diff --git a/playbooks/update-homarr.yml b/playbooks/update-homarr.yml
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+---
+# ============================================================================
+# update-homarr.yml — pull latest Homarr image + recreate the running stack
+# ============================================================================
+# Lightweight, routine updater. Does NOT rewrite docker-compose.yml and does NOT
+# fetch secrets — it operates on the compose stack already deployed by
+# deploy-homarr.yml, so any manual env/compose edits on the host are preserved.
+#
+# For a first-time / full (re)deploy use deploy-homarr.yml instead.
+#
+# Connects AS the `ansible` user via the deploy SSH key (same pattern as
+# deploy-homarr.yml). Semaphore injects SSH_PRIVATE_KEY from Infisical.
+#
+# Usage: playbook playbooks/update-homarr.yml, extra vars: target=racknerd1
+# ============================================================================
+
+- name: "PRECHECK — fetch deploy SSH key from Infisical"
+  hosts: localhost
+  gather_facts: false
+  vars:
+    infisical_url: "{{ lookup('env','INFISICAL_URL') | default('http://192.168.122.41:8080', true) }}"
+    infisical_env_slug: "{{ lookup('env','INFISICAL_ENV_SLUG') | default('dev', true) }}"
+  tasks:
+    - name: "[precheck] Infisical auth vars present?"
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that:
+          - lookup('env','INFISICAL_CLIENT_ID') | length > 0
+          - lookup('env','INFISICAL_CLIENT_SECRET') | length > 0
+          - lookup('env','INFISICAL_PROJECT_ID') | length > 0
+        fail_msg: "Missing INFISICAL_CLIENT_ID / _SECRET / _PROJECT_ID in Semaphore Environment."
+
+    - name: "[precheck] Login to Infisical"
+      infisical.vault.login:
+        url: "{{ infisical_url }}"
+        auth_method: universal_auth
+        universal_auth_client_id: "{{ lookup('env','INFISICAL_CLIENT_ID') }}"
+        universal_auth_client_secret: "{{ lookup('env','INFISICAL_CLIENT_SECRET') }}"
+      register: infisical_login
+
+    - name: "[precheck] Read secrets"
+      infisical.vault.read_secrets:
+        login_data: "{{ infisical_login.login_data }}"
+        project_id: "{{ lookup('env','INFISICAL_PROJECT_ID') }}"
+        env_slug: "{{ infisical_env_slug }}"
+        path: "/"
+        as_dict: true
+      register: infisical_secrets
+
+    - name: "[precheck] stash SSH key for update play"
+      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+        pc_ssh_privkey: "{{ infisical_secrets.secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}"
+      no_log: true
+
+    - name: "[precheck] write deploy private key to runner temp (0600)"
+      ansible.builtin.copy:
+        dest: "/tmp/homarr_deploy_key"
+        content: "{{ pc_ssh_privkey }}\n"
+        mode: "0600"
+      no_log: true
+
+- name: "Update Homarr (pull + recreate, as ansible user)"
+  hosts: "{{ target | default('racknerd1') }}"
+  gather_facts: false
+  vars:
+    deploy_user: ansible
+    homarr_dir: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/docker/homarr"
+    homarr_port: 7575
+    ansible_user: ansible
+    ansible_ssh_private_key_file: "/tmp/homarr_deploy_key"
+    ansible_ssh_common_args: "-o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new -o IdentitiesOnly=yes"
+  tasks:
+    - name: Reset connection so docker group membership is active in this session
+      ansible.builtin.meta: reset_connection
+
+    - name: Gather facts (after connection reset)
+      ansible.builtin.setup:
+
+    - name: Docker available (rootless, via docker group)?
+      ansible.builtin.command: docker version
+      register: dv
+      changed_when: false
+      failed_when: dv.rc != 0
+
+    - name: Existing compose stack present?
+      ansible.builtin.stat:
+        path: "{{ homarr_dir }}/docker-compose.yml"
+      register: compose_file
+
+    - name: Fail early if stack not deployed
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that:
+          - compose_file.stat.exists
+        fail_msg: >-
+          No docker-compose.yml at {{ homarr_dir }} — run deploy-homarr.yml first.
+          update-homarr.yml only updates an already-deployed stack.
+
+    - name: Record image digest before update
+      ansible.builtin.command:
+        cmd: docker inspect --format '{{ '{{' }}.Image{{ '}}' }}' homarr
+      register: img_before
+      changed_when: false
+      failed_when: false
+
+    - name: Pull latest image + recreate (compose preserved as-is)
+      community.docker.docker_compose_v2:
+        project_src: "{{ homarr_dir }}"
+        pull: always
+        state: present
+        recreate: auto
+
+    - name: Record image digest after update
+      ansible.builtin.command:
+        cmd: docker inspect --format '{{ '{{' }}.Image{{ '}}' }}' homarr
+      register: img_after
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Wait for Homarr to be healthy
+      ansible.builtin.uri:
+        url: "http://127.0.0.1:{{ homarr_port }}/"
+        status_code: [200, 302, 307]
+      register: health
+      retries: 15
+      delay: 5
+      until: health.status is defined and health.status in [200, 302, 307]
+
+    - name: Prune the now-dangling old image (best effort)
+      ansible.builtin.command: docker image prune -f
+      register: prune
+      changed_when: "'Total reclaimed space: 0B' not in prune.stdout"
+      failed_when: false
+
+    - name: Result
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        msg: >-
+          Homarr on {{ inventory_hostname }}:{{ homarr_port }} — HTTP {{ health.status }}.
+          {{ 'Image updated.' if img_before.stdout != img_after.stdout else 'Already up to date (no image change).' }}
+
+- name: "Cleanup runner temp key"
+  hosts: localhost
+  gather_facts: false
+  tasks:
+    - name: "remove temp deploy key from runner"
+      ansible.builtin.file:
+        path: /tmp/homarr_deploy_key
+        state: absent