diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 171a8a3..5478638 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -107,6 +107,14 @@ kept its ssh host key. Run it after ANY change to the kexec paths.
 - **jupiter**: `boot.kernelParams = [ "reboot=pci" ]` (warm reboot hangs on that board);
   eMMC initrd modules pinned in `configuration.nix` (generate-config misses them); the
   16TB×2 **RAID0** data lives on `/mnt/data` with `nofail`, kept OUT of disko (never wiped).
+- **terra: `./scripts/deploy kexec-local` hangs hard — do not use it there.** Confirmed
+  on real hardware: kexec's `device_shutdown()` pass runs (SCSI disks sync fine in the
+  log), then the machine goes dark and never comes back — `journalctl --list-boots`
+  showed a ~15min gap before the next boot, i.e. a genuine hang needing a manual power
+  cycle, not a slow jump. Near-certainly amdgpu (RX 6800 XT): discrete AMD GPUs are known
+  to hang during kexec's device-shutdown pass with no clean handoff before the jump —
+  same class of issue as jupiter's `reboot=pci` workaround, just fatal here instead of
+  slow. Use the USB installer path instead (README's "First install on terra" section).
 - **disko wipes only the OS disk** named in `hosts/<h>/disk-config.nix`; data disks are
   plain `fileSystems` in `configuration.nix`.
 - `nixos-anywhere`/kexec needs a writable root; **ZimaOS root is read-only**, hence the
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9bd420b..43f81c8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -84,39 +84,57 @@ an installer, partitions via disko, installs.
 Manual alternative (USB ISO): boot installer, `disko` the disk, then
 `nixos-install --flake .#jupiter`.
 
-## First install on terra — in-place kexec (replacing CachyOS)
+## First install on terra — USB installer (replacing CachyOS)
 
-terra is the desktop you're typing on, currently running CachyOS with a
-writable root — no ZimaOS-style read-only-root problem, no second machine
-needed. Everything is already prepped in this repo: real OS-disk id in
+terra is a Ryzen 9 5900X / Radeon RX 6800 XT desktop, currently running
+CachyOS. Everything is already prepped in this repo: real OS-disk id in
 `disk-config.nix`, real login pubkey in `common.nix`, terra's age recipient in
 `.sops.yaml`, its host key pre-generated at `~/.config/homelab/terra/`, and
 `secrets/terra.yaml` already holds real `darman_password` / `tailscale_authkey`
 values. Nothing to fill in — just run it.
 
+> ⚠️  **`./scripts/deploy kexec-local` does NOT work on terra — do not use it.**
+> Confirmed on real hardware: the jump hangs completely (kexec's own
+> `device_shutdown()` pass runs — SCSI disks sync fine — then the machine goes
+> dark and never comes back; `journalctl --list-boots` showed a **~15 minute**
+> gap before the next boot, i.e. a hard hang needing a manual power cycle, not
+> a slow jump). Near-certainly amdgpu: discrete AMD GPUs are known to hang
+> during kexec's device-shutdown pass with no clean way to hand control back
+> before the jump — same class of issue as jupiter's `reboot=pci` warm-reboot
+> workaround, just fatal here instead of merely slow. Untried mitigations
+> (unbind/`rmmod amdgpu` from a bare VT first, kernel params) might work but
+> aren't worth the risk of repeating a hard hang on a daily-driver box for a
+> one-time install — use the USB path below instead.
+
 > ⚠️  The OS disk (`ata-KINGSTON_SA400S37480G_50026B738072F6C6`) is WIPED. The
 > dev-data disks (`/mnt/hdd_01` ext4, `/mnt/ssd_01` LVM) and the leftover ntfs
 > disks are not in disko and are untouched — but double check with
 > `lsblk -o NAME,SERIAL,SIZE,MODEL` before proceeding if the box's disks have
 > changed since `disk-config.nix` was written.
 
-1. From a root shell on terra itself:
+1. Build the installer ISO and write it to a USB stick (from your laptop):
    ```
-   sudo ./scripts/deploy kexec-local --yes
+   nix build .#nixosConfigurations.installer-iso.config.system.build.isoImage
+   sudo dd if=result/iso/*.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync
    ```
-   Stages a RAM installer and kexecs into it. The console drops for ~1-2 min
-   then comes back logged in as `nixos-installer` — same ssh host key, so
-   `known_hosts` still matches if you're watching over ssh instead of the
-   physical console.
-2. Still targeting terra (now `localhost`/`127.0.0.1` from the installer's own
-   shell):
+2. Boot terra from the USB stick. It comes up with sshd + DHCP + your laptop
+   pubkey authorized for root, hostname `homelab-installer`.
+3. From your laptop, copy the repo onto the booted installer (it doesn't have
+   its own credentials for the private gitea repo, so push it over instead of
+   cloning from there):
    ```
+   rsync -av /mnt/hdd_01/data/Dev/homelab/ root@<terra-installer-ip>:/root/homelab/
+   ```
+4. On terra (ssh'd in as root, or at the physical console):
+   ```
+   cd /root/homelab
    ./scripts/deploy install terra localhost
    ```
-   `localhost`/`127.0.0.1` skips nixos-anywhere/ssh and runs disko + `nixos-install`
-   directly against `/mnt`. Ships terra's pre-generated host key so
-   `/run/secrets/*` decrypts on boot #1.
-3. Reboot into NixOS. Then, same as any other host:
+   `localhost`/`127.0.0.1` skips nixos-anywhere/ssh and runs disko +
+   `nixos-install` directly against `/mnt`. Ships terra's pre-generated host
+   key so `/run/secrets/*` decrypts on boot #1.
+5. Reboot into NixOS (remove the USB stick first). Then, same as any other
+   host:
    ```
    ssh darman@terra sudo -v          # DO NOT SKIP — see below
    ```
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index b092588..809720c 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -163,20 +163,22 @@
         };
 
         # Bootable USB recovery installer with our SSH key + sshd + DHCP.
+        # Reusable for any host's manual-USB install path (jupiter, terra, ...).
         # Build the ISO:
         #   nix build .#nixosConfigurations.installer-iso.config.system.build.isoImage
-        # dd it to a USB stick, boot the ZimaBlade from it, SSH in, ./deploy install.
+        # dd it to a USB stick, boot the target from it, SSH in, ./deploy install.
         installer-iso = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
           inherit system;
           modules = [
             (nixpkgs + "/nixos/modules/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-minimal.nix")
-            ({ ... }: {
+            ({ pkgs, ... }: {
               services.openssh.enable = true;
               services.openssh.settings.PermitRootLogin = "prohibit-password";
               users.users.root.openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [
                 "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGZpkPVhzi1zG5JI9hWyUgdyvNIQbp4ts4jw3idpMhhN erik@laptop"
               ];
-              networking.hostName = "jupiter-installer";
+              networking.hostName = "homelab-installer";
+              environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.git ];
             })
           ];
         };