diff --git a/docs/ACCEPTANCE_CHECKLIST.md b/docs/ACCEPTANCE_CHECKLIST.md
index 160db89..51ca181 100644
--- a/docs/ACCEPTANCE_CHECKLIST.md
+++ b/docs/ACCEPTANCE_CHECKLIST.md
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
 - [ ] При невалидном `host_firewall.amnezia_protocols` (`icmp`, `foo`, дубли) `validate-config` завершается ошибкой.
 - [ ] После `docker restart` anti-torrent правила продолжают восстанавливаться корректно и не ломаются host firewall логикой.
 - [ ] Проверено, где реально проходит VPN-трафик в вашей Docker-схеме (`INPUT` vs `FORWARD`) и это отражено в эксплуатационной заметке.
+- [ ] Для release-кандидата зафиксирован итог проверки `INPUT` vs `FORWARD` на реальном сервере (команды/логи/вывод) и подтверждено, что текущие правила firewall покрывают реальный путь трафика.
 
 ## K. Packaging / release
 
diff --git a/traffic_core/src/firewall.rs b/traffic_core/src/firewall.rs
index edf998c..dfe3fb2 100644
--- a/traffic_core/src/firewall.rs
+++ b/traffic_core/src/firewall.rs
@@ -121,12 +121,21 @@ fn apply_host_firewall(cfg: &Config) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         return Ok(());
     }
 
+    if host_firewall_drift_reason(cfg)?.is_none() {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     let policy = cfg
         .host_firewall
         .default_input_policy
         .trim()
         .to_ascii_lowercase();
 
+    run_allow_notfound(
+        transport.as_ref(),
+        &["nft", "delete", "table", "inet", HOST_FW_TABLE],
+    )?;
+
     apply_host_firewall_batch(cfg, &policy)?;
 
     if let Some(reason) = host_firewall_drift_reason(cfg)? {
@@ -136,8 +145,12 @@ fn apply_host_firewall(cfg: &Config) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 }
 
 fn apply_host_firewall_batch(cfg: &Config, policy: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let batch = build_host_firewall_batch_script(cfg, policy);
+    run_nft_batch(&batch)
+}
+
+fn build_host_firewall_batch_script(cfg: &Config, policy: &str) -> String {
     let mut batch = String::new();
-    batch.push_str(&format!("delete table inet {HOST_FW_TABLE}\n"));
     batch.push_str(&format!("add table inet {HOST_FW_TABLE}\n"));
     batch.push_str(&format!(
         "add chain inet {HOST_FW_TABLE} input {{ type filter hook input priority filter; policy accept; }}\n"
@@ -170,7 +183,7 @@ fn apply_host_firewall_batch(cfg: &Config, policy: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     batch.push_str(&format!(
         "set chain inet {HOST_FW_TABLE} input {{ policy {policy}; }}\n"
     ));
-    run_nft_batch(&batch)
+    batch
 }
 
 fn run_nft_batch(script: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
@@ -296,7 +309,10 @@ fn host_firewall_drift_reason_from_text(nt: &str, cfg: &Config) -> Option<String
     }
     let pol = format!(
         "policy {}",
-        cfg.host_firewall.default_input_policy.to_ascii_lowercase()
+        cfg.host_firewall
+            .default_input_policy
+            .trim()
+            .to_ascii_lowercase()
     );
     if !nt.contains(&pol) {
         return Some("wrong input policy".into());
@@ -669,4 +685,104 @@ table inet awg2_host_firewall {
         let nt = normalize_nft_text(table);
         assert_eq!(host_firewall_drift_reason_from_text(&nt, &cfg), None);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn host_firewall_batch_script_does_not_include_delete_table() {
+        let cfg = Config {
+            amnezia: crate::config::AmneziaConfig {
+                container_names: vec!["amnezia-awg2".into()],
+                interface_candidates: vec!["awg0".into()],
+                interface_patterns: vec!["awg*".into()],
+                peer_ipv4_cidr: "10.8.1.0/24".into(),
+            },
+            traffic: crate::config::TrafficConfig {
+                enabled: true,
+                peer_limit: "70mbit".into(),
+                root_rate: "1000mbit".into(),
+                reconcile_interval_secs: 15,
+                container_ready_timeout_secs: 30,
+                class_start_id: 10,
+                ifb_name: "ifb0".into(),
+            },
+            host_firewall: crate::config::HostFirewallConfig::default(),
+            anti_torrent: crate::config::AntiTorrentConfig {
+                enabled: false,
+                max_connections_per_peer: 100,
+                peer_ipv4_cidr: "10.8.1.0/24".into(),
+                apply_in_amnezia_netns: false,
+            },
+            reboot: crate::config::RebootConfig {
+                enabled: false,
+                window_start_utc: "01:00".into(),
+                window_end_utc: "02:00".into(),
+            },
+            swap: crate::config::SwapConfig {
+                enabled: false,
+                path: "/swapfile".into(),
+                size_mb: 2048,
+                priority: 1,
+                swappiness: 1,
+            },
+        };
+
+        let script = build_host_firewall_batch_script(&cfg, "drop");
+        assert!(script.contains("add table inet awg2_host_firewall"));
+        assert!(!script.contains("delete table inet awg2_host_firewall"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn host_firewall_policy_drift_check_trims_policy_value() {
+        let table = r#"
+table inet awg2_host_firewall {
+  chain input {
+    type filter hook input priority filter; policy drop;
+    iif "lo" accept
+    ct state established,related accept
+    tcp dport 2323 accept
+    udp dport 443 accept
+    ip protocol icmp accept
+    ip6 nexthdr icmpv6 accept
+  }
+}
+"#;
+        let mut cfg = Config {
+            amnezia: crate::config::AmneziaConfig {
+                container_names: vec!["amnezia-awg2".into()],
+                interface_candidates: vec!["awg0".into()],
+                interface_patterns: vec!["awg*".into()],
+                peer_ipv4_cidr: "10.8.1.0/24".into(),
+            },
+            traffic: crate::config::TrafficConfig {
+                enabled: true,
+                peer_limit: "70mbit".into(),
+                root_rate: "1000mbit".into(),
+                reconcile_interval_secs: 15,
+                container_ready_timeout_secs: 30,
+                class_start_id: 10,
+                ifb_name: "ifb0".into(),
+            },
+            host_firewall: crate::config::HostFirewallConfig::default(),
+            anti_torrent: crate::config::AntiTorrentConfig {
+                enabled: false,
+                max_connections_per_peer: 100,
+                peer_ipv4_cidr: "10.8.1.0/24".into(),
+                apply_in_amnezia_netns: false,
+            },
+            reboot: crate::config::RebootConfig {
+                enabled: false,
+                window_start_utc: "01:00".into(),
+                window_end_utc: "02:00".into(),
+            },
+            swap: crate::config::SwapConfig {
+                enabled: false,
+                path: "/swapfile".into(),
+                size_mb: 2048,
+                priority: 1,
+                swappiness: 1,
+            },
+        };
+        cfg.host_firewall.default_input_policy = " drop ".into();
+        let nt = normalize_nft_text(table);
+        assert_eq!(host_firewall_drift_reason_from_text(&nt, &cfg), None);
+    }
 }