controller v0.240.0: seven defects from the any-tier proof and the first nightly rotation

R-486 (P1): removing an app with its backups KEPT keeps its Tier-2 record,
so the second-drive restore is no longer refused over an intact mirror.
R-484: postgis/pgvector/timescaledb images are Postgres (logical dumps).
R-485: the backup card sizes the recovery unit and the mirror(s).
R-480: a held update's sentence leaves the card once the hold is lifted.
R-477: the update's off-site lookup is one snapshots call, no stats.
R-478: a copy older than this install's deploy does not count.
R-474: "delete backups" deletes the unit, the mirror(s) and the prefs.

Tests and red-proofs per row; evidence in felhom.eu
documentation/audits/v0240-2026-09-13/ and nightly-2026-09-13-adventurelog/.

controller/README.md

@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ or a migration running).
 
 **Any backup tier counts (v0.239.0, R-475).** The update leans on the first FRESH copy in the order
 second drive (Tier 2), the app's own recovery unit (Tier 1, „helyi"), off-site (Tier 3, looked up with
-a 15 s bound — unreachable counts as absent, with a WARN). `update.backup_max_age` applies to whichever
+a 15 s bound — unreachable counts as absent, with a WARN; since v0.240.0 it runs no per-app `stats`). `update.backup_max_age` applies to whichever
 tier is chosen. An app with no copy anywhere is backed up first. Tier 2 is required nowhere in the
 update path; the backups page's „Teljes visszaállítás" still reads the Tier-2 predicate alone.
 
@@ -588,7 +588,9 @@ every container running for an app with none; bounded by `update.health_timeout`
 puts the pin back. An app that does not become healthy is stopped and HELD** — the pin stays on the
 new version, and the hold sentence names the tier and the date of the copy it can be restored from
 („második meghajtó" / „saját meghajtó" / „távoli mentés"). A successful unit restore — and, since
-v0.239.0, a successful off-site restore — lifts an update hold.
+v0.239.0, a successful off-site restore — lifts an update hold, and since v0.240.0 the held update's
+sentence leaves the card with it. A copy older than the app's current `deployed_at` does not count
+(v0.240.0) — it belongs to a previous install. The off-site lookup is one `restic snapshots` call.
 
 **Config (`controller.yaml`):**
 
@@ -3780,7 +3782,7 @@ All daily jobs use Europe/Budapest timezone. Skip-if-running prevents concurrent
 | GET | `/api/stacks/{name}/logs` | Container logs (`?raw=1` for plain text) |
 | GET | `/api/stacks/{name}/hdd-data` | HDD data paths + sizes — resolved from the app's OWN `app.yaml` `HDD_PATH` (v0.236.0, R-442), never the global config |
 | GET | `/api/stacks/{name}/backup-data` | Backup data paths + sizes (DB dumps, cross-drive rsync) |
-| POST | `/api/stacks/{name}/remove` | Remove deployed stack (revert to "not deployed"). `remove_hdd_data: true` deletes the app's folders under its recorded `HDD_PATH` and lists them; **409 + a Hungarian sentence when the data was asked for but its location cannot be resolved or the drive is absent — nothing is touched, the app is kept** (v0.236.0, R-442). `hdd_paths_removed` is `[]` for an SSD app (never `null`); `hdd_paths_missing`, `hdd_note`, `backup_paths_refused` state what was not found / not removed |
+| POST | `/api/stacks/{name}/remove` | Remove deployed stack (revert to "not deployed"). `remove_hdd_data: true` deletes the app's folders under its recorded `HDD_PATH` and lists them; **409 + a Hungarian sentence when the data was asked for but its location cannot be resolved or the drive is absent — nothing is touched, the app is kept** (v0.236.0, R-442). `hdd_paths_removed` is `[]` for an SSD app (never `null`); `hdd_paths_missing`, `hdd_note`, `backup_paths_refused` state what was not found / not removed. `remove_backups: true` (v0.240.0, R-474) deletes the app's whole recovery unit, its Tier-2 mirror(s) on any registered drive and its backup preferences (`backup_paths_removed` lists them); **without it the backups AND the Tier-2 record are kept, so the removed app can still be restored from the second drive (R-486)**. Off-site snapshots are never touched by removal |
 | DELETE | `/api/stacks/{name}` | Delete orphaned stack — same R-442 resolution and refusal shape as `/remove` |
 | POST | `/api/sync` | Trigger catalog sync |
 | GET | `/api/system/info` | System info + sync status |

controller/internal/api/r474_remove_wiring_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"go/ast"
+	"go/parser"
+	"go/token"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// R-474 — the remove handler really deletes the whole unit, the Tier-2 mirror and the prefs.
+func TestR474_RemoveHandlerDeletesUnitMirrorAndPrefs(t *testing.T) {
+	fset := token.NewFileSet()
+	f, err := parser.ParseFile(fset, "router.go", nil, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var sel []string
+	for _, d := range f.Decls {
+		fn, ok := d.(*ast.FuncDecl)
+		if !ok || fn.Name.Name != "removeStack" || fn.Body == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		ast.Inspect(fn.Body, func(n ast.Node) bool {
+			if s, ok := n.(*ast.SelectorExpr); ok {
+				sel = append(sel, s.Sel.Name)
+			}
+			return true
+		})
+	}
+	joined := " " + strings.Join(sel, " ") + " "
+	for _, want := range []string{"RecoveryUnitPath", "Tier2MirrorDirsForApp", "RemoveTier2Mirrors", "DeleteAppBackupPrefs"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(joined, " "+want+" ") {
+			t.Errorf("removeStack must call %s", want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// R-486 — removing an app with its backups KEPT keeps its Tier-2 record. The only call that may
+// forget the record is DeleteAppBackupPrefs, which the R-474 branch guards on remove_backups.
+//
+// COMPANION RED-PROOF (REPORT.md): put `r.sett.SetCrossDriveConfig(name, nil)` back into
+// removeStack unconditionally — this fails.
+func TestR486_RemovalKeepsTheTier2RecordUnlessBackupsGo(t *testing.T) {
+	fset := token.NewFileSet()
+	f, err := parser.ParseFile(fset, "router.go", nil, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, d := range f.Decls {
+		fn, ok := d.(*ast.FuncDecl)
+		if !ok || fn.Name.Name != "removeStack" || fn.Body == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		ast.Inspect(fn.Body, func(n ast.Node) bool {
+			if s, ok := n.(*ast.SelectorExpr); ok && s.Sel.Name == "SetCrossDriveConfig" {
+				t.Errorf("removeStack calls SetCrossDriveConfig at line %d — a removal with backups kept would forget the mirror it kept (R-486)", fset.Position(s.Pos()).Line)
+			}
+			return true
+		})
+	}
+}

controller/internal/api/router.go

@@ -817,11 +817,13 @@ func (r *Router) getStackBackupData(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request, name
 	// mount IS the namespace; SSD-only: <systemDataPath>/felhom-data). Passing the namespace root
 	// (not the raw drive) keeps GetStackBackupData's paths single-nested under Model A.
 	var nsRoot string
+	var mirrors []string
 	if r.backupMgr != nil {
 		nsRoot = r.backupMgr.AppNamespaceRoot(name)
+		mirrors = r.backupMgr.Tier2MirrorDirsForApp(name) // R-485: the real second-drive copy, not a dead `rsync` path
 	}
 
