diff --git a/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/README.md b/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/README.md
index cae409f..066f3ab 100644
--- a/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/README.md
+++ b/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/README.md
@@ -30,15 +30,16 @@ Cross-site writes to `rest-server-ana` at `10.250.50.70:8000/esh-docker-vm/`.
 
 Unique to this host: most containers don't bundle sqlite3, so
 `pre-backup.sh` runs sqlite3 and pg_dump **from the host** against the
-volume bind-mount paths. Simpler than building custom images for HA,
-pgadmin, and uptime-kuma.
+volume bind-mount paths. Simpler than building custom images for HA
+and pgadmin. (uptime-kuma moved to ana-docker on 2026-09-22 and its block
+was removed; see the header of `pre-backup.sh` for why a stale block took
+the whole backup down.)
 
 | Service | DB | Approach |
 |---|---|---|
 | paperless-ngx | external Postgres `10.0.50.60` / `paperless-ng` | host pg_dump |
 | home-assistant | `/var/lib/docker/.../homeassistant_v2.db` | host sqlite3 |
 | pgadmin | `/var/lib/docker/.../pgadmin4.db` | host sqlite3 |
-| uptime-kuma | `/var/lib/docker/.../kuma.db` | host sqlite3 |
 | calibre-web-automated | `/config/app.db` inside container | in-container sqlite3 (it has the binary) |
 
 ## Host prerequisites
@@ -129,7 +130,6 @@ Expected files:
 - `home-assistant.sqlite3` — ~50 MB (matches live DB size)
 - `calibre-web-automated.app.db` — ~250 KB
 - `pgadmin4.db` — ~200 KB
-- `uptime-kuma.kuma.db` — varies (history retention)
 
 Any `WARN:` lines in the hook output indicate a block that was skipped —
 read them, debug one at a time.
diff --git a/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/pre-backup.sh b/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/pre-backup.sh
index ced29ad..0a825cd 100644
--- a/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/pre-backup.sh
+++ b/configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/pre-backup.sh
@@ -15,12 +15,20 @@
 #   - home-assistant    (local SQLite in volume — sqlite3 .backup from host)
 #   - calibre-web-automated (local SQLite — sqlite3 .backup inside container, has sqlite3)
 #   - pgadmin           (local SQLite in volume — sqlite3 .backup from host)
-#   - uptime-kuma       (local SQLite in volume — sqlite3 .backup from host)
+#
+# uptime-kuma was here until it moved to ana-docker (2026-09-22). Its block
+# was removed 2026-09-23: with no container left to match, its unguarded
+# `docker ps | grep` lookup exited 1 and set -e aborted this script, and
+# resticprofile then skipped the WHOLE host backup (stale 09-22 → 09-23).
 #
 # External DB credentials live in /etc/restic/dbcreds.env (root:600).
 # Template: configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/dbcreds.env.example.
 #
 # Errors in individual blocks log a WARN; whole script doesn't abort.
+# That only holds if every lookup for an optional service sits inside an
+# `if` test or ends in `|| true` — under set -euo pipefail a bare
+# `x=$(… | grep …)` that matches nothing kills the script, and a failed
+# run-before hook means NO snapshot at all, not a partial one.
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -111,18 +119,6 @@ else
   log "skip pgadmin: container not present"
 fi
 
-# ---------- uptime-kuma (SQLite in named volume, host-side .backup) ----------
-# Container name may vary after force-recreates (e.g. <hash>_uptime-kuma).
-# Detect by label rather than hardcoded name.
-UK_CONTAINER=$(docker ps --filter "label=com.docker.compose.project=uptimekuma" --format "{{.Names}}" | head -1)
-[ -z "$UK_CONTAINER" ] && UK_CONTAINER=$(docker ps --format "{{.Names}}" | grep -E "uptime.kuma" | head -1)
-if [ -n "$UK_CONTAINER" ]; then
-  UK_DB="/var/lib/docker/volumes/uptimekuma_uptime-kuma/_data/kuma.db"
-  host_sqlite_backup "$UK_DB" "uptime-kuma.kuma.db" || true
-else
-  log "skip uptime-kuma: no container matching"
-fi
-
 # ---------- summary -----------------------------------------------------------
 size=$(du -sh "$STAGE" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')
 count=$(find "$STAGE" -type f | wc -l)
diff --git a/playbooks/esh-docker-vm-restic-drop-kuma-block.yaml b/playbooks/esh-docker-vm-restic-drop-kuma-block.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc612d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/esh-docker-vm-restic-drop-kuma-block.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# esh-docker-vm: install the pre-backup hook without the uptime-kuma block.
+#
+# Kuma moved to ana-docker on 2026-09-22. The old block's unguarded
+# `docker ps | grep uptime.kuma` lookup then matched nothing, exited 1, and
+# set -euo pipefail aborted the hook. resticprofile treats a failed run-before
+# as fatal, so every nightly backup since 2026-09-22 01:00 was skipped.
+#
+# Rerunnable: the preserve step is `creates:`-guarded, and the upload only
+# changes the file when the content differs.
+
+steps:
+  - name: Preserve the pre-fix hook
+    sudo: true
+    shell: |
+      set -eu
+      install -d -m 0700 /var/lib/restic/repair-20260923
+      cp -p /etc/restic/pre-backup.sh /var/lib/restic/repair-20260923/pre-backup.sh
+    creates: /var/lib/restic/repair-20260923/pre-backup.sh
+
+  - name: Install the hook without the uptime-kuma block
+    sudo: true
+    upload:
+      src: configs/restic/esh-docker-vm/pre-backup.sh
+      dest: /etc/restic/pre-backup.sh
+      mode: '0700'
+
+verify:
+  - name: Hook parses under bash
+    sudo: true
+    shell: bash -n /etc/restic/pre-backup.sh
+
+  - name: No uptime-kuma lookup left in the live hook
+    sudo: true
+    shell: "! grep -q 'UK_CONTAINER' /etc/restic/pre-backup.sh"
+
+  - name: Hook runs to completion (stage summary line reached)
+    sudo: true
+    shell: /etc/restic/pre-backup.sh 2>&1 | grep -q 'stage ready:'