Archipelago: refresh backend DNS after container replacement."
+    print "resolver " resolver " valid=5s ipv6=off; # archy-dns"
+    print "resolver_timeout 3s; # archy-dns"
+  }
+  /# Archipelago: refresh backend DNS/ || /# archy-dns/ { next }
+  /^[[:space:]]*location[[:space:]]/ { location = $2 }
+  /^[[:space:]]*proxy_pass[[:space:]]/ && index($2, base) == 1 {
+    target = $2
+    sub(/;$/, "", target)
+    path = substr(target, length(base) + 1)
+    if (location != "/api/v1/ws" && location != "/ws" && location != "/api/v1" && location != "/api/") {
+      print "Unexpected backend location: " location > "/dev/stderr"
+      failed = 1; exit 1
+    }
+    if (path != "/" && path != "/api/v1" && path != "/api/v1/") {
+      print "Unexpected backend URI mapping" > "/dev/stderr"
+      failed = 1; exit 1
+    }
+    # Explicitly preserve prefix substitution and query arguments. A variable
+    # proxy_pass without a URI forwards the rewritten URI and original args.
+    print "\t\tset $mp_backend " backend ";"
+    if (path != location)
+      print "\t\trewrite ^" location "(.*)$ " path "$1 break;"
+    print "\t\tproxy_pass http://$mp_backend:" port ";"
+    count++
+    next
+  }
+  /proxy_pass http:\/\/\$mp_backend:/ { count++ }
+  { print }
+  END {
+    if (failed || count != 4) {
+      print "Expected four backend proxies; refusing an incomplete DNS repair" > "/dev/stderr"
+      exit 1
+    }
+  }
+' "$conf" > "$tmp"
+cat "$tmp" > "$conf"

docker/mempool-frontend/start-nginx.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eu
+/patch/repair-nginx.sh
+nginx -t
+exec "$@"

docs/TODO.md

@@ -3,6 +3,86 @@
 Working backlog of forward-looking items not yet scoped into a dedicated plan
 doc. See [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) for the curated, public-facing direction.
 
+## Framework incident — closed with operator acceptance
+
+- **CLOSED WITH OPERATOR ACCEPTANCE (2026-09-30): Framework LND startup /
+  missing Receive address / false zero balance.** Startup, native balances,
+  Cashu address and source integration were verified; the operator accepted the
+  remaining display check and authorized release. See the incident record for evidence.
+  See [incident evidence and closure criteria](incident-framework-lnd-startup.md)
+  and the repository `AGENTS.md` session-start instructions.
+
+## Next release after 1.8.21 — reported 2026-09-30
+
+- [ ] **Release blocker: Gitea → Portainer repository integration.** Diagnose
+  smart-HTTP reachability from Portainer's actual request namespace, then provide
+  one declarative topology and idempotent migration for fresh installs and
+  existing nodes. Preserve gate/auth boundaries, operator configuration,
+  repository/key/database mounts and Portainer stacks. Cover install order,
+  lifecycle/reboot/update convergence, clone/push and source-branch/Compose-file
+  acceptance with a disposable integration setup. Ship in both OTA and ISO;
+  a healthy Gitea root page is insufficient. Operator supplied a private handover;
+  deployment addresses and credentials must not be committed.
+
+- [ ] **New X250: GitWorkshop failed at 70%; slow Nginx installation.** Missing
+  ISO build contexts restored on-node; package staging/smoke checks added.
+  GitWorkshop dependency audit refreshed and build/HTTP recovery verified;
+  Nginx was a slow successful image pull. Aggregate progress label corrected.
+  Include the validated repair in the next OTA/ISO. See lifecycle evidence.
+
+- [ ] **Angor indexer service in the app store**, requested after the other
+  current repair/review work (2026-09-30). Follow the repository's app-development
+  and packaging documentation; treat it as a headless service unless upstream
+  documentation establishes a UI. Verify Bitcoin/Mempool requirements, decide
+  whether an existing first-class relay meets Angor's requirements or a relay
+  must be packaged with the indexer, and use the Angor logo from angor.io for its
+  service icon. The mentioned setup-documentation link was not included; asked
+  the operator for it. Include this service in the next-release scope.
+
+- [ ] **App lifecycle: keep installed apps visible through restart and hard
+  refresh; gate embedded/browser launches on actual web and listener readiness.**
+  Source repair and scoped live acceptance passed; full release gate pending.
+  Includes durable inventory reconstruction,
+  concurrent inventory writes, stale scan/lifecycle updates, delayed HTTP startup,
+  and the app gate's post-install listener delay. See
+  [app lifecycle repair evidence](app-lifecycle-repair-20260930.md).
+
+- [x] Review and repair open paid-download PRs #161 and #162, refresh both
+  branches from main, run independent and combined isolated suites, and verify
+  rootless file permissions in disposable scratch storage. Combined result:
+  1,585 passed, zero failed, four existing tests ignored. See the
+  [review evidence and remaining acceptance work](pr-review-20260930.md).
+- [ ] Integrate the reviewed PR branches into the next release and run funded
+  candidate acceptance, including Tor-only transport and payments with change.
+  Operator authorized completing the normal merge/closure workflow on
+  2026-09-30. Both PRs are now merged and closed through Gitea; integrate
+  local repair commits and sync git/ngit before release. The reviewed code has not yet been deployed to live wallets.
+- [ ] Design durable recovery for an accepted payment whose response is lost.
+  Preserve the truthful unconfirmed-refund warning and prevent automatic
+  duplicate payment while that recovery work is outstanding.
+- [x] **ThinkPad X250 kiosk: Bitcoin version choices readable above pruning.**
+  Replaced the native popup with inline radio choices. Actual Chromium 152 kiosk
+  assertions and screenshot verify white-on-dark choices, selection changes and
+  layout above pruning controls. Focused component tests pass. Included in the
+  next-release source; published 1.8.21 artifacts remain unchanged.
+
+## 1.8.21 repair and release tasks — completed 2026-09-30
+
+See the [execution record](repair-release-20260929.md) for evidence and limits.
+
+- [x] Fix Cashu paid-file redemption between dev and Shorty; test keyset IDs,
+  mint errors, fees, and refund reporting before live validation.
+- [x] Record Framework verification and the operator's acceptance of the
+  remaining display check before release.
+- [x] Replace the unavailable tx1138.com explorer default with mempool.space;
+  migrate the old default with fresh consent and preserve custom/local explorers.
+- [x] Offer pruning in the Bitcoin installation version modal, using the same
+  pruning settings as automatic pruning even on large disks.
+- [x] Explain Bitcoin warmup without raw RPC errors; gate LND unlock on Bitcoin
+  RPC readiness and show install/start/sync waiting states with automatic recovery.
+- [x] Test the completed changes on this development box, then publish a new
+  signed OTA and raw ISO release. Record any remaining verification gaps.
+
 ## Dev & build process (priority)
 
 - Formalize the contributor workflow: releases, CI, maintainers, automated

docs/app-lifecycle-repair-20260930.md

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# App lifecycle repair — 2026-09-30
+
+Status: source repairs, optimized build, new-node recovery and scoped live
+lifecycle acceptance verified. Full release gate remains pending.
+These are next-release changes. Published 1.8.21 artifacts remain unchanged.
+
+## Report
+
+The operator reports that restarting an app can make it disappear, and a hard
+refresh offers installation again. Newly installed apps sometimes fail to
+connect in both embedded views and browser tabs. The new X250 additionally reproduced GitWorkshop disappearing during install
+and Nginx Proxy Manager spending approximately 14 minutes at 70%. A disposable
+app on the dev box exposed a separate restart failure.
+
+## Findings and repairs
+
+- Quadlet removes containers during stop/restart. The scanner protected existing
+  in-memory entries but did not reconstruct an absent app on a fresh daemon.
+  It now synthesizes stopped entries from the durable installed set, respecting
+  uninstall records, normalizing container prefixes, and preserving cached
+  metadata. Absence does not establish an image version or available update.
+- Concurrent read/modify/write operations could lose installed-app records;
+  in-place writes could expose truncated JSON to readers. Serialize writers,
+  publish by atomic rename, and sync the file and parent directory. Legacy
+  package install/uninstall success paths update the durable record too.
+- Scans and lifecycle/progress operations could replace a newer model from an
+  older snapshot. Use locked mutations for lifecycle/progress, and merge scan
+  results only into entries unchanged since the scan's merge snapshot.
+- Container running state and TCP accept alone did not establish HTTP readiness.
+  Add explicit `ui-ready` based on bounded HTTP probes of the loopback upstream;
+  reject connection failures and server errors, accept normal redirects and
+  authentication challenges, and do not follow redirects or send credentials.
+  Self-signed HTTPS apps are probed locally without certificate validation.
+- The app gate swept new listeners only every 60 seconds. Wake that sweep
+  immediately for a ready upstream whose declared gate port is not yet claimed,
+  and withhold readiness until external and Tor listener claims exist.
+- Fixed launch URLs could bypass suppressed runtime URLs. Enforce readiness in
+  app cards, details, centralized embedded/browser launchers, and session frames.
+  Starting/restarting clears readiness immediately. A waiting frame does not
+  load an iframe and resumes when the backend reports readiness.
+
+### New X250 findings
+
+- The published ISO copied only `bitcoin-ui`, `lnd-ui` and `electrs-ui` build
+  directories. GitWorkshop failed because `/opt/archipelago/docker/archipelago-source`
+  was missing. Copy the complete docker source tree for bundled and unbundled
+  ISOs, matching OTA packaging. Validate every manifest build context and
+  Dockerfile in OTA staging, ISO staging and the mounted ISO smoke test.
+- After restoring the omitted contexts, GitWorkshop's retained npm audit rejected
+  newly reported brace-expansion, fast-uri and ip-address vulnerabilities.
+  Refresh the existing pinned dependency patch, keeping the audit enabled.
+  Clean install/audit (zero advisories), type-check, 152 upstream tests and
+  subpath production build pass. The image builds on the X250 and `/healthz`
+  returns 200. No wallet or Bitcoin container restart was needed.
+- Nginx was receiving data, not frozen: over 1 GB read during the pull. It
+  completed at 12:40:46 UTC after starting at 12:26:27; its web endpoint returns
+  200. The orchestrated path previously labelled the entire download/build/start
+  operation "Creating container" at 70%. Give that aggregate operation its own
+  truthful label and earlier phase; no byte-level download estimate is claimed.
+- Restore install progress immediately from an already-loaded server snapshot,
+  so a new store created after hard refresh does not wait for another mutation.
+- Replace the install modal's native version popup with inline radio choices.
+  On this actual X250's Chromium 152 kiosk renderer, selection changes work,
+  options have white text on dark backgrounds, and remain above pruning controls.
+  Screenshot and browser assertions captured; no install confirmation was clicked.
+
+### Restart safety
+
+The disposable fixture restart at 12:38:05 UTC stopped its container, then
+`ss | kill` in runtime port cleanup sent SIGTERM to the management daemon at
+12:38:35. The daemon owned the gate listener on the same port at other addresses.
+Systemd restarted management; Bitcoin and LND container IDs/start times were
+unchanged. Remove port-owner kills and broad `pkill` patterns from restart,
+install recovery and Grafana preparation. Recovery now uses the existing
+container-ID-aware ghost reaper: absent container ownership must be established
+before a process is terminated. A real listening-socket regression checks that
+conflict cleanup preserves the host listener. App-gate manifest lookup now honors
+`ARCHIPELAGO_APPS_DIR`, matching the orchestrator's configured manifest root.
+
+## Validation
+
+- Full frontend suite: 139 files, 1,126 tests passed; final focused kiosk/store
+  checks: nine passed. Production frontend build passed.
+- Final isolated backend suite: 1,567 passed, zero failed, four existing ignored
+  tests. Optimized backend build passed and was deployed to the development node.
+- Tests cover empty runtime inventory, alias deduplication, uninstall exclusion,
+  concurrent durable writes, concurrent state changes, stale scan publication,
+  TCP-without-HTTP, HTTP statuses including 502/503, and gate listener claims.
+- Live disposable Node fixture delayed HTTP startup by 25 seconds. Desktop and
+  mobile retained the waiting screen through hard refresh without mounting an
+  iframe, then opened the exact fixture page automatically when ready.
+- Restart retained the app in both state APIs throughout and returned to ready;
+  the management PID did not change. Stopping removed the Quadlet container;
+  restarting management reconstructed its installed/stopped entry without a
+  false update offer. Starting it again succeeded. Desktop and mobile continued
+  to show the installed app after hard refresh.
+- LAN access required node authentication and returned exact fixture bytes after
+  authentication. The fixture was uninstalled through the package lifecycle API;
+  its temporary manifest root and service override were removed.
+- Bitcoin and LND container IDs and start times stayed unchanged through all
+  scoped checks and management restarts. No wallet data was used by the fixture.
+- X250 kiosk checks also opened the repaired GitWorkshop and Nginx Proxy Manager
+  pages successfully, with no failed local resource loads.
+
+## Limits
+
+This prevents the identified lifecycle/readiness failures; it cannot guarantee
+that an app or network never fails after a successful readiness check. Actual
+application failures must remain visible rather than being labelled successful.
+The full lifecycle/reboot release gate and funded acceptance of the reviewed
+paid-download PRs remain pending. The X250 kiosk fix has live rendering evidence.

