diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/afterupgrade_indoor_check.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/afterupgrade_indoor_check.yml
index 34db288..ae249f8 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/afterupgrade_indoor_check.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/afterupgrade_indoor_check.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
         target_version: "{{ target_version | default('') }}"
         target_version_full: "{{ target_version | default('') }}"
 
-    # (NEW) Show what we received from the scheduler (for easy troubleshooting)
+    # (NEW) Show what we received from the scheduler
     - name: Debug received scheduler metadata
       delegate_to: localhost
       ansible.builtin.debug:
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           - "original_emitted_at={{ original_emitted_at }}"
           - "target_version_full={{ target_version_full }}"
 
-    # ---- Controller-side TCP probe to DEV1 (no SSH to target yet) ----
+    # ---- Controller-side TCP probe to DEV1 ----
     - name: Check if TCP 22 on DEV1 is reachable
       delegate_to: localhost
       ansible.builtin.shell: |
@@ -355,20 +355,28 @@
                     and (not (((dev2_fwver.stdout | default('unknown')) | lower) is search('unknown'))) }}"
 
     # ===================== Unconditional normalization + comparison =====================
-    # Compute expected_norm from target_version_full. If the full filename-like string is sent,
-    # extract the "X.Y.Z-rNNNN" core; otherwise use the trimmed original.
+    # Compute expected_norm from target_version_full. If a whole filename is sent,
+    # extract "X.Y.Z-rNNNN"; otherwise keep the original trimmed string.
 
-    - name: Normalize expected target string step 1 compute components
+    - name: Normalize expected target step 1 compute base
       delegate_to: localhost
       ansible.builtin.set_fact:
         expected_norm_step1: "{{ (target_version_full | default('') | trim) }}"
-        expected_norm_core_list: "{{ (target_version_full | default('') | regex_findall('[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+-r[0-9]+')) | default([]) }}"
-        expected_norm_core: "{{ (expected_norm_core_list | length > 0) | ternary(expected_norm_core_list[0], '') }}"
 
-    - name: Normalize expected target string step 2 choose core if present
+    - name: Extract version core X.Y.Z-rNNNN from target if present
       delegate_to: localhost
       ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-        expected_norm: "{{ (expected_norm_core | length > 0) | ternary(expected_norm_core, expected_norm_step1) }}"
+        expected_norm_core_list: "{{ (target_version_full | default('') | regex_findall('[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+-r[0-9]+')) | default([]) }}"
+
+    - name: Choose first core if present
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+        expected_norm_core: "{{ (expected_norm_core_list | default([]) | length > 0) | ternary((expected_norm_core_list | first), '') }}"
+
+    - name: Normalize expected target step 2 choose core if present
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+        expected_norm: "{{ (expected_norm_core | default('') | length > 0) | ternary(expected_norm_core, expected_norm_step1) }}"
 
     # Normalize banner/firmux from DEV2 convert '... rev 6801' to '...-r6801'
     - name: Normalize banner firmux string from DEV2
@@ -406,7 +414,7 @@
           - "version_match={{ version_match | default(false) }}"
 
     # ===================== Journaling/Tagging paths =====================
-    # SUCCESS: read_ok AND version_match
+    # SUCCESS path
     - name: Build success journal payload
       when: (read_ok | bool) and (version_match | bool)
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -560,7 +568,7 @@
       register: rmq_customfield_fw
       changed_when: (rmq_customfield_fw.json is defined) and (rmq_customfield_fw.json.routed | default(false) | bool)
 
-    # MISMATCH path: firmware readable but does NOT match expected target
+    # MISMATCH path
     - name: Build mismatch journal payload
       when: (read_ok | bool) and (not (version_match | bool))
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -599,7 +607,7 @@
       when: journal_mismatch_payload is defined
       ansible.builtin.meta: end_host
 
-    # FAILURE / RETRY PATH: journal + schedule next attempt (up to 3 total), 10 minutes apart
+    # FAILURE / RETRY PATH
     - name: Build failure journal payload indoor firmware read failed
       when: not (read_ok | bool)
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -622,8 +630,7 @@
         password: "{{ rmq_pass }}"
         force_basic_auth: true
         status_code: 200
-        headers:
-          content-type: "application/json"
+        headers: { content-type: "application/json" }
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties:
@@ -663,8 +670,7 @@
         password: "{{ rmq_pass }}"
         force_basic_auth: true
         status_code: 200
-        headers:
-          content-type: "application/json"
+        headers: { content-type: "application/json" }
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties:
@@ -675,7 +681,7 @@
       register: rmq_pub_gaveup
       changed_when: (rmq_pub_gaveup.json is defined) and (rmq_pub_gaveup.json.routed | default(false) | bool)
 
-    # Only schedule next attempt if we still have budget left
+    # Only schedule next attempt if budget left
     - name: Build delayed payload for next indoor attempt 10 min
       when: (not (read_ok | bool)) and ((attempt | int) < (effective_max_attempts | int))
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -700,8 +706,7 @@
         password: "{{ rmq_pass }}"
         force_basic_auth: true
         status_code: 200
-        headers:
-          content-type: "application/json"
+        headers: { content-type: "application/json" }
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties: