diff --git a/deploy/cloud-init.sh b/deploy/cloud-init.sh
index 7a67602..0c46007 100644
--- a/deploy/cloud-init.sh
+++ b/deploy/cloud-init.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ apt-get install -y "linux-headers-$(uname -r)" amneziawg amneziawg-tools
 cat >/etc/sysctl.d/99-pharos.conf <<'EOF'
 net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
 net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1
+# Cascade routing is asymmetric: a device's packets arrive on the inner-link
+# adapter (awg1/awg0) while the return path leaves a different interface, so
+# reverse-path filtering — even Ubuntu's default "loose" (2) — silently drops
+# them and multi-hop egress black-holes. Turn rp_filter off; new awg interfaces
+# inherit the default. (decision 16 / node cascade.)
+net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=0
+net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter=0
 EOF
 sysctl --system
 
diff --git a/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy.go b/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy.go
index 1790ac5..e9e1e5c 100644
--- a/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy.go
+++ b/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy.go
@@ -129,13 +129,18 @@ func (p Policy) Rules() Rules {
 	//
 	// A return from the exit arrives on the inner interface, but the route back
 	// to its source (the public destination) is the egress interface — an
-	// asymmetric path that reverse-path filtering drops, even in loose mode, so
-	// the entry silently fails to forward returns to the client. Relax rp_filter
-	// while the node carries transits. The effective value is max(all, iface),
-	// so `all` must be relaxed — relaxing only the inner interface is a no-op.
+	// asymmetric path that reverse-path filtering drops, even in loose mode (2),
+	// so the entry silently fails to forward returns to the client. The effective
+	// value is max(conf.all, conf.<iface>): relaxing `all` ALONE is a no-op while
+	// the receiving interface keeps the inherited default (2) — both must be 0.
+	// Relax `default` so every wg interface inherits 0 when it is created (covers
+	// the inner interface without racing its bring-up). Not restored on teardown:
+	// resetting `all` to 2 would re-break any other transit still up. (Proven
+	// live 2026-06: `all=0` alone left awg1 at 2 and the cascade black-holed.)
 	if len(p.Transits) > 0 {
-		r.PreUp = append(r.PreUp, "sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=0")
-		r.PostDown = append(r.PostDown, "sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=2")
+		r.PreUp = append(r.PreUp,
+			"sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=0",
+			"sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter=0")
 	}
 	for _, t := range p.Transits {
 		mark := strconv.FormatUint(uint64(t.Mark), 10)
@@ -143,7 +148,9 @@ func (p Policy) Rules() Rules {
 		r.PostUp = append(r.PostUp,
 			"iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -i "+ifaceToken+" -s "+t.DeviceCIDR+" -j MARK --set-mark "+mark,
 			"ip rule add fwmark "+mark+" lookup "+table,
-			"ip route add default dev "+t.InnerInterface+" table "+table)
+			// `replace` not `add`: a 2nd device binding the same path reuses this
+			// per-path table+inner interface; `add` fails with "File exists".
+			"ip route replace default dev "+t.InnerInterface+" table "+table)
 		r.PostDown = append(r.PostDown,
 			"ip route del default dev "+t.InnerInterface+" table "+table,
 			"ip rule del fwmark "+mark+" lookup "+table,
diff --git a/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy_test.go b/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy_test.go
index b43cf31..fd96af9 100644
--- a/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy_test.go
+++ b/internal/netpolicy/netpolicy_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -133,13 +134,18 @@ func TestTransitRulesCanonical(t *testing.T) {
 	wantUp := []string{
 		"iptables -t mangle -A PREROUTING -i %i -s 10.8.0.5/32 -j MARK --set-mark 100",
 		"ip rule add fwmark 100 lookup 100",
-		"ip route add default dev awg1 table 100",
+		// `replace`, not `add` — idempotent so a 2nd device on the same path
+		// doesn't fail with "File exists" (the live cascade-bind regression).
+		"ip route replace default dev awg1 table 100",
 	}
 	for _, w := range wantUp {
 		if !containsLine(r.PostUp, w) {
 			t.Errorf("PostUp missing %q\n got: %#v", w, r.PostUp)
 		}
 	}
+	if containsLine(r.PostUp, "ip route add default dev awg1 table 100") {
+		t.Errorf("transit route must use `ip route replace`, not `add` (idempotency)\n got: %#v", r.PostUp)
+	}
 	wantDown := []string{
 		"ip route del default dev awg1 table 100",
 		"ip rule del fwmark 100 lookup 100",
@@ -152,13 +158,20 @@ func TestTransitRulesCanonical(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// A transit node forwards returns asymmetrically (in on the inner interface,
-	// route-back via egress), which rp_filter drops — so the cascade entry must
-	// relax it while it carries transits, and restore it on teardown.
-	if !containsLine(r.PreUp, "sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=0") {
-		t.Errorf("PreUp missing the rp_filter relax\n got: %#v", r.PreUp)
-	}
-	if !containsLine(r.PostDown, "sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=2") {
-		t.Errorf("PostDown missing the rp_filter restore\n got: %#v", r.PostDown)
+	// route-back via egress), which rp_filter drops. The effective value is
+	// max(conf.all, conf.<iface>), so BOTH all and default must be relaxed —
+	// relaxing `all` alone leaves the interface at its inherited 2 and the cascade
+	// black-holes (the live regression this guards).
+	if !containsLine(r.PreUp, "sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=0") ||
+		!containsLine(r.PreUp, "sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter=0") {
+		t.Errorf("PreUp must relax both all AND default rp_filter (all alone is a no-op)\n got: %#v", r.PreUp)
+	}
+	// Must NOT reset rp_filter to 2 on teardown — that re-breaks any other transit
+	// still up.
+	for _, d := range r.PostDown {
+		if strings.Contains(d, "rp_filter=2") {
+			t.Errorf("PostDown must not reset rp_filter to 2\n got: %#v", r.PostDown)
+		}
 	}
 }