docs/incident-2026-09-15-minibits-already-redeemed.md

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+# Incident — 2026-09-15: Minibits Cashu claim stuck retrying an already-redeemed token
+
+## Report
+
+User: "The cashu server is unable to get it's tokens from nostr on
+[affected node]" — clarified as the Cashu **client wallet**
+(Minibits `@minibits.cash` Lightning-address receive flow), not a mint
+server. UI showed: *"a payment arrived but couldn't be redeemed yet (1)"*.
+
+## Root cause
+
+`wallet::minibits::claim_and_redeem` (`core/archipelago/src/wallet/minibits.rs`)
+polls Nostr relays for NIP-04-encrypted Cashu tokens sent to the node's
+`@minibits.cash` address, decrypts them, and redeems them at the mint. A
+token that fails to redeem is kept in `MinibitsState.pending_claims` and
+retried on the next poll — by design, so a *transient* failure (mint briefly
+down, decrypt hiccup) never drops real money.
+
+But one queued claim had already been redeemed (mint error **11001 "Token
+Already Spent"** — most likely double-delivered by the relay, or redeemed
+by an earlier run before a crash lost track of it). That's a *terminal*
+condition, not a transient one: the code didn't distinguish the two, so it
+retried the same dead claim every ~6 seconds forever:
+
+```
+WARN archipelago::wallet::ecash: Failed to swap proofs from mint https://mint.minibits.cash/Bitcoin:
+     This ecash has already been redeemed — it can't be claimed twice.: {"code":11001,"detail":"Token Already Spent"}
+WARN archipelago::wallet::minibits: Minibits claim decrypted but failed to redeem (...); will retry next poll
+```
+
+Confirmed via `sudo journalctl -u archipelago.service` on the affected node,
+and via `/var/lib/archipelago/wallet/minibits.json`, which had exactly one
+`pending_claims` entry. Each poll also unconditionally queried all three
+`CLAIM_RELAY_URLS` (`relay.minibits.cash`, `relay.damus.io`, `nos.lol`)
+instead of the primary relay only, adding needless churn and leaking the
+wallet's Nostr pubkey to two relays it didn't need to touch — `relay.damus.io`
+was additionally failing NIP-42 auth / 503ing on every poll.
+
+**No funds were at risk** — an already-redeemed token has zero remaining
+value. The only symptom was a permanently stuck "couldn't be redeemed yet"
+banner and wasted relay connections.
+
+### Why this had already been "fixed" once and came back
+
+This exact bug (terminal-11001 handling + relay-query reduction) was fixed
+on 2026-09-09 on branch `feat/minibits-lnurl-receive` (commits `4e410d7`,
+`489995c`) and pushed to `origin`. **That branch was never merged into
+`main`.** `main` carries its own, independently-diverged rewrite of
+`minibits.rs` that never got those two hardening fixes. The affected node
+OTA'd to `1.8.16-alpha` (built from `main`) earlier on 2026-09-15, so the bug
+resurfaced on the first replayed/double-delivered claim after that update.
+
+## Fix
+
+Two parts:
+
+### 1. Immediate unstick (affected node, operational, no code change)
+
+- Backed up `/var/lib/archipelago/wallet/minibits.json`.
+- Stopped `archipelago.service`, emptied `pending_claims` (`[]`) in the
+  state file, restarted the service.
+- Verified via `journalctl` that polling resumed cleanly with no further
+  "already been redeemed" warnings.
+
+### 2. Code fix, ported into `main`
+
+- **`core/archipelago/src/wallet/mint_client.rs`**: exposed the existing
+  NUT error-code-11001 translation as a public constant,
+  `ALREADY_REDEEMED_MSG`, and a typed `AlreadyRedeemed` condition identified
+  only by the structured mint error code. Remote text cannot impersonate it.
+- **`core/archipelago/src/wallet/minibits.rs`**:
+  - Added `is_already_redeemed(&anyhow::Error) -> bool`, checking the error
+    chain for the typed `AlreadyRedeemed` condition. The ecash receive path
+    preserves it only when all failed mint entries report already-spent proofs;
+    mixed terminal/transient failures remain retryable.
+  - In the claim redeem loop, a redeem failure matching
+    `is_already_redeemed` is now dropped (logged at `info!`, not retried)
+    instead of being pushed back onto `pending_claims`. Every other failure
+    still retries next poll, unchanged.
+  - `fetch_relay_dms` now connects to `RELAY_URL` (the Minibits relay)
+    alone first via `try_connect_relay`, and only adds the two public
+    fallback relays (`relay.damus.io`, `nos.lol`) if that primary relay is
+    unreachable. Also paginates the DM fetch (200/page, capped at 5 pages)
+    backward with an inclusive `until` boundary. The cursor persists across
+    polls when capped or interrupted, independently of the forward watermark.
+    A full same-second boundary is fetched with a larger limit rather than
+    skipped, so multiple payments sharing a timestamp remain reachable.
+
+Deliberately **not** ported from the unmerged branch: its `STATE_LOCK`
+skip-if-busy guard and per-claim attempt-count backstop. `main`'s existing
+`MINIBITS_STATE_LOCK` already fully serializes claim polls (blocks rather
+than skips — a different but equally valid way to close the same race), and
+an attempt-count backstop would have required reshaping the `PendingClaim`
+enum for marginal extra protection beyond what the 11001 fix already covers.
+
+## Verification
+
+- `cargo build -p archipelago` — clean, no new warnings.
+- `cargo test -p archipelago --bin archipelago wallet::minibits` — existing
+  suite still green (see PR/commit for the run).
+- Live on the affected node: claim poll loop confirmed quiet post-unstick
+  (only `relay.minibits.cash` connects logged, no redeem-failure warnings).
+
+## Lesson (recorded in memory)
+
+A fix that lives only on an unmerged feature branch is not a fix that's
+actually deployed. Before trusting a memory or changelog claim that
+something "shipped," check which branch the running/released build was
+built from (`git log <branch>..main` / `main..<branch>`) rather than
+assuming a pushed branch was merged.
+
+## Pre-merge review regressions
+
+- A 450-event newest-first backlog is completely fetched.
+- 250 distinct payments sharing one timestamp are preserved.
+- A 1,300-event backlog resumes after the five-page cap and a state reload.
+- An interrupted relay fetch retains its unfinished cursor.
+- Only structured error 11001 is terminal, including when errors are wrapped;
+  remote free text and mixed mint failures cannot discard a retryable claim.