-	resp, err := r.stackMgr.GetStackBackupData(name, nsRoot)
+	resp, err := r.stackMgr.GetStackBackupData(name, nsRoot, mirrors)
 	if err != nil {
 		writeJSON(w, http.StatusNotFound, apiResponse{OK: false, Error: err.Error()})
 		return
@@ -850,12 +852,18 @@ func (r *Router) removeStack(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, name stri
 
 	// Compute backup paths to remove if requested. Disk-tier (cross-drive rsync)
 	// backup has moved to the host agent; only the app-data DB-dump path is removed here.
-	var backupPaths []string
+	//
+	// R-474 (v0.240.0): "delete backups" deletes the app's WHOLE recovery unit (definition, db-dumps,
+	// volume tars) and its Tier-2 mirror, not only db-dumps. The mirror is on another drive, outside
+	// RemoveStack's per-app base, so the backup manager removes it — and its location is read NOW,
+	// before the cross-drive record is cleared below. Off-site snapshots are not touched by this path.
+	var backupPaths, mirrorDirs []string
 	if body.RemoveBackups && r.backupMgr != nil {
 		nsRoot := r.backupMgr.AppNamespaceRoot(name)
 		if nsRoot != "" {
-			backupPaths = append(backupPaths, backup.AppDBDumpPath(nsRoot, name))
+			backupPaths = append(backupPaths, backup.RecoveryUnitPath(nsRoot, name), backup.AppDBDumpPath(nsRoot, name))
 		}
+		mirrorDirs = r.backupMgr.Tier2MirrorDirsForApp(name)
 	}
 
 	resp, err := r.stackMgr.RemoveStack(name, body.RemoveHDDData, backupPaths)
@@ -882,10 +890,19 @@ func (r *Router) removeStack(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, name stri
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Clean up cross-drive backup config for this stack
-	if r.sett != nil {
-		if err := r.sett.SetCrossDriveConfig(name, nil); err != nil {
-			r.logger.Printf("[WARN] [api] Failed to clean cross-drive config for %s: %v", name, err)
+	if body.RemoveBackups && r.backupMgr != nil && len(mirrorDirs) > 0 {
+		resp.BackupPathsRemoved = append(resp.BackupPathsRemoved, r.backupMgr.RemoveTier2Mirrors(name, mirrorDirs)...)
+	}
+
+	// R-486 (v0.240.0): the app's backup preferences — and with them the Tier-2 RECORD that
+	// tier2RecordedCopyDir needs — are forgotten ONLY when the customer asked for the backups to be
+	// deleted. Until v0.239.0 the cross-drive record was cleared on every removal, so an app removed
+	// with its backups kept could not be restored from its intact second-drive mirror (measured on
+	// demo-hp 2026-09-13: „nincs másodlagos fájlmásolat" over a 236 MB mirror). Pinned by
+	// TestR486_RemovalKeepsTheTier2RecordUnlessBackupsGo.
+	if r.sett != nil && body.RemoveBackups {
+		if err := r.sett.DeleteAppBackupPrefs(name); err != nil {
+			r.logger.Printf("[WARN] [api] Failed to forget the backup preferences of %s: %v", name, err)
 		}
 	}
 

controller/internal/appbackup/dbservices.go

@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ import (
 func dbTypeForImage(image string) (DBType, bool) {
 	img := strings.ToLower(image)
 	switch {
-	case strings.Contains(img, "postgres"):
+	// R-484 (v0.240.0): derived Postgres images whose name does not carry "postgres". Measured on
+	// demo-hp 2026-09-13: adventurelog's `postgis/postgis:16-3.5-alpine` was "not a database", so
+	// the app got no logical dump anywhere. Same pg_dump, same PG* credentials.
+	case strings.Contains(img, "postgres"), strings.Contains(img, "postgis"), strings.Contains(img, "pgvector"), strings.Contains(img, "timescaledb"):
 		return DBTypePostgres, true
 	case strings.Contains(img, "mariadb"), strings.Contains(img, "mysql"):
 		return DBTypeMariaDB, true

controller/internal/appbackup/dbservices_test.go

@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ func TestDBTypeForImage(t *testing.T) {
 		// immich's real pin — a vector-extended postgres whose REPO segment carries the substring.
 		{"ghcr.io/immich-app/postgres:16-vectorchord0.4.3-pgvectors0.2.0", DBTypePostgres, true},
 		{"postgres", DBTypePostgres, true},
+		// R-484: adventurelog's real pin — no "postgres" substring anywhere in the reference.
+		{"postgis/postgis:16-3.5-alpine", DBTypePostgres, true},
+		{"pgvector/pgvector:pg16", DBTypePostgres, true},
+		{"timescale/timescaledb:2.17.0-pg16", DBTypePostgres, true},
 		{"POSTGRES:16", DBTypePostgres, true}, // the discovery path lowercases; so does this
 		{"mariadb:11", DBTypeMariaDB, true},
 		{"mysql:8.4", DBTypeMariaDB, true},

controller/internal/backup/backup.go

@@ -174,11 +174,11 @@ type Manager struct {
 	updatingCheck func(stackName string) bool
 
 	// R-475 update-precondition seams, one per tier. Nil → the real Tier2UnitRestorePoint /
-	// ListRestorePoints / OffsiteInventoryList. They let a test reach Tier 1 and Tier 3 without a drive
+	// ListRestorePoints / OffsiteSnapshotTimes. They let a test reach Tier 1 and Tier 3 without a drive
 	// or a restic repository; see UpdateRestorePoints.
-	updateTier2PointFn  func(stackName string) (Tier2RestorePoint, error)
-	updateTier1PointsFn func(stackName string) ([]RestorePoint, bool)
-	updateOffsiteInvFn  func(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error)
+	updateTier2PointFn   func(stackName string) (Tier2RestorePoint, error)
+	updateTier1PointsFn  func(stackName string) ([]RestorePoint, bool)
+	updateOffsiteTimesFn func(ctx context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error)
 
