diff --git a/crates/coa-core/examples/preview_migration_e2e.rs b/crates/coa-core/examples/preview_migration_e2e.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f21a047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/coa-core/examples/preview_migration_e2e.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+//! Stable -> Modules Preview on a DISPOSABLE server: install a stable release, seed a test account and
+//! character and a changed module setting, apply a signed preview update with the production updater (which
+//! builds the recommended modules and starts the plugin-host core with them), and check that the data and the
+//! setting survived.
+//!
+//! usage: preview_migration_e2e <new folder ending in -fixture> <stable release URL> <preview package dir>
+//! The server gets its own free ports before anything starts; it never uses another server's database.
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use coa_core::install::{install_base, Params, Source};
+use coa_core::registry::{MetaDir, Registry};
+use coa_core::update::{self, Env, RepackEnv};
+
+fn free_port() -> u16 {
+    std::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").unwrap().local_addr().unwrap().port()
+}
+
+fn sql(root: &Path, q: &str) -> String {
+    coa_core::backup::with_database(root, |db| db.query(q)).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("{q}: {e}"))
+}
+
+/// Fingerprint of the seeded rows, read the same way before and after.
+fn fingerprint(root: &Path) -> String {
+    sql(root, "SELECT CONCAT_WS('|', a.id, a.username, c.guid, c.name, c.level, c.xp, c.money, \
+        (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM acore_characters.character_spell s WHERE s.guid = c.guid)) \
+        FROM acore_auth.account a JOIN acore_characters.characters c ON c.account = a.id WHERE a.username = 'E2EPREVIEW'")
+}
+
+fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let a: Vec<String> = std::env::args().skip(1).collect();
+    assert_eq!(a.len(), 3, "usage: preview_migration_e2e <new-folder-fixture> <stable release URL> <preview package dir>");
+    let root = Path::new(&a[0]);
+    assert!(a[0].ends_with("-fixture") && !root.exists(), "a new folder ending in -fixture is required");
+    let reg_dir = std::env::temp_dir().join("coa-preview-e2e-registry");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&reg_dir);
+    let reg = Registry::at(reg_dir.join("installs.json"));
+
+    // 1. Stable server from its signed installation image.
+    let t = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let installed = install_base(
+        &Params {
+            source: Source::Installation(Box::new(Source::Url(a[1].clone()))),
+            dest: root.into(),
+            trusted_key: coa_core::signing::EMBEDDED_PUBLIC_KEY,
+            registry: &reg,
+            cancel: Default::default(),
+        },
+        &|s| eprintln!("  {:>3}% {}", s.percent, s.step),
+    )?;
+    println!("installed stable {} in {:?}", installed.version, t.elapsed());
+
+    // 2. Own ports, before the server is ever started.
+    let repack = root.join("Settings/repack.json");
+    let mut cfg: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&std::fs::read(&repack)?)?;
+    for k in ["mysqlPort", "authPort", "worldPort", "raPort"] {
+        cfg[k] = free_port().into();
+    }
+    std::fs::write(&repack, serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&cfg)?)?;
+    println!("ports {}", serde_json::json!({"mysql": cfg["mysqlPort"], "auth": cfg["authPort"], "world": cfg["worldPort"], "ra": cfg["raPort"]}));
+
+    // 3. Test data: an account with a character and a spell; a changed module setting.
