diff --git a/src/controller/cluster.c b/src/controller/cluster.c
index b1c7e23a..d25b450d 100644
--- a/src/controller/cluster.c
+++ b/src/controller/cluster.c
@@ -159,9 +159,10 @@ static int myreq_handler(vtask_t* task)
     xce_request_t request;
     xce_reply_t   reply;
 
-    /* Peek at opcode to decide whether to save raw bytes before xce_decode()
-     * frees the capnp segment.  OPCode_upgradeConfig requires the raw packet
-     * for xce_upgrade_config_req_extract_raw().                              */
+    /* Capture raw packet bytes for OPCode_upgradeConfig before xce_decode()
+     * frees the capnp segment.  xce_upgrade_config_req_extract_raw() needs
+     * the raw buffer to extract sha256+bytes via a fresh capn_init_mem context.
+     * Read opcode BEFORE capn_free to avoid accessing freed memory. */
     uint8_t *raw_pkt_copy = NULL;
     size_t   raw_pkt_sz   = 0;
     {
@@ -173,9 +174,12 @@ static int myreq_handler(vtask_t* task)
             capn_init_mem(&peek_c, (const uint8_t *)pkt->data, (size_t)pkt->sz, 0);
             peek_rp.p = capn_getp(capn_root(&peek_c), 0, 1);
             read_Request(&peek_rq, peek_rp);
+            /* Read opcode (scalar) before capn_free — pointer fields in peek_rq
+             * become invalid after free, but opcode is a uint32_t field. */
+            int peek_opcode = (int)peek_rq.opcode;
             capn_free(&peek_c);
 
-            if (peek_rq.opcode == OPCode_upgradeConfig) {
+            if (peek_opcode == OPCode_upgradeConfig) {
                 raw_pkt_copy = (uint8_t *)malloc((size_t)pkt->sz);
                 if (raw_pkt_copy) {
                     memcpy(raw_pkt_copy, pkt->data, (size_t)pkt->sz);
@@ -314,8 +318,10 @@ static int myreq_handler(vtask_t* task)
         break;
     case OPCode_upgradeConfig:
 #if CONF_ENABLE_UPGRADE_CONFIG
-        if (!ha_is_primary(&c->ha)) {
-            /* Standby cannot handle upgrade — send error reply */
+        /* OPCode_upgradeConfig is sent BY the primary TO standbys to push config.
+         * Standbys must apply it; only a primary sending this to itself is invalid. */
+        if (ha_is_primary(&c->ha)) {
+            /* Primary should not receive its own config push — ignore */
             xce_reply_t ureply;
             init_reply_by_req(&ureply, &request);
             ureply.status     = -EAGAIN;
diff --git a/src/controller/config_repl.c b/src/controller/config_repl.c
index 839f03b9..03888c3d 100644
--- a/src/controller/config_repl.c
+++ b/src/controller/config_repl.c
@@ -809,9 +809,13 @@ static int do_one_config_fetch(cluster_t *c, const char *host, uint32_t port,
     SSL *ssl  = NULL;
     int  sock = -1;
 
-    /* 1. Connect + SSL handshake */
+    /* 1. Connect + SSL handshake — use client_ssl_ctx (TLS_client_method) for
+     * outgoing connections; ssl_ctx is the server context (TLS_server_method). */
+    SSL_CTX *out_ctx = c->ha.client_ssl_ctx
+                       ? (SSL_CTX *)c->ha.client_ssl_ctx
+                       : (SSL_CTX *)c->ha.ssl_ctx;
     int rc = connect_ssl_raw(
-        (SSL_CTX *)c->ha.ssl_ctx, host, port,
+        out_ctx, host, port,
         (int)c->ha.config.probe_connect_timeout_ms,
         &c->ha, &ssl, &sock);
     if (rc != 0)
@@ -940,6 +944,20 @@ int fetch_config_from_primary(cluster_t *c)
                 INFO("HA: config received from primary"
                      " (tag=%016" PRIx64 ")",
                      c->myconf->config_version_tag);
+                /* Config loaded — complete standby bootstrap:
+                 * 1. cluster_init_phase2 to set up data structures with config
+                 * 2. ha_find_and_connect_to_primary to establish the persistent
+                 *    control channel needed for RDHUP failover detection */
+#ifndef XCE_TESTING
+                {
+                    extern int cluster_init_phase2(cluster_t *c);
+                    int p2rc = cluster_init_phase2(c);
+                    if (p2rc == 0) {
+                        ha_find_and_connect_to_primary(&c->ha, &c->ha.config,
+                            &c->myconf->peers_cfg, c);
+                    }
+                }
+#endif
                 return 0;
             }
 
diff --git a/src/controller/config_repl.h b/src/controller/config_repl.h
index 0a09e44a..1e711537 100644
--- a/src/controller/config_repl.h
+++ b/src/controller/config_repl.h
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 /* Sentinel name for the synthetic lost-and-found queue and host */
 #define XCE_LOST_AND_FOUND_NAME "lost_and_found"
 
