diff --git a/backend/src/__tests__/mesh-service.test.ts b/backend/src/__tests__/mesh-service.test.ts
index 3cf012fa..8daf5f16 100644
--- a/backend/src/__tests__/mesh-service.test.ts
+++ b/backend/src/__tests__/mesh-service.test.ts
@@ -622,6 +622,47 @@ describe('MeshService.ensureStackOverride (BUG-1 fix)', () => {
             && /orphaned-stack/.test(e.message),
         )).toBe(true);
     });
+
+    it('returns a pushed override file on pilot nodes where isMeshStackEnabled is always false', async () => {
+        const svc = MeshService.getInstance();
+        const db = DatabaseService.getInstance();
+        const localNodeId = db.getNodes()[0].id;
+
+        // Simulate the pilot scenario: no mesh_stacks row (isMeshStackEnabled → false),
+        // but the override file already exists on disk, pushed by central via D-1.
+        const dataDir = process.env.DATA_DIR as string;
+        const overrideDir = path.join(dataDir, 'mesh', 'overrides', String(localNodeId));
+        fsSync.mkdirSync(overrideDir, { recursive: true });
+        const overrideFile = path.join(overrideDir, 'pilot-stack.override.yml');
+        fsSync.writeFileSync(overrideFile, [
+            'services:',
+            '  echo:',
+            '    networks:',
+            '      - sencho_mesh',
+            '    extra_hosts:',
+            '      - echo.pilot-stack.pilot.sencho:172.30.0.2',
+            'networks:',
+            '  sencho_mesh:',
+            '    external: true',
+        ].join('\n'), 'utf8');
+
+        // No mesh_stacks row → isMeshStackEnabled returns false.
+        const result = await svc.ensureStackOverride(localNodeId, 'pilot-stack');
+        expect(result).toBe(overrideFile);
+
+        // Cleanup.
+        fsSync.unlinkSync(overrideFile);
+    });
+
+    it('returns null for pilot nodes when no pushed override file exists', async () => {
+        const svc = MeshService.getInstance();
+        const db = DatabaseService.getInstance();
+        const localNodeId = db.getNodes()[0].id;
+
+        // No mesh_stacks row, no file on disk.
+        const result = await svc.ensureStackOverride(localNodeId, 'no-such-stack');
+        expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
 });
 
 describe('MeshService tunnel-up regen (BUG-2)', () => {
diff --git a/backend/src/services/MeshService.ts b/backend/src/services/MeshService.ts
index e100b215..d848874f 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/MeshService.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/MeshService.ts
@@ -592,13 +592,26 @@ export class MeshService extends EventEmitter implements MeshForwarderHost {
     public async ensureStackOverride(nodeId: number, stackName: string): Promise<string | null> {
         if (!isValidStackName(stackName)) return null;
         const db = DatabaseService.getInstance();
-        if (!db.isMeshStackEnabled(nodeId, stackName)) return null;
+        const dir = this.overrideDirFor(nodeId);
+        if (!db.isMeshStackEnabled(nodeId, stackName)) {
+            // Pilot nodes intentionally have no mesh_stacks rows (opt-in state
+            // lives on central per the C-3 design). Use file-presence as the
+            // fallback: if central pushed an override via applyLocalOverride, return
+            // that path so ComposeService picks it up on the next deploy.
+            const file = path.resolve(dir, `${path.basename(stackName)}.override.yml`);
+            if (!isPathWithinBase(file, dir)) return null;
+            try {
+                await fs.access(file);
+                return file;
+            } catch {
+                return null;
+            }
+        }
         if (!this.senchoIp) return null;
 
         const aliases: MeshAlias[] = Array.from(this.aliasCache.values()).map((a) => ({ host: a.host }));
         const serviceNames = await this.getDeclaredStackServiceNames(stackName, nodeId);
 
-        const dir = this.overrideDirFor(nodeId);
         await fs.mkdir(dir, { recursive: true });
         // path.basename mirrors the applyLocalOverride pattern (and is
         // the form CodeQL's path-injection model recognizes).
@@ -705,7 +718,7 @@ export class MeshService extends EventEmitter implements MeshForwarderHost {
     private async removeStackOverride(nodeId: number, stackName: string): Promise<void> {
         if (!isValidStackName(stackName)) return;
         const dir = this.overrideDirFor(nodeId);
-        const file = path.resolve(dir, `${stackName}.override.yml`);
+        const file = path.resolve(dir, `${path.basename(stackName)}.override.yml`);
         if (!isPathWithinBase(file, dir)) return;
         try { await fs.unlink(file); } catch { /* ignore not-exist */ }
     }