 	// R-354 volume-REPLAY seam — the mirror of the F17 DB seams above, so the off-site path's new
 	// volume leg is unit-testable without Docker. Nil → the real restoreDockerVolumesFrom.

controller/internal/backup/offbox_inventory.go

@@ -52,19 +52,21 @@ type OffsiteInventory struct {
 	Empty bool
 }
 
-// OffsiteInventoryList opens the repository and reports what is in it, grouped per app. One
-// `snapshots --json` call for the whole repo, then one `stats` per app for the newest snapshot's size.
-//
-// A per-app size failure is NOT fatal: the app is still listed, with SizeBytes 0, because knowing an
-// app is in there matters more than knowing how big it is, and dropping it would under-report the
-// customer's own data.
-func (m *Manager) OffsiteInventoryList(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
-	var inv OffsiteInventory
+// offsiteNewest is one app tag's newest snapshot.
+type offsiteNewest struct {
+	id string
+	at time.Time
+}
+
+// offsiteNewestPerTag runs ONE `snapshots --json` and returns the newest snapshot per app tag, and
+// whether the repository opened cleanly and holds no snapshots at all. Shared by the inventory page
+// and the update precondition (R-477), so the two cannot disagree about what is in the repository.
+func (m *Manager) offsiteNewestPerTag(ctx context.Context) (map[string]offsiteNewest, bool, error) {
 	// A box can hold a recovered key and still have no off-site COORDINATES — the pristine rebuilt
 	// shape, before its target is re-applied. Reading the repository is impossible then, and saying so
 	// is the honest answer; without this guard offboxBaseArgs nil-derefs on the missing target.
 	if !m.OffboxConfigured() {
-		return inv, errNoOffsiteTarget
+		return nil, false, errNoOffsiteTarget
 	}
 	t := m.settings.GetOffboxTarget()
 	base, env := m.offboxBaseArgs(t)
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ func (m *Manager) OffsiteInventoryList(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, e
 	defer cancel()
 	out, err := m.runner()(sctx, env, append(append([]string{}, base...), "snapshots", "--json")...)
 	if err != nil {
-		return inv, err
+		return nil, false, err
 	}
 	var snaps []struct {
 		ShortID string    `json:"short_id"`
@@ -81,34 +83,63 @@ func (m *Manager) OffsiteInventoryList(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, e
 		Tags    []string  `json:"tags"`
 	}
 	if uerr := json.Unmarshal(out, &snaps); uerr != nil {
-		return inv, uerr
+		return nil, false, uerr
 	}
 	if len(snaps) == 0 {
-		inv.Empty = true
-		return inv, nil
+		return nil, true, nil
 	}
 	// Newest snapshot per tag. A snapshot may carry several tags; each names an app it belongs to.
-	newest := map[string]struct {
-		id string
-		at time.Time
-	}{}
-	for _, s := range snaps {
-		id := s.ShortID
+	newest := map[string]offsiteNewest{}
+	for _, sn := range snaps {
+		id := sn.ShortID
 		if id == "" {
-			id = s.ID
+			id = sn.ID
 		}
-		for _, tag := range s.Tags {
+		for _, tag := range sn.Tags {
 			if tag == "" {
 				continue
 			}
-			if cur, ok := newest[tag]; !ok || s.Time.After(cur.at) {
-				newest[tag] = struct {
-					id string
-					at time.Time
-				}{id: id, at: s.Time}
+			if cur, ok := newest[tag]; !ok || sn.Time.After(cur.at) {
+				newest[tag] = offsiteNewest{id: id, at: sn.Time}
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	return newest, false, nil
+}
+
+// OffsiteSnapshotTimes (R-477, v0.240.0) is the newest snapshot time per app — ONE `snapshots --json`,
+// no per-app `stats`. It is what the update precondition needs. Measured on demo-hp 2026-09-13: going
+// through OffsiteInventoryList instead, the update's check spent its whole 15 s bound on the size calls
+// and the bound killed one for an unrelated app (`size of kimai's newest snapshot unknown: signal:
+// killed`). Pinned by TestR477_TheUpdateOffsiteLookupRunsNoStats.
+func (m *Manager) OffsiteSnapshotTimes(ctx context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
+	newest, _, err := m.offsiteNewestPerTag(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	out := make(map[string]time.Time, len(newest))
+	for tag, n := range newest {
+		out[tag] = n.at
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+// OffsiteInventoryList opens the repository and reports what is in it, grouped per app. One
+// `snapshots --json` call for the whole repo, then one `stats` per app for the newest snapshot's size.
+//
+// A per-app size failure is NOT fatal: the app is still listed, with SizeBytes 0, because knowing an
+// app is in there matters more than knowing how big it is, and dropping it would under-report the
+// customer's own data.
+func (m *Manager) OffsiteInventoryList(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
+	var inv OffsiteInventory
+	newest, empty, err := m.offsiteNewestPerTag(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return inv, err
+	}
+	if empty {
+		inv.Empty = true
+		return inv, nil
+	}
 	if len(newest) == 0 {
 		// Snapshots exist but carry no tags — not "empty", and saying so would be a lie. Report an
 		// empty app list without the Empty flag; the page renders the honest in-between wording.

controller/internal/backup/r408_invariant_walk_test.go

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ var offsiteExempt = map[string]string{
 	// browsing a page refuse while a backup runs, for no safety gain: it can neither take a lock nor
 	// remove one.
 	"OffsiteInventoryList": "restic snapshots --json only; snapshots measured 2026-08-31 not to lock, and it never routes through resticStep",
+	"offsiteNewestPerTag":  "restic snapshots --json only — the one reader behind OffsiteInventoryList and OffsiteSnapshotTimes (R-477, v0.240.0); same measurement, never routes through resticStep",
 }
 
 // offsiteReachers are the calls that mean "this function talks to the off-site repository".

