diff --git a/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/PKGBUILD b/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/PKGBUILD
index 963f6a74d1..386b2fb8af 100644
--- a/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/PKGBUILD
+++ b/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/PKGBUILD
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ _module=daedalus_v4l2
 
 # Same pin as arch/daedalus-v4l2 — keep kernel module + daemon
 # bit-versioned together so the chardev wire protocol stays in sync.
-_commit=f04d7000f858fe51d867aba14a529d3aef4fbd54
+_commit=f55b2cdab8a8c0bc04e8c1bb1d0b6ca85e7d96d2
 
-pkgver=0.1.0.r15.f04d700
+pkgver=0.1.0.r16.f55b2cd
 pkgrel=1
 pkgdesc="V4L2 stateless decoder shim kernel module (DKMS) — Pi 5 / CM5"
 arch=('any')
@@ -28,10 +28,13 @@ url="https://git.reauktion.de/reauktion/daedalus-v4l2"
 license=('GPL-2.0-or-later')
 depends=('dkms')
 makedepends=('git')
+install="${pkgname}.install"
 
 source=("git+https://git.reauktion.de/reauktion/daedalus-v4l2.git#commit=${_commit}"
-        "dkms.conf")
+        "dkms.conf"
+        "${pkgname}.install")
 sha256sums=('SKIP'
+            'SKIP'
             'SKIP')
 
 pkgver() {
diff --git a/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/daedalus-v4l2-dkms.install b/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/daedalus-v4l2-dkms.install
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa3429d43e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/daedalus-v4l2-dkms.install
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# post-install / post-upgrade hook for daedalus-v4l2-dkms.
+#
+# pacman + the dkms-helpers alpm hook will already attempt
+# `dkms install` on its own.  This script's job is to emit a
+# loud, actionable warning when the module didn't actually
+# build for the running kernel — most commonly because the
+# kernel headers package isn't installed yet.
+#
+# Without this you get a silent failure: the package looks
+# installed but `modprobe daedalus_v4l2` returns ENOENT.
+
+_check_dkms_built() {
+    local name=daedalus_v4l2
+    local ver=$1
+    local kernelver=$(uname -r)
+
+    if ! command -v dkms >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        return 1  # the hard-dep should have caught this
+    fi
+
+    local status
+    status=$(dkms status -m "$name" -v "$ver" -k "$kernelver" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if printf '%s\n' "$status" | grep -q -E 'installed|loaded'; then
+        return 0  # all good
+    fi
+
+    cat >&2 <<EOF
+==> daedalus-v4l2-dkms: DKMS build did NOT land for kernel $kernelver.
+==>   dkms status -m $name -v $ver -k $kernelver:
+==>     $(printf '%s' "$status" | head -1)
+==>
+==> Most likely cause: kernel headers package is missing.
+==>   Arch / ALARM:     pacman -S linux-rpi-headers (or linux-rpi5-headers)
+==>   Raspberry Pi OS:  apt install linux-headers-rpi-2712
+==>
+==> After installing headers, finish the install with:
+==>   sudo dkms autoinstall $name/$ver
+==>   sudo modprobe daedalus_v4l2
+==>
+==> Until then daedalus_v4l2 will NOT be loadable and the
+==> userspace daedalus-v4l2 daemon will have nothing to talk to.
+EOF
+    return 1
+}
+
+post_install() {
+    _check_dkms_built "$1" || true
+}
+
+post_upgrade() {
+    # New version pinned by the bump may have built fine, but if
+    # a kernel-headers package was uninstalled / pruned since the
+    # last upgrade we'd silently regress.  Re-check.
+    _check_dkms_built "$1" || true
+}
+
+pre_remove() {
+    # The dkms alpm hook handles dkms remove on its own; nothing
+    # we need to add here.
+    :
+}
diff --git a/arch/daedalus-v4l2/PKGBUILD b/arch/daedalus-v4l2/PKGBUILD
index 3e146f1f6a..ce4289e094 100644
--- a/arch/daedalus-v4l2/PKGBUILD
+++ b/arch/daedalus-v4l2/PKGBUILD
@@ -16,16 +16,16 @@
 pkgname=daedalus-v4l2
 _upstreampkg=daedalus-v4l2
 