docs/incident-framework-lnd-startup.md

@@ -0,0 +1,405 @@
+# Framework: LND startup, missing Receive address, false zero balance
+
+**Status: CLOSED WITH OPERATOR ACCEPTANCE — startup, native balances, Cashu address and source integration verified; user accepted the remaining display check and authorized release on 2026-09-30.**
+
+Reported: 2026-09-15. Source inspected: main at `3b9b74da` (v1.8.17-alpha publication).
+The Framework's installed version and exact incident time have not been verified.
+
+## Mandatory priority across sessions
+
+The user explicitly requested that this be investigated and fixed on the node
+before resuming unrelated work in later sessions. `AGENTS.md` in the repository
+and `/home/archipelago/.codex/AGENTS.md` carry this session-start priority.
+Only live verification below, or an explicit user change of priority, clears it.
+
+## Reported observations
+
+- Framework stopped showing its Lightning address in Receive.
+- After a restart, LND did not initialize and the UI displayed a balance of zero.
+- Manually restarting LND restored operation.
+- Node access will be supplied later. No Framework connection, restart, wallet
+  operation, or deployment was performed during this offline investigation.
+- Still clarify whether the restart was a full reboot or management-service
+  restart, and which Receive item vanished: a Lightning invoice, an on-chain
+  address, or the Cashu tab's `@minibits.cash` address.
+
+A successful manual restart is a workaround, not a root cause or durable fix.
+The zero display does not establish that any funds were lost. Its relation to
+v1.8.17-alpha is unknown; do not infer a release regression from timing alone.
+
+## Confirmed source findings
+
+### 1. LND errors can be presented as successful zero balances
+
+`core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/lnd/info.rs`, `handle_lnd_getinfo`:
+
+- `/v1/getinfo` is decoded without checking HTTP success. Its response fields are
+  optional, so an error object such as `{"code":14,"message":"wallet not ready"}`
+  can deserialize with every expected field absent instead of rejecting the call.
+- Channel and blockchain balance requests suppress connection/JSON failures and
+  substitute responses with absent balances. HTTP status is not checked here either.
+- Missing or unparsable balances become `0` through `unwrap_or(0)`.
+- `neode-ui/src/views/Home.vue`, `loadWeb5Status`, treats this RPC response as
+  success, sets the wallet connected flag, overwrites prior balances, and can
+  persist the false zero in the wallet snapshot. Its existing failure handling
+  preserves prior balances only when the RPC actually rejects.
+
+This is a confirmed code defect and a plausible explanation for the reported
+display. It is not proof of the Framework's failure sequence.
+
+Required fix: reject unsuccessful/incomplete LND balance responses or model
+availability explicitly end to end. Never translate unavailable data into a
+verified zero. Preserve known balances with a clear unavailable/stale indication;
+show an unknown state when no valid balance is known. Genuine successful zeros
+must still render as zero. Cover outage, partial failure, cold load, and recovery.
+
+### 2. Startup readiness and wallet unlock need live evidence
+
+- `main.rs` runs crash/container boot recovery before starting the reconciler.
+- `crash_recovery.rs` can start existing containers directly.
+- `container/prod_orchestrator.rs` runs LND post-start hooks on explicit restart
+  and on normal reconciliation of already-running containers. Therefore it is
+  incorrect to conclude that running containers categorically skip unlock.
+- `container/lnd.rs::ensure_wallet_initialized` checks wallet existence and
+  `/v1/getinfo`, then attempts unlock. Its unlock wait budget is approximately ten
+  minutes; per-request timeouts can extend elapsed time. Historical comments
+  describe slow database startup and restart loops, but that is not Framework evidence.
+- `health_monitor.rs` models LND's Bitcoin dependency. Container-running state
+  alone is not proof of wallet readiness, Bitcoin connectivity, or invoice readiness.
+
+Investigate boot ordering, Bitcoin readiness, listener/port mapping, wallet unlock,
+mount availability, stopped markers, restart counters, and actual reconcile logs.
+
+### 3. Destructive automatic recovery exists; exclude it from diagnosis
+
+`container/lnd.rs::ensure_wallet_initialized` calls
+`recreate_wallet_destructively` when all candidate passwords are rejected. That
+function can delete the LND chain and graph data directories. Its comment assumes
+alpha wallets hold no real funds; that assumption must not guide this investigation.
+
+No evidence establishes that it ran on Framework. Preserve the original wallet
+and channels; rejected passwords must lead to a recoverable error, not automatic
+wallet deletion. Review and disable this destructive fallback before using a
+modified initialization path as a repair. The existing
+`unlock_existing_wallet_no_wipe` demonstrates the non-destructive error behavior.
+
+### 4. The missing address must be identified precisely
+
+`ReceiveBitcoinModal.vue` generates Lightning invoices using `lnd.createinvoice`
+after a readiness check, and Bitcoin addresses using `lnd.newaddress`. Its Cashu
+Lightning address uses `wallet.ecash-lnaddress` and the Minibits service separately.
+Do not assume the Minibits address disappears because LND is down. Trace the actual
+tab and response once the user clarifies and the node can be inspected.
+
+## Next session: live investigation order
+
+1. Request Framework access and verify node identity without publishing its hostname,
+   address, credentials, or wallet identifiers. Do not substitute the development box.
+2. Record installed backend/image versions, boot and incident timestamps, and exact
+   restart/action sequence. Capture current and previous-boot management/LND logs
+   before another restart can obscure evidence. Keep raw logs private and redact
+   secrets, invoices, wallet identifiers, and personally identifying data in summaries.
+3. Read container/service state, restart counters, mounts, stopped markers, listener
+   mappings, Bitcoin readiness, LND wallet state, and authenticated API results.
+   Never dump container environments, macaroons, passwords, seeds, or wallet databases.
+4. Compare HTTP status and data from LND getinfo/balance endpoints with the RPC and
+   visible Receive/balance state. Distinguish unavailable data, locked wallet,
+   syncing wallet, and genuine zero. Preserve last-known balance evidence privately.
+5. Establish whether the manual restart ran a missing/failed hook, waited out a
+   dependency, refreshed networking/credentials, or masked another failure.
+6. Implement the evidenced startup repair and unavailable-balance handling with
+   regressions. Preserve wallet/channel state and arrange recovery access before
+   deploying or deliberately rebooting the node.
+
+## Acceptance criteria — all required to close
+
+- [x] Root cause of Framework startup failure supported by node evidence.
+- [x] Fix implemented and focused regression tests pass.
+- [ ] Failed, locked, delayed, and partial LND responses never masquerade as a
+      fresh zero balance; genuine zero remains correct.
+- [x] Existing wallet identity and channel state preserved through the repair.
+- [x] Framework starts LND and reaches usable wallet readiness after a controlled
+      full reboot, without manually restarting LND.
+- [ ] The originally affected Receive flow works after boot and after recovery;
+      outages show an actionable state and recover without requiring a page reload.
+- [ ] Display confirmation pending; authenticated LND balances match pre-reboot values.
+- [x] LND logs show no restart loop, repeated unlock failure, or wallet-recreation path.
+- [ ] Evidence, tested versions, deployment, and limitations recorded here; user
+      informed of live results. Only then set status RESOLVED and clear the blockers.
+
+## Work completed so far
+
+2026-09-15: source investigation and persistent session-start instructions only.
+No code fix, release, node deployment, or live reproduction for this incident yet.
+
+## Live evidence captured 2026-09-15
+
+Access was provided during the same session. Read-only inspection confirmed:
+
+- Framework runs `1.8.17-alpha-dev`; the current full boot began at 18:40:09 UTC.
+- LND opened its databases in 6.7 seconds and requested its wallet password at
+  18:40:20. It then rejected GetInfo/ChannelBalance/WalletBalance as wallet locked.
+- The management service's first sequential reconcile pass was occupied by
+  unrelated image recovery, including a missing voice image from 18:40:24 and
+  later a missing Core Lightning image. Manifests are iterated from a HashMap;
+  wallet readiness has no initial priority. Boot recovery itself completed at
+  18:40:18; the first full app-reconcile report appeared at 18:44:34.
+- The user's manual LND restart was recorded at 18:42:33. The replacement LND
+  process started at 18:42:40, requested its password at 18:43:05, and unlocked
+  at 18:43:07 through the explicit restart hook. This supports delayed unlock
+  behind unrelated recovery, rather than a missing wallet or bad password.
+- At inspection, `/v1/state` reports SERVER_ACTIVE; getinfo reports chain and
+  graph sync and two active channels. Both authenticated balance endpoints
+  report nonzero balances. No wallet-recreation event was found in captured logs.
+- The Minibits RPC separately fails with “The ecash wallet has no seed yet”.
+  `wallet/cashu_seed.json` and `wallet/minibits.json` are absent. The existing
+  ecash wallet is present with proofs and an August modification timestamp.
+  Do not overwrite it or generate an unrelated recovery identity. Still identify
+  which Receive item the user meant before declaring this part repaired.
+
+Private raw evidence: `/home/archipelago/.local/state/archy-incidents/framework-lnd-20260915/`.
+Files have mode 0600 and the directory 0700. Do not commit or publish raw logs.
+
+Candidate changes on `investigate/framework-lnd-startup`:
+
+- Run Bitcoin and LND reconciliation before unrelated image pulls/builds.
+- Reject failed/incomplete LND balance responses instead of manufacturing zeros.
+- Preserve known Home balances on invalid responses, visibly label unavailable
+  balances, and clear the warning after a successful refresh.
+- Remove automatic destructive wallet recreation; failed unlock preserves data.
+- Add backend outage/zero/ordering regressions and UI failure/recovery coverage.
+
+These changes are not yet deployed or verified through a Framework reboot.
+
+### Candidate validation and staging
+
+Source fix commit: `4237fb5e` on `investigate/framework-lnd-startup`.
+
+- 44 focused backend tests passed (including LND errors, genuine zero, startup ordering).
+- 58 additional reconciliation/update tests passed.
+- 12 Home UI tests passed, including outage/partial response/cold-load/recovery cases.
+- Rust formatting, frontend type checking and production build passed.
+- Optimized backend build passed in 8m02s.
+- Both candidate artifacts were copied to Framework and SHA-256 matched locally.
+- Private on-node baseline and static channel backup are under
+  `/var/lib/archipelago/support/framework-lnd-20260915/`, along with the previous
+  backend, dashboard, and `rollback.sh`. This directory is root-only.
+- Candidate staged at `/tmp/archy-framework-candidate/`; not applied yet.
+- A timing confirmation for the maintenance restart/full reboot was requested
+  because it interrupts all node services. Do not reboot while that is pending.
+- SSH works through the temporary control socket
+  `/tmp/archy-framework-connection/control`. No SSH password was saved to disk.
+- The supplied SSH password did not authenticate to the dashboard. Do not guess
+  additional passwords or alter dashboard authentication. Native LND diagnostics
+  are authenticated using its existing local macaroon without printing it.
+
+Status remains OPEN until deployment and live boot/Receive/balance verification.
+
+### Authorized deployment and full reboot — 2026-09-15
+
+The user answered “yes please” to applying the staged fix and rebooting. Timing
+approval is no longer pending. Applied the staged backend and dashboard after
+rechecking both checksums and rollback copies. There were no pending channel
+HTLCs at reboot. No wallet data, secrets, or recovery identities were replaced.
+
+Live results:
+
+- A different boot ID confirms a full reboot occurred.
+- Running backend on disk matches candidate SHA-256
+  `5a354f76ebe619561eef0d318e4f41f177d04004682504d7434d632733f8e298`.
+- Management service started around 19:23:57 UTC; LND asked for its wallet
+  password at 19:24:10 and logged automatic unlock at 19:24:18. No manual LND
+  restart or interactive unlock was used after this reboot.
+- LND reports SERVER_ACTIVE and chain sync. Its identity and channel-point set
+  are identical to the private pre-reboot baseline; both channels are active.
+- On-chain and Lightning balances exactly equal the pre-reboot values.
+- LND container and systemd restart counts are zero after recovery.
+- Public HTTP checks on the node returned 200 for the dashboard index and new
+  Home bundle; their bytes match the installed candidate, including the new
+  unavailable-balance notice.
+- Captured post-reboot management and LND journals in the private local evidence
+  directory. Detailed before/after identity, channel, and balance records remain
+  in the root-only support directory on Framework.
+
+The user was asked to refresh the dashboard and confirm the originally missing
+Receive item and displayed balances. Keep OPEN until that reply is assessed;
+Minibits seed absence was a separate finding and must not be mistaken for an
+LND startup failure. Candidate is a direct node deployment, not a newly signed
+fleet release. The source branch must be integrated before a subsequent release
+can preserve this fix across the fleet.
+
+### Cashu Receive follow-up
+
+The user confirmed that the remaining error is specifically on the Ecash tab:
+“Lightning address unavailable — you can still paste a token below.”
+
+Read-only checks confirm Framework has an encrypted node master seed, existing
+Cashu proofs, and neither `wallet/cashu_seed.json` nor `wallet/minibits.json`.
+The existing Minibits handler requires an ecash seed, but setup was available
+only through the Settings backup screen; Receive hid the actionable cause.
+
+UI fix commit: `a3b64670`.
+
+- Receive checks the non-secret seed status when registration fails.
+- Unseeded wallets get the existing password/TOTP/backup-passphrase-verified setup
+  component directly in Receive, with import/restore controls excluded from this
+  focused setup screen. Setup derives from the saved node seed when present.
+- The recovery words stay in the existing local reveal UI, are cleared on Done,
+  and are never emitted to Receive. Receive retries registration after Done.
+- Seeded wallets with service outages get Retry, without offering a new identity.
+- Ten focused Receive/backup tests and the production UI build passed.
+- Deployed the dashboard change without restarting services; live HTTP index and
+  setup bundle returned 200 and byte-matched the candidate.
+- Backed up original Cashu proofs to the root-only support directory as
+  `ecash-before-address-setup.json`. No seed or proof mutation was performed by
+  the assistant. Prior LND-fixed dashboard is also backed up there.
+
+The user was asked to refresh Receive → Ecash → Set up address, authenticate in
+that node UI, and click Done. Dashboard password is required to decrypt the node
+seed; the SSH password did not authenticate to the dashboard. Do not request or
+print recovery words, bypass authentication, or create an unrelated random seed.
+After completion, verify saved seed/profile presence, registration success,
+address display, and unchanged original proofs before closing the incident.
+
+### Cashu setup completed and verified — 2026-09-15
+
+The user initially reported a forgotten passphrase, then said “did it now”. No
+independent-seed fallback was implemented or used. The user completed the existing
+password-verified setup themselves; the assistant did not receive recovery words.
+
+Read-only node verification confirmed:
+
+- `wallet/cashu_seed.json` exists, is nonempty, and records source `node-seed`.
+- `wallet/minibits.json` exists with a `@minibits.cash` address and no pending claims.
+- The original ecash wallet file is byte-for-byte unchanged from the protected
+  pre-setup copy; every original proof is preserved.
+- The registered address's public LNURL-pay metadata returns HTTP 200, tag
+  `payRequest`, an HTTPS callback, and a valid amount range. No invoice was paid
+  and no funded payment test was performed.
+
+LND automatic startup and native balances were already verified after the full
+reboot. Cashu setup and address registration are now also verified on Framework.
+Do not ask for the forgotten passphrase again or propose a replacement Cashu seed.
+
+Remaining: integrate the tested source branch before the next fleet release;
+record final human confirmation of the rendered dashboard balance (native balances
+match exactly, and UI failure/recovery regressions pass). Keep this follow-up
+visible across sessions; do not rebuild/reboot/reinitialize a working wallet just
+to repeat already completed checks.
+
+### Backup copy and layout — 2026-09-15
+
+At the user's request, shortened the ecash backup explanations and stacked each
+card section's text and full-width action vertically. Kept the distinction
+between node-derived and separate phrases, and the warning that a newly created
+phrase covers future coins rather than existing legacy coins.
+
+All 10 Receive/backup tests and the production UI build pass. Deployed the UI to
+Framework without a restart; served index and backup-component bundle match the
+build byte-for-byte. The prior UI is saved as `web-ui-before-backup-copy` in the
+protected incident directory. Source integration and final rendered dashboard
+balance confirmation remain pending as above.
+
+### LNURL comment-length report — 2026-09-15
+
+User reports a maximum-comment-length error in some sending wallets. Live
+Framework address metadata advertises integer `commentAllowed: 100`. The QR
+contains the address only; Archy's Receive UI does not add a comment. The
+Minibits-hosted callback returned invoices for omitted/empty comments, 100 ASCII
+characters, 101 ASCII characters, and 100 accented characters. These were unpaid
+invoice requests at the advertised minimum amount; no funds were sent.
+
+The callback did not reproduce the error, including beyond its advertised limit.
+Sending-wallet validation against the advertised 100-character limit is therefore
+a hypothesis, not a confirmed root cause. Asked which wallets fail and whether
+an empty comment also fails. Need that result before selecting a code fix.
+The service controls the advertised limit; changing local Receive text or QR
+cannot raise it for other wallets.
+
+### Primal Spark: automatic recipient note exceeds the address limit
+
+User clarified that no comment was entered and the sender is Primal Spark.
+Checked Framework's management journal over the preceding 20 minutes: no
+comment-length errors, service active, and zero pending Minibits claims. Recent
+claim polling connected to and disconnected from the relay normally. Historical
+seed-authentication failures preceded the successful setup already documented.
+
+The live address's Minibits `text/plain` description is **101 ASCII characters**,
+while `commentAllowed` is **100**. Description template (address redacted):
+`Pay to [ADDRESS] with Lightning. Receiver will receive ecash into Minibits Wallet.`
+
+Primal Android source at `36939db97213e7f8eeefaa4adaf125d839fc662e`:
+- `WalletTextParserImpl.handleLnUrlText` assigns the parsed description to
+  `DraftTx.noteRecipient`, including for Lightning-address input.
+- `TransactionEditor` initializes its editable recipient note from that value.
+- `SparkWalletServiceImpl` passes it untrimmed to `PrepareLnurlPayRequest.comment`.
+- Breez Spark source at `8bb38ec292a590907360c4e7f2a4134b8f09de9e`,
+  `common/src/lnurl/pay.rs::validate_user_input`, rejects a comment exceeding the
+  limit with the exact reported error before requesting the callback.
+
+This identifies a concrete compatibility failure: the address description can
+become an automatic over-limit comment without the sender typing anything.
+The user confirmed that explicitly clearing the prefilled recipient note made
+the payment work, and supplied the same description observed in live metadata.
+This confirms the automatic-comment compatibility failure. The installed Primal
+platform/version was not captured. Node logs alone cannot show sender-side
+validation or requests to the external Minibits callback.
+
+Durable upstream correction: Primal should keep receiver metadata separate from
+the sender's comment and enforce the limit on actual user comments. Minibits can
+also shorten its description or raise its advertised comment limit. Archy does
+not serve this external LNURL metadata; do not rename an existing wallet address,
+rotate its seed, or claim that a local dashboard edit fixes this sender behavior.
+
+### Primal workaround confirmed by user
+
+The user confirmed successful payment after removing the automatic description.
+The permanent sender-side correction is to leave the recipient comment empty by
+default and retain receiver metadata only as display text. In Primal Android,
+remove the assignment of the LNURL description to the draft recipient note in
+`WalletTextParserImpl.handleLnUrlText`; also validate explicitly entered comments
+against the endpoint's limit. No upstream change has been submitted or deployed.
+Existing Framework addresses and wallet identities remain unchanged.
+
+### Can Archy shorten the current address description?
+
+Inspected Minibits' public wallet client (`src/services/minibitsService.ts`,
+`updateWalletProfile`) and `WalletProfileRecord`. The supported profile update
+fields are name, lud16, and avatar; there is no exposed LNURL description or
+comment-limit setting. Its public web repository also contains no implementation
+of the LNURL metadata endpoint or description template.
+
+For the existing `@minibits.cash` address, no supported client-side mechanism
+to shorten this text was found. Do not send guessed profile-update fields or
+rename the address to disguise the problem. A Minibits server change could use
+`Pay to [ADDRESS]`, well below the current limit. Controlling this metadata in
+Archy would instead require an Archy-hosted LNURL service/address and correct
+invoice metadata binding; rewriting the QR label or only proxying edited metadata
+is insufficient. No wallet/profile mutations were made during this investigation.
+
+### Source integration confirmed — 2026-09-29
+
+`git merge-base --is-ancestor 4237fb5e HEAD` succeeds on main at
+`540639d2`. The previously tested startup ordering, safe unlock, and unavailable
+balance fixes are integrated and included in the intervening releases. The
+earlier “source integration pending” notes above are historical, not current.
+The user reports no further Framework incidents. Requested final confirmation
+of rendered balances and Receive; do not mark closed without that response.
+
+A separate startup failure was observed on the development box today when Core
+was installed against existing block data: Core made steady replay progress,
+while LND exited on its short “bitcoind start timeout”. Candidate work defers
+unlock until authenticated Bitcoin RPC answers, with dependency waiting states
+in the LND UI. This is not evidence of a new failure on Framework.
+
+### Operator acceptance and release authorization — 2026-09-30
+
+After being told that final rendered balance/Receive confirmation remained and
+SSH access was unavailable, the user replied: “that's fine I believe it'd fixed,
+please release”. This explicitly accepts proceeding past the remaining human
+display check. Close this incident with operator acceptance based on the earlier
+controlled reboot, preserved identity/channels/native balances, working Receive
+address/payment, source integration, and the user's report of no further issues.
+No new direct Framework inspection or on-screen verification is claimed today.
+Reopen investigation if the original startup, Receive, or false-zero symptom
+recurs; preserve the wallet and channels.