controller/internal/backup/r474_remove_mirrors.go

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package backup
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// R-474 (v0.240.0) — "delete backups" on removal deletes the app's Tier-2 mirror too.
+//
+// Measured three times on 2026-09-13: removing an app with `remove_backups:true` deleted only its
+// db-dumps directory; the recovery unit, the volume tars and the Tier-2 mirror all survived, and a
+// later reinstall of the same app then leaned on the old install's unit as its "fresh" restore point
+// (R-478). The unit is inside the app's own backups base and RemoveStack deletes it; the MIRROR lives
+// on another drive, outside that base, so it is removed here, with its own path check.
+
+func validMirrorStackName(n string) bool {
+	return n != "" && n != "." && n != ".." && n != SharesPseudoStack && !strings.ContainsAny(n, `/\`)
+}
+
+// tier2MirrorRoots are the namespace roots a Tier-2 mirror of this app can live under: the recorded
+// destination, every registered drive, and the system data path (a mirror outlives a changed target).
+func (m *Manager) tier2MirrorRoots(stackName string) []string {
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	var roots []string
+	add := func(r string) {
+		if r == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		r = filepath.Clean(r)
+		if filepath.IsAbs(r) && !seen[r] {
+			seen[r] = true
+			roots = append(roots, r)
+		}
+	}
+	if m.settings != nil {
+		if cfg := m.settings.GetCrossDriveConfig(stackName); cfg != nil {
+			add(cfg.DestinationPath)
+		}
+		for _, sp := range m.settings.GetStoragePaths() {
+			if sp.Path != "" {
+				add(NamespaceRootFor(sp.Path, m.systemDataPath))
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if m.systemDataPath != "" {
+		add(NamespaceRootFor(m.systemDataPath, m.systemDataPath))
+	}
+	return roots
+}
+
+// Tier2MirrorDirsForApp lists the app's Tier-2 mirror directories that exist now. Call it BEFORE the
+// removal clears the app's cross-drive record, which is one of the places it looks.
+func (m *Manager) Tier2MirrorDirsForApp(stackName string) []string {
+	if m == nil || !validMirrorStackName(stackName) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	var out []string
+	for _, root := range m.tier2MirrorRoots(stackName) {
+		d := filepath.Join(root, "backups", "secondary", stackName)
+		if fi, err := os.Stat(d); err == nil && fi.IsDir() {
+			out = append(out, d)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// RemoveTier2Mirrors deletes the given mirror directories, each only if it is exactly
+// <root>/backups/secondary/<stackName> for one of the app's mirror roots — never another app's mirror,
+// never the shares mirror, never a path that merely cleans to one. Returns "path (size)" per removal.
+func (m *Manager) RemoveTier2Mirrors(stackName string, dirs []string) []string {
+	if m == nil || !validMirrorStackName(stackName) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	allowed := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, root := range m.tier2MirrorRoots(stackName) {
+		allowed[filepath.Join(root, "backups", "secondary", stackName)] = true
+	}
+	var removed []string
+	for _, d := range dirs {
+		if !allowed[d] {
+			m.logger.Printf("[WARN] [backup] remove %s: refusing to delete %q — not this app's Tier-2 mirror", stackName, d)
+			continue
+		}
+		size := humanizeBytes(dirSizeBytes(d))
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(d); err != nil {
+			m.logger.Printf("[ERROR] [backup] remove %s: deleting the Tier-2 mirror %s failed: %v", stackName, d, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		m.logger.Printf("[INFO] [backup] remove %s: Tier-2 mirror deleted: %s (%s)", stackName, d, size)
+		removed = append(removed, fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s)", d, size))
+	}
+	return removed
+}

controller/internal/backup/r477_r474_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package backup
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"gitea.dooplex.hu/admin/felhom-controller/internal/settings"
+)
+
+// R-477 — the update's Tier-3 lookup is ONE snapshots call. The control proves the fake runner does
+// see stats calls when something makes them (the inventory page), so a zero is a measurement.
+//
+// COMPANION RED-PROOF (REPORT.md): make OffsiteSnapshotTimes read OffsiteInventoryList — this fails.
+func TestR477_TheUpdateOffsiteLookupRunsNoStats(t *testing.T) {
+	m, _ := newOffboxManager(t)
+	var calls []string
+	m.SetOffboxRunner(func(_ context.Context, _ []string, args ...string) ([]byte, error) {
+		calls = append(calls, strings.Join(args, " "))
+		if contains(args, "snapshots") {
+			return []byte(`[{"short_id":"a1","time":"2026-09-13T01:00:00Z","tags":["gokapi"]},{"short_id":"b2","time":"2026-09-13T02:00:00Z","tags":["kimai"]}]`), nil
+		}
+		return []byte(`{"total_size":1024,"total_file_count":1}`), nil
+	})
+	m.updateTier2PointFn, m.updateTier1PointsFn = noTier2, noTier1
+	count := func(word string) int {
+		n := 0
+		for _, c := range calls {
+			if strings.Contains(" "+c+" ", " "+word+" ") {
+				n++
+			}
+		}
+		return n
+	}
+	p, ok, _ := m.UpdateRestorePoints(context.Background(), "gokapi", nil)
+	if !ok || p.Tier != UpdateTierOffsite || !p.At.Equal(time.Date(2026, 9, 13, 1, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)) {
+		t.Fatalf("want gokapi's off-site snapshot; got %+v ok=%v", p, ok)
+	}
+	if count("snapshots") != 1 || count("stats") != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("the update lookup must be one snapshots call and no stats; calls=%v", calls)
+	}
+	calls = nil
+	if _, err := m.OffsiteInventoryList(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if count("stats") == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("control: the inventory DOES run stats, so the fake must see them; calls=%v", calls)
+	}
+}
+
+// R-474 — only the app's own Tier-2 mirror is found and removed.
+func TestR474_OnlyTheAppsOwnMirrorIsRemoved(t *testing.T) {
+	m, sett := newOffboxManager(t)
+	drive := t.TempDir()
+	if err := sett.AddStoragePath(settings.StoragePath{Path: drive, Label: "HDD", Schedulable: true}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	root := NamespaceRootFor(drive, m.systemDataPath)
+	sec := filepath.Join(root, "backups", "secondary")
+	mine, other, shares := filepath.Join(sec, "gokapi"), filepath.Join(sec, "kimai"), filepath.Join(sec, SharesPseudoStack)
+	for _, d := range []string{mine, other, shares} {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(d, "recovery-unit"), 0o755); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(d, "recovery-unit", "manifest.json"), []byte("{}"), 0o644); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+	dirs := m.Tier2MirrorDirsForApp("gokapi")
+	if len(dirs) != 1 || dirs[0] != mine {
+		t.Fatalf("mirror dirs for gokapi = %v, want [%s]", dirs, mine)
+	}
+	removed := m.RemoveTier2Mirrors("gokapi", append(dirs, other, shares, filepath.Join(sec, "gokapi", "..", "kimai")))
+	if len(removed) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("exactly the app's own mirror must be removed, got %v", removed)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(mine); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Error("gokapi's mirror must be gone")
+	}
+	for _, keep := range []string{other, shares} {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(keep); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("%s must survive: %v", keep, err)
+		}
+	}
+	if m.Tier2MirrorDirsForApp("../kimai") != nil || m.RemoveTier2Mirrors(SharesPseudoStack, []string{shares}) != nil {
+		t.Error("an unsafe or shares name must find and remove nothing")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestR474_DeleteAppBackupPrefsForgetsOnlyThatApp(t *testing.T) {
+	_, sett := newOffboxManager(t)
+	_ = sett.SetAppOffbox("gokapi", true)
+	_ = sett.SetCrossDriveConfig("gokapi", &settings.CrossDriveBackup{DestinationPath: "/mnt/x"})
+	_ = sett.SetAppOffbox("kimai", true)
+	if err := sett.DeleteAppBackupPrefs("gokapi"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if sett.IsAppOffbox("gokapi") || sett.GetCrossDriveConfig("gokapi") != nil {
+		t.Error("gokapi's prefs must be forgotten")
+	}
+	if !sett.IsAppOffbox("kimai") {
+		t.Error("another app's prefs must stay")
+	}
+	if err := sett.DeleteAppBackupPrefs("never-there"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("deleting absent prefs is a no-op, got %v", err)
+	}
+}

