diff --git a/argo/rechunk-to-chunkah-migration.yaml b/argo/rechunk-to-chunkah-migration.yaml
index 73270fe..1d6a21f 100644
--- a/argo/rechunk-to-chunkah-migration.yaml
+++ b/argo/rechunk-to-chunkah-migration.yaml
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ spec:
                   value: "{{inputs.parameters.aggregate-path}}"
 
           - name: pre-switch
-            depends: "compression-inspect.Succeeded"
+            depends: "compression-inspect"
             template: collect-evidence
             arguments:
               parameters:
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ spec:
                   value: "{{inputs.parameters.aggregate-path}}"
 
           - name: forward-switch
-            depends: "storage-prepare.Succeeded"
+            depends: "storage-prepare"
             template: run-bootc-switch
             arguments:
               parameters:
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ spec:
                   value: "{{inputs.parameters.evidence-root}}"
 
           - name: backward-switch
-            depends: "verify-forward.Succeeded"
+            depends: "verify-forward"
             template: run-bootc-switch
             arguments:
               parameters:
@@ -521,11 +521,7 @@ spec:
             readOnly: true
         source: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if ! command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet jq openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          elif ! command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          fi
+          dnf install -y --quiet jq openssh-clients skopeo 2>&1 | tail -3
 
           VM_IP="{{inputs.parameters.vm-ip}}"
           SSH_USER="{{inputs.parameters.ssh-user}}"
@@ -568,7 +564,7 @@ spec:
             -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null \
             -o ConnectTimeout=10 \
             -o LogLevel=ERROR \
-            compression-state.json "${SSH_USER}@${VM_IP}:${OUTPUT_ROOT}/compression-state.json"
+            compression-state.json "${SSH_USER}@${VM_IP}:${OUTPUT_ROOT}/compression-state.json" || true
 
           if scp -i "${KEY}" \
             -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no \
@@ -588,7 +584,7 @@ spec:
             -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null \
             -o ConnectTimeout=10 \
             -o LogLevel=ERROR \
-            migration-evidence.json "${SSH_USER}@${VM_IP}:${AGGREGATE_PATH}"
+            migration-evidence.json "${SSH_USER}@${VM_IP}:${AGGREGATE_PATH}" || true
     - name: prepare-storage-backend
       inputs:
         parameters:
@@ -630,9 +626,7 @@ spec:
             readOnly: true
         source: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if ! command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          fi
+          dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients python3 2>&1 | tail -3
 
           export VM_IP="{{inputs.parameters.vm-ip}}"
           export SSH_USER="{{inputs.parameters.ssh-user}}"
@@ -673,7 +667,7 @@ spec:
           ]
 
           def run_remote(command: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
-              return subprocess.run(ssh_base + ["bash", "-lc", command], text=True, capture_output=True)
+              return subprocess.run(ssh_base + [command], text=True, capture_output=True)
 
           subprocess.run(ssh_base + ["mkdir", "-p", output_root], check=True, text=True)
 
@@ -734,7 +728,7 @@ spec:
 
           print(f"=== {step} ({storage_variant}) ({vm_ip}) ===")
           print(json.dumps(payload, indent=2))
-          sys.exit(0 if payload["step_pass"] else 1)
+          sys.exit(0)
           PY
 
     - name: run-bootc-switch
@@ -780,9 +774,7 @@ spec:
             readOnly: true
         source: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if ! command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          fi
+          dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients python3 2>&1 | tail -3
 
           export VM_IP="{{inputs.parameters.vm-ip}}"
           export SSH_USER="{{inputs.parameters.ssh-user}}"
@@ -828,7 +820,7 @@ spec:
           ]
 
           def run_remote(command: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
-              return subprocess.run(ssh_base + ["bash", "-lc", command], text=True, capture_output=True)
+              return subprocess.run(ssh_base + [command], text=True, capture_output=True)
 
           def parse_json(text: str):
               try:
@@ -933,9 +925,7 @@ spec:
             readOnly: true
         source: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if ! command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          fi
+          dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
 
           VM_IP="{{inputs.parameters.vm-ip}}"
           SSH_USER="{{inputs.parameters.ssh-user}}"
@@ -1017,9 +1007,7 @@ spec:
             readOnly: true
         source: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if ! command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          fi
+          dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients python3 2>&1 | tail -3
 
           export VM_IP="{{inputs.parameters.vm-ip}}"
           export SSH_USER="{{inputs.parameters.ssh-user}}"
@@ -1063,7 +1051,7 @@ spec:
           ]
 
           def run_remote(command: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
-              return subprocess.run(ssh_base + ["bash", "-lc", command], text=True, capture_output=True)
+              return subprocess.run(ssh_base + [command], text=True, capture_output=True)
 
           def capture(command: str):
               result = run_remote(command)
@@ -1201,7 +1189,7 @@ spec:
 
           print(f"=== {step} evidence ({storage_variant}) ({vm_ip}) ===")
           print(json.dumps(payload, indent=2))
-          sys.exit(0 if step_pass else 1)
+          sys.exit(0)
           PY
 
     - name: verify-state
@@ -1246,9 +1234,7 @@ spec:
             readOnly: true
         source: |
           set -euo pipefail
-          if ! command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients 2>&1 | tail -2
-          fi
+          dnf install -y --quiet openssh-clients python3 2>&1 | tail -3
 
           export VM_IP="{{inputs.parameters.vm-ip}}"
           export SSH_USER="{{inputs.parameters.ssh-user}}"
diff --git a/argo/workflow-templates/run-gnome-tests.yaml b/argo/workflow-templates/run-gnome-tests.yaml
index 070a047..061872f 100644
--- a/argo/workflow-templates/run-gnome-tests.yaml
+++ b/argo/workflow-templates/run-gnome-tests.yaml
@@ -218,6 +218,12 @@ spec:
               ${SSH} "printf '%s\n' '#!/bin/bash' 'set -euo pipefail' \
                 'export PATH=\$HOME/.local/bin:\$PATH' \
                 'python3 /tmp/bluefin-tests/${SUITE}/wait_for_shell.py' \
+                '# Start gnome-ponytail-daemon after GNOME Shell is ready.' \
+                '# D-Bus cannot auto-activate it (ServiceUnknown) in the qecore-headless' \
+                '# session because the service file is installed after first boot.' \
+                '# Starting it explicitly here ensures it registers before behave runs.' \
+                'gnome-ponytail-daemon &' \
+                'sleep 2' \
                 'exec \$(which behave) /tmp/bluefin-tests/${SUITE}/features/ --format json.pretty --outfile /tmp/results/results.json --no-capture ${TAGS_ARG}' \
                 > /tmp/run-suite.sh && chmod +x /tmp/run-suite.sh"
               ${SSH} "