diff --git a/src/lib/inference/llama-cpp/host-local-runtime.test.ts b/src/lib/inference/llama-cpp/host-local-runtime.test.ts
index 77f5c96b78b..4a17143f6bc 100644
--- a/src/lib/inference/llama-cpp/host-local-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/inference/llama-cpp/host-local-runtime.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
+import { LLAMA_CPP_PORT } from "./contract";
 import {
   buildLlamaCppHostLocalDockerArgv,
   type LlamaCppHostLocalLaunchContract,
@@ -159,6 +160,15 @@ describe("llama.cpp host-local runtime materializer", () => {
     expect(argv.join("\n")).not.toContain("huggingface.co");
   });
 
+  it("publishes the fixed loopback host port when the bindings pin one", () => {
+    const argv = buildLlamaCppHostLocalDockerArgv(contract(), {
+      ...bindings(),
+      hostPort: LLAMA_CPP_PORT,
+    });
+
+    expect(valuesAfter(argv, "--publish")).toEqual([`127.0.0.1:${String(LLAMA_CPP_PORT)}:8081`]);
+  });
+
   it("takes launch settings from the declared contract instead of code defaults (#8144)", () => {
     const input = contract();
     const changed = {
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.test.ts
index d803ff1bef5..885134b9dae 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import type { ContainerEngine } from "../../adapters/container-engine";
+import { LLAMA_CPP_PORT } from "../../inference/llama-cpp/contract";
 import type { LlamaCppGgufCachePlan } from "../../inference/llama-cpp/gguf-cache-plan";
 /* Test-only reconstruction of the exact immutable command for recovery fixtures. */
 import {
   buildLlamaCppHostLocalServerArgv,
   type LlamaCppHostLocalLaunchContract,
-  type LlamaCppHostLocalRuntimeBindings,
 } from "../../inference/llama-cpp/host-local-runtime";
 import {
   createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle,
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import {
 } from "./host-local-inference";
 import type { PersistedEngineAuthorityStore } from "./persisted-engine-authority";
 
+const HOST_PORT = String(LLAMA_CPP_PORT);
 const MODEL_DIGEST = `sha256:${"a".repeat(64)}`;
 const IMAGE = `ghcr.io/nvidia/nemoclaw/llama-cpp-server@sha256:${"c".repeat(64)}`;
 const PROBE_IMAGE = `quay.io/curl/curl@sha256:${"d".repeat(64)}`;
@@ -231,10 +232,11 @@ function keyRootIdentitySha256(): string {
   });
 }
 
-function bindings(): LlamaCppHostLocalRuntimeBindings {
+function bindings(): DockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycleOptions["bindings"] {
   return {
     apiKeyHostPath: apiKeyPath,
     containerName: "nemoclaw-llama-cpp",
+    hostPort: LLAMA_CPP_PORT,
     imageReference: IMAGE,
     model: {
       digest: MODEL_DIGEST,
@@ -388,7 +390,7 @@ interface DockerFixture {
 }
 
