diff --git a/scripts/unified-deployment-smoke.sh b/scripts/unified-deployment-smoke.sh
index bbad195c..53be5201 100755
--- a/scripts/unified-deployment-smoke.sh
+++ b/scripts/unified-deployment-smoke.sh
@@ -131,7 +131,16 @@ task13_capture_failed_image_evidence() {
 }
 
 task13_registry_filesystem_fingerprint() {
-  python3 - "$1" <<'PY'
+  local root="$1"
+  local -a python=(python3)
+  if [[ "${TASK13_PROFILE:-local}" == server && "$root" == "${TASK13_SERVER_REGISTRY:-}" ]]; then
+    [[ -n "${TASK13_TMP:-}" \
+      && "$root" == "$TASK13_TMP/Server Registry" \
+      && ! -L "$root" && -d "$root" ]] \
+      || task13_fail "refusing to fingerprint an unexpected server registry path"
+    python=(sudo -n -- python3)
+  fi
+  "${python[@]}" - "$root" <<'PY'
 import hashlib
 import os
 import stat