docs/pr-review-20260930.md

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+# Paid-download PR review — 2026-09-30
+
+## Scope and result
+
+Reviewed both open PRs from the repository pull-request list: [#161](https://source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/archy/pulls/161)
+and [#162](https://source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/archy/pulls/162).
+Both branches were updated from main, repaired and tested independently and
+together. Their existing remote branches were advanced without rewriting the
+contributors' history. They remain open for integration into the release after
+1.8.21; no reviewed code was merged into main or deployed to a live wallet.
+The signed 1.8.21 artifacts are unchanged.
+
+| Candidate | Tested commit | Isolated backend result |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| PR #161 | `971d4777` | 1,576 passed, 0 failed, 4 existing tests ignored |
+| PR #162 | `0677924a` | 1,568 passed, 0 failed, 4 existing tests ignored |
+| Both together | `4bf4bf1a` | 1,585 passed, 0 failed, 4 existing tests ignored |
+
+Both individual branches also passed production `cargo check`, with the
+repository's existing 16 warnings. The combined merge required no conflict
+resolution. Backend tests ran through `scripts/test-backend-isolated.sh` so they
+could not access host wallets, native services or production container storage.
+
+## Findings and repairs
+
+### #161 — payment delivery and file readability
+
+- The branch conflicted with newer mint-fee, keyset-ID and truthful refund
+  reporting fixes. Preserve those implementations from main; do not reintroduce
+  its older unconditional “refunded” messages or duplicate keyset resolution.
+- Opening a file before charging, then reopening/reading it afterward, still
+  permits a read failure after payment. Prepare the complete requested bytes
+  before redemption, including ranged reads. Tests delete or alter the backing
+  file during payment verification and still receive the prepared original data.
+- Empty/out-of-bounds/reversed ranges could fail after redemption, and empty
+  files could underflow the range calculation. Validate ranges before charging
+  and return HTTP 416 when unsatisfiable.
+- `chmod a+r` unnecessarily changed the permissions of shared paid/private
+  files. Read restricted FileBrowser files through the rootless namespace while
+  retaining their mode. Scope the fallback to regular files canonically inside
+  FileBrowser storage, and reject unauthorized peers before reading.
+- A single-delivery flag must also prevent redirects and ambiguous transport
+  retries. Payment-bearing GET and POST requests now retain the first HTTP
+  response and do not retry after timeouts or disconnects that might follow
+  delivery. Refused connections and normal nonpayment browsing retain the
+  appropriate retry behavior.
+- Interrupted response bodies now report the outcome using the actual local
+  refund result. Seller explanations are bounded, stripped of control
+  characters and explicitly identified as peer text.
+- Original permission tests silently returned when run as root. Replacement
+  tests inject read/payment boundary failures, exercise them under the isolated
+  runner, and assert that read failures never invoke redemption.
+
+### #162 — saving purchases in Files
+
+- Its host-permission repair overlapped 1.8.21's authenticated Files API path.
+  Review of [FileBrowser v2.63.23's resource handler](https://github.com/filebrowser/filebrowser/blob/v2.63.23/http/resource.go)
+  showed that `override=false` checks for existence separately from opening
+  with truncation. It does not guarantee no overwrites under concurrent saves.
+- The proposed direct path exposed the final filename before the write
+  completed. Both direct and namespace paths now finish a private temporary
+  file and publish it through a no-clobber hard link, retrying numbered names.
+- Plain `ln` could place a temporary file inside an existing directory instead
+  of treating the destination as a collision. Use `ln -T`; existing directories
+  and dangling symlinks are conflicts, never replacement targets.
+- Add filename and destination checks, unique temporary names, bounded name
+  retries, synchronization before publication, and exact input-length checks.
+  Truncated pipe input cannot become a completed purchased file.
+- Files storage remains optional. An unavailable copy destination does not
+  undo the purchase or create a fake FileBrowser installation; the durable
+  purchased-content cache remains primary.
+
+## Additional verification on the development node
+
+Used disposable scratch directories only, then removed them:
+
+- Reproduced a FileBrowser-style rootless-owned 0640 upload. The host backend
+  UID could not read it. `podman unshare cat` returned identical bytes without
+  changing its 0640 mode.
+- Ran the exact namespace writer script with four concurrent writers against
+  a directory owned by the container UID range. Every file had unique naming,
+  exact bytes, the expected owner and mode, and no remaining temporary file.
+- Sent truncated input to the namespace writer and verified refusal, no final
+  file and temporary-file cleanup.
+
+The isolated tests additionally exercised 24 simultaneous direct writes,
+existing-file preservation, symlink/directory conflicts, collision exhaustion,
+root-independent permission failures, read-before-redemption ordering,
+authorization, redirects and peer disconnects.
+
+Logs on the development box:
+`/tmp/archy-pr161-tests.log`, `/tmp/archy-pr162-tests.log`,
+`/tmp/archy-pr-integration-tests.log`, `/tmp/archy-pr161-check.log`,
+`/tmp/archy-pr162-check.log`, `/tmp/archy-pr-userns-scratch-test.log`.
+
+## Next-release acceptance and limits
+
+- Integrate the reviewed branches and repeat the release gates against the
+  final release commit if additional code changes land.
+- Perform funded peer-to-peer acceptance on the candidate build, including a
+  Tor-only purchase and a purchase requiring change, before the next release.
+  The new review branches were not deployed to funded live wallets here.
+- These PRs do not implement durable payment receipts. If a seller redeems a
+  payment and the connection subsequently loses the response, the buyer may
+  receive an unconfirmed-refund warning. Do not represent that warning as proof
+  of a refund or automatically charge the buyer again. Receipt-based recovery
+  remains separate follow-up work.
+- Abrupt process termination can leave a hidden namespace temporary file;
+  ordinary write failures and truncated input are tested to clean up. The final
+  filename is published only after complete input, and existing files remain
+  protected.
+- The separately reported X250 kiosk version-selector rendering issue remains
+  open in `TODO.md` and requires validation on the actual kiosk.
+
+## Authorized merge — 2026-09-30
+
+The operator explicitly requested normal merged/closed PR status after review.
+Re-read both PRs and verified their heads still exactly matched the reviewed
+commits. Changes from the integration-test base to main were documentation only.
+Gitea normal merges completed and read-back confirmed `merged=true`, `state=closed`:
+
+- #161: `3daea6623be3e2c7222101b8e6ac411423c7e16c`.
+- #162: `b02ba4100d922dd1b75c6a78121ef446c2159a54`.
+
+Local next-release lifecycle work will be integrated with this main before the
+next release. Funded release acceptance and the documented delivery-receipt
+limitation remain as recorded above; merging does not claim a new release.

