diff --git a/components/images-openstack.yaml b/components/images-openstack.yaml
index d024a0d14..23e828889 100644
--- a/components/images-openstack.yaml
+++ b/components/images-openstack.yaml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ images:
     neutron_metadata: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
     neutron_ovn_metadata: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
     neutron_openvswitch_agent: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
-    neutron_server: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
+    neutron_server: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:pr-2262"
     neutron_rpc_server: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
     neutron_bagpipe_bgp: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
     neutron_netns_cleanup_cron: "ghcr.io/rackerlabs/understack/neutron:2026.1"
diff --git a/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/l3_router/vrf.py b/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/l3_router/vrf.py
index 0be26f1c7..9cbd4c5d6 100644
--- a/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/l3_router/vrf.py
+++ b/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/l3_router/vrf.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 from neutron_understack import config
 from neutron_understack import evpn_compat
+from neutron_understack import maintenance as understack_maintenance
 from neutron_understack.api.definitions import understack_vni as apidef
 from neutron_understack.l3_router import understack_vni_db
 
@@ -129,6 +130,12 @@ def get_plugin_type(cls):
     def get_plugin_description(self):
         return "Understack router VNI allocation plugin"
 
+    def ovn_maintenance_periodics(self, ovn_client):
+        LOG.warning("NETDEV ovn_maintenance_periodics called")
+        return [
+            understack_maintenance.NetdevRouterMaintenancePeriodics(self, ovn_client)
+        ]
+
     @staticmethod
     @resource_extend.extends([apidef.COLLECTION_NAME])
     def _extend_router_dict(router_res, router_db):
diff --git a/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/maintenance.py b/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/maintenance.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47dd8e1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/neutron-understack/neutron_understack/maintenance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""Periodics run in the OVN maintenance worker.
+
+Proves the mechanism fires end to end (hook discovered, worker runs, once
+cluster-wide) before the real reconciliation logic is added.
+"""
+
+import socket
+
+from neutron.plugins.ml2.drivers.ovn.mech_driver.ovsdb import maintenance
+from oslo_log import log as logging
+
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+RECONCILE_SPACING = 60
+
+
+class NetdevRouterMaintenancePeriodics:
+    """Reconcile netdev-router Ironic state from the OVN maintenance worker.
+
+    Body is a no-op log line.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, plugin, ovn_client):
+        self._plugin = plugin
+        # Take the maintenance lock so exactly one neutron-server runs these
+        # periodics, mirroring the OVN maintenance / vpnaas (939978) pattern.
+        LOG.warning(
+            "NETDEV periodic __init__; _nb_idl=%r",
+            getattr(ovn_client, "_nb_idl", "MISSING"),
+        )
+        self._idl = ovn_client._nb_idl.idl
+        self._idl.set_lock(maintenance.MAINTENANCE_NB_IDL_LOCK_NAME)
+        LOG.warning("NETDEV periodic lock set")
+
+    @maintenance.has_lock_periodic(spacing=RECONCILE_SPACING, run_immediately=False)
+    def reconcile_netdev_routers(self):
+        # No-op: proves the periodic is scheduled and fires on exactly one
+        # neutron-server. host= lets us confirm it is not firing per-worker.
+        LOG.warning("NETDEV reconcile tick (host=%s)", socket.gethostname())