diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
index 8b5b056b..69175a54 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
@@ -438,47 +438,7 @@ pub async fn rebuild_no_meta(
         }
         run(&["update", &container, "--flake", &flake_ref]).await?;
         if was_running {
-            // Normal path: start into the new generation. The activation
-            // script runs inside the container to transition old → new.
-            // This can fail when packages are removed between generations —
-            // the old-generation activation references units that no longer
-            // exist in the new closure, causing systemd to exit non-zero.
-            //
-            // Fallback: stop + kill + start (cold-start). The activation
-            // script can fail when packages are removed between generations —
-            // `start` exits non-zero but the container may be half-started.
-            // `stop` requests a graceful SIGTERM drain; `kill` then SIGKILLs
-            // any lingering processes so the next `start` enters a clean state
-            // without a generation transition, letting the activation succeed.
-            if let Err(start_err) = run(&["start", &container]).await {
-                tracing::warn!(
-                    container = %container,
-                    error = %start_err,
-                    "start after rebuild failed (possible activation error); \
-                     retrying via stop + kill + start"
-                );
-                run(&["stop", &container]).await.unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-                    tracing::warn!(
-                        container = %container,
-                        error = %e,
-                        "stop before cold-start retry failed (ignored)"
-                    );
-                });
-                run(&["kill", &container]).await.unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-                    tracing::warn!(
-                        container = %container,
-                        error = %e,
-                        "kill before cold-start retry failed (ignored)"
-                    );
-                });
-                run(&["start", &container]).await
-                    .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!(
-                        "cold-start fallback also failed: {e:#} \
-                         (original start error: {start_err:#})"
-                    ))
-            } else {
-                Ok(())
-            }
+            run(&["start", &container]).await
         } else {
             Ok(())
         }