diff --git a/core/Cargo.lock b/core/Cargo.lock
index 84079f9e..691dfbb8 100644
--- a/core/Cargo.lock
+++ b/core/Cargo.lock
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ checksum = "a23eb6b1614318a8071c9b2521f36b424b2c83db5eb3a0fead4a6c0809af6e61"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "archipelago"
-version = "1.7.3-alpha"
+version = "1.7.4-alpha"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "archipelago-container",
diff --git a/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml b/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml
index 962e9885..a25bf93f 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml
+++ b/core/archipelago/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "archipelago"
-version = "1.7.3-alpha"
+version = "1.7.4-alpha"
 edition = "2021"
 description = "Archipelago Bitcoin Node OS - Native backend"
 authors = ["Archipelago Team"]
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/update.rs b/core/archipelago/src/update.rs
index 00150f07..c3e3cc2d 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/update.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/update.rs
@@ -305,42 +305,60 @@ pub async fn apply_update(data_dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
                 info!(name = %name, "Backend binary applied");
             }
             _ if name.contains("frontend") && name.ends_with(".tar.gz") => {
-                let web_ui_dir = Path::new("/opt/archipelago/web-ui");
-                // Back up current frontend. /opt/archipelago is root-owned;
-                // the backup goes under our data_dir where we can write.
-                let frontend_backup = backup_dir.join("web-ui-backup.tar.gz");
-                if web_ui_dir.exists() {
-                    let status = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
-                        .args([
-                            "tar",
-                            "-czf",
-                            &frontend_backup.to_string_lossy(),
-                            "-C",
-                            "/opt/archipelago",
-                            "web-ui",
-                        ])
-                        .status()
-                        .await
-                        .context("Failed to backup frontend")?;
-                    if status.success() {
-                        info!("Frontend backed up");
-                    }
+                // The tarball contents are the *inside* of web-ui/ — root
+                // entries are `./test-aiui.html`, `./assets/`, etc. Extract
+                // into a sibling staging dir, then swap atomically so
+                // nginx never sees a half-written tree.
+                let new_dir = "/opt/archipelago/web-ui.new";
+                let backup_path = "/opt/archipelago/web-ui.bak";
+                // Wipe any previous attempt's staging / backup dirs.
+                let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
+                    .args(["rm", "-rf", new_dir, backup_path])
+                    .status()
+                    .await;
+                let mk = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
+                    .args(["mkdir", "-p", new_dir])
+                    .status()
+                    .await
+                    .context("Failed to create frontend staging dir")?;
+                if !mk.success() {
+                    anyhow::bail!("mkdir {} failed", new_dir);
                 }
-                // Extract new frontend into /opt/archipelago (root-owned dir).
+                // Extract INTO the staging dir — tar's ./ entries land at
+                // the right place (web-ui.new/assets/... etc.).
                 let status = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
-                    .args(["tar", "-xzf", &src.to_string_lossy(), "-C", "/opt/archipelago"])
+                    .args(["tar", "-xzf", &src.to_string_lossy(), "-C", new_dir])
                     .status()
                     .await
                     .with_context(|| format!("Failed to extract {}", name))?;
                 if !status.success() {
                     anyhow::bail!("tar extraction failed for {}", name);
                 }
-                // nginx serves this tree; keep ownership consistent with
-                // what first-boot + the ISO layout expect.
+                // Ownership: match what first-boot + the ISO expect.
                 let _ = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
-                    .args(["chown", "-R", "archipelago:archipelago", "/opt/archipelago/web-ui"])
+                    .args(["chown", "-R", "archipelago:archipelago", new_dir])
                     .status()
                     .await;
+                // Atomic-ish swap: move old aside, new into place.
+                let web_ui = "/opt/archipelago/web-ui";
+                if Path::new(web_ui).exists() {
+                    let mv_old = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
+                        .args(["mv", web_ui, backup_path])
+                        .status()
+                        .await
+                        .context("Failed to rotate old web-ui")?;
+                    if !mv_old.success() {
+                        anyhow::bail!("failed to move old web-ui aside");
+                    }
+                }
+                let mv_new = tokio::process::Command::new("sudo")
+                    .args(["mv", new_dir, web_ui])
+                    .status()
+                    .await
+                    .context("Failed to swap new web-ui into place")?;
+                if !mv_new.success() {
+                    anyhow::bail!("failed to move new web-ui into place");
+                }
                 info!(name = %name, "Frontend archive extracted to /opt/archipelago/web-ui");
             }
             _ => {
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue
index 5e98feef..f91bdd75 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/SystemUpdate.vue
@@ -345,10 +345,12 @@ async function downloadUpdate() {
   downloadPercent.value = 0
   statusMessage.value = ''
 
-  // Simulate incremental progress while waiting for the RPC
+  // Simulate incremental progress while waiting for the RPC. Capped at
+  // 95% so the bar never shows >100% before the real completion jumps it
+  // to 100 — previously the random increment could overshoot.
   const progressInterval = setInterval(() => {
-    if (downloadPercent.value < 90) {
-      downloadPercent.value += Math.random() * 15
+    if (downloadPercent.value < 95) {
+      downloadPercent.value = Math.min(95, downloadPercent.value + Math.random() * 3)
     }
   }, 500)