diff --git a/docs/evidence/user-engine-operability-2026-07-29.json b/docs/evidence/user-engine-operability-2026-07-29.json
index 0a51358..53a7137 100644
--- a/docs/evidence/user-engine-operability-2026-07-29.json
+++ b/docs/evidence/user-engine-operability-2026-07-29.json
@@ -1,24 +1,26 @@
 {
-  "captured_at": "2026-07-29T21:56:00Z",
+  "captured_at": "2026-07-29T22:16:00Z",
   "checks": {
     "backup_archive_catalog_valid": true,
     "backup_checksum_valid": true,
     "backup_schedule_present": true,
     "database_ready": true,
+    "identity_provisioner_registry_public_read": true,
     "metrics_authorized": true,
     "metrics_unauthorized_denied": true,
     "restore_drill_complete": true,
     "restore_migration_rows": 1,
     "restore_public_tables": 4,
     "rollback_exercised": true,
-    "rollforward_restored": true
+    "rollforward_restored": true,
+    "user_engine_offsite_age_upload": true,
+    "user_engine_registry_public_read": true
   },
-  "declared_image": "user-engine:portal-2bcda7f",
-  "residual_risks": [
-    "Backup PVC uses the reef's single local node and is not an independent disaster-recovery copy.",
-    "The directly imported image still needs publication through the approved registry lane."
-  ],
-  "rollback_image": "user-engine:portal-746bf21",
+  "declared_image": "forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/user-engine@sha256:60f4fa1c144c8f7b9e2e74c264e4594e63ac6a0c0f75e5cf536880b8fd99fa28",
+  "identity_provisioner_image": "forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/identity-provisioner@sha256:ecd9ba44bb83a4809fb47e0ef016e3f71f38a87f1adbdbf0a102ac24c12f6df8",
+  "offsite_artifact": "user-engine-pg-user_engine-20260729T220653Z.dump.age",
+  "residual_risks": [],
+  "rollback_image": "forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/user-engine@sha256:d25037e61c0c71dd9fbf89f653797932061b0be1fc5b4b23223821e5c2e3d6d0",
   "schema_version": "user-engine-operability-evidence/v1",
   "secret_values_observed": false
 }
diff --git a/sso-mfa/k8s/identity-provisioner/deployment.yaml b/sso-mfa/k8s/identity-provisioner/deployment.yaml
index 0897fd4..ab033fb 100644
--- a/sso-mfa/k8s/identity-provisioner/deployment.yaml
+++ b/sso-mfa/k8s/identity-provisioner/deployment.yaml
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ spec:
         seccompProfile: {type: RuntimeDefault}
       containers:
         - name: provisioner
-          image: identity-provisioner:12cdef5
-          imagePullPolicy: Never
+          image: forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/identity-provisioner@sha256:ecd9ba44bb83a4809fb47e0ef016e3f71f38a87f1adbdbf0a102ac24c12f6df8
+          imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
           ports: [{name: http, containerPort: 8080}]
           env:
             - {name: LLDAP_URL, value: "http://lldap.sso.svc.cluster.local:17170"}
diff --git a/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/README.md b/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/README.md
index 4a25820..3a13f2c 100644
--- a/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/README.md
+++ b/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/README.md
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ no public Ingress until the KeyCape authorization-code/PKCE edge and
 must remain impossible because the application accepts identity only from a
 trusted edge marker plus verified claims.
 
-For the current pre-production bootstrap the image is imported directly into
-k3s and uses `imagePullPolicy: Never`. Replace it with the immutable Forgejo
-OCI digest after the OpenBao package-publisher lane is available.
+The portal image is published through the activity-core workload-scoped
+Forgejo package credential and deployed from
+`forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/user-engine` by immutable digest. The public
+package read was verified without an image pull Secret; publishing still uses
+the ExternalSecret-backed credential and temporary client state.
 