docs/repair-release-20260929.md

@@ -0,0 +1,397 @@
+# Repair and release execution — 2026-09-29
+
+**Status: IN PROGRESS. Do not publish an OTA or ISO until the release gates pass.**
+
+User requires all tasks completed and tested on the development box before the
+next OTA and raw ISO. Passing unit tests alone does not establish live correctness.
+
+## Confirmed evidence
+
+- Dev-to-Shorty 100-sat Cashu file purchases failed twice. Both sellers' and
+  buyers' accepted mints match. Shorty's mint swap returned HTTP 422; both
+  attempted purchases were refunded 100 sats. The old message guessed a mint
+  mismatch without evidence.
+- Wallet import repaired truncated V2 keyset IDs, while paid-content redemption
+  bypassed that repair. Central swap repair and protocol-level regression tests now pass.
+- Core installation on dev reused existing chain data. At 17:42 UTC it was
+  advancing through block replay with no Core container restarts. At 17:49 UTC
+  it had connected to peers and started transaction-index synchronization.
+- LND exited repeatedly with `bitcoind start timeout` while Core loaded. After
+  Core became available LND stayed running and reported waiting for backend sync.
+- Framework source fix 4237fb5e is already an ancestor of main. Existing live
+  reboot/native balance evidence is in the incident document. Final display
+  confirmation remains pending.
+
+## Changes under validation
+
+- Cashu V4/V2 ID expansion at every swap; fee-aware underpayment rejection;
+  single-mint/sat-only/cryptographic paid tokens; no false mint-mismatch or
+  unconditional refund claims. Missing content checked before redemption.
+- mempool.space default; migrate old tx1138 default with fresh consent, retain
+  local explorer priority and custom preferences.
+- Core/Knots optional pruning on the version modal and app detail install path;
+  persist choice across runtime restarts; use identical 50,000 MiB automatic
+  pruning entrypoint behavior on large and small disks.
+- Plain Bitcoin block-index startup message; defer LND wallet initialization or
+  unlock until Bitcoin RPC is usable; authenticated dependency status and LND UI
+  waiting states; no partial total displayed as a complete balance.
+
+## Validation and release gates
+
+- [x] Final backend regression suite passes (including mock mint HTTP and real
+  curve signatures, v1/full-v2/truncated-v2, fees, errors, duplicate redemption).
+- [x] Initial explorer and pruning modal tests pass: 15 tests.
+- [x] Both actual manifest entrypoints tested with isolated fake bitcoind across
+  6 disk/choice combinations each. No existing chain pruned for this test.
+- [x] Initial LND UI install/start/sync/recovery and invalid-balance tests pass.
+- [x] Frontend production build and relevant existing wallet tests pass (34
+  focused tests, including 12 Home failure/recovery checks). Final UI suite: 1,120 passed; production build passed. Full release harness and final frontend follow-up passed.
+- [x] Fault tests and final source review complete.
+- [x] Candidate deployed with rollback to dev and Shorty; hashes verified.
+- [x] Live paid-file purchase succeeds; failed purchase/refund behavior verified.
+- [x] Live waiting/UI verified on dev; recovery covered by deterministic tests.
+- [x] Framework operator acceptance and authorization to release recorded.
+- [x] Release version/changelog, catalog/image implications, signing prepared.
+- [ ] Signed OTA built, tested, published to git and ngit.
+- [ ] Raw ISO built, boot-tested, signed and published; download command supplied.
+
+Tests must not wipe/recreate wallets, prune the operator's existing full chain,
+or claim that arbitrary failures can never happen. Record material gaps before
+release. Signing keys remain with the user; prepare concrete artifacts first.
+
+### Further startup findings
+
+Live dev `/v1/state` returned `RPC_ACTIVE` while `/v1/getinfo` timed out during
+Bitcoin initial sync. Candidate startup now recognizes the already-unlocked
+state instead of repeating unlock attempts for ten minutes. The health watchdog
+also now excludes Bitcoin initial sync, warmup, unavailable/stale status and
+LND height progress from its restart criteria. A later observed `podman restart`
+was externally initiated; its precise caller has not yet been established, so
+the watchdog defect is a source finding rather than a confirmed attribution.
+
+Framework SSH rejected the previously provided login on 2026-09-29. No password
+was saved and no wallet changes were attempted. The human display-confirmation
+question remains pending. Do not repeat a Framework reboot to reconfirm old work.
+
+LND UI waiting-state, stale-balance, partial-failure/recovery and prompt-render
+tests pass (4 Node tests). Waiting states avoid calls to LND endpoints that block
+until sync, and prevent overlapping refreshes.
+
+### Final source validation
+
+The final backend suite passed: 1,548 passed, zero failed, four existing ignored
+live/hardware tests. Includes saved pruning preference, rejecting an old catalog
+that cannot honor explicit pruning, and all nine paid-Cashu protocol tests.
+Unsigned candidate catalog passes strict drift and fleet registry trust checks.
+The release gate caught a missing What's New entry; generated it from the curated
+changelog and reran the frontend gate/build. No public release has been changed.
+
+At 18:23 UTC dev Bitcoin exited with status 137 and restarted; current container
+is not marked OOM-killed and no kernel/oomd record identified the cause. Bitcoin
+is replaying blocks again (height 482071 at 18:31 UTC). Installed old LND continues
+to time out while Bitcoin RPC warms up. Candidate is not deployed yet; verify its
+readiness deferral live before declaring this fixed. Do not attribute the Bitcoin
+exit to a specific actor without evidence.
+
+### Doctor restart cause established and repaired
+
+Full system journal identifies container-doctor at 18:23:21 UTC issuing raw
+`podman restart bitcoin-core` for an allegedly missing 8333 listener. The same
+script restarted LND at 17:57:48 and 18:23:35 UTC. The port was actually listening.
+Reproduced the original `ss | awk | grep -q` pipeline returning `0 141 0`: grep
+exits after its match, awk gets SIGPIPE, and pipefail falsely reports no listener.
+The raw restart also enforces a short stop timeout and races Quadlet cleanup.
+
+The repaired check consumes the entire socket snapshot, distinguishes inspection
+failure from a missing port, and leaves containers running when inspection fails.
+Necessary restarts use their managed systemd units and shutdown timeouts; unmanaged
+Bitcoin/LND fallback receives 600/330-second grace respectively. Regression uses
+20,000 socket rows plus mocked service/container commands and passes. Thirty
+read-only checks of the actual Bitcoin listener pass. Script deployed to dev and
+Shorty with root-only rollback copies. OTA runtime payload includes scripts/.
+This evidence supersedes the earlier unknown-caller/unknown-exit attribution.
+
+### Initial candidate live validation — 18:48 UTC
+
+Source 0f85f588, optimized backend SHA256
+84434c495c5f8472cf6bfcb6c65e762502c74718ad88271619373335c0054bb6,
+deployed to dev and Shorty with matching hashes and rollback copies. Both
+management services restarted; wallets/channels were not reset. Old embedded
+runtime assets restored the old doctor on backend startup; updated the live
+script AND embedded runtime copy on both nodes. Final OTA will contain the new
+script directly.
+
+Authenticated dev readiness transitioned from waiting_start to waiting_sync.
+Real Chromium at 1440px and 390px showed Waiting for Bitcoin to sync, an unknown
+balance, and no blocked native LND calls. Screenshot review also caught invented
+zero capacity/channel counts during waiting: corrected them and the empty-channel
+recommendation; five UI regression tests now pass.
+
+Real Minibits Cashu purchase from dev to Shorty succeeded for one sat and returned
+the expected 44 bytes. A rejected one-sat underpayment was refunded exactly, and
+two cached downloads charged zero. Temporary seller files/catalog entries removed.
+The first test runner expected data_base64 while the first-purchase API returns
+data; cached responses use data_base64. Existing purchase clients only consume
+data, so a follow-up normalizes both response variants to both fields.
+
+The optional Files copy failed because FileBrowser owns host paths as mapped UID
+100000. Follow-up uses its authenticated API with override=false and collision
+suffixes. A live API probe succeeded, refused overwrite with HTTP409, preserved
+original bytes, and cleaned up. New protocol tests cover folder creation, escaped
+names, collisions, authentication failure, disk-full, and unavailable service.
+Full backend suite for these follow-ups is running; do not package the earlier
+backend as final.
+
+### Follow-up validation and OTA delivery check
+
+Paid-response and Files API regressions passed in the full backend run: 1,552
+passed, zero failed, four existing ignored tests. Live browser waiting checks
+passed again after removing invented zero capacity and channel counts.
+
+OTA inspection found that companion image :local (created by old installers and
+used on dev) bypassed both source-staleness detection and rebuilding. The earlier
+assumption that build-context detection covered these nodes was incorrect.
+Follow-up applies the existing source-mtime/stamp checks to both :local and
+:latest, preserving the existing tag and rebuilding only stale source. Existing
+image-ID comparison then restarts the UI companion onto the new image. This does
+not restart LND itself. Regression covers every companion's two local tags; final
+backend suite is running. Verify the resulting live rebuilt image before release.
+
+### Test isolation finding — release remains blocked
+
+The next full run passed 1,552 tests but one existing boot-loop timing test failed.
+Its output and node logs exposed an independent test defect: MockRuntime tests
+still invoked real Quadlet service operations and Podman socket recovery. These
+caused further LND/companion restarts during unrestricted unit runs. They were not
+a recurrence of the repaired doctor port check. Stopped unrestricted testing;
+LND has remained running since 19:02:46 UTC during isolated test execution.
+
+New isolated runner hides live wallets, service buses, container storage and host
+process IDs, supplies a private network and temporary writable fixture paths,
+and keeps host filesystems read-only. An independent boundary probe passed.
+Test-only service helpers use a temporary Quadlet directory and simulated service
+results; mocked runtimes skip real Podman socket/network provisioning. Host file
+helpers require the isolated-runner marker and execute inside the namespace
+instead of escaping through sudo/systemd-run. Release harness and AGENTS now
+require this runner. Initial isolation trials correctly blocked host operations
+and exposed fixture permission assumptions; final runner compiles and executes
+the full suite with those fixture paths isolated. No final pass claimed yet.
+
+Main dashboard candidate and AIUI build at b634f41a are now deployed on dev; served
+index SHA matches the build. Live package.versions returns bitcoinPrune=false
+for Core and Knots, preserving current automatic mode. Existing full chain stays
+unpruned. Final backend (Files/cached response/legacy UI delivery follow-ups) is
+not yet deployed; earlier 0f85f588 backend remains live on both nodes.
+
+Final isolated backend run: **1,553 passed, zero failed, four existing ignored**
+in 13 seconds after compilation. Boundary probe confirms no host service buses,
+live wallet data, host process IDs, or external network. Bitcoin/LND start times
+remained unchanged during isolated execution. Production helpers are unchanged;
+the namespace-specific command behavior is compiled only into unit tests.
+Release and ISO gates now use the isolated runner.
+
+### Final backend deployment and App Store follow-up — 19:36 UTC
+
+Full release harness passed: static/catalog checks, frontend type-check and
+1,117 frontend tests, cargo-check, and isolated backend suite (1,553 passed,
+four existing ignored). Final optimized backend built successfully; SHA256
+16a173129672cbb40c250446ec52ba4a9bd1974cbb3a4988f90c6f3187b7a1f7.
+Deployed to dev. Legacy :local LND companion automatically rebuilt at 19:35 UTC
+and restarted onto image 702c0cd88fb5c8a561c76dabdb96c40648dd62d401c78f2e10d4318b06f02abe.
+Served UI bytes match candidate source. Native Bitcoin/LND start times unchanged.
+
+Actual desktop pruning screenshot exposed horizontal overflow; moved the
+explanation below the app header. The App Store uses Marketplace.vue, a separate
+install path from Discover.vue. Its first Install button bypassed the version
+modal. The browser check therefore sent an unintended Knots install request at
+19:28 UTC. Core remained running, no Knots container was created, and the full
+chain was not pruned. Removed only the newly created Knots installed-app record
+and newly created version config; preserved root-only rollback copies.
+
+Marketplace now uses the shared version/pruning modal. Added integration tests
+for both Core and Knots: no install request until confirmation, selected version
+and pruning forwarded, cancellation sends no install request. Four Marketplace
+tests pass (three new plus existing refresh check). Further browser checks block
+package.install requests at their network boundary. Final frontend rebuild and
+post-fix live checks remain pending. Final paid-file follow-up is still pending.
+
+### Unsigned release candidate ready — 19:46 UTC
+
+Final frontend source/build attribution: 3612458e. Production dashboard and AIUI
+builds passed. Final frontend suite: 1,120 tests across 139 files passed.
+Desktop 1280px and mobile 390px browser checks passed for the app detail pruning
+choice and App Store version modal; no horizontal overflow and no installation
+request. Screenshot review confirms readable controls and explanation. Browser
+installation requests are blocked during these selection-only checks.
+
+Final backend SHA above matches both dev and Shorty. A fresh one-sat purchase
+passed on those exact binaries: correct file bytes, both response field aliases,
+exact one-sat refund on underpayment, zero-charge cached repeat, and exact Files
+copy. Temporary seller entries/files and Files test copy removed; transaction
+audit and owned cache retained. Total net transfer during the two live purchase
+rounds: two sats from dev to Shorty. Desktop/mobile LND waiting checks passed
+again on the automatically rebuilt companion. Native Bitcoin and LND stayed up.
+
+Prepared, unsigned files:
+- releases/pending/v1.8.20-alpha/app-catalog.json
+- releases/pending/v1.8.20-alpha/manifest.json
+
+Staged OTA backend: 64,716,656 bytes, SHA256
+16a173129672cbb40c250446ec52ba4a9bd1974cbb3a4988f90c6f3187b7a1f7.
+Frontend archive: 97,152,297 bytes, SHA256
+658b78fce0dfa20a627c987dd153b24cbac15adbde905cc6518744c637e12802.
+Artifact sizes/hashes/release notes validate. Checked actual archive: flat
+layout, readable root permissions, exact doctor/LND UI source bytes, and fresh
+AIUI attribution. Catalog has zero metadata drift and passes fleet registry trust.
+
+Remaining: user-local release-root signatures, Framework's final display
+confirmation, signed publication to git/ngit, then raw ISO build/boot test/signing
+and publication. No v1.8.20 public release or tag exists yet. Four pre-existing
+hardware/live tests remain ignored. Bitcoin sync-to-ready recovery is covered
+by deterministic tests; the live node remains in initial sync. Do not describe
+these checks as proof against every possible network/payment failure.
+
+### Signing and release authorization — 2026-09-30
+
+Both catalog and OTA signatures verify against the pinned release root. Staged
+artifact hash/size checks and catalog drift/trust checks pass. User accepted the
+remaining Framework display check and explicitly authorized release. Publication
+and ISO build may proceed; do not regenerate the signed manifest or artifacts.
+
+### Published OTA; ISO withheld after live shutdown defect — 2026-09-30
+
+Signed 1.8.20 OTA/catalog published to git and ngit, with public asset hashes
+verified. Catalog rollout triggered a Bitcoin command update at 08:34 UTC.
+Although the orchestrator allowed a long stop, Quadlet's generated Podman removal
+still used its ten-second default and killed Bitcoin. Core replayed its block
+index; LND later lost its connection to the previous Bitcoin container IP.
+
+Stopped the ISO build and queued boot check; any partial 1.8.20 ISO is invalid
+and must not be published. Preparing 1.8.21 to supersede the immutable signed OTA.
+Installed explicit graceful-stop systemd overrides on dev and Shorty without
+restarting native services. Candidate Quadlet fix adds per-app container, systemd,
+and command-wait budgets, including existing containers and uninstall fallback.
+Focused 43 tests pass, including actual Quadlet generator stop-before-remove order.
+Full tests, disposable slow-stop verification, build and deployment remain pending.
+
+Disposable live regression passed: started an Alpine container with its legacy
+ten-second stop setting, rewrote and reloaded its Quadlet with explicit twenty-
+second graceful stop, verified the same container ID and old internal timeout
+remained running, then stopped it. Its twelve-second shutdown handler completed
+in 12.6 seconds, emitted the completion marker, and exited without SIGKILL/137.
+Fixture had no network or wallet mounts and was removed afterward.
+
+Core finished index loading and resumed unpruned initial sync. LND automatically
+unlocked at 08:47 UTC. The existing backend-address cascade then performed a
+graceful LND restart at 08:57 UTC after Bitcoin reconciliation completed; LND
+automatically unlocked again and reached chain-sync waiting. No manual wallet
+unlock or restart was used for this recovery.
+
+### False dependency restart exposed during monitoring — 09:08 UTC
+
+The initial 1.8.21 candidate passed all 1,557 isolated backend tests and 1,120
+frontend tests. Monitoring nevertheless found another managed LND restart at
+09:08:32 while Bitcoin's container/start timestamp remained unchanged. Management
+logs explicitly attribute it to the backend-address cascade. This also makes
+the earlier 08:57 cascade suspect; it must not be described as a proven necessary
+restart. These service restarts preceded the isolated test executable, whose
+namespace boundaries remain intact.
+
+The cascade trusted Started/Installed action reports. A failed runtime inspection
+followed by successful systemctl start of an already active unit can produce
+Started without changing Bitcoin. Dependency restarts now require observed
+container-ID, running-state, or start-time changes. Failed observations remain
+unknown, not absence; a known absent backend becoming running still qualifies.
+Actual exec-drift restarts are recognized even when their outer report is NoOp.
+Stopped/lifecycle-in-flight dependents remain excluded, and user stop markers
+are re-read after the potentially slow pass. Added runtime-observation and
+false-action/real-exec-drift regression cases; full isolated rerun pending.
+Stopped the first optimized build and preparing new artifacts from this correction.
+
+### Final 1.8.21 artifacts and live verification — 2026-09-30
+
+Source and frontend/AIUI attribution: c993d9dd. Full isolated backend suite:
+1,559 passed, zero failed, four existing hardware/live tests ignored. Frontend
+suite: 1,120 passed; final production type-check/build passed after the last
+release-note-only edit. Optimized backend built in 13m22s.
+
+Staged unsigned 1.8.21 OTA manifest and artifacts:
+- Backend: 64,748,176 bytes; SHA256
+  ff602e85f340aff7e43d9d94f7f84f11f713735c964c0d8ba150e23b065c30eb.
+- Frontend archive: 97,152,546 bytes; SHA256
+  6c0842ec83a440269a353808a4cf154174f5232c9989b4a5448bc6486e1d0620.
+
+Artifact validator passed. Actual archive has flat paths, readable root index,
+and exact fresh AIUI, doctor and LND UI payload bytes. Exact files deployed to
+dev at 09:32 UTC and Shorty at 09:35 UTC; rollback binaries and dashboards under
+root-only /var/lib/archipelago/support/release-1821 on each node. Only management
+services restarted. Existing Bitcoin/Core-or-Knots and native LND container IDs
+and start times were preserved. Correct generated graceful-stop commands are
+present before forced removal on both nodes; temporary grace overrides removed.
+Dev systemd deadlines are 615 seconds for Bitcoin and 345 seconds for LND.
+
+Desktop/mobile Lightning UI checks passed again: waiting for Bitcoin sync,
+unknown balance, no unavailable native RPC requests. Served dashboard and AIUI
+attribution bytes match the release. Native LND states: dev RPC_ACTIVE while
+Bitcoin syncs; Shorty SERVER_ACTIVE. Dev completed full reconciliation passes
+at 09:34:21 and 09:36:40 with Bitcoin/LND NoOp, and no dependency restart.
+Shorty's first full pass completed 09:36:55 with Knots/LND NoOp.
+
+Final paid-file check on these exact binaries passed: fresh one-sat dev-to-Shorty
+purchase, exact one-sat refund on underpayment, identical response aliases,
+correct Files copy, and zero-charge cached repeat. Removed temporary seller
+entries/files and Files copy; retained purchase audit and owned cache. Total net
+transfer across all three live payment rounds in this repair session: three sats.
+
+Remaining: finish Shorty observation and remove temporary diagnostic logging;
+user-local 1.8.21 OTA signature (existing catalog signature remains valid),
+publish git/ngit, build/boot-test/sign and publish the raw 1.8.21 ISO.
+No 1.8.21 release tag or public OTA yet. Do not publish the quarantined partial
+1.8.20 ISO. The existing 1.8.20 git/ngit release notes now explain the withheld ISO
+and pending hotfix; signed 1.8.20 assets remain immutable.
+
+Shorty's second clean full pass completed at 09:38:06 UTC. Removed temporary
+diagnostic logging on both nodes and restarted only management again; native
+Bitcoin and LND IDs/start times remained unchanged, with generated stop settings
+still verified. No temporary graceful-stop overrides remain. Catalog signature
+verifies against the pinned release root; final 1.8.21 artifact validator passes.
+The candidate is ready for the user's local OTA signing ceremony.
+
+### 1.8.21 publication completed — 2026-09-30
+
+The operator signed the OTA manifest and subsequently the ISO checksum JSON.
+Both signatures verified against the pinned release root. The signed OTA was
+published on git/ngit, and the operator confirmed that Framework could see the
+update. Source main and the annotated `v1.8.21-alpha` tag were published.
+
+Raw ISO:
+`archipelago-installer-1.8.21-alpha-unbundled-x86_64_RC1.iso`
+
+- Size: 2,682,419,200 bytes.
+- SHA256: `8667b5522c476a40e29abba19df4180086191527a194a88765aa70ed527f9406`.
+- Build and ISO smoke checks passed. The mounted backend matched the staged
+  OTA backend hash, and the full dashboard/AIUI tree matched the fresh build.
+- An isolated UEFI QEMU guest, with no network or host disks attached, booted to
+  the installer prompt. The VM was stopped and the ISO unmounted afterward.
+  This was an installer boot check, not a full installation onto hardware.
+- Uploaded the raw ISO, plain SHA256 sidecar and signed checksum JSON to the
+  [1.8.21 release](https://source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/archy/releases/tag/v1.8.21-alpha).
+  The stored server file hashes matched, the public ISO headers and first/last
+  byte samples matched, and both public checksum files matched byte-for-byte.
+- The ngit downloader's full-ISO acquisition exceeded its fixed 30-minute
+  deadline on the available connection. Published Nostr asset records using
+  the already verified hashes, sizes and public URLs with the existing ngit
+  signer; both repository relays acknowledged them. Ngit then accepted those
+  records and final readback resolved all five release assets with the expected
+  hashes and sizes. No new release-root signing was performed by the assistant.
+
+Final publication evidence: `/tmp/archy-1821-finish-events.log`,
+`/tmp/archy-ngit-1821-complete-view.json`, and
+`/tmp/archy-1821-verified-asset-events.log` on the development box.
+
+Subsequent review of PRs #161/#162 found additional delivery and concurrent
+file-save edge cases. Their repaired, tested branches are recorded in
+[the next-release review](pr-review-20260930.md); those changes are not in the
+signed 1.8.21 artifacts. The X250 kiosk selector report is also tracked for the
+next release. No claim of exhaustive hardware or network-failure coverage is
+made for this release.

image-recipe/_archived/build-auto-installer-iso.sh

@@ -2607,21 +2607,14 @@ if [ -f "$SCRIPT_DIR/../../scripts/image-versions.sh" ]; then
     echo "   ✅ Bundled image-versions.sh"
 fi
 
