diff --git a/modules/backupbot.nix b/modules/backupbot.nix
index a6f6e31..4533671 100644
--- a/modules/backupbot.nix
+++ b/modules/backupbot.nix
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ in
 {
   systemd.services.deploy-backupbot = {
     description = "Reconcile backup-bot-two (volume backups via restic) via abra";
-    after = [ "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" "network-online.target" ];
+    # Serialized last (chain proxy→drone→bridge→dashboard→backupbot) to avoid the concurrent abra-init
+    # race on a fresh host (see bridge.nix). Ordering-only; transitively after deploy-proxy.
+    after = [ "deploy-dashboard.service" "deploy-proxy.service" "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" "network-online.target" ];
     requires = [ "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" ];
     wants = [ "network-online.target" ];
     wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
diff --git a/modules/bridge.nix b/modules/bridge.nix
index 5a94aba..d3686cb 100644
--- a/modules/bridge.nix
+++ b/modules/bridge.nix
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@ in
 {
   systemd.services.deploy-bridge = {
     description = "Reconcile the cc-ci comment-bridge (!testme webhook) swarm service";
-    after = [ "deploy-proxy.service" "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" "network-online.target" ];
+    # Serialized after deploy-drone (chain proxy→drone→bridge→dashboard→backupbot): on a FRESH host the
+    # abra-driven reconcilers otherwise run concurrently against an uninitialised ~/.abra and race on
+    # catalogue/recipe init, leaving units failed after a blank-VM rebuild. Ordering-only `after` fixes it.
+    after = [ "deploy-drone.service" "deploy-proxy.service" "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" "network-online.target" ];
     requires = [ "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" ];
     wants = [ "network-online.target" ];
     wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
diff --git a/modules/dashboard.nix b/modules/dashboard.nix
index 2f4f7bd..52985a0 100644
--- a/modules/dashboard.nix
+++ b/modules/dashboard.nix
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ in
 {
   systemd.services.deploy-dashboard = {
     description = "Reconcile the cc-ci results dashboard (overview + badges) swarm service";
-    after = [ "deploy-proxy.service" "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" "network-online.target" ];
+    # Serialized after deploy-bridge (chain proxy→drone→bridge→dashboard→backupbot) to avoid the
+    # concurrent abra-init race on a fresh host (see bridge.nix). Ordering-only.
+    after = [ "deploy-bridge.service" "deploy-proxy.service" "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" "network-online.target" ];
     requires = [ "swarm-init.service" "docker.service" ];
     wants = [ "network-online.target" ];
     wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];