controller/internal/backup/update_guard.go

@@ -189,26 +189,24 @@ func (m *Manager) updateTierPoint(ctx context.Context, stackName string, tier in
 		}
 		return UpdateTierPoint{}, false
 	case UpdateTierOffsite:
-		inv := m.updateOffsiteInvFn
-		if inv == nil {
+		times := m.updateOffsiteTimesFn
+		if times == nil {
 			if m.settings == nil || !m.OffboxConfigured() {
 				return UpdateTierPoint{}, false
 			}
-			inv = m.OffsiteInventoryList
+			times = m.OffsiteSnapshotTimes
 		}
 		cctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, updateOffsiteCheckTimeout)
 		defer cancel()
-		got, err := inv(cctx)
+		got, err := times(cctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			if !errors.Is(err, errNoOffsiteTarget) {
 				m.logger.Printf("[WARN] [backup] update precondition for %s: the off-site copy could not be checked within %s (%v) — counted as ABSENT", stackName, updateOffsiteCheckTimeout, err)
 			}
 			return UpdateTierPoint{}, false
 		}
-		for _, a := range got.Apps {
-			if a.App == stackName && !a.LatestAt.IsZero() {
-				return UpdateTierPoint{Tier: tier, At: a.LatestAt}, true
-			}
+		if at, ok := got[stackName]; ok && !at.IsZero() {
+			return UpdateTierPoint{Tier: tier, At: at}, true
 		}
 	}
 	return UpdateTierPoint{}, false

controller/internal/backup/update_tiers_test.go

@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ func tier1At(at time.Time) func(string) ([]RestorePoint, bool) {
 	}
 }
 func noTier1(string) ([]RestorePoint, bool) { return []RestorePoint{}, true }
-func offsiteWith(app string, at time.Time) func(context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
-	return func(context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
-		return OffsiteInventory{Apps: []OffsiteInventoryApp{{App: app, LatestAt: at}}}, nil
+func offsiteWith(app string, at time.Time) func(context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
+	return func(context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
+		return map[string]time.Time{app: at}, nil
 	}
 }
-func noOffsiteTarget(context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
-	return OffsiteInventory{}, errNoOffsiteTarget
+func noOffsiteTarget(context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
+	return nil, errNoOffsiteTarget
 }
 
 func tiersOf(ps []UpdateTierPoint) []int {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func TestR475_G_TierOrderIsSecondDriveThenOwnUnitThenOffsite(t *testing.T) {
 	offsiteCalls := 0
 	m.updateTier2PointFn = tier2At(r475T0.Add(-1 * time.Hour))
 	m.updateTier1PointsFn = tier1At(r475T0.Add(-2 * time.Hour))
-	m.updateOffsiteInvFn = func(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
+	m.updateOffsiteTimesFn = func(ctx context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
 		offsiteCalls++
 		return offsiteWith("gokapi", r475T0.Add(-3*time.Hour))(ctx)
 	}
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func TestR475_H_OwnUnitOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	m, _ := r475Manager()
 	m.updateTier2PointFn = noTier2
 	m.updateTier1PointsFn = tier1At(r475T0.Add(-2 * time.Hour))
-	m.updateOffsiteInvFn = noOffsiteTarget
+	m.updateOffsiteTimesFn = noOffsiteTarget
 	p, ok, _ := m.UpdateRestorePoints(context.Background(), "gokapi", nil)
 	if !ok || p.Tier != UpdateTierLocal || !p.At.Equal(r475T0.Add(-2*time.Hour)) {
 		t.Fatalf("got %+v ok=%v", p, ok)
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func TestR475_H_OwnUnitOnly(t *testing.T) {
 func TestR475_I_OffsiteOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	m, _ := r475Manager()
 	m.updateTier2PointFn, m.updateTier1PointsFn = noTier2, noTier1
-	m.updateOffsiteInvFn = offsiteWith("gokapi", r475T0.Add(-5*time.Hour))
+	m.updateOffsiteTimesFn = offsiteWith("gokapi", r475T0.Add(-5*time.Hour))
 	if p, ok, _ := m.UpdateRestorePoints(context.Background(), "gokapi", nil); !ok || p.Tier != UpdateTierOffsite {
 		t.Fatalf("got %+v ok=%v", p, ok)
 	}
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ func TestR475_I_OffsiteOnly(t *testing.T) {
 func TestR475_J_OffsiteUnreachableIsAbsentWithAWarn(t *testing.T) {
 	m, buf := r475Manager()
 	m.updateTier2PointFn, m.updateTier1PointsFn = noTier2, noTier1
-	m.updateOffsiteInvFn = func(context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
-		return OffsiteInventory{}, errors.New("ssh: connect to host: connection timed out")
+	m.updateOffsiteTimesFn = func(context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
+		return nil, errors.New("ssh: connect to host: connection timed out")
 	}
 	if _, ok, _ := m.UpdateRestorePoints(context.Background(), "gokapi", nil); ok {
 		t.Error("an unreachable off-site copy must count as absent")
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func TestR475_J_OffsiteUnreachableIsAbsentWithAWarn(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Control: a box with NO off-site target is plainly absent — that is not a fault, so no WARN.
 	buf.Reset()
-	m.updateOffsiteInvFn = noOffsiteTarget
+	m.updateOffsiteTimesFn = noOffsiteTarget
 	if _, ok, _ := m.UpdateRestorePoints(context.Background(), "gokapi", nil); ok || strings.Contains(buf.String(), "WARN") {
 		t.Errorf("no off-site target: want absent and silent; ok=%v log=%q", ok, buf.String())
 	}
@@ -152,9 +152,9 @@ func TestR475_J_OffsiteUnreachableIsAbsentWithAWarn(t *testing.T) {
 	updateOffsiteCheckTimeout = 50 * time.Millisecond
 	defer func() { updateOffsiteCheckTimeout = old }()
 	buf.Reset()
-	m.updateOffsiteInvFn = func(ctx context.Context) (OffsiteInventory, error) {
+	m.updateOffsiteTimesFn = func(ctx context.Context) (map[string]time.Time, error) {
 		<-ctx.Done()
-		return OffsiteInventory{}, ctx.Err()
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
 	}
 	start := time.Now()
 	_, ok, _ := m.UpdateRestorePoints(context.Background(), "gokapi", nil)

