diff --git a/scripts/deploy-remote.sh b/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
index d0cd3fa..19ea64d 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
@@ -1237,7 +1237,13 @@ deploy_llm_primary() {
         echo "ERROR: frank-primary.env missing FRANK_PRIMARY_IMAGE/MODEL_DIR/MODEL_SHARDS" >&2
         return 1
     fi
-    if ! podman images --format '{{.RepoDigests}}' | grep -qF "${image#*@}"; then
+    # Capture podman's output BEFORE grepping: under set -o pipefail, the
+    # classic `podman images | grep -q` races (grep exits on match, podman
+    # dies SIGPIPE 141 writing the rest, pipefail calls it no-match — the
+    # 2026-09-30 deploy refusal).
+    local digests
+    digests="$(podman images --format '{{.RepoDigests}}')"
+    if ! grep -qF "${image#*@}" <<<"$digests"; then
         echo "ERROR: pinned runtime image absent from rootless storage: $image" >&2
         echo "frank-primary: fetch it (podman pull $image)" >&2
         return 1
diff --git a/scripts/serve-frank-primary.sh b/scripts/serve-frank-primary.sh
index 40688d0..830a47f 100755
--- a/scripts/serve-frank-primary.sh
+++ b/scripts/serve-frank-primary.sh
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ set +a
 : "${FRANK_PRIMARY_SEQS:?FRANK_PRIMARY_SEQS must be set}"
 : "${FRANK_PRIMARY_KV_BYTES:?FRANK_PRIMARY_KV_BYTES must be set (PER RANK)}"
 : "${FRANK_PRIMARY_KV_DTYPE:?FRANK_PRIMARY_KV_DTYPE must be set (fp8 = q8/q8 KV)}"
-: "${FRANK_PRIMARY_SPEC:?FRANK_PRIMARY_SPEC must be set (0 disables)}"
-: "${FRANK_PRIMARY_UTIL:?FRANK_PRIMARY_UTIL must be set}"
-
-# --- gates: never serve a half-finished payload or a missing image -----------
-if ! podman images --format '{{.RepoDigests}}' | grep -qF "${FRANK_PRIMARY_IMAGE#*@}"; then
+# Capture podman's output BEFORE grepping: under `set -o pipefail`, the
+# classic `podman images | grep -q` pattern races — grep exits on its first
+# match, podman dies SIGPIPE (141) writing the remaining lines, and pipefail
+# turns the 141 into "no match" (the 2026-09-30 deploy refusal).
+DIGESTS="$(podman images --format '{{.RepoDigests}}')"
+if ! grep -qF "${FRANK_PRIMARY_IMAGE#*@}" <<<"$DIGESTS"; then
     echo "serve-frank-primary: pinned image absent from rootless storage: $FRANK_PRIMARY_IMAGE" >&2
     echo "  fetch it: podman pull $FRANK_PRIMARY_IMAGE" >&2
     exit 1