diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml
index e6ffed4..ff9e6d1 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/update-outdoorbackup224.yml
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties:
-            content_type: "application/json"
+                content_type: "application/json"
           routing_key: "{{ control_queue }}"
           payload: "{{ {
             'inscope_device': (ansible_hostname | default(inventory_hostname)),
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties:
-            content_type: "application/json"
+                content_type: "application/json"
           routing_key: "{{ control_queue }}"
           payload: "{{ tag_inprogress_payload | to_json }}"
           payload_encoding: "string"
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties:
-            content_type: "application/json"
+                content_type: "application/json"
           routing_key: "{{ control_queue }}"
           payload: >-
             {{
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@
         body_format: json
         body:
           properties:
-            content_type: "application/json"
+                content_type: "application/json"
           routing_key: "{{ control_queue }}"
           payload: "{{ ssid_journal_payload | to_json }}"
           payload_encoding: "string"
@@ -401,25 +401,76 @@
             msg: "Backup-bank prep 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('') }}"
+            bootbanks_backup_firmux: "{{ (bootbanks_raw.stdout | from_json).backup.firmux | default('') }}"
+          failed_when: bootbanks_raw.stdout is not search('"backup"') or bootbanks_raw.stdout is not search('"active"')
+        
+        - name: current versions (active primary and backup)
           ansible.builtin.debug:
             msg:
-              - "current running (primary) banner: {{ banner.stdout | trim }}"
-
-        - name: Stop if target version matches current (/etc/banner already at {{ fw_banner_repr }})
+              - "active (primary) firmux: {{ bootbanks_active_firmux }}"
+              - "backup firmux: {{ bootbanks_backup_firmux }}"
+        
+        - name: Stop if target version already present on backup (backup already at {{ fw_banner_repr }})
           ansible.builtin.debug:
-            msg: "Backup-bank prep skip: running (primary) already at {{ fw_banner_repr }} (banner: {{ banner.stdout | trim }}). This playbook prepares backup bootbank only (no flip, no reboot)."
-          when: banner.stdout is search(fw_banner_repr)
-
-        - name: End play for this host (target already running on primary; backup prep not needed)
+            msg: "Backup-bank prep skip: backup already at {{ fw_banner_repr }} (backup firmux: {{ bootbanks_backup_firmux }}; active firmux: {{ bootbanks_active_firmux }}). This playbook prepares backup bootbank only (no flip, no reboot)."
+          when: bootbanks_backup_firmux is search(fw_banner_repr)
+        
+        - name: Build control queue payload for skip journal (journal_add)
+          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+            journal_skip_payload:
+              inscope_device: "{{ ansible_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) }}"
+              task_name: "journal_add"
+              task_result: >-
+                Backup-bank prep skipped: backup already at {{ fw_banner_repr }}
+                (backup {{ bootbanks_backup_firmux }}; active {{ bootbanks_active_firmux }}).
+                No flip; no reboot.
+          when: nbq2_payload_obj is defined and (bootbanks_backup_firmux is search(fw_banner_repr))
+        
+        - 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"
+          delegate_to: localhost
+          register: rmq_journal_skip_resp
+          when: journal_skip_payload is defined
+        
+        - name: Log control queue skip journal publish result
+          ansible.builtin.debug:
+            var: rmq_journal_skip_resp.json
+          when: journal_skip_payload is defined and rmq_journal_skip_resp is defined
+        
+        - name: End play for this host (backup already prepared; backup prep not needed)
           ansible.builtin.meta: end_host
-          when: banner.stdout is search(fw_banner_repr)
-
+          when: bootbanks_backup_firmux is search(fw_banner_repr)
         - name: Upload firmware to /tmp via scp (controller-side)
           ansible.builtin.shell: |
             set -e