diff --git a/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/GUI-AUTOMATION-NOTES.md b/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/GUI-AUTOMATION-NOTES.md
index 0d418be..8326ac9 100644
--- a/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/GUI-AUTOMATION-NOTES.md
+++ b/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/GUI-AUTOMATION-NOTES.md
@@ -245,15 +245,15 @@ Scripts **today** implement Android only; they should honour:
 
 | Variant | Source | Severity | Purpose |
 |---------|--------|----------|---------|
-| **stable-self** | stable tag rebuilt | WARN | Our rebuild — never hard-blocks |
+| **stable-self** | **only** rebuild of current stable tag | WARN | Self-build vs published for **one** release |
 | **published** | F-Droid current APK | **≤14d → BLOCKER**, else WARN | What users install |
-| **older / milestones** | tags ~**3 / 6 / 9 / 12 mo** | **always WARN** | Long-horizon regression, if tags exist |
-| **master** | `origin/master` | WARN | Tip — never hard-blocks |
+| **older / milestones** | F-Droid APK ~**3 / 6 / 9 / 12 mo** | **always WARN** | No self-build of old tags |
+| **master** | `origin/master` rebuild | WARN | Tip — never hard-blocks |
 | **fix** (optional) | inference branch | soft | GOA automation fixes |
 
-**Blocker window:** only releases ≤ 14 days.  
-**Milestones:** nearest tags to 90/180/270/365 days (±50d) — warn only.  
-Default matrix: `stable-self,published,older,master`.
+**Self-build:** current stable only (plus master/fix if requested) — not older releases.  
+**Blocker window:** releases ≤ 14 days.  
+**Milestones:** nearest tags to 90/180/270/365d with a still-hosted F-Droid APK.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/README.md b/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/README.md
index bb66bce..7b2b0e3 100644
--- a/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/README.md
+++ b/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/README.md
@@ -38,14 +38,15 @@ Runs several smokes so a single odd developer build cannot be the only sample:
 |---------|------|
 | Order | Variant | Severity | What |
 |------|---------|----------|------|
-| **1** | **stable-self** | WARN | Rebuild current stable tag |
+| **1** | **stable-self** | WARN | **Only** self-build: current stable tag |
 | **2** | **published** | age ≤14d → **BLOCKER**, else WARN | Current F-Droid APK |
-| **3** | **older / milestones** | **always WARN** | Tags nearest **3 / 6 / 9 / 12 months** (if available) |
+| **3** | **older / milestones** | **always WARN** | F-Droid APKs nearest **3 / 6 / 9 / 12 months** (if still hosted) — **no self-build** |
 | **4** | **master** | WARN | Rebuild `origin/master` |
 
-**Milestones:** `MILESTONE_DAYS="90 180 270 365"` (± `MILESTONE_TOLERANCE_DAYS=50`).  
-Failures there are warnings only — never hard blockers.  
-**Young releases only** (≤ 14 days): hard blocker on fail.
+**Self-build policy:** only **current published stable** (`stable-self`) + optional **master**.  
+Historical versions: published F-Droid APK only; skip if APK gone.  
+**Milestones:** `MILESTONE_DAYS="90 180 270 365"` (±50d), warn only.  
+**Young releases** (≤ 14 days): hard blocker on fail.
 
 ```bash
 ./run-android-variant-matrix.sh
diff --git a/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/run-android-variant-matrix.sh b/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/run-android-variant-matrix.sh
index 976df43..3a2fe30 100755
--- a/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/run-android-variant-matrix.sh
+++ b/scripts/taler-monitoring/android-test/run-android-variant-matrix.sh
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ export SERIAL ANDROID_SERIAL
 echo "device: $SERIAL" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
 
 # --- expand VARIANTS (token "older" → concrete older-pub / older-self entries) ---
-# Append one older release as WARN-only (pub APK if possible, else self-build).
+# Append one older release as WARN-only — **F-Droid APK only** (no self-build).
+# Returns 0 if queued, 1 if skipped (no published APK).
 append_older_warn() {
   local t="$1" age="$2" target="${3:-}"
   local vn meta apk_vc apk_url
@@ -83,11 +84,13 @@ append_older_warn() {
     apk_url="${meta#*|}"
     if fdroid_apk_exists "$apk_url"; then
       out+=("older-pub:${vn}:${apk_vc}:warn")
-      return
+      return 0
     fi
-    echo "  (no F-Droid APK for $vn — self-build only)" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
+    echo "  SKIP $t — no F-Droid APK at ${apk_url:-?} (self-build only for current stable)" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
+  else
+    echo "  SKIP $t — cannot map F-Droid versionCode (self-build only for current stable)" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
   fi
-  out+=("older-self:${t}:warn")
+  return 1
 }
 
 expand_variants() {
@@ -101,16 +104,20 @@ expand_variants() {
     [ -n "$v" ] || continue
     if [ "$v" = "older" ] || [ "$v" = "older-releases" ] || [ "$v" = "milestones" ]; then
       [ "$INCLUDE_OLDER" = "1" ] || continue
-      # Prefer 3/6/9/12-month samples (always WARN). Fall back: nothing if no tags nearby.
-      local found=0
+      # 3/6/9/12-month samples: published APK only, always WARN.
+      local found=0 queued=0
       while read -r t age target; do
         [ -n "$t" ] || continue
         [ "$t" = "$STABLE_TAG" ] && continue
-        append_older_warn "$t" "$age" "$target"
         found=1
+        if append_older_warn "$t" "$age" "$target"; then
+          queued=$((queued + 1))
+        fi
       done < <(select_milestone_tags "$STABLE_TAG" 2>/dev/null || true)
       if [ "$found" = "0" ]; then
         echo "  (no milestone tags within ±${MILESTONE_TOLERANCE_DAYS}d of $MILESTONE_DAYS)" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
+      elif [ "$queued" = "0" ]; then
+        echo "  (milestone tags found but none still on F-Droid — no older APK smokes)" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
       fi
     else
       out+=("$v")
@@ -278,24 +285,20 @@ for raw in "${VLIST[@]}"; do
       v="$label"
       ;;
     older-self:*)
-      # older-self:TAG:SEV  or older-self:TAG
-      IFS=':' read -r _ tag sev <<<"$v"
-      : "${sev:=$(severity_for_tag "$tag")}"
-      label="older-self-${tag}"
-      age=$(release_age_days "$tag" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
-      echo "older self-build $tag age_days=$age severity=$sev" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
-      run_selfbuild "$label" "$tag" "$sev" || rc=$?
-      v="$label"
+      # Explicit older-self is disabled by policy (self-build = current stable only).
+      echo "SKIP $v — self-build only for current stable ($STABLE_TAG); use older-pub or published" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
+      RESULTS+=("$v:SKIP(no-selfbuild-older)")
+      continue
       ;;
     *)
-      # raw git ref — warn unless looks like wallet-X.Y and young
+      # raw git ref: only master-like / fix via named tokens; bare wallet-* tags → no self-build
       if [[ "$v" =~ ^wallet-[0-9] ]]; then
-        sev=$(severity_for_tag "$v")
-        run_selfbuild "ref-${v}" "$v" "$sev" || rc=$?
-      else
-        sev=warn
-        run_selfbuild "ref-${v//\//-}" "$v" warn || rc=$?
+        echo "SKIP self-build $v — only current stable self-build ($STABLE_TAG) is enabled" | tee -a "$SUMMARY"
+        RESULTS+=("$v:SKIP(no-selfbuild-older)")
+        continue
       fi
+      sev=warn
+      run_selfbuild "ref-${v//\//-}" "$v" warn || rc=$?
       ;;
   esac