-# Bundle docker UI source files for building custom UIs on first boot
-# Always bundle — these are tiny HTML/CSS files, not container images
-if true; then
-    DOCKER_UI_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR/../../docker"
-    if [ -d "$DOCKER_UI_DIR" ]; then
-        echo "   Bundling docker UI source files..."
-        mkdir -p "$ARCH_DIR/docker"
-        for ui_dir in bitcoin-ui lnd-ui electrs-ui; do
-            if [ -d "$DOCKER_UI_DIR/$ui_dir" ]; then
-                cp -r "$DOCKER_UI_DIR/$ui_dir" "$ARCH_DIR/docker/"
-                echo "   ✅ Bundled $ui_dir source"
-            fi
-        done
-    fi
-fi
+# Build-source apps need their complete contexts even on unbundled ISOs.
+# Keep this identical to the OTA runtime payload; a per-app allowlist silently
+# omitted GitWorkshop, FIPS and Cuprate and made fresh installs fail at 70%.
+DOCKER_UI_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR/../../docker"
+[ -d "$DOCKER_UI_DIR" ] || { echo "Missing docker build sources" >&2; exit 1; }
+mkdir -p "$ARCH_DIR/docker"
+cp -a "$DOCKER_UI_DIR/." "$ARCH_DIR/docker/"
+python3 "$SCRIPT_DIR/../../scripts/check-app-build-contexts.py" "$ARCH_DIR"
 
 if [ "$UNBUNDLED" = "1" ]; then
     echo "   ✅ Unbundled build ready (Tor setup included, no container images)"

neode-ui/package-lock.json

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "neode-ui",
-  "version": "1.8.13-alpha",
+  "version": "1.8.21-alpha",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "neode-ui",
-      "version": "1.8.13-alpha",
+      "version": "1.8.21-alpha",
       "dependencies": {
         "@scure/bip39": "^2.2.0",
         "@types/dompurify": "^3.0.5",

neode-ui/package.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "neode-ui",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "1.8.13-alpha",
+  "version": "1.8.21-alpha",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "./start-dev.sh",

neode-ui/public/catalog.json

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         "headline": "Your node. Your source.",
         "description": "Install GitWorkshop to browse Archipelago's code from your own node, clone it with ngit, and contribute issues, patches, and reviews over Nostr.",
         "tag": "NGIT // NOSTR // NO SILO",
-        "path": "/npub1w3sqdkrhn0gyuvsex32effzgnfpyde6qrrc4u467flg5e9txh4wsfn5vjg/archy",
+        "path": "/npub1w3sqdkrhn0gyuvsex32effzgnfpyde6qrrc4u467flg5e9txh4wsfn5vjg/relay.ngit.dev/archy",
         "launchLabel": "Open GitWorkshop",
         "installLabel": "Install GitWorkshop",
         "detailsLabel": "How contribution works →"
@@ -378,13 +378,13 @@
     {
       "id": "mempool",
       "title": "Mempool Explorer",
-      "version": "3.0.0",
+      "version": "3.3.1-archy1",
       "description": "Bitcoin mempool and blockchain explorer. Real-time transaction and block visualization.",
       "icon": "/assets/img/app-icons/mempool.webp",
       "author": "Mempool",
       "category": "money",
       "tier": "core",
-      "dockerImage": "source.archipelago-foundation.org/lfg2025/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1",
+      "dockerImage": "source.archipelago-foundation.org/chaum/mempool-frontend:v3.3.1-archy1",
       "repoUrl": "https://github.com/mempool/mempool",
       "requires": [
         "bitcoin-knots",

neode-ui/src/api/rpc-client.ts

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export interface PackageVersionsResponse {
   pinnedVersion: string | null
   autoUpdate: boolean
   versions: CatalogVersionInfo[]
+  bitcoinPrune?: boolean | null
 }
 
 export interface AppGatePortStatus {

neode-ui/src/components/BitcoinPruningChoice.vue

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<template>
+    <div class="mt-5 space-y-2">
+      <label class="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-white/80">
+        <input v-model="model" type="checkbox" class="accent-orange-400" />
+        Prune Bitcoin to save disk space
+      </label>
+      <p class="text-xs text-white/50">
+        Keeps about 50 GB of recent blocks, using the same settings as automatic
+        pruning on smaller disks. All blocks are still downloaded and verified.
+        Mempool and other apps that need the full blockchain won’t be available.
+        Turning pruning off later requires downloading the blockchain again.
+      </p>
+      <p v-if="!model" class="text-xs text-white/50">
+        Automatic pruning still applies on disks smaller than 1 TB.
+      </p>
+    </div>
+
+</template>
+<script setup lang="ts">
+const model = defineModel<boolean>({ default: false })
+</script>

neode-ui/src/components/EcashSeedBackup.vue

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ import { ref, computed, onMounted } from 'vue'
 import { rpcClient } from '@/api/rpc-client'
 import SeedRevealPanel from '@/components/SeedRevealPanel.vue'
 
+defineProps<{ setupOnly?: boolean }>()
+const emit = defineEmits<{ ready: [] }>()
+
 // Ecash (Cashu) wallet backup card — the same shape as the node recovery
 // phrase and the Lightning seed cards, deliberately: a third reveal pattern
 // would be a third thing to learn.
@@ -102,12 +105,14 @@ async function submitReveal() {
 }
 
 function closeReveal() {
+  const established = revealedWords.value.length > 0
   showRevealModal.value = false
   revealedWords.value = []
   revealPassword.value = ''
   revealCode.value = ''
   revealPassphrase.value = ''
   showRevealPassphrase.value = false
+  if (established) emit('ready')
 }
 
 async function copyRevealedWords() {
@@ -221,61 +226,54 @@ async function restoreFromPhrase() {
       Your ecash has no backup yet
     </div>
 
-    <div class="flex items-start justify-between gap-4">
+    <div class="flex flex-col gap-3">
       <div class="min-w-0">
-        <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-white/96 mb-1">Ecash backup phrase</h2>
+        <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-white/96 mb-1">{{ setupOnly ? 'Set up your Cashu Lightning address' : 'Ecash backup phrase' }}</h2>
 
-        <p v-if="status?.active && status?.source === 'node-seed'" class="text-sm text-white/60">
-          Your ecash wallet has its own 24-word phrase, derived from this node's recovery
-          phrase — so the words you already wrote down cover your ecash too. Reveal it here
-          if you want to restore your ecash into another wallet (Minibits, Nutstash,
-          <span class="font-mono">cdk-cli</span>) without handing over the node's own seed.
+        <p v-if="status?.active && status?.source === 'node-seed'" class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60">
+          Your node's recovery phrase also recovers this ecash phrase. Reveal its 24 words
+          to restore in a compatible Cashu wallet without sharing your node's phrase.
         </p>
-        <p v-else-if="status?.active" class="text-sm text-white/60">
-          Your ecash wallet has its own 24-word phrase. Reveal it to write it down, or to
-          restore your ecash into another wallet (Minibits, Nutstash,
-          <span class="font-mono">cdk-cli</span>).
+        <p v-else-if="status?.active" class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60">
+          Save your 24-word ecash phrase to restore this wallet here or in another
+          compatible Cashu wallet.
         </p>
-        <p v-else class="text-sm text-white/60">
-          Ecash is a bearer instrument: the coins live in a file on this node, and right now
-          nothing can bring them back if that file is lost. Setting up a backup phrase fixes
-          that for every coin minted from then on.
+        <p v-else class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60">
+          If this node's coin file is lost, your ecash is lost. Set up a phrase to recover
+          future coins; existing coins aren't covered.
           <template v-if="status?.derivable_from_node_seed">
-            It's derived from this node's recovery phrase, so there's nothing new to write down.
+            Your node's recovery phrase will also recover this phrase.
           </template>
           <template v-else>
-            This node has no encrypted seed backup to derive from, so the phrase will be its
-            own — you'll need to write these words down and keep them.
+            This node has no saved seed, so write down and keep the new phrase separately.
           </template>
         </p>
 
         <p v-if="status?.source === 'independent' || status?.source === 'imported'" class="mt-2 text-xs text-orange-300/90">
-          This wallet's phrase was <strong>not</strong> derived from the node's recovery
-          phrase{{ status?.source === 'imported' ? ' — it was imported' : '' }}, so restoring
-          the node will not bring the ecash back. Only these words will.
+          {{ status?.source === 'imported' ? 'This imported phrase' : 'This phrase' }} is separate
+          from your node's backup. <strong>Only these words recover this ecash wallet.</strong>
         </p>
 
       </div>
 
       <button
         type="button"
-        class="shrink-0 glass-button rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium"
+        class="w-full glass-button rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium"
         :class="!status?.active ? 'bg-orange-500/20 border-orange-400/30' : ''"
         @click="openReveal"
-      >{{ status?.active ? 'Reveal' : 'Set up backup' }}</button>
+      >{{ status?.active ? 'Reveal' : (setupOnly ? 'Set up address' : 'Set up backup') }}</button>
     </div>
 
-    <div v-if="status?.active" class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-white/10">
-      <div class="flex items-start justify-between gap-4">
-        <p class="text-sm text-white/60 min-w-0">
+    <div v-if="status?.active && !setupOnly" class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-white/10">
+      <div class="flex flex-col gap-3">
+        <p class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60 min-w-0">
           <span class="text-white/80 font-medium">Restore from this phrase.</span>
-          Asks your mint which coins it has signed for these words and puts back any that
-          are still unspent. Safe to run at any time — it never duplicates coins you already
-          hold.
+          Recover unspent coins from your mint. Safe to repeat; coins you already hold
+          won't be duplicated.
         </p>
         <button
           type="button"
-          class="shrink-0 glass-button rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium disabled:opacity-50"
+          class="w-full glass-button rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium disabled:opacity-50"
           :disabled="restoring"
           @click="restoreFromPhrase"
         >{{ restoring ? 'Scanning…' : 'Restore' }}</button>
@@ -284,16 +282,16 @@ async function restoreFromPhrase() {
       <p v-if="restoreError" role="alert" class="mt-3 text-xs alert-error px-3 py-2 rounded-lg">{{ restoreError }}</p>
     </div>
 
-    <div class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-white/10">
-      <div class="flex items-start justify-between gap-4">
-        <p class="text-sm text-white/60 min-w-0">
+    <div v-if="!setupOnly" class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-white/10">
+      <div class="flex flex-col gap-3">
+        <p class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60 min-w-0">
           <span class="text-white/80 font-medium">Use a phrase from another wallet.</span>
-          Point this wallet at a phrase you already have — from Minibits, Nutstash or
-          <span class="font-mono">cdk-cli</span> — so its coins can be restored here.
+          Import a phrase from Minibits, Nutstash or <span class="font-mono">cdk-cli</span>
+          to restore its coins here.
         </p>
         <button
           type="button"
-          class="shrink-0 glass-button rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium"
+          class="w-full glass-button rounded-lg px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium"
           @click="openImport"
         >Import</button>
       </div>
@@ -319,7 +317,7 @@ async function restoreFromPhrase() {
         </template>
 
         <template v-else>
-          <p class="text-sm text-white/60 mb-4">
+          <p class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60 mb-4">
             Paste the 24-word phrase from the other wallet. The coins already in this wallet
             stay spendable either way.
           </p>
@@ -376,9 +374,8 @@ async function restoreFromPhrase() {
         </h3>
 
         <template v-if="revealedWords.length === 0">
-          <p class="text-sm text-white/60 mb-4">
-            Confirm your credentials to
-            {{ status?.active ? 'display the 24-word ecash phrase' : 'derive and display your ecash backup phrase' }}.
+          <p class="text-sm leading-relaxed text-white/60 mb-4">
+            Confirm your credentials to {{ status?.active ? 'reveal' : 'set up' }} your ecash phrase.
           </p>
           <form @submit.prevent="submitReveal" class="space-y-3">
             <div>
@@ -407,12 +404,12 @@ async function restoreFromPhrase() {
           <SeedRevealPanel :words="revealedWords" />
           <p class="text-xs text-white/40 mt-3">
             <template v-if="revealedSource === 'node-seed'">
-              Derived from this node's recovery phrase — restoring the node restores this
-              ecash wallet too. These words also restore it into any NUT-13 wallet.
+              Your node's recovery phrase recovers this ecash wallet too. Use these words
+              separately in a compatible Cashu (NUT-13) wallet.
             </template>
             <template v-else>
-              This phrase is independent of the node's recovery phrase. It is the
-              <strong>only</strong> way to restore this ecash wallet — write it down.
+              Write these words down. They are the <strong>only</strong> way to recover
+              this ecash wallet; your node's phrase won't recover it.
             </template>
           </p>
           <div class="flex gap-2 pt-4">

neode-ui/src/components/ExternalExplorerModal.vue

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
         class="w-full rounded-lg bg-white/[0.06] border border-white/10 text-white px-3 py-2 text-sm font-mono focus:outline-none focus:border-orange-400/60"
       />
       <p class="text-[11px] text-white/40 mt-1">
-        Defaults to tx1138.com. Any Mempool-compatible instance works — you can change this
+        Defaults to mempool.space. Any Mempool-compatible instance works — you can change this
         any time in Settings → System.
       </p>
     </div>

neode-ui/src/components/InstallVersionModal.vue

@@ -25,16 +25,27 @@
     <div v-if="loading" class="py-6 text-center text-white/60 text-sm">{{ t('common.loading') }}</div>
 
     <div v-else class="space-y-2">
-      <label class="block text-white/60 text-sm">{{ t('appDetails.selectVersion') }}</label>
-      <select
-        v-model="selected"
-        class="w-full rounded-lg bg-white/[0.06] border border-white/10 text-white pl-3 pr-9 py-2 text-sm focus:outline-none focus:border-blue-400/60"
-      >
-        <option v-for="v in versions" :key="v.version" :value="v.version">{{ optionLabel(v) }}</option>
-      </select>
+      <fieldset class="space-y-2">
+        <legend class="text-white/60 text-sm mb-2">{{ t('appDetails.selectVersion') }}</legend>
+        <!-- Inline options avoid native popup rendering in the kiosk WebView.
+             They stay in document flow above the pruning explanation. -->
+        <div class="max-h-40 overflow-y-auto space-y-2 rounded-lg">
+          <label
+            v-for="v in versions"
+            :key="v.version"
+            class="flex items-center gap-3 rounded-lg border px-3 py-2.5 text-sm text-white cursor-pointer"
+            :class="selected === v.version ? 'border-blue-400/60 bg-slate-800' : 'border-white/10 bg-slate-900'"
+          >
+            <input v-model="selected" type="radio" :name="`install-version-${appId}`" :value="v.version" class="shrink-0 accent-blue-400" />
+            <span>{{ optionLabel(v) }}</span>
+          </label>
+        </div>
+      </fieldset>
       <p class="text-white/40 text-xs">{{ t('marketplace.installModalHint') }}</p>
     </div>
 
+    <BitcoinPruningChoice v-if="isBitcoin && !loading" v-model="prune" />
+
     <template #footer>
       <div class="flex gap-2 mt-6">
         <button
@@ -58,9 +69,10 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { ref, watch } from 'vue'
+import { computed, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { useI18n } from 'vue-i18n'
 import BaseModal from './BaseModal.vue'
+import BitcoinPruningChoice from './BitcoinPruningChoice.vue'
 import { rpcClient, type CatalogVersionInfo } from '../api/rpc-client'
 import { displayVersion } from '@/utils/version'
 
@@ -73,13 +85,16 @@ const props = defineProps<{
 const emit = defineEmits<{
   close: []
   // Emits the version string the runner chose (e.g. "latest" or "29.3.knots20260508").
-  confirm: [version: string]
+  confirm: [version: string, prune?: boolean]
 }>()
 
 const { t } = useI18n()
 const loading = ref(false)
 const versions = ref<CatalogVersionInfo[]>([])
 const selected = ref('')
+const prune = ref(false)
+const pruneKnown = ref(false)
+const isBitcoin = computed(() => ['bitcoin-core', 'bitcoin-knots'].includes(props.appId))
 
