diff --git a/argocd/apps/12-vault-monitoring.yaml b/argocd/apps/12-vault-monitoring.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89e13e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/argocd/apps/12-vault-monitoring.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Application
+metadata:
+  name: vault-monitoring
+  namespace: argocd
+  annotations:
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "12"
+spec:
+  project: kernelcafe
+  source:
+    repoURL: https://github.com/systemdbrew/kernelcafe.git
+    targetRevision: main
+    path: infrastructure/vault
+    directory:
+      include: monitoring.yaml
+  destination:
+    server: https://kubernetes.default.svc
+    namespace: vault
+  syncPolicy:
+    automated:
+      prune: true
+      selfHeal: true
+    retry:
+      limit: -1
+      backoff:
+        duration: 5s
+        factor: 2
+        maxDuration: 3m
+    syncOptions:
+      - CreateNamespace=true
+      - ServerSideApply=true
+      - PruneLast=true
+  revisionHistoryLimit: 10
diff --git a/argocd/apps/35-monitoring.yaml b/argocd/apps/35-monitoring.yaml
index 3c0c0c3..4859e0a 100644
--- a/argocd/apps/35-monitoring.yaml
+++ b/argocd/apps/35-monitoring.yaml
@@ -58,48 +58,6 @@ spec:
                         StatefulSet {{ $labels.namespace }}/{{ $labels.statefulset }}
                         update has not been rolled out on cluster {{ $labels.cluster }}.
 
-                  - alert: VaultManualRolloutPending
-                    expr: |-
-                      (
-                        max by (namespace, statefulset, job, cluster) (
-                          kube_statefulset_status_current_revision{
-                            job="kube-state-metrics",
-                            namespace="vault",
-                            statefulset="vault"
-                          }
-                          unless
-                          kube_statefulset_status_update_revision{
-                            job="kube-state-metrics",
-                            namespace="vault",
-                            statefulset="vault"
-                          }
-                        )
-                        * on (namespace, statefulset, job, cluster)
-                        (
-                          kube_statefulset_replicas{
-                            job="kube-state-metrics",
-                            namespace="vault",
-                            statefulset="vault"
-                          }
-                          !=
-                          kube_statefulset_status_replicas_updated{
-                            job="kube-state-metrics",
-                            namespace="vault",
-                            statefulset="vault"
-                          }
-                        )
-                      )
-                    for: 30m
-                    labels:
-                      severity: info
-                    annotations:
-                      summary: Vault manual rollout is pending.
-                      description: >-
-                        Vault has a new StatefulSet revision waiting for its
-                        controlled OnDelete rollout. Upgrade standby members one
-                        at a time, unseal and verify Raft catch-up, then replace
-                        the active member.
-
         grafana:
           sidecar:
             dashboards:
diff --git a/docs/vault-operations.md b/docs/vault-operations.md
index 1c67f8a..ef6f921 100644
--- a/docs/vault-operations.md
+++ b/docs/vault-operations.md
@@ -46,22 +46,30 @@ unsealed, and caught up.
 
 ## Monitoring
 
-The Vault Helm release creates a Prometheus `ServiceMonitor` that targets the
-`vault-internal` service so Prometheus can observe every Vault server. Vault's
-listener allows unauthenticated access only to the metrics endpoint.
+Vault monitoring is managed as standalone GitOps resources in
+`infrastructure/vault/monitoring.yaml` and applied by the `vault-monitoring`
+Argo CD application. The `ServiceMonitor` selects the headless `vault-internal`
+service, allowing Prometheus to scrape each of the three Vault members
+individually on the named `http` port. Vault's listener permits unauthenticated
+access to the metrics endpoint.
 
 Vault-specific alerts cover:
 
 - a server remaining sealed;
 - no active HA server;
 - more than one server reporting active;
-- fewer than three Vault telemetry targets.
+- fewer than three healthy Vault telemetry targets;
+- a pending manual `OnDelete` rollout.
 
 The upstream `KubeStatefulSetUpdateNotRolledOut` rule is disabled and replaced
-with a KernelCafe version that excludes only `vault/vault`. Vault gets a
-separate informational `VaultManualRolloutPending` alert after 30 minutes so a
-pending controlled upgrade remains visible without being treated as a failed
-rolling deployment.
+with a KernelCafe version that excludes only `vault/vault` so Vault's deliberate
+upgrade workflow is not reported as a generic failed rollout. The separate
+`VaultManualRolloutPending` warning remains visible after 30 minutes and points
+to the controlled standby-first procedure above.
+
+The monitoring design was verified against a three-member cluster: Prometheus
+reported all three `vault-internal` targets UP, all three members unsealed,
+exactly one active member, and all five Vault alert rules loaded and healthy.
 
