diff --git a/config/netbox_secret_backend/netbox.yaml b/config/netbox_secret_backend/netbox.yaml
index cc877e4..993b9c3 100644
--- a/config/netbox_secret_backend/netbox.yaml
+++ b/config/netbox_secret_backend/netbox.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,16 @@
 #
 # token_version 2 is the NetBox 4.6.5 default and requires API_TOKEN_PEPPERS to
 # be configured on the NetBox server; set token_version: 1 here if the server
-# has no peppers.
+# has no peppers. token_version does NOT change how the plugin authenticates its
+# own calls (that scheme comes from the admin_token value's nbt_ prefix); it only
+# sets the version of the per-user tokens the engine mints. It must still MATCH
+# the admin_token kind: nbt_ v2 token -> token_version 2; bare v1 token -> 1.
+#
+# The mount uses ignore_changes=[token], so editing KV alone does NOT reach the
+# live mount. To push a corrected/rotated admin token into a running mount:
+#   vault write netbox/config token=<BARE_TOKEN>
+# (netbox_url/token_version are preserved on a partial update). Do NOT -replace
+# the mount to force a re-read - that recreates it and drops all roles/config.
 description: "NetBox ephemeral scoped API token engine"
 netbox_url: "https://netbox.k8s.syd1.au.unkin.net"
 token_version: 2
diff --git a/modules/vault_cluster/modules/netbox_secret_backend/main.tf b/modules/vault_cluster/modules/netbox_secret_backend/main.tf
index 48dbfb5..585d6d9 100644
--- a/modules/vault_cluster/modules/netbox_secret_backend/main.tf
+++ b/modules/vault_cluster/modules/netbox_secret_backend/main.tf
@@ -10,15 +10,23 @@ data "vault_kv_secret_v2" "config" {
   name  = "service/vault/${var.country}/${var.region}/secret_backend/${var.path}/config"
 
   lifecycle {
-    # The plugin adds the Authorization scheme itself (Bearer for v2 nbt_ tokens,
-    # Token for v1), so admin_token must be the BARE token. A literal `Bearer `/
-    # `Token ` prefix in the seed yields a malformed header and 403s on mint/rotate.
+    # The plugin builds its own Authorization header from the token VALUE, not
+    # token_version: a value starting with the nbt_ prefix is sent as
+    # "Bearer <token>" (v2), otherwise "Token <token>" (v1). So admin_token must
+    # be the BARE token - a literal `Bearer `/`Token ` scheme prefix yields a
+    # malformed three-part header and 403s on the plugin's own NetBox calls.
+    #
+    # token_version does NOT change that header; it only selects the version of
+    # the per-user tokens the engine mints for roles. It must still MATCH the
+    # admin token's kind so the mount and its minted creds line up: an nbt_ v2
+    # admin token pairs with token_version=2, a bare v1 token with token_version=1.
     postcondition {
       condition = nonsensitive(
         !startswith(self.data["admin_token"], "Bearer ") &&
-        !startswith(self.data["admin_token"], "Token ")
+        !startswith(self.data["admin_token"], "Token ") &&
+        startswith(self.data["admin_token"], "nbt_") == (var.token_version == 2)
       )
-      error_message = "KV admin_token for netbox backend '${var.path}' must be a BARE NetBox token with no 'Bearer '/'Token ' scheme prefix (v2: nbt_<key>.<secret>; v1: the 40-char value)."
+      error_message = "KV admin_token for netbox backend '${var.path}' must be a BARE NetBox token with no 'Bearer '/'Token ' scheme prefix, AND its version must match token_version: a v2 token (nbt_<key>.<secret>) requires token_version=2; a v1 token (bare 40-char value) requires token_version=1."
     }
   }
 }