diff --git a/playground/manifest.go b/playground/manifest.go
index f0732f5..021216b 100644
--- a/playground/manifest.go
+++ b/playground/manifest.go
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ func (p *Component) AddService(ctx *ExContext, srv ComponentGen) {
 	p.Inner = append(p.Inner, srv.Apply(ctx))
 }
 
+// WalkServices invokes fn for every service in the component tree.
+func (p *Component) WalkServices(fn func(*Service)) {
+	for _, svc := range p.Services {
+		fn(svc)
+	}
+	for _, inner := range p.Inner {
+		inner.WalkServices(fn)
+	}
+}
+
 // FindService finds a service by name in the component tree
 func (p *Component) FindService(name string) *Service {
 	for _, svc := range p.Services {
@@ -102,16 +112,37 @@ func (p *Component) FindService(name string) *Service {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// RemoveService removes a service by name from the component tree
+// RemoveService removes a service by name from the component tree.
+// It also clears any health-check-sidecar labels that reference the removed
+// service so manifest validation does not fail on a dangling sidecar pointer.
 func (p *Component) RemoveService(name string) {
+	p.removeServiceRecursive(name)
+	p.clearSidecarLabel(name)
+}
+
+func (p *Component) removeServiceRecursive(name string) bool {
 	for i, svc := range p.Services {
 		if svc.Name == name {
 			p.Services = append(p.Services[:i], p.Services[i+1:]...)
-			return
+			return true
 		}
 	}
 	for _, inner := range p.Inner {
-		inner.RemoveService(name)
+		if inner.removeServiceRecursive(name) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func (p *Component) clearSidecarLabel(sidecarName string) {
+	for _, svc := range p.Services {
+		if svc.Labels[healthCheckSidecarLabel] == sidecarName {
+			delete(svc.Labels, healthCheckSidecarLabel)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, inner := range p.Inner {
+		inner.clearSidecarLabel(sidecarName)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -663,6 +694,20 @@ func (s *Service) DependsOnRunning(name string) *Service {
 	return s
 }
 
+// ReplaceDependency updates the condition of an existing depends-on edge to
+// the named service. It is a no-op if no such edge exists. Useful when a
+// downstream recipe knows that a target service can never reach the strict
+// condition declared by an upstream component (e.g. a beacon that only goes
+// healthy after its consumer connects).
+func (s *Service) ReplaceDependency(name string, condition DependsOnCondition) *Service {
+	for _, dep := range s.DependsOn {
+		if dep.Name == name {
+			dep.Condition = condition
+		}
+	}
+	return s
+}
+
 func applyTemplate(templateStr string) (string, []Port, []NodeRef) {
 	// TODO: Can we remove the return argument string?
 
diff --git a/playground/recipe_buildernet.go b/playground/recipe_buildernet.go
index 9d5b77b..64a6e70 100644
--- a/playground/recipe_buildernet.go
+++ b/playground/recipe_buildernet.go
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ func (b *BuilderNetRecipe) Apply(ctx *ExContext) *Component {
 	// Apply beacon service overrides for buildernet.
 	// We need these for letting the builder connect to the beacon node.
 	// Basically, the beacon node can never be healthy until the builder
-	// connects.
+	// connects, so we also drop its healthmon and downgrade any consumer's
+	// dependency on beacon from healthy to running.
 	if beacon := component.FindService("beacon"); beacon != nil {
 		beacon.ReplaceArgs(map[string]string{
 			"--target-peers": "1",
@@ -54,10 +55,15 @@ func (b *BuilderNetRecipe) Apply(ctx *ExContext) *Component {
 	if mevBoostRelay := component.FindService("mev-boost-relay"); mevBoostRelay != nil {
 		mevBoostRelay.DependsOnNone()
 	}
-	// Remove beacon healthmon - doesn't work with --target-peers=1 which is required for builder VM
 	component.RemoveService("beacon_healthmon")
-
-	component.RunContenderIfEnabled(ctx)
+	// Beacon never reaches healthy in buildernet, so any consumer that asked
+	// for healthy must accept running instead.
+	component.WalkServices(func(svc *Service) {
+		svc.ReplaceDependency("beacon", DependsOnConditionRunning)
+	})
+
+	// Note: contender is already added by L1Recipe.Apply, so we do not call
+	// RunContenderIfEnabled here.
 
 	return component
 }