diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs b/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
index dfa733ea..b61b5f8b 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use anyhow::{Context as _, Result, bail};
-use hive_sh4re::{ApprovalKind, ApprovalStatus, HelperEvent, MANAGER_AGENT};
+use hive_sh4re::{ApprovalKind, ApprovalStatus, HelperEvent};
 
 use crate::coordinator::{Coordinator, TransientKind};
-use crate::lifecycle::{self, MANAGER_NAME};
+use crate::lifecycle;
 
 /// Approve a pending request. Marks the approval row durably, then
 /// either runs the work inline (`InitConfig`, sub-second git ops) or
@@ -915,11 +915,11 @@ async fn deploy_applied_target(
 /// is cleared because its contents (the mcp socket) don't survive restarts
 /// anyway. With `purge=true` the persistent trees are also wiped — config
 /// history, claude creds, notes — there is no undo.
-/// Refuses the manager (declarative; would fight with the host's nixos config).
+/// The bootstrap/root container is destroyable like any other: it's
+/// imperative infra that `auto_update::ensure_root_agent` recreates on the
+/// next hive-c0re startup if absent, so destroying it is transient rather
+/// than something to refuse at the API.
 pub async fn destroy(coord: &Arc<Coordinator>, name: &str, purge: bool) -> Result<()> {
-    if name == MANAGER_NAME || name == MANAGER_AGENT {
-        bail!("refusing to destroy the manager ({name})");
-    }
     tracing::info!(%name, purge, "destroy");
     // Guard auto-clears on the success path's final scope exit and on
     // every early-return / cancellation along the way.
diff --git a/hive-priv/src/main.rs b/hive-priv/src/main.rs
index b23085f9..f3980dc2 100644
--- a/hive-priv/src/main.rs
+++ b/hive-priv/src/main.rs
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use anyhow::{Context as _, Result, bail};
 use hive_sh4re::priv_proto::{
-    AGENT_PREFIX, AGENT_STATE_ROOT, BindMount, InfraAction, InfraContainer, JournalQuery,
-    MANAGER_NAME, META_DIR, NetworkIsolation, PRIV_SOCK, PrivEvent, PrivRequest, PrivResponse,
-    PrivStream, PrivStreamLine, SIBLING_CONTAINERS,
+    AGENT_PREFIX, AGENT_STATE_ROOT, BindMount, InfraAction, InfraContainer, JournalQuery, META_DIR,
+    NetworkIsolation, PRIV_SOCK, PrivEvent, PrivRequest, PrivResponse, PrivStream, PrivStreamLine,
+    SIBLING_CONTAINERS,
 };
 use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, AsyncWriteExt, BufReader};
 use tokio::net::unix::OwnedWriteHalf;
@@ -1237,18 +1237,12 @@ fn socket_dir_path(agent_name: &str) -> PathBuf {
 /// Validate a logical agent name (the name hive-c0re uses internally,
 /// before the `h-` container prefix is applied).
 fn validate_agent_name(name: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    if name == MANAGER_NAME {
-        return Ok(());
-    }
     validate_name_chars(name)?;
     Ok(())
 }
 
 /// Validate a logical agent name and check it maps to a hive-managed container.
 fn validate_container_name(name: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    if name == MANAGER_NAME {
-        return Ok(());
-    }
     if SIBLING_CONTAINERS.contains(&name) {
         return Ok(());
     }