-# Pin the daedalus-v4l2 tip.  f04d700 = "Phase 8.13: byte-exact end-to-
+# Pin the daedalus-v4l2 tip.  f55b2cd = "Phase 8.13: byte-exact end-to-
 # end via libva (consumer target hit)" — first commit where the full
 # ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi → libva → /dev/video0 → daemon path lands a
 # pixel-correct decoded frame back in ffmpeg.  Promote to a later pin
 # only after a future phase closes cleanly.
-_commit=f04d7000f858fe51d867aba14a529d3aef4fbd54
+_commit=f55b2cdab8a8c0bc04e8c1bb1d0b6ca85e7d96d2
 
 # 0.1.0 (pre-1.0) + commit count + short sha.  Bump the .Y on each
 # Phase 8.x close.  pkgver() recomputes at build time.
-pkgver=0.1.0.r15.f04d700
+pkgver=0.1.0.r16.f55b2cd
 pkgrel=1
 pkgdesc="Userspace daemon for the daedalus-v4l2 V4L2 stateless decoder shim (VP9/AV1/H.264 on Pi 5 / CM5)"
 arch=('aarch64')
diff --git a/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/build-deb.sh b/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/build-deb.sh
index c027e03955..6f9b75b1f9 100755
--- a/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/build-deb.sh
+++ b/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/build-deb.sh
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 # Sibling userspace package: ../daedalus-v4l2/build-deb.sh
 set -euo pipefail
 
-UPSTREAM_COMMIT=f04d7000f858fe51d867aba14a529d3aef4fbd54
-PKGVER=0.1.0+r15+gf04d700
+UPSTREAM_COMMIT=f55b2cdab8a8c0bc04e8c1bb1d0b6ca85e7d96d2
+PKGVER=0.1.0+r16+gf55b2cd
 PKGREL=1
 MODULE_NAME=daedalus_v4l2
 
@@ -78,10 +78,53 @@ set -e
 
 NAME=${MODULE_NAME}
 VERSION=${PKGVER}
+KERNELVER=\$(uname -r)
+
+# Yellow + bold ANSI for the warning so it stands out in apt's
+# stream of "Setting up" lines.  Disable colour on non-TTY.
+if [ -t 1 ]; then
+    Y=\$(printf '\\033[1;33m'); R=\$(printf '\\033[0m')
+else
+    Y=''; R=''
+fi
+
+warn() {
+    printf '%s==> daedalus-v4l2-dkms: %s%s\\n' "\$Y" "\$1" "\$R" >&2
+}
+
+if [ "\$1" = "configure" ]; then
+    if ! command -v dkms >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        warn "dkms not installed; module \$NAME/\$VERSION not registered."
+        warn "Install 'dkms' then run: dkms add \$NAME/\$VERSION && dkms autoinstall"
+        exit 0
+    fi
 
