v2.5.3

## Fixed

- Owner-card readiness now notices `dream-proxy` after `dream enable dream-proxy` and `dream start dream-proxy` without requiring a manual `dashboard-api` restart.

## Validation

- Fleet test run on 2026-05-26 at commit `cff3b21` validated the #1474 fix and passed regressions, zero-prereq bootstrap, install, verify, cloud-mode, dashboard, Hermes, UI, lifecycle, and distro lab validation across tower2, Strix Halo, Spark, and M5 MacBook Pro.
- The new `dream-proxy-owner-card-readiness-1474` regression fixture passed on Strix Halo from both already-enabled and disabled states, proving owner-card status returns `ready: true` without restarting `dashboard-api`.
- Capability reruns confirmed the initial Strix Halo and M5 MacBook Pro failures were model/timing flakes; full-model capability probes passed on Strix Halo and M5 MacBook Pro, while tower2 and Spark correctly deferred LLM-driven full-model probes on bootstrap models.
- Distro lab passed 10/10 Docker lanes and 5/5 Incus VM lanes.

## Fleet Validation Receipt

- Release tag: `v2.5.3`
- Release stamp commit: `d7784673`
- Stable hotfix commit: `75fa4407`
- Product validation commit: `cff3b21` (main forward-port of the same hotfix)
- Fleet run: `2026-05-26T14-02-04Z`
- Harness: `main@f064e42`
- Gate result: **All phases green after accepted model/timing reruns**
- Regressions: **15/15 PASS**
- Zero-prereq bootstrap: **6/6 PASS**
- Install: **4/4 PASS**
- Verify: **4/4 PASS**
- Cloud-mode: **4/4 PASS**
- Dashboard: **4/4 PASS**
- Hermes: **4/4 PASS**
- UI: **PASS** on tower2 Playwright host
- Lifecycle: **4/4 PASS**
- Distro lab: **10/10 Docker lanes PASS**, **5/5 Incus VM lanes PASS**
- Bugs opened by run: **0**

Enabled fleet hosts:

- `tower2`: NVIDIA Blackwell x86, bootstrap model at capability probe time; install, product, UI, lifecycle, and non-LLM capability checks PASS
- `strix-halo`: AMD/Lemonade, `Qwen3.6-35B-A3B` full-model capabilities PASS on rerun
- `spark`: NVIDIA GB10 aarch64, bootstrap model at capability probe time; install, product, lifecycle, and non-LLM capability checks PASS
- `m5-mbp`: Apple M5 Max, `Qwen3.6-35B-A3B` full-model capabilities PASS on rerun

Notes:

- This release is cut from `release/2.5.x`, not from `main`.
- `v2.5.2` does not include the #1474 fix; use `v2.5.3` for the owner-card readiness hotfix.
- The release tag includes the metadata stamp plus the #1474 stable hotfix. No installer, model-routing, compose, GPU-detection, or dependency changes were introduced by the stamp itself.