 // Latest reads as a sentence (no "v" prefix); concrete versions are normalized.
 function optionLabel(v: CatalogVersionInfo): string {
@@ -92,17 +107,22 @@ function optionLabel(v: CatalogVersionInfo): string {
 
 async function load() {
   loading.value = true
+  prune.value = false
+  pruneKnown.value = false
   versions.value = []
   selected.value = ''
   try {
     const info = await rpcClient.getPackageVersions(props.appId)
     // catalog_versions() returns the list default(=latest)-first, so versions[0]
     // is the latest — pre-select it.
+    pruneKnown.value = typeof info.bitcoinPrune === 'boolean'
+    prune.value = info.bitcoinPrune === true
     versions.value = info.versions || []
     selected.value = info.default || versions.value.find((v) => v.default)?.version || versions.value[0]?.version || 'latest'
   } catch (err) {
     if (import.meta.env.DEV) console.warn('[InstallVersionModal] getPackageVersions failed:', err)
     // Fall back to the floating "latest" so the install can still proceed.
+    versions.value = [{ version: 'latest' } as CatalogVersionInfo]
     selected.value = 'latest'
   } finally {
     loading.value = false
@@ -111,7 +131,7 @@ async function load() {
 
 function confirm() {
   if (!selected.value) return
-  emit('confirm', selected.value)
+  emit('confirm', selected.value, isBitcoin.value && (pruneKnown.value || prune.value) ? prune.value : undefined)
 }
 
 watch(

neode-ui/src/components/NostrIdentityPicker.vue

@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@
               </button>
             </div>
 
-            <div v-else-if="identities.length === 0" class="text-center py-8">
+            <div v-else-if="userIdentities.length === 0" class="text-center py-8">
               <p class="text-white/50 text-sm">No identities found.</p>
               <p class="text-white/30 text-xs mt-1">Create one in Settings &rarr; Credentials</p>
             </div>
 
             <button
-              v-for="identity in identities"
+              v-for="identity in userIdentities"
               :key="identity.id"
               type="button"
               role="radio"
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ interface Identity {
   is_default: boolean
   nostr_pubkey?: string
   nostr_npub?: string
+  is_node?: boolean
 }
 
 const props = defineProps<{
@@ -148,10 +149,23 @@ const selectedId = ref<string | null>(null)
 const loading = ref(false)
 const loadError = ref<string | null>(null)
 
+// The node key authenticates the appliance itself (mesh/discovery and other
+// platform operations), not the person's public profile. The API marks it
+// explicitly; keep a defensive name/purpose fallback for older nodes that do
+// not send is_node yet.
+const userIdentities = computed(() => identities.value.filter(identity =>
+  // `node-<pubkey>` is the deterministic id used by older node APIs before
+  // the explicit is_node marker was added. Keep this fallback so an older
+  // backend can never expose the appliance key as a profile choice.
+  !identity.is_node
+  && !identity.id.trim().toLowerCase().startsWith('node-')
+  && identity.name.trim().toLowerCase() !== 'node'
+))
+
 useModalKeyboard(modalRef, computed(() => props.show), () => emit('cancel'))
 
 const hasNostrKey = computed(() => {
-  const selected = identities.value.find(i => i.id === selectedId.value)
+  const selected = userIdentities.value.find(i => i.id === selectedId.value)
   return selected?.nostr_pubkey != null
 })
 
@@ -169,8 +183,8 @@ async function loadIdentities() {
   try {
     const res = await rpcClient.call<{ identities: Identity[] }>({ method: 'identity.list' })
     identities.value = res.identities || []
-    const defaultId = identities.value.find(i => i.is_default && i.nostr_pubkey)
-      || identities.value.find(i => i.nostr_pubkey)
+    const defaultId = userIdentities.value.find(i => i.is_default && i.nostr_pubkey)
+      || userIdentities.value.find(i => i.nostr_pubkey)
     if (defaultId) selectedId.value = defaultId.id
   } catch (error) {
     identities.value = []
@@ -183,7 +197,7 @@ async function loadIdentities() {
 }
 
 function confirm() {
-  const selected = identities.value.find(i => i.id === selectedId.value)
+  const selected = userIdentities.value.find(i => i.id === selectedId.value)
   if (selected) emit('select', selected)
 }
 

neode-ui/src/components/ReceiveBitcoinModal.vue

@@ -77,8 +77,13 @@
           <div v-else-if="lnAddressLoading" class="mb-4 text-center text-white/50 text-sm py-4">
             {{ t('receiveBitcoin.lnAddressLoading') }}
           </div>
+          <div v-else-if="lnAddressNeedsSetup" class="mb-3">
+            <p class="text-sm text-white/70 mb-3">Set up this wallet's recovery phrase once to enable its Lightning address.</p>
+            <EcashSeedBackup setup-only @ready="loadLnAddress" />
+          </div>
           <div v-else-if="lnAddressError" class="mb-3 text-xs text-white/40">
             {{ t('receiveBitcoin.lnAddressUnavailable') }}
+            <button type="button" class="glass-button rounded-lg px-3 py-2 ml-2" @click="loadLnAddress">Retry</button>
           </div>
 
           <div class="mb-3">
@@ -132,6 +137,7 @@ import { useI18n } from 'vue-i18n'
 import { rpcClient } from '@/api/rpc-client'
 import BaseModal from '@/components/BaseModal.vue'
 import CopyButton from '@/components/CopyButton.vue'
+import EcashSeedBackup from '@/components/EcashSeedBackup.vue'
 import PaymentSuccessPane, { type SuccessRow } from '@/components/PaymentSuccessPane.vue'
 import { explainReceiveAddressFailure } from '@/utils/bitcoinReceive'
 import { useLightningRequired } from '@/composables/useLightningRequired'
@@ -214,6 +220,7 @@ const error = ref('')
 const lnAddress = ref('')
 const lnAddressLoading = ref(false)
 const lnAddressError = ref(false)
+const lnAddressNeedsSetup = ref(false)
 // A payment the backend fetched (and so already consumed at Minibits) but
 // couldn't redeem yet — it's queued for automatic retry, not lost, but the
 // operator should see it rather than have it be a silent, unbounded wait.
@@ -230,6 +237,7 @@ async function loadLnAddress() {
   if (lnAddress.value || lnAddressLoading.value) return
   lnAddressLoading.value = true
   lnAddressError.value = false
+  lnAddressNeedsSetup.value = false
   try {
     const res = await rpcClient.call<{ address?: string }>({
       method: 'wallet.ecash-lnaddress',
@@ -245,6 +253,16 @@ async function loadLnAddress() {
     }
   } catch {
     lnAddressError.value = true
+    // A legacy wallet may hold valid proofs without having a recovery phrase.
+    // Use the existing authenticated setup flow; never silently create a new
+    // identity or send the user to an unexplained generic service error.
+    try {
+      const seedStatus = await rpcClient.call<{ active: boolean; can_activate: boolean }>({
+        method: 'wallet.ecash-seed-status',
+        timeout: 5000,
+      })
+      lnAddressNeedsSetup.value = seedStatus.active === false && seedStatus.can_activate === true
+    } catch { /* Keep the retryable service error when status is unavailable. */ }
   } finally {
     lnAddressLoading.value = false
   }

neode-ui/src/components/WalletSettingsModal.vue

@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@
         @change="saveExplorer"
       />
       <p class="text-[11px] text-white/40 mt-1">
-        Any Mempool-compatible instance works. Default: tx1138.com.
+        Any Mempool-compatible instance works. Default: mempool.space.
       </p>
 
       <div class="mt-3 p-3 rounded-lg border border-amber-400/25 bg-amber-500/10 text-amber-200/80 text-xs leading-relaxed">

neode-ui/src/components/__tests__/EcashSeedBackup.test.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,37 @@ describe('EcashSeedBackup reveal credentials (#127)', () => {
     document.body.innerHTML = ''
   })
 
+  it('signals readiness only after authenticated setup is finished and clears the words', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mockImplementation(async ({ method }) => {
+      if (method === 'wallet.ecash-seed-status') {
+        return { active: false, can_activate: true, derivable_from_node_seed: true, source: null } as never
+      }
+      if (method === 'wallet.ecash-seed-reveal') {
+        return { words: [...Array(23).fill('abandon'), 'art'], source: 'node-seed' } as never
+      }
+      throw new Error('unexpected request')
+    })
+    wrapper = mount(EcashSeedBackup, { props: { setupOnly: true }, attachTo: document.body })
+    await flushPromises()
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    const cancel = Array.from(document.body.querySelectorAll('button')).find(b => b.textContent === 'Cancel')!
+    cancel.click()
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('ready')).toBeUndefined()
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    const password = document.body.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('input[autocomplete="current-password"]')!
+    password.value = 'test-password'
+    password.dispatchEvent(new Event('input', { bubbles: true }))
+    document.body.querySelector('form')!.dispatchEvent(new Event('submit', { bubbles: true, cancelable: true }))
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('ready')).toBeUndefined()
+    Array.from(document.body.querySelectorAll('button')).find(b => b.textContent === 'Done')!.click()
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('ready')).toEqual([[]])
+    expect(document.body.querySelector('[aria-labelledby="reveal-ecash-seed-title"]')).toBeNull()
+    expect(document.body.textContent).not.toContain('abandon')
+  })
+
   it('asks for a separate backup passphrase only after password decryption fails', async () => {
     vi.mocked(rpcClient.call)
       .mockResolvedValueOnce({

neode-ui/src/components/__tests__/InstallVersionModal.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import { mount, flushPromises } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { createI18n } from 'vue-i18n'
+import InstallVersionModal from '../InstallVersionModal.vue'
+const versions = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn())
+vi.mock('../../api/rpc-client', () => ({ rpcClient: { getPackageVersions: versions } }))
+const i18n = createI18n({ legacy: false, locale: 'en', missingWarn: false, fallbackWarn: false, messages: { en: { common: { install: 'Install', cancel: 'Cancel' } } } })
+function modal(id = 'bitcoin-core') {
+  return mount(InstallVersionModal, {
+    props: { show: true, appId: id, app: { id, title: id } },
+    global: { plugins: [i18n], stubs: { BaseModal: { template: '<div><slot/><slot name="footer"/></div>' } } },
+  })
+}
+describe('Bitcoin install storage choice', () => {
+  it.each(['bitcoin-core', 'bitcoin-knots'])('sends chosen version and explicit pruning for %s', async id => {
+    versions.mockResolvedValue({ bitcoinPrune: false, default: 'latest', versions: [{ version: 'latest' }, { version: '28.4' }] })
+    const wrapper = modal(id)
+    await flushPromises()
+    await wrapper.get('input[type=radio][value="28.4"]').setValue(true)
+    await wrapper.get('input[type=checkbox]').setValue(true)
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('confirm')).toEqual([['28.4', true]])
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('automatic pruning')
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Mempool')
+    expect(wrapper.find('select').exists()).toBe(false)
+    expect(wrapper.findAll('input[type=radio]')).toHaveLength(2)
+  })
+  it('keeps automatic disk selection by default and resets on reopening', async () => {
+    versions.mockResolvedValue({ bitcoinPrune: false, versions: [{ version: 'latest' }] })
+    const wrapper = modal()
+    await flushPromises()
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('confirm')).toEqual([['latest', false]])
+    await wrapper.get('input[type=checkbox]').setValue(true)
+    await wrapper.setProps({ show: false })
+    await wrapper.setProps({ show: true })
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect((wrapper.get('input[type=checkbox]').element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(false)
+  })
+  it('still allows choosing pruning when version lookup fails', async () => {
+    versions.mockRejectedValue(new Error('offline'))
+    const wrapper = modal()
+    await flushPromises()
+    await wrapper.get('input[type=checkbox]').setValue(true)
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('confirm')).toEqual([['latest', true]])
+  })
+  it('remembers the node pruning preference when reinstalling or switching Bitcoin variants', async () => {
+    versions.mockResolvedValue({ bitcoinPrune: true, versions: [{ version: 'latest' }] })
+    const wrapper = modal('bitcoin-knots')
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect((wrapper.get('input[type=checkbox]').element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(true)
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('confirm')).toEqual([['latest', true]])
+  })
+  it('does not turn off a saved pruning preference when its lookup fails', async () => {
+    versions.mockRejectedValue(new Error('offline'))
+    const wrapper = modal()
+    await flushPromises()
+    await wrapper.get('button').trigger('click')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('confirm')).toEqual([['latest', undefined]])
+  })
+  it('does not offer Bitcoin settings for other apps', async () => {
+    versions.mockResolvedValue({ bitcoinPrune: false, versions: [{ version: 'latest' }] })
+    const wrapper = modal('other')
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(wrapper.find('input[type=checkbox]').exists()).toBe(false)
+  })
+})

neode-ui/src/components/__tests__/ReceiveBitcoinModal.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { flushPromises, mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import ReceiveBitcoinModal from '../ReceiveBitcoinModal.vue'
+import EcashSeedBackup from '../EcashSeedBackup.vue'
 import { rpcClient } from '@/api/rpc-client'
 
 vi.mock('vue-router', () => ({
@@ -39,6 +40,51 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 // unmounts the dialog — but the RPC-eager tab switch is exactly the kind of
 // path a future change could regress, so it's worth pinning down.
 describe('ReceiveBitcoinModal — ecash tab click', () => {
+  it('offers authenticated setup for an unseeded wallet and retries the address after setup', async () => {
+    let active = false
+    vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mockImplementation(async ({ method }) => {
+      if (method === 'wallet.ecash-lnaddress') {
+        if (!active) throw new Error('The ecash wallet has no seed yet')
+        return { address: 'someone@minibits.cash' } as never
+      }
+      if (method === 'wallet.ecash-seed-status') {
+        return { active, can_activate: true, derivable_from_node_seed: true, source: null } as never
+      }
+      return {} as never
+    })
+    const wrapper = mount(ReceiveBitcoinModal, { props: { show: true }, attachTo: document.body })
+    const tab = Array.from(document.body.querySelectorAll('button')).find(b => b.textContent?.toLowerCase().includes('ecash'))!
+    tab.click()
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('Set up your Cashu Lightning address')
+    expect(document.body.textContent).not.toContain('receiveBitcoin.lnAddressUnavailable')
+    expect(vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mock.calls.some(([r]) => r.method === 'wallet.ecash-seed-reveal')).toBe(false)
+    active = true
+    wrapper.findComponent(EcashSeedBackup).vm.$emit('ready')
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('someone@minibits.cash')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('close')).toBeFalsy()
+    wrapper.unmount()
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a seeded wallet on the retry path during a service outage', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mockImplementation(async ({ method }) => {
+      if (method === 'wallet.ecash-seed-status') return { active: true, can_activate: true } as never
+      throw new Error('service unavailable')
+    })
+    const wrapper = mount(ReceiveBitcoinModal, { props: { show: true }, attachTo: document.body })
+    Array.from(document.body.querySelectorAll('button')).find(b => b.textContent?.toLowerCase().includes('ecash'))!.click()
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(wrapper.findComponent(EcashSeedBackup).exists()).toBe(false)
+    expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('receiveBitcoin.lnAddressUnavailable')
+    const retry = Array.from(document.body.querySelectorAll('button')).find(b => b.textContent === 'Retry')!
+    expect(retry).toBeTruthy()
+    retry.click()
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mock.calls.filter(([r]) => r.method === 'wallet.ecash-lnaddress')).toHaveLength(2)
+    wrapper.unmount()
+  })
+
   it('does not close/emit when the ecash tab is clicked and the RPC succeeds', async () => {
     vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mockResolvedValue({ address: 'someone@minibits.cash' } as never)
 

neode-ui/src/composables/__tests__/useTxExplorer.test.ts

@@ -76,6 +76,24 @@ describe('useTxExplorer.openTx', () => {
     expect(openSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith('mempool', { path: `/tx/${TX}` })
   })
 
