diff --git a/ansible/docs/edge-host.md b/ansible/docs/edge-host.md
index 5c946cfc..7fd93251 100644
--- a/ansible/docs/edge-host.md
+++ b/ansible/docs/edge-host.md
@@ -164,7 +164,9 @@ role keeps logs off local flash and monitors wear:
 - **Docker logs to journald** (`docker-daemon.json`, `log-driver: journald`)
   instead of unbounded json files under `/var/lib/docker/containers`. Both
   compose services inherit it; `docker logs` still works.
-- **Grafana Alloy ships the journal to Loki** (`edge-alloy.service`). Its
+- **Grafana Alloy ships the journal to Loki** (`edge-alloy.service`, which
+  runs the upstream `grafana/alloy` image with `/run/log/journal` mounted
+  read-only; Arch's `grafana-alloy` package has no `loki.source.journal`). Its
   WAL/positions sit on `/run/alloy` (tmpfs), so the agent writes nothing to
   the eMMC either. Net effect: no log writes hit local flash — the trade-off
   is that logs are RAM-only and lost on reboot unless already shipped.
diff --git a/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/defaults/main.yml
index c6885a57..1debfcf0 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/defaults/main.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 
 edge_alloy_config_file: /etc/alloy/edge.alloy
 edge_alloy_http_port: 12345
-edge_alloy_bin: /usr/bin/grafana-alloy   # Arch `grafana-alloy` pkg names the binary this, not `alloy`
+# Upstream image: Arch's grafana-alloy 1.21 is built without
+# loki.source.journal. Renovate-tracked (customManagers in renovate.json).
+edge_alloy_image: grafana/alloy:v1.21.3@sha256:8ab871206bd2d8f89277f53abffee5f452a293980788d52f85fa183a87a505a4
 edge_loki_push_url: "https://loki.renner.uno/loki/api/v1/push"
 edge_loki_username: edge-1
 edge_alloy_labels:
diff --git a/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/tasks/main.yml
index 5ea98f3b..3d4c973e 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/tasks/main.yml
@@ -6,15 +6,18 @@
 # directly, so one journal source covers everything. Alloy s storage/WAL sits
 # on /run (tmpfs) so it does not write to flash either.
 
-- name: Install grafana-alloy
+# Alloy runs from the upstream image (see edge-alloy.service); the Arch package
+# lacks journal support.
+- name: Remove the grafana-alloy package
   ansible.builtin.package:
     name: grafana-alloy
-    state: present
+    state: absent
 
 - name: Create alloy system group
   ansible.builtin.group:
     name: alloy
     system: true
+  register: edge_alloy_group
 
 - name: Create alloy system user
   ansible.builtin.user:
@@ -24,6 +27,25 @@
     system: true
     create_home: false
     shell: /usr/bin/nologin
+  register: edge_alloy_user
+
+- name: Look up the systemd-journal group
+  ansible.builtin.getent:
+    database: group
+    key: systemd-journal
+
+- name: Set the container identity
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    edge_alloy_uid: "{{ edge_alloy_user.uid }}"
+    edge_alloy_gid: "{{ edge_alloy_group.gid }}"
+    edge_alloy_journal_gid: "{{ ansible_facts.getent_group['systemd-journal'][1] }}"
+
+- name: Pull the alloy image
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    argv: [docker, pull, "{{ edge_alloy_image }}"]
+  register: edge_alloy_pull
+  changed_when: "'Downloaded newer image' in edge_alloy_pull.stdout"
+  notify: Restart alloy
 
 - name: Create alloy config directory
   ansible.builtin.file:
diff --git a/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/templates/edge-alloy.service.j2 b/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/templates/edge-alloy.service.j2
index 1eb79aa3..94ee051d 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/templates/edge-alloy.service.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/edge-log-shipper/templates/edge-alloy.service.j2
@@ -1,32 +1,35 @@
 [Unit]
-Description=Grafana Alloy (edge-1 log shipper -> Loki)
+Description=Grafana Alloy (journal -> Loki)
 Documentation=https://grafana.com/docs/alloy/
-After=network-online.target
+After=docker.service network-online.target
+Requires=docker.service
 Wants=network-online.target
 
 [Service]
 Type=simple
-User=alloy
-Group=alloy
-# Read the (volatile) systemd journal.
-SupplementaryGroups=systemd-journal
-# WAL + positions on tmpfs so the agent never writes to the eMMC. %t is the
-# runtime dir root (/run); RuntimeDirectory creates /run/alloy owned by us.
-RuntimeDirectory=alloy
-ExecStart={{ edge_alloy_bin }} run \
+# WAL + positions on tmpfs so the agent never writes to the eMMC.
+ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/install -d -o alloy -g alloy -m 0750 /run/alloy
+ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/docker rm -f edge-alloy
+# Attached run with --log-driver none: the container's output reaches the
+# journal once, through this unit.
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/docker run --rm --name edge-alloy \
+  --log-driver none \
+  --network host \
+  --user {{ edge_alloy_uid }}:{{ edge_alloy_gid }} \
+  --group-add {{ edge_alloy_journal_gid }} \
+  --read-only --tmpfs /tmp \
+  --cap-drop ALL --security-opt no-new-privileges \
+  -v /run/log/journal:/run/log/journal:ro \
+  -v /etc/machine-id:/etc/machine-id:ro \
+  -v {{ edge_alloy_config_file }}:/etc/alloy/config.alloy:ro \
+  -v /run/alloy:/var/lib/alloy \
+  {{ edge_alloy_image }} run \
   --server.http.listen-addr=127.0.0.1:{{ edge_alloy_http_port }} \
-  --storage.path=%t/alloy \
-  {{ edge_alloy_config_file }}
-ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
-Restart=on-failure
+  --storage.path=/var/lib/alloy \
+  /etc/alloy/config.alloy
+ExecStop=/usr/bin/docker stop edge-alloy
+Restart=always
 RestartSec=10s
-LimitNOFILE=65536
-
-# Hardening (bare metal, no LXC namespace limits here).
-NoNewPrivileges=yes
-ProtectSystem=strict
-ProtectHome=yes
-PrivateTmp=yes
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target