 The CloudNativePG operator creates `user-engine-pg-app`, including its `uri`
 field. `user-engine-runtime` contains only the generated edge marker and must
diff --git a/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/runtime.yaml b/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/runtime.yaml
index 082295e..102ca5a 100644
--- a/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/runtime.yaml
+++ b/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/runtime.yaml
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ spec:
         seccompProfile: {type: RuntimeDefault}
       containers:
         - name: portal
-          image: user-engine:portal-2bcda7f
-          imagePullPolicy: Never
+          image: forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/user-engine@sha256:60f4fa1c144c8f7b9e2e74c264e4594e63ac6a0c0f75e5cf536880b8fd99fa28
+          imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
           ports: [{name: http, containerPort: 8080}]
           env:
             - name: USER_ENGINE_DATABASE_URL
diff --git a/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/verify-operability.sh b/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/verify-operability.sh
index e138ccb..5961d9c 100755
--- a/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/verify-operability.sh
+++ b/sso-mfa/k8s/user-engine/verify-operability.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 namespace=user-engine
 deployment=user-engine
 manifest="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/runtime.yaml"
+rollback_target="${USER_ENGINE_ROLLBACK_IMAGE:-forgejo.coulomb.social/coulomb/user-engine@sha256:d25037e61c0c71dd9fbf89f653797932061b0be1fc5b4b23223821e5c2e3d6d0}"
 exercise_rollback=false
 if [[ "${1:-}" == "--exercise-rollback" ]]; then
   exercise_rollback=true
@@ -47,12 +48,13 @@ print("%s %s %s" % (denied, response.status, int("user_engine_ready 1" in body))
 rollback_image=""
 rollback_restored=true
 if $exercise_rollback; then
-  kubectl -n "$namespace" rollout undo deployment/"$deployment" >/dev/null
+  kubectl -n "$namespace" set image deployment/"$deployment" \
+    "portal=${rollback_target}" >/dev/null
   kubectl -n "$namespace" rollout status deployment/"$deployment" \
     --timeout=180s >/dev/null
   rollback_image="$(kubectl -n "$namespace" get deployment "$deployment" \
     -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image}')"
-  [[ "$rollback_image" != "$current_image" ]]
+  [[ "$rollback_image" == "$rollback_target" ]]
   kubectl apply -f "$manifest" >/dev/null
   kubectl -n "$namespace" rollout status deployment/"$deployment" \
     --timeout=180s >/dev/null
diff --git a/workplans/NK-WP-0023-user-engine-portal-platform-integration.md b/workplans/NK-WP-0023-user-engine-portal-platform-integration.md
index 4c3797e..a90fcb6 100644
--- a/workplans/NK-WP-0023-user-engine-portal-platform-integration.md
+++ b/workplans/NK-WP-0023-user-engine-portal-platform-integration.md
@@ -194,6 +194,25 @@ The remaining production gaps are registry publication and an independently
 custodied/off-node backup copy; the current PVC shares reef-railiance's single
 failure domain, so T05 remains in progress.
 
+2026-07-30 follow-up: both former gaps are implemented. The activity-core
+ExternalSecret boundary published the portal and provisioner images to
+`forgejo.coulomb.social` without exposing the package credential. Anonymous
+digest inspection passed, and both live Deployments now pull immutable public
+digests. The prior verified portal image is also published by digest;
+rollback/roll-forward passed without node-local image reliance.
+
+The established Option A activity-core lane produced and uploaded
+`user-engine-pg-user_engine-20260729T220653Z.dump.age` to independent
+Nextcloud custody. The plaintext dump was removed immediately and only
+non-secret sizes and the artifact name were recorded. The local isolated
+restore drill already proves the same logical dump/restore path.
+
+The final T05 custody residual is narrower: `user-engine-runtime/proxy-secret`
+and `identity-provisioner-client/token` remain bootstrap Kubernetes Secrets.
+They must move to an OpenBao-owned path plus ExternalSecret and a rotation
+procedure. Creating that new write/custody lane requires the ops-mason
+executive approval gate; registry and backup work do not remain open.
+
 ## T06 - Prove role-scoped administration and failure safety
 
 ```task