diff --git a/deployment/device-manager-release-v3.json b/deployment/device-manager-release-v3.json
index 02603b6..0b2b80d 100644
--- a/deployment/device-manager-release-v3.json
+++ b/deployment/device-manager-release-v3.json
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
     "artifactSha256": "d4132993216eb674967dc6fc65d9670cfc2a9efdf46186ca019030f259de2d0e"
   },
   "controlCorePredecessor": {
-    "patchId": "device-control-core-release-v2-20260813-028",
-    "artifactSha256": "816ef07fd81923328c3ff54d833dcc49f873aef13256259ae4f66061e7453635"
+    "patchId": "device-control-core-release-v2-20260821-030",
+    "artifactSha256": "8459521a662541a5a87cb0188991cdcfb51727427db8ec2a232ce4846bfc3454"
   },
   "edgeChannelPredecessor": {
     "patchId": "device-edge-core-channel-upgrade-v4-20260812-023",
diff --git a/infra/deploy-runner/build-device-manager-control-plane-artifact.mjs b/infra/deploy-runner/build-device-manager-control-plane-artifact.mjs
index eaa3443..736a661 100644
--- a/infra/deploy-runner/build-device-manager-control-plane-artifact.mjs
+++ b/infra/deploy-runner/build-device-manager-control-plane-artifact.mjs
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ try {
       || descriptor.commandTransport !== "typed-service-ping-v1"
       || descriptor.commandCatalog !== "allowlisted-adapter-typed-commands-only"
       || descriptor.credentialBoundary !== "transient-core-memory-then-single-pinned-mtls-command-envelope-to-edge-never-persisted-never-logged-never-returned"
-      || descriptor.controlCorePredecessor?.patchId !== "device-control-core-release-v2-20260813-028"
-      || descriptor.controlCorePredecessor?.artifactSha256 !== "816ef07fd81923328c3ff54d833dcc49f873aef13256259ae4f66061e7453635"
+      || descriptor.controlCorePredecessor?.patchId !== "device-control-core-release-v2-20260821-030"
+      || descriptor.controlCorePredecessor?.artifactSha256 !== "8459521a662541a5a87cb0188991cdcfb51727427db8ec2a232ce4846bfc3454"
       || descriptor.edgeChannelPredecessor?.patchId !== "device-edge-core-channel-upgrade-v4-20260812-023"
       || descriptor.edgeChannelPredecessor?.artifactSha256 !== "c10d5b6b7d55ab239f85b6c8130e34ce9f84985e3b46e6e5534733156c7982fc"
       || descriptor.edgeChannel !== "preserve-active-v4-core-initiated-pinned-mtls"
diff --git a/infra/deploy-runner/test_device_manager_control_plane_artifacts.py b/infra/deploy-runner/test_device_manager_control_plane_artifacts.py
index 91f57a6..352425d 100644
--- a/infra/deploy-runner/test_device_manager_control_plane_artifacts.py
+++ b/infra/deploy-runner/test_device_manager_control_plane_artifacts.py
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ LAUNCHER_HUB_SERVICE_TRUST_UI_ENTRIES = (
 )
 