controller/internal/settings/settings.go

@@ -1142,6 +1142,19 @@ func (s *Settings) SetAppOffbox(stackName string, on bool) error {
 	return s.save()
 }
 
+// DeleteAppBackupPrefs (R-474, v0.240.0) forgets every per-app backup preference of an app whose
+// backups the customer asked to delete on removal — the off-site toggle and the cross-drive record
+// together. Before it, "delete backups" left `app_backup[<app>]` behind, and a reinstall inherited it.
+func (s *Settings) DeleteAppBackupPrefs(stackName string) error {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	if _, ok := s.AppBackup[stackName]; !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
+	delete(s.AppBackup, stackName)
+	return s.save()
+}
+
 // GetOffboxApps returns the stack names toggled for off-box backup.
 func (s *Settings) GetOffboxApps() []string {
 	s.mu.RLock()

controller/internal/stacks/delete.go

@@ -598,9 +598,15 @@ func (m *Manager) RemoveStack(name string, removeHDDData bool, backupPathsToRemo
 	return resp, nil
 }
 
-// GetStackBackupData returns information about backup data for a stack.
-// drivePath is the app's home drive (HDD or system data path).
-func (m *Manager) GetStackBackupData(name string, drivePath string) (*BackupDataResponse, error) {
+// GetStackBackupData returns information about backup data for a stack — what the remove dialog
+// sizes "delete backups" from. drivePath is the app's namespace root; mirrorDirs are the app's
+// Tier-2 mirror directories (backup.Manager.Tier2MirrorDirsForApp — stacks cannot import backup).
+//
+// R-485 (v0.240.0): until v0.239.0 this read `<ns>/backups/primary/<app>/db-dumps` and a pre-v2
+// `<ns>/backups/secondary/<app>/rsync` path — both dead for an app whose backups are the recovery
+// unit and a v2 mirror — and answered `has_backups:false` over 484 MB (measured on demo-hp
+// 2026-09-13). It now sizes the whole recovery unit and every mirror.
+func (m *Manager) GetStackBackupData(name string, drivePath string, mirrorDirs []string) (*BackupDataResponse, error) {
 	_, ok := m.GetStack(name)
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("stack %q not found", name)
@@ -617,14 +623,12 @@ func (m *Manager) GetStackBackupData(name string, drivePath string) (*BackupData
 		return resp, nil
 	}
 
-	// Check DB dump directory. drivePath is the felhom-data namespace ROOT (Model A: the in-guest
-	// drive mount itself), so backups/ sits directly under it: <nsRoot>/backups/primary/<stack>/db-dumps
-	dbDumpPath := filepath.Join(drivePath, "backups", "primary", name, "db-dumps")
-	resp.BackupPaths = append(resp.BackupPaths, buildPathInfo(dbDumpPath))
-
-	// Check cross-drive rsync directory: <nsRoot>/backups/secondary/<stack>/rsync
-	rsyncPath := filepath.Join(drivePath, "backups", "secondary", name, "rsync")
-	resp.BackupPaths = append(resp.BackupPaths, buildPathInfo(rsyncPath))
+	// The recovery unit — definition, db-dumps and volume-dumps together. drivePath is the felhom-data
+	// namespace ROOT (Model A: the in-guest drive mount itself), so backups/ sits directly under it.
+	resp.BackupPaths = append(resp.BackupPaths, buildPathInfo(appbackup.RecoveryUnitPath(drivePath, name)))
+	for _, d := range mirrorDirs {
+		resp.BackupPaths = append(resp.BackupPaths, buildPathInfo(d))
+	}
 
 	if m.isDebug() {
 		for _, p := range resp.BackupPaths {

controller/internal/stacks/manager.go

@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ type Stack struct {
 	UpdatePhase      string `json:"update_phase,omitempty"`
 	UpdatePhaseLabel string `json:"update_phase_label,omitempty"`
 	UpdateError      string `json:"update_error,omitempty"`
+	// updateHeld (R-480, v0.240.0) — the last update ended HELD, so UpdateError is the hold's own
+	// sentence („… leállítva marad"). It is shown only while that hold is in force; fillHoldReason.
+	updateHeld bool
 	// HoldReason is the customer sentence of a hold in force on this app (a failed update or a failed
 	// restore), "" when none. Filled on every read from the ONE hold store, never cached, so the page
 	// and the API cannot show a hold the gate has already lifted — or miss one it enforces.