 function dockerFixture(
-  configuredHostPort = "",
+  configuredHostPort = HOST_PORT,
   publishedHostPort?: string,
   publishedHostIp = "127.0.0.1",
   publishedBindingCount = 1,
@@ -824,21 +826,22 @@ describe("dormant Docker llama.cpp managed lifecycle", () => {
     expect(lifecycle.runtime.destroy(receipt).status).toBe("already-absent");
   });
   it.each([
-    ["configured", "8082", undefined],
-    ["published", "8081", "8082"],
-  ] as const)("rolls back exact ownership for %s loopback port drift (#8544)", (_kind, configured, published) => {
+    ["configured", "8082", undefined, /bound host port/u],
+    ["published", "8081", "8082", /declared binding/u],
+  ] as const)("rolls back exact ownership for %s loopback port drift (#8544)", (_kind, configured, published, expectedError) => {
     const [fixture, store] = [dockerFixture(configured, published), journalStore()];
     const lifecycle = createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
       options(fixture, store, { ...bindings(), hostPort: 8081 }),
     );
-    expect(() => lifecycle.start(receiptWriter())).toThrow(/binding/u);
+    expect(() => lifecycle.start(receiptWriter())).toThrow(expectedError);
     const calls = fixture.capture.mock.calls.map((call) => call[0]);
     expect(calls).toContainEqual(["rm", "--force", RUNTIME_ID]);
     expect(calls).toContainEqual(["network", "rm", NETWORK_ID]);
     expect(store.list()).toEqual([]);
   });
-  it("fails closed on non-loopback, malformed, or multiple published bindings during port-drift rollback (#8544)", () => {
+  it("rejects and cleans up malformed or non-loopback published bindings (#8544)", () => {
     for (const args of [
+      [HOST_PORT, HOST_PORT, "0.0.0.0", 1],
       ["8081", "8082", "0.0.0.0", 1],
       ["8081", "invalid", "127.0.0.1", 1],
       ["8081", "8082", "127.0.0.1", 2],
@@ -847,10 +850,11 @@ describe("dormant Docker llama.cpp managed lifecycle", () => {
       const lifecycle = createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
         options(fixture, store, { ...bindings(), hostPort: 8081 }),
       );
-      expect(() => lifecycle.start(receiptWriter())).toThrow("Exact rollback also failed");
+      expect(() => lifecycle.start(receiptWriter())).toThrow(/port|binding/u);
       const calls = fixture.capture.mock.calls.map((call) => call[0]);
-      expect(store.list()).not.toEqual([]);
-      expect(calls).not.toContainEqual(["rm", "--force", RUNTIME_ID]);
+      expect(store.list()).toEqual([]);
+      expect(calls).toContainEqual(["rm", "--force", RUNTIME_ID]);
+      expect(calls).toContainEqual(["network", "rm", NETWORK_ID]);
     }
   });
   it("uses the declarative readiness timeout as both curl retry budget and capture budget", () => {
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.ts b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.ts
index 9d111354e3c..23e387e2a39 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker-llama-cpp-managed-lifecycle.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ interface DockerContainerInspection {
   };
 }
 
+type DockerContainerInspectionMode = "runtime" | "cleanup";
+
 interface StableFileIdentity {
   readonly dev: bigint;
   readonly ino: bigint;
@@ -271,21 +273,13 @@ function parseLabels(value: unknown): Readonly<Record<string, string>> {
   return Object.freeze(labels);
 }
 