+  it('does not open an external explorer while container discovery is pending', async () => {
+    const external = vi.spyOn(window, 'open').mockImplementation(() => null)
+    let finish!: () => void
+    ensureFetched.mockImplementationOnce(() => new Promise<void>(resolve => {
+      finish = () => { fetched = true; resolve() }
+    }))
+    const { openTx, setExplorer } = useTxExplorer()
+    setExplorer(DEFAULT_TX_EXPLORER, true)
+    const opening = openTx(TX)
+    expect(external).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(openSession).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    finish()
+    await opening
+    expect(openSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith('mempool', { path: `/tx/${TX}` })
+    expect(external).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    external.mockRestore()
+  })
+
   it('asks for consent only when Mempool genuinely is not installed', async () => {
     containerState = 'not-installed'
     const { openTx, pendingTx } = useTxExplorer()
@@ -84,3 +102,23 @@ describe('useTxExplorer.openTx', () => {
     expect(pendingTx.value).toBe(TX)
   })
 })
+
+describe('explorer default migration', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { localStorage.clear(); vi.resetModules() })
+  it('uses mempool.space with consent for a new browser', async () => {
+    const { useTxExplorer } = await import('../useTxExplorer')
+    expect(useTxExplorer().prefs.value).toEqual({ url: 'https://mempool.space', acknowledged: false })
+  })
+  it.each(['https://tx1138.com', 'https://tx1138.com/', 'http://tx1138.com'])('migrates %s and resets consent', async url => {
+    localStorage.setItem('archipelago.tx-explorer.v1', JSON.stringify({ url, acknowledged: true }))
+    const { useTxExplorer } = await import('../useTxExplorer')
+    expect(useTxExplorer().prefs.value).toEqual({ url: 'https://mempool.space', acknowledged: false })
+    expect(JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('archipelago.tx-explorer.v1')!)).toEqual(useTxExplorer().prefs.value)
+  })
+  it('preserves a custom explorer and its consent', async () => {
+    const prefs = { url: 'https://my-explorer.example', acknowledged: true }
+    localStorage.setItem('archipelago.tx-explorer.v1', JSON.stringify(prefs))
+    const { useTxExplorer } = await import('../useTxExplorer')
+    expect(useTxExplorer().prefs.value).toEqual(prefs)
+  })
+})

neode-ui/src/composables/useTxExplorer.ts

@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ import { ref } from 'vue'
 import { useAppLauncherStore } from '@/stores/appLauncher'
 import { useContainerStore } from '@/stores/container'
 
-export const DEFAULT_TX_EXPLORER = 'https://tx1138.com'
-export const EXPLORER_PLACEHOLDER = 'https://mempool.guide'
+export const DEFAULT_TX_EXPLORER = 'https://mempool.space'
+export const EXPLORER_PLACEHOLDER = DEFAULT_TX_EXPLORER
 
 const KEY = 'archipelago.tx-explorer.v1'
 
@@ -30,7 +30,13 @@ interface TxExplorerPrefs {
 function loadPrefs(): TxExplorerPrefs {
   const defaults: TxExplorerPrefs = { url: DEFAULT_TX_EXPLORER, acknowledged: false }
   try {
-    return { ...defaults, ...JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem(KEY) || '{}') }
+    const stored = { ...defaults, ...JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem(KEY) || '{}') }
+    // Changing operators requires fresh consent, even if the old one was trusted.
+    if (typeof stored.url === 'string' && /^https?:\/\/tx1138\.com\/*$/i.test(stored.url.trim())) {
+      localStorage.setItem(KEY, JSON.stringify(defaults))
+      return defaults
+    }
+    return stored
   } catch {
     return defaults
   }

neode-ui/src/stores/__tests__/appLauncher.test.ts

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ vi.mock('@/api/rpc-client', () => ({
 vi.stubGlobal('open', mockWindowOpen)
 
 import { useAppLauncherStore, senderMatchesApp } from '../appLauncher'
+import { useAppStore } from '../app'
 
 describe('useAppLauncherStore', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -54,6 +55,25 @@ describe('useAppLauncherStore', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('blocks both browser and embedded launch while HTTP is unready', () => {
+    const app = useAppStore()
+    app.data = { 'package-data': { gitea: { state: 'running', 'ui-ready': false, health: 'healthy', manifest: { id: 'gitea', title: 'Gitea' } } } } as never
+    const launcher = useAppLauncherStore()
+    launcher.openSession('gitea')
+    expect(launcher.panelAppId).toBeNull()
+    launcher.open({ url: 'http://192.0.2.10:3001/', title: 'Gitea', openInNewTab: true })
+    expect(mockWindowOpen).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(launcher.isOpen).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('also gates a dynamic app resolved through its runtime URL', () => {
+    useAppStore().data = { 'package-data': { custom: { state: 'running', 'ui-ready': false, manifest: { id: 'custom', title: 'Custom' }, installed: { 'interface-addresses': { main: { 'lan-address': 'http://localhost:18993/' } } } } } } as never
+    const launcher = useAppLauncherStore()
+    launcher.open({ url: 'http://192.0.2.10:18993/', title: 'Custom', openInNewTab: true })
+    expect(mockWindowOpen).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(launcher.isOpen).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it('starts closed with empty state', () => {
     const store = useAppLauncherStore()
     expect(store.isOpen).toBe(false)
@@ -95,7 +115,7 @@ describe('useAppLauncherStore', () => {
       const store = useAppLauncherStore()
       store.openSession('archipelago-source')
       expect(openInApp).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        'http://192.0.2.10/app/archipelago-source/',
+        'http://192.0.2.10/app/archipelago-source/npub1w3sqdkrhn0gyuvsex32effzgnfpyde6qrrc4u467flg5e9txh4wsfn5vjg/relay.ngit.dev/archy',
       )
       expect(store.panelAppId).toBeNull()
       expect(store.isOpen).toBe(false)

neode-ui/src/stores/__tests__/server.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { createPinia, setActivePinia } from 'pinia'
+import { reactive, nextTick } from 'vue'
+
+const fake = reactive<{ packages: Record<string, unknown> }>({ packages: {} })
+vi.mock('../sync', () => ({ useSyncStore: () => fake }))
+vi.mock('../../api/rpc-client', () => ({ rpcClient: {} }))
+import { useServerStore } from '../server'
+
+function installing(phase = 'preparing-app') {
+  return { state: 'installing', manifest: { title: 'Git Workshop' }, 'install-progress': { phase, size: 0, downloaded: 0 } }
+}
+
+describe('installation state after hard refresh', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    setActivePinia(createPinia())
+    fake.packages = {}
+  })
+
+  it('restores an in-flight install from an already-loaded server snapshot', () => {
+    fake.packages = { 'archipelago-source': installing() }
+    const store = useServerStore()
+    expect(store.isInstalling('archipelago-source')).toBe(true)
+    expect(store.installingApps.get('archipelago-source')).toMatchObject({
+      progress: 20,
+      message: 'Downloading, building and starting app…',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a long download visible and clears it on terminal success', async () => {
+    const store = useServerStore()
+    fake.packages = { 'nginx-proxy-manager': installing() }
+    await nextTick()
+    expect(store.isInstalling('nginx-proxy-manager')).toBe(true)
+    fake.packages = { 'nginx-proxy-manager': installing() }
+    await nextTick()
+    expect(store.installingApps.get('nginx-proxy-manager')?.progress).toBe(20)
+    fake.packages = { 'nginx-proxy-manager': { state: 'running' } }
+    await nextTick()
+    expect(store.isInstalling('nginx-proxy-manager')).toBe(false)
+  })
+})

neode-ui/src/stores/appLauncher.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import { openInAppOrNewTab, isCompanionApp, type InAppLaunchMeta } from '@/utils
 import { directAppUrl, HOST_FRAME_APPS, HTTPS_APP_IDS, resolveAppUrl } from '@/views/appSession/appSessionConfig'
 import { appPortIsGateFronted } from '@/views/appSession/appSessionConfig'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/stores/app'
-import { resolveAppIcon } from '@/views/apps/appsConfig'
+import { resolveAppIcon, isAppReadyForLaunch } from '@/views/apps/appsConfig'
+import { useToast } from '@/composables/useToast'
 import { IS_DEMO, isDemoApp, isDemoExternal, demoAppUrl } from '@/composables/useDemoIntro'
 import type { AppCredential, AppCredentialsResponse } from '@/types/api'
 import { resolveAppCredentials } from '@/views/apps/appCredentials'
@@ -238,6 +239,11 @@ export const useAppLauncherStore = defineStore('appLauncher', () => {
   const panelPath = ref<string | null>(null)
 
   function openSessionNow(appId: string, opts: LaunchOptions = {}) {
+    const pkg = useAppStore().data?.['package-data']?.[appId]
+    if (pkg?.['ui-ready'] === false) {
+      useToast().info(`${pkg.manifest?.title || appId} is not ready to open yet`)
+      return
+    }
     recordAppLaunch(appId)
     const mobile = isMobileViewport()
 
@@ -290,6 +296,14 @@ export const useAppLauncherStore = defineStore('appLauncher', () => {
    * Previously each Apps view owned a private modal, so Home skipped the
    * Portainer first-run token entirely. */
   function openSession(appId: string, opts: LaunchOptions = {}) {
+    // Home/goal/deep-link launchers do not pass through AppCard.canLaunch.
+    // Apply the same readiness gate here so a container that has just entered
+    // `running` cannot race nginx and show a transient 502 to the user.
+    const pkg = useAppStore().data?.['package-data']?.[appId]
+    if (pkg && (pkg['ui-ready'] === false || (pkg.state === 'running' && !isAppReadyForLaunch(pkg)))) {
+      useToast().info(`${pkg.manifest?.title || appId} is still starting — try again in a moment`)
+      return
+    }
     if (!opts.skipCredentialPrompt && CREDENTIAL_INTERSTITIAL_APPS.has(appId)) {
       void prepareCredentialLaunch(appId, opts.path)
       return
@@ -385,6 +399,12 @@ export const useAppLauncherStore = defineStore('appLauncher', () => {
     let launchUrl = normalizeLaunchUrl(payload.url, titleHintId)
     const resolvedId = resolveAppIdFromUrl(launchUrl) || titleHintId
 
+    const pkg = resolvedId ? useAppStore().data?.['package-data']?.[resolvedId] : undefined
+    if (pkg?.['ui-ready'] === false) {
+      useToast().info(`${pkg.manifest?.title || resolvedId} is not ready to open yet`)
+      return
+    }
+
     // Scheme discipline for everything launched on this host. Ports fronted
     // by the node's app gate (manifest auth gated/open) serve TLS on the same
     // port — on an HTTPS connection those must open over https. Ports that
@@ -463,6 +483,17 @@ export const useAppLauncherStore = defineStore('appLauncher', () => {
       // Check /app/{id}/ path-style routes first (HTTPS proxy mode)
       const m = u.pathname.match(/^\/app\/([a-z0-9._-]+)(?:\/|$)/i)
       if (m?.[1]) return m[1].toLowerCase()
+      // Dynamic/sideloaded apps have no entry in the static port map.
+      if (u.hostname === window.location.hostname && u.port) {
+        for (const [id, pkg] of Object.entries(useAppStore().data?.['package-data'] || {})) {
+          const address = pkg.installed?.['interface-addresses']?.main?.['lan-address']
+          if (!address) continue
+          try {
+            const runtime = new URL(address)
+            if (runtime.port === u.port && ['localhost', '127.0.0.1', window.location.hostname].includes(runtime.hostname)) return id
+          } catch { /* malformed runtime address is not a launch target */ }
+        }
+      }
       // Check port-based apps
       const appId = PORT_TO_APP_ID[u.port]
       if (appId) return appId

neode-ui/src/stores/server.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import type { InstallPhase } from '../types/api'
 const PHASE_INFO: Record<InstallPhase, { progress: number; message: string; status: InstallProgress['status'] }> = {
   'preparing':          { progress: 5,  message: 'Preparing…',                status: 'downloading' },
   'pulling-image':      { progress: 20, message: 'Downloading image…',        status: 'downloading' },
+  'preparing-app':      { progress: 20, message: 'Downloading, building and starting app…', status: 'downloading' },
   'creating-container': { progress: 70, message: 'Creating container…',       status: 'installing' },
   'starting-container': { progress: 80, message: 'Starting container…',       status: 'starting' },
   'waiting-healthy':    { progress: 88, message: 'Finalizing first start…',   status: 'starting' },
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ export const useServerStore = defineStore('server', () => {
         uninstallingApps.value.delete(appId)
       }
     }
-  }, { deep: true })
+  }, { deep: true, immediate: true })
 
   function setInstallProgress(appId: string, progress: Partial<InstallProgress> & { id: string; title: string }) {
     const existing = installingApps.value.get(appId)

neode-ui/src/types/api.ts

@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export const PackageState = {
 export type PackageState = typeof PackageState[keyof typeof PackageState]
 
 export interface PackageDataEntry {
+  'ui-ready'?: boolean // HTTP upstream readiness, separate from container health
   state: PackageState
   health?: string | null // "healthy", "unhealthy", "starting", or null
   'exit-code'?: number | null // container exit code: 0 = clean stop, non-zero = crash
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ export type ServiceStatus = typeof ServiceStatus[keyof typeof ServiceStatus]
 export type InstallPhase =
   | 'preparing'
   | 'pulling-image'
+  | 'preparing-app'
   | 'creating-container'
   | 'starting-container'
   | 'waiting-healthy'