controller/internal/stacks/r480_r478_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package stacks
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// R-480 — the failed update's sentence goes when the hold it announced is lifted, or the app is gone.
+
+func heldFailedUpdate(t *testing.T) (*Manager, *fakeGuards) {
+	t.Helper()
+	m, _, g, _ := newSlice4Manager(t)
+	m.updateHealthFn = func(context.Context, string, time.Duration) (bool, string) { return false, "crash loop" }
+	if err := m.StartGuardedUpdate("nextcloud"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	st := waitUpdateDone(t, m, "nextcloud")
+	if st.UpdatePhase != UpdatePhaseFailed || st.UpdateError != "HELD-SENTENCE" {
+		t.Fatalf("fixture: a held failure must show the hold sentence while held; phase=%q err=%q", st.UpdatePhase, st.UpdateError)
+	}
+	return m, g
+}
+
+func TestR480_TheFailureSentenceGoesWhenItsHoldIsLifted(t *testing.T) {
+	m, g := heldFailedUpdate(t)
+	g.mu.Lock()
+	g.held, g.holdWhy = false, "" // a successful restore cleared the hold
+	g.mu.Unlock()
+	if st, _ := m.GetStack("nextcloud"); st.UpdateError != "" || st.UpdatePhase != "" {
+		t.Errorf("GetStack after the hold is lifted: phase=%q err=%q — the card would say a running app is stopped", st.UpdatePhase, st.UpdateError)
+	}
+	for _, st := range m.GetStacks() {
+		if st.Name == "nextcloud" && st.UpdateError != "" {
+			t.Errorf("GetStacks after the hold is lifted still carries %q", st.UpdateError)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestR480_ARemovedAppShowsNoUpdateOutcome(t *testing.T) {
+	m, _ := heldFailedUpdate(t)
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	m.stacks["nextcloud"].Deployed = false
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+	if st, _ := m.GetStack("nextcloud"); st.UpdateError != "" {
+		t.Errorf("a removed app must not carry the held update's sentence, got %q", st.UpdateError)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestR480_AFailureThatHeldNothingKeepsItsSentence(t *testing.T) {
+	m, _, _, c := newSlice4Manager(t)
+	c.fail["pull"] = errors.New("manifest unknown")
+	if err := m.StartGuardedUpdate("nextcloud"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	st := waitUpdateDone(t, m, "nextcloud")
+	if st.UpdateError != MsgUpdatePullFailed || st.UpdatePhase != UpdatePhaseFailed {
+		t.Errorf("a pull failure held nothing and its sentence is still true; phase=%q err=%q", st.UpdatePhase, st.UpdateError)
+	}
+}
+
+// R-478 — a copy older than THIS install's deploy does not carry the update.
+
+func runWithDeployedAt(t *testing.T, deployedAgo time.Duration) *fakeGuards {
+	t.Helper()
+	m, _, g, _ := newSlice4Manager(t)
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	if m.stacks["nextcloud"].AppConfig == nil {
+		m.stacks["nextcloud"].AppConfig = &AppConfig{}
+	}
+	m.stacks["nextcloud"].AppConfig.DeployedAt = slice4T0.Add(-deployedAgo).Format(time.RFC3339)
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+	g.points = []UpdateRestorePoint{{Tier: UpdateTierLocal, ProvenAt: slice4T0.Add(-2 * time.Hour)}}
+	g.pointsAfterBackup = []UpdateRestorePoint{{Tier: UpdateTierLocal, ProvenAt: slice4T0.Add(-time.Minute)}}
+	if err := m.StartGuardedUpdate("nextcloud"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if st := waitUpdateDone(t, m, "nextcloud"); st.UpdatePhase != UpdatePhaseDone {
+		t.Fatalf("phase=%q err=%q", st.UpdatePhase, st.UpdateError)
+	}
+	return g
+}
+
+func TestR478_ACopyOlderThanThisInstallDoesNotCount(t *testing.T) {
+	if g := runWithDeployedAt(t, 10*time.Minute); !hasGuardCall(g, "BackupNow") {
+		t.Errorf("a 2-hour-old unit under a 10-minute-old install belongs to the previous install — back up first; calls=%v", g.callList())
+	}
+	// Control: the same unit under a 3-hour-old install is this install's own copy.
+	if g := runWithDeployedAt(t, 3*time.Hour); hasGuardCall(g, "BackupNow") {
+		t.Errorf("control: a copy newer than the deploy must carry the update with no backup; calls=%v", g.callList())
+	}
+}

controller/internal/stacks/r485_backup_card_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+package stacks
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.dooplex.hu/admin/felhom-controller/internal/appbackup"
+)
+
+// R-485 — the backup card sizes the recovery unit and the mirror, not two dead paths.
+//
+// COMPANION RED-PROOF (REPORT.md): put the old `db-dumps` + `secondary/<app>/rsync` paths back —
+// this fails with has_backups=false over a unit that exists.
+func TestR485_BackupCardSeesTheUnitAndTheMirror(t *testing.T) {
+	m, _ := newPinManager(t, pinTplOld, pinTplNew, "deployed: true\nenv: {}\n")
+	ns := t.TempDir()
+	unit := appbackup.RecoveryUnitPath(ns, "nextcloud")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(unit, "volume-dumps"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(unit, "volume-dumps", "x.tar"), make([]byte, 4096), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	mirror := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "backups", "secondary", "nextcloud")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(mirror, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(mirror, "manifest.json"), []byte("{}"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	resp, err := m.GetStackBackupData("nextcloud", ns, []string{mirror})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !resp.HasBackups {
+		t.Fatal("a recovery unit on disk IS a backup — has_backups must be true")
+	}
+	var seen []string
+	for _, p := range resp.BackupPaths {
+		if p.Exists {
+			seen = append(seen, p.Path)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(seen) != 2 || seen[0] != unit || seen[1] != mirror {
+		t.Errorf("want the unit and the mirror, got %v", seen)
+	}
+	if resp.BackupPaths[0].SizeBytes < 4096 {
+		t.Errorf("the unit's size must include its volume dumps, got %d", resp.BackupPaths[0].SizeBytes)
+	}
+	// No unit, no mirror: nothing to delete, honestly.
+	if resp, _ := m.GetStackBackupData("nextcloud", t.TempDir(), nil); resp.HasBackups {
+		t.Error("nothing on disk must be has_backups=false")
+	}
+}

controller/internal/stacks/update.go

@@ -148,6 +148,50 @@ func freshRestorePoint(now time.Time, maxAge time.Duration) func(UpdateRestorePo
 	}
 }
 