-function parsePublishedPortBinding(value: unknown): Record<string, unknown> | null {
-  if (value === null) return null;
-  if (!Array.isArray(value) || value.length !== 1) {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has unexpected published ports.");
-  }
-  return record(value[0], "Docker llama.cpp published port");
-}
-
 function parseInspection(
   output: string,
   contract: LlamaCppHostLocalLaunchContract,
-  networkName: string,
-  hostPort: number | undefined,
-  portValidation: "exact" | "cleanup",
+  bindings: DockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycleOptions["bindings"],
+  mode: DockerContainerInspectionMode,
 ): DockerContainerInspection {
+  const networkName = bindings.network.name;
   let parsed: unknown;
   try {
     parsed = JSON.parse(output);
@@ -307,37 +301,43 @@ function parseInspection(
     throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has unexpected network attachments.");
   }
   const attached = record(networks[networkName], "Docker llama.cpp network attachment");
-  const ports = record(networkSettings.Ports, "Docker llama.cpp published ports");
-  const portKey = `${String(contract.serve.port)}/tcp`;
-  const configuredPorts = record(hostConfig.PortBindings, "Docker llama.cpp configured ports");
-  if (Object.keys(configuredPorts).length !== 1) {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has extra configured ports.");
-  }
-  const configuredBindings = configuredPorts[portKey];
-  if (!Array.isArray(configuredBindings) || configuredBindings.length !== 1) {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has unexpected configured ports.");
-  }
-  const configuredPort = record(configuredBindings[0], "Docker llama.cpp configured port");
-  if (configuredPort.HostIp !== "127.0.0.1") {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp configured host port is not loopback-only.");
-  }
-  const configuredHostPort =
-    configuredPort.HostPort === "" ? null : exactPort(configuredPort.HostPort);
-  if (portValidation === "exact" && configuredHostPort !== (hostPort ?? null)) {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp configured host port does not match its loopback binding.");
-  }
-  const published = parsePublishedPortBinding(ports[portKey]);
-  if (published !== null && published.HostIp !== "127.0.0.1") {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp host port is not loopback-only.");
-  }
-  const publishedHostPort = published === null ? null : exactPort(published.HostPort);
-  if (
-    portValidation === "exact" &&
-    hostPort !== undefined &&
-    publishedHostPort !== null &&
-    publishedHostPort !== hostPort
-  ) {
-    throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp published host port differs from its declared binding.");
+  let hostPort: number | null = null;
+  if (mode === "runtime") {
+    const ports = record(networkSettings.Ports, "Docker llama.cpp published ports");
+    const portKey = `${String(contract.serve.port)}/tcp`;
+    const configuredPorts = record(hostConfig.PortBindings, "Docker llama.cpp configured ports");
+    if (Object.keys(configuredPorts).length !== 1) {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has extra configured ports.");
+    }
+    const configuredBindings = configuredPorts[portKey];
+    if (!Array.isArray(configuredBindings) || configuredBindings.length !== 1) {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has unexpected configured ports.");
+    }
+    const configuredPort = record(configuredBindings[0], "Docker llama.cpp configured port");
+    if (configuredPort.HostIp !== "127.0.0.1") {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp configured host port is not loopback-only.");
+    }
+    if (configuredPort.HostPort !== String(bindings.hostPort)) {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp configured host port is not the bound host port.");
+    }
+    const publishedBindings = ports[portKey];
+    if (
+      publishedBindings !== null &&
+      (!Array.isArray(publishedBindings) || publishedBindings.length !== 1)
+    ) {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container has unexpected published ports.");
+    }
+    const published =
+      publishedBindings === null
+        ? null
+        : record(publishedBindings[0], "Docker llama.cpp published port");
+    if (published !== null && published.HostIp !== "127.0.0.1") {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp host port is not loopback-only.");
+    }
+    hostPort = published === null ? null : exactPort(published.HostPort);
+    if (hostPort !== null && hostPort !== bindings.hostPort) {
+      throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp published host port differs from its declared binding.");
+    }
   }
   if (!Array.isArray(source.Mounts)) {
     throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp inspection returned malformed mounts.");
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ function parseInspection(
     status: stateStatus,
     networkId: exactId(attached.NetworkID, "Docker attached network identity"),
     networkName,
-    hostPort: publishedHostPort,
+    hostPort,
     mounts: Object.freeze(mounts),
     hardening: Object.freeze({
       user: String(config.User ?? ""),
@@ -443,9 +443,8 @@ function inspectContainer(
   engine: ContainerEngine,
   target: string,
   contract: LlamaCppHostLocalLaunchContract,
-  networkName: string,
-  hostPort: number | undefined,
-  portValidation: "exact" | "cleanup" = "exact",
+  bindings: DockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycleOptions["bindings"],
+  mode: DockerContainerInspectionMode = "runtime",
 ): DockerContainerInspection | null {
   const result = engine.capture(["container", "inspect", target], INSPECT_TIMEOUT_MS);
   const escapedTarget = target.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/gu, "\\$&");
@@ -456,13 +455,7 @@ function inspectContainer(
   if (!result.error && result.status === 1 && exactAbsent.test(result.stderr.trim())) {
     return null;
   }
-  return parseInspection(
-    requireSuccess("container inspection", result),
-    contract,
-    networkName,
-    hostPort,
-    portValidation,
-  );
+  return parseInspection(requireSuccess("container inspection", result), contract, bindings, mode);
 }
 