-if [ "\$1" = "configure" ] && command -v dkms >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     dkms add "\$NAME/\$VERSION" 2>/dev/null || true
-    dkms autoinstall "\$NAME/\$VERSION" || true
+
+    # Don't let autoinstall failure mask the actual problem behind '|| true'.
+    # Run it, capture the result, then verify post-condition.
+    autoinstall_rc=0
+    dkms autoinstall "\$NAME/\$VERSION" || autoinstall_rc=\$?
+
+    # Verify the module actually built + installed for the running kernel.
+    status=\$(dkms status -m "\$NAME" -v "\$VERSION" -k "\$KERNELVER" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if ! printf '%s\\n' "\$status" | grep -q -E 'installed|loaded'; then
+        warn ""
+        warn "DKMS build did NOT land for kernel \$KERNELVER."
+        warn "  dkms status -m \$NAME -v \$VERSION -k \$KERNELVER:"
+        warn "    \$(printf '%s' "\$status" | head -1)"
+        warn ""
+        warn "Most likely cause: kernel headers package is missing."
+        warn "  Raspberry Pi OS / Pi 5:  apt install linux-headers-rpi-2712"
+        warn "  Debian generic:          apt install linux-headers-\$KERNELVER"
+        warn ""
+        warn "After installing headers, finish the install with:"
+        warn "  sudo dkms autoinstall \$NAME/\$VERSION"
+        warn "  sudo modprobe daedalus_v4l2"
+        warn ""
+        warn "Until then daedalus_v4l2 will NOT be loadable and the"
+        warn "userspace daedalus-v4l2 daemon will have nothing to talk to."
+    fi
 fi
 
 #DEBHELPER#
diff --git a/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/debian/changelog b/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/debian/changelog
index 26c83642f7..0096ee5ad4 100644
--- a/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/daedalus-v4l2-dkms/debian/changelog
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-daedalus-v4l2-dkms (0.1.0+r15+gf04d700-1) bookworm trixie; urgency=medium
+daedalus-v4l2-dkms (0.1.0+r16+gf55b2cd-1) bookworm trixie; urgency=medium
 
   * Initial Debian DKMS packaging for the daedalus_v4l2 kernel module.
-  * Pinned to f04d700 (Phase 8.13 close): kernel-side framework
+  * Pinned to f55b2cd (Phase 8.13 close): kernel-side framework
     integration (V4L2 m2m, dmabuf-export, media controller, request
     API, NV12 single-plane + NV12M + P010 CAPTURE) that closes the
     libva→/dev/video0→daemon round-trip with byte-exact pixels.
diff --git a/debian/daedalus-v4l2/build-deb.sh b/debian/daedalus-v4l2/build-deb.sh
index e195c20dc5..915375a6b7 100755
--- a/debian/daedalus-v4l2/build-deb.sh
+++ b/debian/daedalus-v4l2/build-deb.sh
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@
 # Upstream repo: https://git.reauktion.de/reauktion/daedalus-v4l2
 set -euo pipefail
 
-# Same pin as the Arch PKGBUILD.  f04d700 = "Phase 8.13: byte-exact
+# Same pin as the Arch PKGBUILD.  f55b2cd = "Phase 8.13: byte-exact
 # end-to-end via libva (consumer target hit)" — first commit where the
 # full ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi → libva → /dev/video0 → daemon path lands
 # a pixel-correct decoded frame back in ffmpeg.
-UPSTREAM_COMMIT=f04d7000f858fe51d867aba14a529d3aef4fbd54
-PKGVER=0.1.0+r15+gf04d700
+UPSTREAM_COMMIT=f55b2cdab8a8c0bc04e8c1bb1d0b6ca85e7d96d2
+PKGVER=0.1.0+r16+gf55b2cd
 PKGREL=1
 
 HERE=$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")
diff --git a/debian/daedalus-v4l2/debian/changelog b/debian/daedalus-v4l2/debian/changelog
index 680fd670a1..632ab13fcc 100644
--- a/debian/daedalus-v4l2/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/daedalus-v4l2/debian/changelog
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-daedalus-v4l2 (0.1.0+r15+gf04d700-1) bookworm trixie; urgency=medium
+daedalus-v4l2 (0.1.0+r16+gf55b2cd-1) bookworm trixie; urgency=medium
 
   * Initial Debian packaging for the daedalus-v4l2 userspace daemon.
-  * Pinned to f04d700 (Phase 8.13 close): first commit where the full
+  * Pinned to f55b2cd (Phase 8.13 close): first commit where the full
     ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi → libva-v4l2-request-fourier → /dev/video0
     → daemon path lands a pixel-correct decoded NV12 frame back in
     ffmpeg.