diff --git a/internal/pbsdr/manager.go b/internal/pbsdr/manager.go
index 4390bf0..2733a13 100644
--- a/internal/pbsdr/manager.go
+++ b/internal/pbsdr/manager.go
@@ -407,12 +407,26 @@ func (m *Manager) seedEscrowStorageID(storageID string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	tmp := m.configPath + ".pbsdr-tmp"
-	if err := os.WriteFile(tmp, out, st.Mode().Perm()); err != nil {
+	// The config DIRECTORY (/etc/felhom-agent) is root-owned while the FILE is agent-owned —
+	// tmp+rename is impossible for the non-root agent (rename mutates the directory; live
+	// finding on the demo). So: park a recovery copy in the agent state dir, then rewrite the
+	// file IN PLACE (O_TRUNC). The agent is the file's only writer and the content is small;
+	// a torn write is recoverable from the parked copy.
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(m.stateDir, 0o700); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := os.Rename(tmp, m.configPath); err != nil {
-		os.Remove(tmp)
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(m.stateDir, "agent.json.pre-seed"), raw, 0o600); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parking the pre-seed copy: %w", err)
+	}
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(m.configPath, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_TRUNC, st.Mode().Perm())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if _, err := f.Write(out); err != nil {
+		f.Close()
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	m.logger.Info("pbsdr: seeded escrow.pbs_storage_id (the ceremony one-liner needs no flags)", "storage_id", storageID)