 function currentUid(): bigint {
@@ -947,8 +940,7 @@ function rollbackExact(
     options.engine,
     target,
     options.contract,
-    options.bindings.network.name,
-    options.bindings.hostPort,
+    options.bindings,
     "cleanup",
   );
   if (container === null && record.phase === "creating" && uncertainRecoveryUnixMs !== undefined) {
@@ -964,8 +956,7 @@ function rollbackExact(
       options.engine,
       target,
       options.contract,
-      options.bindings.network.name,
-      options.bindings.hostPort,
+      options.bindings,
       "cleanup",
     );
   }
@@ -976,14 +967,8 @@ function rollbackExact(
       captureMutation(options, lease, execution, ["rm", "--force", owned.id], MUTATION_TIMEOUT_MS),
     );
     if (
-      inspectContainer(
-        options.engine,
-        owned.id,
-        options.contract,
-        options.bindings.network.name,
-        options.bindings.hostPort,
-        "cleanup",
-      ) !== null
+      inspectContainer(options.engine, owned.id, options.contract, options.bindings, "cleanup") !==
+      null
     ) {
       throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp exact rollback left the owned runtime present.");
     }
@@ -1239,8 +1224,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
       options.engine,
       authorized.receipt.runtime.runtimeId,
       options.contract,
-      options.bindings.network.name,
-      options.bindings.hostPort,
+      options.bindings,
     );
     if (inspected === null) throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp owned runtime is absent.");
     const container = requireOwnedContainer(inspected, options, authorized.journal);
@@ -1357,8 +1341,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
         options.engine,
         normalized.runtime.runtimeId,
         options.contract,
-        options.bindings.network.name,
-        options.bindings.hostPort,
+        options.bindings,
       );
       const journal = options.journalStore.load(normalized.runtime.model.generation);
       if (existing !== null || journal !== null) authorizeReceipt(normalized, true);
@@ -1373,8 +1356,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
         options.engine,
         normalized.runtime.runtimeId,
         options.contract,
-        options.bindings.network.name,
-        options.bindings.hostPort,
+        options.bindings,
       );
       if (existing === null) {
         const journal = options.journalStore.load(normalized.runtime.model.generation);
@@ -1413,8 +1395,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
             options.engine,
             inspected.container.id,
             options.contract,
-            options.bindings.network.name,
-            options.bindings.hostPort,
+            options.bindings,
           ) !== null
         ) {
           throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp removal left the exact runtime present.");
@@ -1510,8 +1491,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
             options.engine,
             options.bindings.containerName,
             options.contract,
-            options.bindings.network.name,
-            options.bindings.hostPort,
+            options.bindings,
           ) !== null
         ) {
           throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp container name is already in use.");
@@ -1592,8 +1572,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
           options.engine,
           options.bindings.containerName,
           options.contract,
-          options.bindings.network.name,
-          options.bindings.hostPort,
+          options.bindings,
         );
         if (create.error || create.status !== 0 || created === null) {
           throw new Error(
@@ -1619,8 +1598,7 @@ export function createDockerLlamaCppManagedLifecycle(
           options.engine,
           created.id,
           options.contract,
-          options.bindings.network.name,
-          options.bindings.hostPort,
+          options.bindings,
         );
         if (started === null || !started.running) {
           throw new Error("Docker llama.cpp start did not leave the exact runtime running.");
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/host-local-inference.ts b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/host-local-inference.ts
index db2f75a96ae..6d665b76b28 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/host-local-inference.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/host-local-inference.ts
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ export interface HostLocalLlamaCppLifecycleInput {
   readonly authorityStore: PersistedEngineAuthorityStore;
   readonly apiKeyRootHostPath: string;
   readonly bindingSha256: string;
-  readonly bindings: LlamaCppHostLocalRuntimeBindings;
+  readonly bindings: LlamaCppHostLocalRuntimeBindings & { readonly hostPort: number };
   readonly cacheRootHostPath: string;
   readonly contract: LlamaCppHostLocalLaunchContract;
   readonly engine: ContainerEngine;