 ## Auto-unseal
 
diff --git a/infrastructure/vault/monitoring.yaml b/infrastructure/vault/monitoring.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cc5c94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/infrastructure/vault/monitoring.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+apiVersion: monitoring.coreos.com/v1
+kind: ServiceMonitor
+metadata:
+  name: vault
+  namespace: vault
+  labels:
+    app.kubernetes.io/name: vault
+spec:
+  namespaceSelector:
+    matchNames:
+      - vault
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      app.kubernetes.io/name: vault
+      vault-internal: "true"
+  endpoints:
+    - port: http
+      path: /v1/sys/metrics
+      params:
+        format:
+          - prometheus
+      interval: 30s
+      scrapeTimeout: 10s
+---
+apiVersion: monitoring.coreos.com/v1
+kind: PrometheusRule
+metadata:
+  name: vault-health
+  namespace: vault
+  labels:
+    app.kubernetes.io/name: vault
+spec:
+  groups:
+    - name: vault.health
+      rules:
+        - alert: VaultSealed
+          expr: vault_core_unsealed == 0
+          for: 2m
+          labels:
+            severity: critical
+          annotations:
+            summary: "Vault instance {{ $labels.instance }} is sealed"
+            description: "A Vault HA member has remained sealed for more than 2 minutes."
+        - alert: VaultNoActiveNode
+          expr: sum(vault_core_active) < 1
+          for: 2m
+          labels:
+            severity: critical
+          annotations:
+            summary: "Vault has no active node"
+            description: "No Vault HA member is reporting itself active. Check Raft quorum and pod health immediately."
+        - alert: VaultMultipleActiveNodes
+          expr: sum(vault_core_active) > 1
+          for: 2m
+          labels:
+            severity: critical
+          annotations:
+            summary: "Vault reports multiple active nodes"
+            description: "More than one Vault HA member is reporting itself active. Investigate cluster/Raft state immediately."
+        - alert: VaultTelemetryTargetMissing
+          expr: count(up{namespace="vault", job=~".*vault.*"} == 1) < 3
+          for: 10m
+          labels:
+            severity: warning
+          annotations:
+            summary: "Vault telemetry is missing one or more HA members"
+            description: "Prometheus has fewer than three healthy Vault scrape targets for 10 minutes."
+        - alert: VaultManualRolloutPending
+          expr: |
+            kube_statefulset_status_current_revision{namespace="vault", statefulset="vault"}
+              unless on (namespace, statefulset)
+            kube_statefulset_status_update_revision{namespace="vault", statefulset="vault"}
+          for: 30m
+          labels:
+            severity: warning
+          annotations:
+            summary: "Vault has a manual rollout pending"
+            description: "Vault's desired StatefulSet revision differs from the running revision. Vault intentionally uses OnDelete with Shamir sealing; perform the documented standby-first rollout and unseal procedure."
diff --git a/infrastructure/vault/values.yaml b/infrastructure/vault/values.yaml
index 6199ad2..858b88e 100644
--- a/infrastructure/vault/values.yaml
+++ b/infrastructure/vault/values.yaml
@@ -66,62 +66,3 @@ ui:
 
 csi:
   enabled: false
-
-# Scrape every Vault server. The listener explicitly permits unauthenticated
-# metrics, so standbys can expose their own seal/HA state as well as the active.
-serverTelemetry:
-  serviceMonitor:
-    enabled: true
-    selectors:
-      release: monitoring
-    matchLabels:
-      vault-internal: "true"
-
-  prometheusRules:
-    enabled: true
-    selectors:
-      release: monitoring
-    rules:
-      - alert: VaultSealed
-        expr: vault_core_unsealed == 0
-        for: 2m
-        labels:
-          severity: critical
-        annotations:
-          summary: Vault server is sealed.
-          description: >-
-            Vault target {{ $labels.instance }} has remained sealed for more than
-            2 minutes. Unseal it before taking another Raft member offline.
-
-      - alert: VaultNoActiveNode
-        expr: sum(vault_core_active) < 1
-        for: 2m
-        labels:
-          severity: critical
-        annotations:
-          summary: Vault has no active HA node.
-          description: >-
-            No scraped Vault server has reported itself active for more than
-            2 minutes. Check Raft quorum, seal state, and pod health.
-
-      - alert: VaultMultipleActiveNodes
-        expr: sum(vault_core_active) > 1
-        for: 2m
-        labels:
-          severity: critical
-        annotations:
-          summary: Multiple Vault servers report active.
-          description: >-
-            More than one Vault server reports HA active state. Investigate
-            cluster connectivity and Raft leadership immediately.
-
-      - alert: VaultTelemetryTargetsMissing
-        expr: count(vault_core_unsealed) < 3
-        for: 5m
-        labels:
-          severity: warning
-        annotations:
-          summary: Vault telemetry is missing one or more servers.
-          description: >-
-            Prometheus is receiving Vault core telemetry from fewer than the
-            expected three servers. Check the ServiceMonitor and Vault pods.