 
-def healthy_device_plane_inventory(*, include_manager=False):
+def healthy_device_plane_inventory(
+    *,
+    include_manager=False,
+    include_backhaul=False,
+):
     services = [
         ("device-control-core", "a"),
         ("device-gateway", "b"),
@@ -51,6 +55,8 @@ def healthy_device_plane_inventory(*, include_manager=False):
     ]
     if include_manager:
         services.append(("device-manager", "d"))
+    if include_backhaul:
+        services.append(("device-backhaul-target", "e"))
     return {
         "schemaVersion": "nodedc.device-plane.runtime-inventory.v1",
         "composeProject": "nodedc-device-plane",
@@ -299,6 +305,23 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
             ("device-manager",),
         )
         self.assertEqual(result["services"], ["device-manager"])
+        template = json.loads(
+            (
+                DEVICE_CORE_ROOT
+                / "deployment/device-manager-release-v3.json"
+            ).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            template["controlCorePredecessor"],
+            {
+                "patchId": (
+                    "device-control-core-release-v2-20260821-030"
+                ),
+                "artifactSha256": (
+                    "8459521a662541a5a87cb0188991cdcfb51727427db8ec2a232ce4846bfc3454"
+                ),
+            },
+        )
         self.assertIn(
             "payload/deployment/device-manager-release-v3.json",
             names,
@@ -599,6 +622,7 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 ("device-plane", "device-manager"),
                 ("device-plane", "device-gateway"),
                 ("device-plane", "device-postgres"),
+                ("device-plane", "device-backhaul-target"),
             ],
         )
         url_health.assert_called_once_with(
@@ -849,6 +873,11 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
                     "inspect_device_edge_channel_core_identity_state",
                     return_value="valid-reuse-at-apply",
                 ),
+                mock.patch.object(
+                    RUNNER,
+                    "validate_device_plane_control_core_selected_predecessor_runtime",
+                    return_value={"health": "unhealthy"},
+                ),
                 mock.patch.object(RUNNER, "healthcheck_compose_service"),
                 mock.patch.object(
                     RUNNER,
@@ -857,7 +886,8 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
             ):
                 result = (
                     RUNNER.validate_device_plane_control_core_release_predecessor(
-                        root / "candidate-payload"
+                        root / "candidate-payload",
+                        preflight_phase="plan",
                     )
                 )
 
@@ -1648,7 +1678,8 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
             ):
                 result = (
                     RUNNER.validate_device_plane_manager_activation_predecessor(
-                        root / "payload"
+                        root / "payload",
+                        preflight_phase="plan",
                     )
                 )
 
@@ -1782,18 +1813,15 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
             ):
                 result = (
                     RUNNER.validate_device_plane_manager_activation_predecessor(
-                        root / "candidate-payload"
+                        root / "candidate-payload",
+                        preflight_phase="plan",
                     )
                 )
 
         self.assertEqual(result["mode"], "active-manager-forward-upgrade")
         self.assertEqual(
             [call.args for call in health.call_args_list],
-            [
-                ("device-plane", "device-control-core"),
-                ("device-plane", "device-manager"),
-                ("device-plane", "device-postgres"),
-            ],
+            [],
         )
 
     def test_initial_install_rollback_removes_manager_and_restores_core_only(self):
@@ -2110,9 +2138,13 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 encoding="utf-8",
             )
             (backup / "runtime-before.json").write_text(
-                json.dumps(healthy_device_plane_inventory(include_manager=True)),
+                json.dumps(healthy_device_plane_inventory(
+                    include_manager=True,
+                    include_backhaul=True,
+                )),
                 encoding="utf-8",
             )
+            restored_core_id = "f" * 64
             with (
                 mock.patch.object(
                     RUNNER,
@@ -2131,6 +2163,23 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
                     RUNNER,
                     "healthcheck_compose_service_with_grace",
                 ) as restore_health,
+                mock.patch.object(
+                    RUNNER,
+                    "compose_service_container_id",
+                    return_value=restored_core_id,
+                ),
+                mock.patch.object(
+                    RUNNER,
+                    "inspect_device_plane_container",
+                    return_value={
+                        "Id": restored_core_id,
+                        "State": {
+                            "Status": "running",
+                            "Running": True,
+                            "Health": {"Status": "healthy"},
+                        },
+                    },
+                ),
                 mock.patch.object(
                     RUNNER,
                     "validate_device_manager_control_plane_runtime",
@@ -2154,10 +2203,10 @@ class DeviceManagerControlPlaneArtifactsTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(
             [call.args for call in restore_health.call_args_list],
             [
-                ("device-plane", "device-control-core"),
                 ("device-plane", "device-manager"),
                 ("device-plane", "device-gateway"),
                 ("device-plane", "device-postgres"),
+                ("device-plane", "device-backhaul-target"),
             ],
         )
         runtime_acceptance.assert_called_once_with(