diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml
index b62ed7f..8f4e66b 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml
@@ -401,20 +401,70 @@
             msg: "Aborting: fw_printenv returned only {{ env_line_count.stdout | trim }} lines (<7) — environment missing or corrupted."
           when: (env_line_count.stdout | trim | int) < 7
 
-        - name: Read first line of /etc/banner (current running version)
-          ansible.builtin.raw: "{{ pathprefix }} cat /etc/banner | grep -i rev | head -n1"
-          register: banner
+        - name: Read /var/run/bootbanks.json (active and backup firmux versions)
+          ansible.builtin.raw: "{{ pathprefix }} cat /var/run/bootbanks.json"
+          register: bootbanks_raw
           changed_when: false
 
-        - name: current version
+        - name: Parse bootbanks.json
+          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+            bootbanks_obj: "{{ bootbanks_raw.stdout | from_json }}"
+            bootbanks_active_firmux: "{{ (bootbanks_raw.stdout | from_json).active.firmux | default('unknown') }}"
+            bootbanks_backup_firmux: "{{ (bootbanks_raw.stdout | from_json).backup.firmux | default('unknown') }}"
+
+        - name: current versions (active primary and backup)
           ansible.builtin.debug:
             msg:
-              - "current banner: {{ banner.stdout | trim }}"
+              - "active (primary) firmux: {{ bootbanks_active_firmux }}"
+              - "backup firmux: {{ bootbanks_backup_firmux }}"
+
+        - name: Build control queue payload for skip journal (backup already prepared)
+          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+            journal_skip_payload:
+              inscope_device: "{{ ansible_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) }}"
+              task_name: "journal_add"
+              task_result: >-
+                Backup bootbank already has {{ fw_banner_repr }} (backup.firmux={{ bootbanks_backup_firmux }}).
+                Skipping backup preparation (no flip, no reboot).
+          when: (bootbanks_backup_firmux | trim) == (fw_banner_repr | trim)
+
+        - name: Bandaid | Pause before Publish skip journal to control queue via RabbitMQ HTTP API
+          ansible.builtin.pause:
+            seconds: 1
+          delegate_to: localhost
+          changed_when: false
+          when: journal_skip_payload is defined
+
+        - name: Publish skip journal to control queue via RabbitMQ HTTP API
+          ansible.builtin.uri:
+            url: "http://{{ rmq_host }}:{{ rmq_port }}/api/exchanges/{{ rmq_vhost | urlencode }}/{{ rmq_exchange | urlencode }}/publish"
+            method: POST
+            user: "{{ rmq_user }}"
+            password: "{{ rmq_pass }}"
+            force_basic_auth: true
+            status_code: 200
+            headers:
+              content-type: "application/json"
+            body_format: json
+            body:
+              properties:
+                content_type: "application/json"
+              routing_key: "{{ control_queue }}"
+              payload: "{{ journal_skip_payload | to_json }}"
+              payload_encoding: "string"
+          register: rmq_journal_skip_resp
+          changed_when: (rmq_journal_skip_resp.json is defined) and (rmq_journal_skip_resp.json.routed | default(false) | bool)
+          failed_when: >
+            (rmq_journal_skip_resp.status != 200) or
+            (rmq_journal_skip_resp.json is not defined) or
+            (not (rmq_journal_skip_resp.json.routed | default(false) | bool))
+          delegate_to: localhost
+          when: journal_skip_payload is defined
+
+        - name: End play for this host (backup already prepared; backup prep not needed)
+          ansible.builtin.meta: end_host
+          when: (bootbanks_backup_firmux | trim) == (fw_banner_repr | trim)
 
-        - name: Stop if target version matches current (/etc/banner already at {{ fw_banner_repr }})
-          ansible.builtin.fail:
-            msg: "Aborting: device already runs {{ fw_banner_repr }} (banner: {{ banner.stdout | trim }})"
-          when: banner.stdout is search(fw_banner_repr)
 
         - name: Upload firmware to /tmp via scp (controller-side)
           ansible.builtin.shell: |