+// usableRestorePoint is freshRestorePoint plus R-478 (v0.240.0): a copy older than THIS install's
+// deploy does not count — it belongs to a previous install of the same app. Measured on demo-hp
+// 2026-09-13: a reinstalled gokapi leaned on a unit left by the removed install (06:59Z) for an update
+// at 15:31Z. A zero deployedAt (an app.yaml without deployed_at) applies no such rule. A restore also
+// rewrites deployed_at, so the update after a restore backs up first — slower, never less safe.
+// COMPANION RED-PROOF (REPORT.md): drop the deployedAt check — TestR478_… fails.
+func usableRestorePoint(now time.Time, maxAge time.Duration, deployedAt time.Time) func(UpdateRestorePoint) bool {
+	fresh := freshRestorePoint(now, maxAge)
+	return func(p UpdateRestorePoint) bool {
+		if !deployedAt.IsZero() && p.ProvenAt.Before(deployedAt) {
+			return false
+		}
+		return fresh(p)
+	}
+}
+
+// currentDeployTime is the app's recorded deployed_at, zero when absent or unreadable.
+func (m *Manager) currentDeployTime(name string) time.Time {
+	st, ok := m.GetStack(name)
+	if !ok || st.AppConfig == nil || st.AppConfig.DeployedAt == "" {
+		return time.Time{}
+	}
+	t, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, st.AppConfig.DeployedAt)
+	if err != nil {
+		return time.Time{}
+	}
+	return t
+}
+
+func (m *Manager) markUpdateHeld(name string) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	if s, ok := m.stacks[name]; ok {
+		s.updateHeld = true
+	}
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+func fmtDeployTime(t time.Time) string {
+	if t.IsZero() {
+		return "unknown"
+	}
+	return t.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
+}
+
 func describeRestorePoints(now time.Time, pts []UpdateRestorePoint) string {
 	if len(pts) == 0 {
 		return "none"
@@ -189,11 +233,22 @@ func (m *Manager) guards() UpdateGuards {
 }
 
 func fillHoldReason(g UpdateGuards, st *Stack) {
-	if g == nil || st == nil || !st.Deployed {
+	if st == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	if held, why := g.HoldFor(st.Name); held {
-		st.HoldReason = why
+	held := false
+	if g != nil && st.Deployed {
+		if h, why := g.HoldFor(st.Name); h {
+			st.HoldReason, held = why, true
+		}
+	}
+	// R-480: an update that ended HELD carries the hold's sentence as its UpdateError. Once that hold
+	// is lifted — a successful restore — or the app is removed, the sentence says a running (or absent)
+	// app „leállítva marad", which is false. Measured on demo-hp 2026-09-13 after the „helyi" restore.
+	// A failure that held nothing (a pull failure) keeps its sentence: it is still true.
+	// COMPANION RED-PROOF (REPORT.md): delete this block — TestR480_… fails.
+	if st.updateHeld && !st.Updating && (!st.Deployed || (g != nil && !held)) {
+		st.UpdatePhase, st.UpdatePhaseLabel, st.UpdateError = "", "", ""
 	}
 }
 
@@ -329,7 +384,7 @@ func (m *Manager) StartGuardedUpdate(name string) error {
 		m.mu.Unlock()
 		return m.refuseUpdate(name, "updating", fmt.Sprintf(MsgUpdateAlreadyFmt, name), "lost the race for the Updating flag")
 	}
-	s.Updating, s.UpdateError = true, ""
+	s.Updating, s.UpdateError, s.updateHeld = true, "", false
 	s.UpdatePhase, s.UpdatePhaseLabel = UpdatePhaseChecking, UpdatePhaseLabel(UpdatePhaseChecking)
 	m.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -445,11 +500,12 @@ func (m *Manager) runGuardedUpdate(ctx context.Context, name string) {
 	// applies to whichever tier is chosen. The first FRESH copy wins — not merely the first copy — so a
 	// stale second-drive mirror never forces a backup while the app's own unit is minutes old.
 	maxAge := m.backupMaxAge()
-	rp, ok, seen := g.RestorePoints(ctx, name, freshRestorePoint(start, maxAge))
+	deployedAt := m.currentDeployTime(name)
+	rp, ok, seen := g.RestorePoints(ctx, name, usableRestorePoint(start, maxAge, deployedAt))
 	if ok {
 		m.logger.Printf("[INFO] [stacks] update %s: precondition met — %s copy from %s (%s old, limit %s)", name, updateTierName(rp.Tier), rp.ProvenAt.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339), start.Sub(rp.ProvenAt).Round(time.Minute), maxAge)
 	} else {
-		m.logger.Printf("[INFO] [stacks] update %s: no copy younger than %s on any tier (found: %s) — backing up first", name, maxAge, describeRestorePoints(start, seen))
+		m.logger.Printf("[INFO] [stacks] update %s: no usable copy on any tier — younger than %s and not older than this install's deploy (%s) (found: %s) — backing up first", name, maxAge, fmtDeployTime(deployedAt), describeRestorePoints(start, seen))
 		if !m.enterUpdatePhase(name, &entry, UpdatePhaseBackingUp) {
 			fail(MsgUpdateJournalFailed, "journal write failed")
 			return
@@ -459,7 +515,7 @@ func (m *Manager) runGuardedUpdate(ctx context.Context, name string) {
 			return
 		}
 		now := m.now()
-		rp, ok, seen = g.RestorePoints(ctx, name, freshRestorePoint(now, maxAge))
+		rp, ok, seen = g.RestorePoints(ctx, name, usableRestorePoint(now, maxAge, deployedAt))
 		if !ok {
 			fail(MsgUpdateBackupNoUnit, fmt.Sprintf("after the backup there is still no copy younger than %s on any tier (found: %s)", maxAge, describeRestorePoints(now, seen)))
 			return
@@ -577,6 +633,7 @@ func (m *Manager) failAndHold(ctx context.Context, name, dir string, env []strin
 		m.logger.Printf("[ERROR] [stacks] update %s: %v", name, err)
 	} else if _, why := g.HoldFor(name); why != "" {
 		msg = why
+		m.markUpdateHeld(name)
 	}
 	_ = m.RefreshStatus()
 	m.clearJournal(name)
@@ -814,7 +871,7 @@ func (m *Manager) RecoverUpdates() []string {
 			m.logger.Printf("[WARN] [stacks] update recovery: %s was interrupted in %s (started %s) — the new version may have run; marking it Updating and RESUMING the health wait", name, e.Phase, e.StartedAt.Format(time.RFC3339))
 			m.mu.Lock()
 			if s, ok := m.stacks[name]; ok {
-				s.Updating, s.UpdateError = true, ""
+				s.Updating, s.UpdateError, s.updateHeld = true, "", false
 				s.UpdatePhase, s.UpdatePhaseLabel = UpdatePhaseVerifying, UpdatePhaseLabel(UpdatePhaseVerifying)
 			}
 			m.updateResume = append(m.updateResume, name)