-/* Compile-time gate for OP_upgradeConfig (Phase 2, default disabled) */
+/* Compile-time gate for OP_upgradeConfig (enabled: standbys apply pushed config) */
 #ifndef CONF_ENABLE_UPGRADE_CONFIG
-#define CONF_ENABLE_UPGRADE_CONFIG 0
+#define CONF_ENABLE_UPGRADE_CONFIG 1
 #endif
 
 /* Push timeout for standby fan-out (ms) */
diff --git a/src/controller/ha.c b/src/controller/ha.c
index 10639245..d2bdc05e 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.c
+++ b/src/controller/ha.c
@@ -1203,6 +1203,17 @@ apply_role:
             INFO("HA FSM: → CTRL_STANDBY (term=%" PRIu64 ", first_boot=%d)",
                  atomic_load_explicit(&ha->term, memory_order_acquire),
                  is_first_boot);
+
+            /* Trigger async config fetch from primary so standby can load
+             * cluster_config, establish persistent control channel, and
+             * participate in RDHUP failover detection. */
+#ifndef XCE_TESTING
+            if (c != NULL) {
+                extern int fetch_config_from_primary(cluster_t *c);
+                delay_task_ms(&c->delaymgr, 100, 1,
+                    (delay_task_entry_fn_t)fetch_config_from_primary, c);
+            }
+#endif
         }
     }
 
@@ -2123,6 +2134,7 @@ int ha_find_and_connect_to_primary(ha_state_t *ha,
                          ha->voted_for_name, r);
                     ha->primary_ctrl_fd = fd;
                     register_fd_with_iomgr(c, fd);
+                    ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha, c);
                     return fd;
                 }
                 if (fd == -ETIMEDOUT || fd == -EAGAIN) {
@@ -2148,6 +2160,7 @@ int ha_find_and_connect_to_primary(ha_state_t *ha,
                 INFO("HA: Tier 2 connected to '%s'", p2->name);
                 ha->primary_ctrl_fd = fd;
                 register_fd_with_iomgr(c, fd);
+                ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha, c);
                 return fd;
             }
         }
@@ -2164,6 +2177,7 @@ int ha_find_and_connect_to_primary(ha_state_t *ha,
                 INFO("HA: Tier 3 connected to '%s' after backoff", p3->name);
                 ha->primary_ctrl_fd = fd;
                 register_fd_with_iomgr(c, fd);
+                ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha, c);
                 return fd;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/controller/join.c b/src/controller/join.c
index f57cdd03..b4c70ff6 100644
--- a/src/controller/join.c
+++ b/src/controller/join.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "cluster.h"
+#include "config_repl.h"
 #include "ha.h"
 #include "xce/cluster_def.h"
 #include "xce/errnox.h"
@@ -163,6 +164,11 @@ static int handle_controller_join(cluster_t* c, endpoint_t* ep,
         INFO("controller %s joined — %d standby(s) tracked",
              request->from ? request->from->name : "?",
              c->ha.standby_endpoints->count);
+
+        /* Immediately push current config to the newly-joined standby so it
+         * doesn't have to wait for the next scheduled push. */
+        if (ha_is_primary(&c->ha))
+            push_config_to_standbys(c, NULL, 0, NULL, 0);
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/controller/myapp.c b/src/controller/myapp.c
index 838bad54..26fa4e80 100644
--- a/src/controller/myapp.c
+++ b/src/controller/myapp.c
@@ -252,6 +252,22 @@ int myapp_run(myconf_t *myconf)
 
 skip_election:;
 
+    /* If we skipped starting our own election (already voted for the winner),
+     * set role to CTRL_STANDBY and trigger config fetch so we can join the cluster. */
+    {
+        ctrl_role_t role = (ctrl_role_t)atomic_load_explicit(&c.ha.role,
+                                                              memory_order_acquire);
+        if (role == CTRL_STANDBY || role == CTRL_INIT) {
+            atomic_store_explicit(&c.ha.role, (int32_t)CTRL_STANDBY,
+                                  memory_order_release);
+            extern int fetch_config_from_primary(cluster_t *c);
+            /* Use delaymgr one-shot so cluster_run is entered before the
+             * blocking fetch starts (fetch runs in delaymgr worker thread). */
+            delay_task_ms(&c.delaymgr, 200, 1,
+                (delay_task_entry_fn_t)fetch_config_from_primary, &c);
+        }
+    }
+
     /* ── Step 9: cluster_run ─────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
     /* Req 9.4: myapp_run exits into cluster_run within 10ms of startup.