diff --git a/UPGRADE.md b/UPGRADE.md
index f150b5d..cb14c54 100644
--- a/UPGRADE.md
+++ b/UPGRADE.md
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ Production runs against the shared replica set **rsmain on MongoDB 3.2.11**.
 Meteor 3 ships the modern `mongodb` Node driver, which requires a server
 **≥ 4.2/4.4**. Meteor **2.x still works against Mongo 3.2**.
 
-Therefore this branch stops at the **highest stable 2.x** with everything green,
-and the `meteor update --release 3.x` step is **deliberately not taken** until
-the Comunes infra team upgrades rsmain (shared infra — coordinated in a separate
-phase, not unilaterally). The 2.x server code is migrated to async/await ahead
-of time so the final 3.x jump is mechanical.
+Therefore this branch lands on **Meteor 2.5** — empirically the highest release
+whose bundled `mongodb` driver still connects to Mongo 3.2 (2.6 bumps the driver
+to 4.x and fails; see "Escala ceiling" below) — with everything green. The
+`meteor update --release 3.x` step (and even 2.6+) is **deliberately not taken**
+until the Comunes infra team upgrades rsmain (shared infra — coordinated in a
+separate phase, not unilaterally). Server code should still be migrated to
+async/await before the final 3.x jump so it is mechanical (tracked as debt).
 
 ## ⚠️ Deploy-ordering dependency: notifications cutover
 
@@ -155,15 +157,30 @@ historically). It was fully worked around by removing the dead build plugins
 above. If a future escala hits it again, build in a container matching the
 deploy target (Debian) rather than on this host.
 
-## Escala ceiling vs Mongo 3.2
+### Escalas 2.4 & 2.5 — ✅ green
 
-Meteor bumps the bundled `mongodb` Node driver to **4.x at Meteor 2.5**, which
-drops support for servers **< 3.6**. Production's rsmain is **Mongo 3.2**.
-Therefore the highest Meteor that can talk to the current production DB is
-**~2.4** (npm-mongo/driver 3.x). The smoke test runs against a real `mongo:3.2`,
-so the exact ceiling is verified empirically: it stays green through 2.3;
-2.5+ is expected to fail at connection time. **Landing target: highest 2.x that
-keeps the smoke test green against Mongo 3.2.**
+`meteor update --release 2.4`, then `--release 2.5`. Both trivial; `npm-mongo`
+stays at **3.9.1** (mongodb driver 3.x). REST smoke byte-identical against
+`mongo:3.2` on both.
+
+## Escala ceiling vs Mongo 3.2 — **landing on Meteor 2.5** (empirically verified)
+
+Meteor bumps the bundled `mongodb` Node driver to **4.3.1 at Meteor 2.6**, which
+requires server wire version ≥ 6 (**MongoDB ≥ 3.6**). Production's rsmain is
+**Mongo 3.2** (wire version 4). Verified directly by booting 2.6 against a real
+`mongo:3.2`:
+
+```
+MongoCompatibilityError: Server at localhost:27018 reports maximum wire
+version 4, but this version of the Node.js Driver requires at least 6
+(MongoDB 3.6)
+=> Exited with code: 1
+```
+
+So **Meteor 2.5 is the highest release that runs against the production Mongo
+3.2** (npm-mongo 3.9.1). That is where this branch lands: everything green, REST
+smoke byte-identical. Going past 2.5 (to 2.16 or 3.x) is gated on upgrading the
+shared rsmain replica set to Mongo ≥ 4.4 first — the same DB blocker as 3.x.
 
 ## 🚧 3.x — blocked (do not run `meteor update --release 3.x`)