diff --git a/docs/uat.md b/docs/uat.md
index 45a03d6..520cf32 100644
--- a/docs/uat.md
+++ b/docs/uat.md
@@ -21,52 +21,45 @@ Use `--type linux` for all remote nodes. Proxmox-specific claims
 (`doctor proxmox`, PVE role, sudoers) are **skipped** in this path.
 The signoff script reports exercised vs. skipped claims.
 
-### Pre-staging
-
-1. Build orca from the v0.13 tag:
-   ```sh
-   git clone https://git.cloudinit.dev/coreci/orca.git
-   cd orca && git checkout v0.12.13
-   make build
-   # binary is at bin/orca
-   ```
-
-2. Generate the orca SSH keypair on the lead:
-   ```sh
-   ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/orca_ed25519 -N ""
-   ```
-
-3. Pre-stage the orca public key on pve01 and worker01:
-   ```sh
-   ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/orca_ed25519.pub root@pve01
-   ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/orca_ed25519.pub root@worker01
-   ```
-
-4. Pin host-key fingerprints (optional but recommended):
-   ```sh
-   ssh-keyscan pve01 | ssh-keygen -lf -
-   ssh-keyscan worker01 | ssh-keygen -lf -
-   ```
-
 ## Step-by-step UAT
 
-### Step 1: Initialize the cluster
+### Step 1: Install orca + initialize the cluster
 
+Install orca (1-liner):
+```sh
+curl -fsSL https://git.cloudinit.dev/coreci/orca/raw/branch/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
+```
+
+Initialize the cluster:
 ```sh
 export ORCA_HOME=~/orca-uat
 orca init
 ```
 
-**Expected**: cluster directory created, CA cert generated, localhost node registered.
+**Expected**: orca init creates:
+- CA cert + server cert
+- SSH keypair (orca_ssh_key + orca_ssh_key.pub)
+- known_hosts file (empty, for TOFU capture)
+- Master key (for secrets encryption)
+- Traefik data-plane ingress (binary + systemd unit + config)
+- Localhost node registered
+
+**Pre-staging remote nodes**: `orca init` prints the orca public key path.
+Deploy it to each remote host before joining:
+```sh
+ssh-copy-id -i $ORCA_HOME/orca_ssh_key.pub root@pve01
+ssh-copy-id -i $ORCA_HOME/orca_ssh_key.pub root@worker01
+```
+
+The TOFU host-key capture is automatic — no manual fingerprint pinning needed.
+The first SSH connection captures and stores the remote host key.
 
 ### Step 2: Onboard the Proxmox host
 
 ```sh
 orca node join --type proxmox \
   --host pve01 \
-  --ssh-user root \
-  --ssh-key ~/.ssh/orca_ed25519 \
-  --host-key-fingerprint SHA256:<fingerprint>
+  --ssh-user root
 ```
 
 **Expected**: SSH bootstrap succeeds, orca user created, PVE role assigned, node registered as `ready` with `kind=proxmox`.
@@ -76,9 +69,7 @@ orca node join --type proxmox \
 ```sh
 orca node join --type linux \
   --host worker01 \
-  --ssh-user root \
-  --ssh-key ~/.ssh/orca_ed25519 \
-  --host-key-fingerprint SHA256:<fingerprint>
+  --ssh-user root
 ```
 
 **Expected**: SSH bootstrap succeeds, orca user created, drift-events dir created, node registered as `ready` with `kind=linux`.
diff --git a/internal/cli/init.go b/internal/cli/init.go
index 46b73e8..90f7901 100644
--- a/internal/cli/init.go
+++ b/internal/cli/init.go
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ func runInit(out interface{ Write([]byte) (int, error) }) error {
 	summary.Steps = append(summary.Steps, stepResult{Label: "ssh-key", Status: "ok", Detail: sshKeyFp[:min(16, len(sshKeyFp))] + "..."})
 	if !jsonOutput {
 		fmt.Fprintf(out, "\xe2\x9c\x93 SSH keypair provisioned: fp=%s\n", sshKeyFp[:min(16, len(sshKeyFp))]+"...")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "\n  To onboard remote nodes, deploy the orca public key first:\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "  ssh-copy-id -i %s root@<remote-host>\n\n", certpaths.SSHPubPath())
 	}
 
 	// Step 4b: known_hosts file (empty, 0600). Without this, the TOFU
diff --git a/internal/proxmox/bootstrap.go b/internal/proxmox/bootstrap.go
index 71f83d5..2634d35 100644
--- a/internal/proxmox/bootstrap.go
+++ b/internal/proxmox/bootstrap.go
@@ -467,10 +467,12 @@ func createLinuxUser(user string) error {
 // createPVERole creates the OrcaOperator PVE role if it doesn't exist.
 // Idempotent: probes `pveum role list` before `pveum role add`.
 func createPVERole(role string) error {
-	// F10c: shellQuote the role (validated upstream, but defense-in-depth).
+	// Idempotent: check if the role already exists before creating.
+	// Use pveum role list with grep -qF (fixed string, not regex) to
+	// avoid shell-quoting issues with single quotes inside the pattern.
 	cmd := fmt.Sprintf(
-		"pveum role list 2>/dev/null | grep -q '^%s' || pveum role add %s --privs '%s'",
-		shellQuote(role), shellQuote(role), OrcaOperatorPrivileges,
+		"pveum role list 2>/dev/null | grep -qF %s && exit 0 || pveum role add %s --privs '%s' 2>/dev/null || pveum role mod %s --privs '%s'",
+		shellQuote(role), shellQuote(role), OrcaOperatorPrivileges, shellQuote(role), OrcaOperatorPrivileges,
 	)
 	if _, err := runRemote(cmd); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -483,11 +485,10 @@ func createPVERole(role string) error {
 // Uses @pam realm (AD-019) since orca creates a Linux system user.
 func createPVEUser(user string) error {
 	pveUserID := user + "@pam"
-	// F10c: shellQuote the PVE user id (validated upstream, but
-	// defense-in-depth).
+	// Idempotent: check if user exists, create if not, update comment if exists.
 	cmd := fmt.Sprintf(
-		"pveum user list 2>/dev/null | grep -q %s || pveum user add %s -comment 'Orca automation user'",
-		shellQuote(pveUserID), shellQuote(pveUserID),
+		"pveum user list 2>/dev/null | grep -qF %s && exit 0 || pveum user add %s -comment 'Orca automation user' 2>/dev/null || pveum user mod %s -comment 'Orca automation user'",
+		shellQuote(pveUserID), shellQuote(pveUserID), shellQuote(pveUserID),
 	)
 	if _, err := runRemote(cmd); err != nil {
 		return err