diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index a7fad35..a0516a9 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
 #define NVS_KEY_IMG_ID      "img_id"
 #define NVS_KEY_DRAW_NEEDED "draw"
 #define NVS_KEY_ERR_BORDER  "err"     // set when display is showing a sync-fail border; force a clean redraw on next 200/304
+#define NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V    "schema_v"
+
+// Bump when introducing a schema migration. Each new value can force a one-shot
+// recovery action on first boot of the new firmware.
+#define NVS_SCHEMA_VERSION  1
 
 // Width of the sync-fail / no-WiFi border, in pixels.
 #define BORDER_THICKNESS_PX 16
diff --git a/src/operation.h b/src/operation.h
index 37a9972..1e583ce 100644
--- a/src/operation.h
+++ b/src/operation.h
@@ -67,8 +67,22 @@ void normal_operation_impl(const String& mac, HTTP& http, const String& url, Pre
     int32_t currentImgId = prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_IMG_ID, -1);
     bool drawNeeded = prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_DRAW_NEEDED, 0) != 0;
     bool errBorder  = prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_ERR_BORDER, 0) != 0;
+    int  schemaV    = prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V, 0);
     prefs.end();
 
+    // Schema migration: on first boot under err-border-aware firmware, the
+    // display may be holding a stale full-screen yellow from the old buggy
+    // epd_fill(YELLOW) path. The old firmware never wrote NVS_KEY_ERR_BORDER,
+    // so we'd have no other signal that a clean repaint is needed. Force one
+    // by treating this boot as if errBorder were set, then bump schema_v so
+    // it doesn't fire again.
+    if (schemaV < NVS_SCHEMA_VERSION) {
+        errBorder = true;
+        prefs.begin(NVS_NAMESPACE, false);
+        prefs.putInt(NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V, NVS_SCHEMA_VERSION);
+        prefs.end();
+    }
+
     if (currentImgId >= 0) {
         http.addHeader("X-Current-Image-Id", String(currentImgId));
     }
diff --git a/test/test_normal_operation/test_main.cpp b/test/test_normal_operation/test_main.cpp
index b87ac5d..c5f11db 100644
--- a/test/test_normal_operation/test_main.cpp
+++ b/test/test_normal_operation/test_main.cpp
@@ -189,8 +189,9 @@ void test_fw06c_304_after_error_repaints_clean() {
 // regression the user reported: 304 was suspected of triggering yellow fill.
 void test_fw06d_304_steady_state_does_not_fill_yellow() {
     g_http_get_code = 304;
-    prefs.ints[NVS_KEY_IMG_ID] = 7;
-    LittleFS.files[IMAGE_PATH] = "IMGDATA";
+    prefs.ints[NVS_KEY_IMG_ID]   = 7;
+    prefs.ints[NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V] = NVS_SCHEMA_VERSION;  // post-migration steady state
+    LittleFS.files[IMAGE_PATH]   = "IMGDATA";
     // err_border = 0, draw_needed = 0 (defaults)
 
     normal_operation_impl(String("mac"), http, String("url"), prefs);
@@ -214,6 +215,39 @@ void test_fw06e_200_after_error_clears_flag() {
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_ERR_BORDER, -1));
 }
 
+// FW-06f: First boot of err-border-aware firmware (NVS schema_v missing) on a
+// device that may be displaying a stale full-screen yellow from the previous
+// buggy build → migration forces a clean redraw on the next 304 and bumps
+// schema_v so it doesn't fire again. Locks in the upgrade-path recovery.
+void test_fw06f_schema_migration_forces_redraw_on_first_boot() {
+    g_http_get_code = 304;
+    prefs.ints[NVS_KEY_IMG_ID] = 3;
+    LittleFS.files[IMAGE_PATH] = "IMGDATA";
+    // No NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V set → defaults to 0, triggers migration
+
+    normal_operation_impl(String("mac"), http, String("url"), prefs);
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, g_epd_init_count);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, g_epd_draw_image_count);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(NVS_SCHEMA_VERSION, prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V, -1));
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, prefs.getInt(NVS_KEY_ERR_BORDER, -1));
+}
+
+// FW-06g: Second boot under same firmware → migration does NOT fire again,
+// 304 is a no-op as in the steady-state case.
+void test_fw06g_schema_migration_does_not_fire_again() {
+    g_http_get_code = 304;
+    prefs.ints[NVS_KEY_IMG_ID]   = 3;
+    prefs.ints[NVS_KEY_SCHEMA_V] = NVS_SCHEMA_VERSION;
+    LittleFS.files[IMAGE_PATH] = "IMGDATA";
+
+    normal_operation_impl(String("mac"), http, String("url"), prefs);
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, g_epd_init_count);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, g_epd_draw_image_count);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(0, g_epd_fill_count);
+}
+
 // FW-07: NVS has saved img_id → X-Current-Image-Id header sent
 void test_fw07_current_image_id_sent_when_saved() {
     prefs.ints["img_id"] = 99;
@@ -311,6 +345,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     RUN_TEST(test_fw06c_304_after_error_repaints_clean);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw06d_304_steady_state_does_not_fill_yellow);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw06e_200_after_error_clears_flag);
+    RUN_TEST(test_fw06f_schema_migration_forces_redraw_on_first_boot);
+    RUN_TEST(test_fw06g_schema_migration_does_not_fire_again);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw07_current_image_id_sent_when_saved);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw08_no_current_image_id_when_default);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw09_server_interval_honored);