+    let cols = sql(root, "SELECT GROUP_CONCAT(CONCAT(COLUMN_NAME, ':', DATA_TYPE)) FROM information_schema.COLUMNS \
+        WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA='acore_characters' AND TABLE_NAME='characters' AND IS_NULLABLE='NO' AND COLUMN_DEFAULT IS NULL");
+    sql(root, "INSERT INTO acore_auth.account (username, salt, verifier, email, reg_mail) \
+        VALUES ('E2EPREVIEW', UNHEX(REPEAT('11',32)), UNHEX(REPEAT('22',32)), '', '')");
+    let account = sql(root, "SELECT id FROM acore_auth.account WHERE username='E2EPREVIEW'").trim().to_string();
+    let mut names = vec!["guid", "account", "name", "race", "class", "gender", "level", "xp", "money"].into_iter().map(String::from).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let mut values = vec!["990001".to_string(), account, "'Eeprev'".into(), "1".into(), "1".into(), "0".into(), "42".into(), "777".into(), "123456".into()];
+    for c in cols.trim().split(',').filter(|c| !c.is_empty()) {
+        let (name, ty) = c.split_once(':').unwrap();
+        if names.iter().any(|n| n == name) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        names.push(name.to_string());
+        values.push(if ty.contains("char") || ty.contains("text") || ty.contains("blob") { "''".into() } else { "0".into() });
+    }
+    sql(root, &format!("INSERT INTO acore_characters.characters ({}) VALUES ({})", names.join(","), values.join(",")));
+    sql(root, "INSERT INTO acore_characters.character_spell (guid, spell, specMask) VALUES (990001, 133, 255)");
+    let conf = root.join("Core/configs/modules/mod-coa-content-scaling.conf");
+    let text = std::fs::read_to_string(&conf)?;
+    let line = text.lines().find(|l| !l.trim_start().starts_with('#') && l.contains(" = ")).expect("a setting").to_string();
+    let changed = format!("{} = 7", line.split(" = ").next().unwrap().trim());
+    std::fs::write(&conf, text.replacen(&line, &changed, 1))?;
+    let before = fingerprint(root);
+    println!("before: {before}\nsetting: {changed}");
+    assert!(!before.trim().is_empty());
+
+    // 4. The preview update, through the production updater.
+    let meta = coa_core::registry::metadata_dir_for(root)?;
+    let (_, info) = MetaDir::open(&meta)?;
+    assert_eq!(coa_core::fsx::canonicalize_lenient(Path::new(&info.server_path))?, coa_core::fsx::canonicalize_lenient(root)?);
+    let env = RepackEnv { root, meta_dir: &meta };
+    let t = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let outcome = update::apply(
+        &update::Params {
+            root,
+            meta_dir: &meta,
+            source: Source::Dir(a[2].clone().into()),
+            trusted_key: coa_core::signing::EMBEDDED_PUBLIC_KEY,
+            cancel: Default::default(),
+            resolutions: Default::default(),
+            env: &env,
+            fail_after_ops: None,
+        },
+        &|phase, percent| println!("{percent}% {phase}"),
+    );
+    let stopped = coa_core::driver::run(root, coa_core::driver::Verb::StopAll);
+    println!("shutdown after update: {:?}", stopped.map(|r| r.ok));
+    let outcome = outcome?;
+    println!("update {:?} in {:?}; modules {:#?}", outcome.txn.state, t.elapsed(), outcome.modules);
+
+    // 5. Same data, same setting, plugin host with its modules.
+    let after = fingerprint(root);
+    let text = std::fs::read_to_string(&conf)?;
+    println!("after:  {after}");
+    println!("setting kept: {}", text.lines().any(|l| l.trim() == changed));
+    for p in ["Core/plugins/plugins.lock", "Core/plugins/plugins.lock.json", "Core/logs/plugin-boot-report.json", "Core/Logs/plugin-boot-report.json"] {
+        if let Ok(t) = std::fs::read_to_string(root.join(p)) {
+            println!("--- {p}\n{t}");
+        }
+    }
+    env.ensure_stopped()?;
+    assert_eq!(outcome.txn.state, update::State::Committed);
+    assert_eq!(before, after, "seeded character data changed");
+    assert!(text.lines().any(|l| l.trim() == changed), "module setting lost");
+    println!("PASS");
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/crates/coa-core/src/release.rs b/crates/coa-core/src/release.rs
index 5655e2d..fec3f36 100644
--- a/crates/coa-core/src/release.rs
+++ b/crates/coa-core/src/release.rs
@@ -649,7 +649,12 @@ pub fn derive_preview_update(p: &PreviewParams, progress: &dyn Fn(&str)) -> Resu
         migrations: stable.migrations.clone(),
     };
     let mut m = package::build(&work, p.out, &opts, &|s| progress(s))?;
-    m.min_manager_version = p.min_manager_version.clone();
+    // Never below what the stable content itself needs.
+    m.min_manager_version = if crate::manifest::parse_version(&stable.min_manager_version) > crate::manifest::parse_version(&p.min_manager_version) {
+        stable.min_manager_version.clone()
+    } else {
+        p.min_manager_version.clone()
+    };
     m.compatibility = stable.compatibility.clone().map(|mut c| {
         c.core_commit = p.core_commit.clone();
         c.source_versions = vec![stable.version.clone()];