diff --git a/scripts/taler-monitoring/README.md b/scripts/taler-monitoring/README.md
index d8408c8..98214d6 100644
--- a/scripts/taler-monitoring/README.md
+++ b/scripts/taler-monitoring/README.md
@@ -110,8 +110,56 @@ Outside-in HTTPS RTT for bank / exchange / merchant critical paths. Each probe p
 PERF_WARN_MS=3000 PERF_FAIL_MS=10000 ./taler-monitoring.sh urls
 ```
 
+## Wallet coins (e2e · ladder)
+
+At every relevant withdraw/pay step the wallet is snapped via `advanced dump-coins`.
+Amounts use exchange **`alt_unit_names`** (Kilo-GOA, Mega-GOA, …) with the base
+**GOA value in parentheses**:
+
+```text
+[INFO]  coins after-ATM — amount_circ=2 Kilo-GOA (GOA:2000)
+[INFO]  coins after-ATM — denoms_in_circ 1 Kilo-GOA (GOA:1000)×2 (=2 Kilo-GOA (GOA:2000))
+== ladder · rung 12  GOA:1000000 · 1 Mega-GOA (GOA:1000000) ==
+```
+
+Also: coin counts (in circulation / spent), status histogram, Δ vs previous snap.
+History TSV: `$METRICS_DIR/coins-history.tsv`. Map loaded from
+`${EXCHANGE_PUBLIC}/config` → `currency_specification.alt_unit_names`.
+
+## Load / memory (inside · e2e · ladder)
+
+Host **loadavg**, **RAM used/avail**, and per-container **RSS / CPU / block I/O**
+(plus postgres DB sizes and role RSS: libeufin, exchange, merchant, …) are
+snapshotted via SSH whenever the stack is under load:
+
+| Phase | When |
+|-------|------|
+| **inside** | end of container status |
+| **e2e** | before work · after ATM withdraws · after payments · after shop · e2e-end (+ delta) |
+| **ladder** | before first rung · after last rung (+ delta + timing overall) |
+
+```bash
+# LAN down? force WAN DNAT host
+KOOPA_SSH=koopa-external ./taler-monitoring.sh inside
+# or rely on automatic fallback (default KOOPA_SSH_FALLBACKS=koopa-external)
+
+METRICS_LOAD=0 ./taler-monitoring.sh e2e   # skip host probes
+LADDER_LOAD=0 ./taler-monitoring.sh ladder
+```
+
+| Env | Default | Meaning |
+|-----|---------|---------|
+| `KOOPA_SSH` | `koopa` | primary SSH host |
+| `KOOPA_SSH_FALLBACKS` | `koopa-external` | tried if primary fails |
+| `METRICS_LOAD` | `1` | `0` = skip all host/container load probes |
+| `LADDER_LOAD` | `1` | `0` = skip load in ladder only |
+| `LADDER_PAY` | `1` | `0` = skip payment ladder after withdraws |
+| `LADDER_WITHDRAW_SCALE` | `1.5` | withdraw mids / pay mids ratio (funding headroom) |
+| `LADDER_STEPS` | `23` | rungs for both withdraw and pay (0 + mids + max−1 + max) |
+| `METRICS_LOAD_SSH_TIMEOUT` | `90` | seconds for remote load python |
+
 ## Needs
 
-- SSH `koopa` (inside/sanity server bits)
+- SSH `koopa` or `koopa-external` (inside / load / sanity server bits)
 - secrets under `koopa-admin-secrets/...` for e2e
 - `taler-wallet-cli` for e2e
diff --git a/scripts/taler-monitoring/TESTS.md b/scripts/taler-monitoring/TESTS.md
index c9dbe09..ad1e6d5 100644
--- a/scripts/taler-monitoring/TESTS.md
+++ b/scripts/taler-monitoring/TESTS.md
@@ -66,11 +66,14 @@ IDs are assigned **in run order** within the area (`set_area` resets the counter
 
 | ID | Check (typical order) |
 |----|------------------------|
-| inside-001 | ssh koopa |
+| inside-001 | ssh koopa (or **koopa-external** fallback) |
 | inside-002+ | per-component emit: container, ports, libeufin/httpd, postgres, local `/config`/`/keys`, wirewatch, DNS pin, caddy |
+| inside-… | **load / memory**: host loadavg + RAM; bank/exchange/merchant podman CPU/mem/block + process RSS by role + DB sizes |
 
 Remote lines `E|comp|LEVEL|key|detail` each become one numbered result.
 
+SSH: `KOOPA_SSH` (default `koopa`), then `KOOPA_SSH_FALLBACKS` (default `koopa-external`) when LAN is unreachable.
+
 ---
 
 ## sanity — bank · exchange · merchant (`./taler-monitoring.sh sanity`)
@@ -142,8 +145,10 @@ Without SSH (`SKIP_SSH=1` or remote domain): still runs outside-in repo checks;
 | e2e-003 | mode / currency info |
 | e2e-004… | secrets, reachability gates |
 | e2e-… | account, credit, withdraw, confirm, coins, order, pay ladder |
+| e2e-… | **load snapshots** at e2e-start, after-withdraw, after-pay, after-shop, e2e-end (host loadavg/RAM + container RSS/CPU/DB) |
+| e2e-… | **coins** before/after each ATM withdraw, settle, pay, shop: count in circulation / spent, amount + denoms using **`alt_unit_names`** (e.g. `5 Kilo-GOA (GOA:5000)`), Δ vs previous snap |
 | e2e-… | **GOA shop products** — full catalog list; **random pick of 2** (override `E2E_SHOP_PICK_N`) |
-| e2e-… | balances, dig on failure |
+| e2e-… | balances, dig on failure, load delta + overall metrics |
 
 Shop product pays use instance `goa-shop` (default) and catalog `E2E_SHOP_PRODUCTS`
 (`id|Product name|amount` lines). Each e2e run **shuffles** the catalog and pays
@@ -159,20 +164,24 @@ Blockers keep the same ID prefix: `[BLOCKER] e2e-0NN step: message`.
 | Step | What |
 |------|------|
 | ladder-001 | `GET /intro/auto-account.json` (personal account, GOA:0) |
-| ladder-… | Mint explorer pool withdrawals: **zero**, then **random** in ranges (strictly increasing), then **pin at bank max** |
-| ladder-… | wallet-cli accept-uri + explorer confirm when `selected` |
-| ladder-… | Settle coins; **stop on first hard failure** |
-| report | TSV + JSON with **ms_mint / ms_accept / ms_confirm / ms_settle / ms_total** |
+| ladder-… | **load snapshot** before withdraws (host + bank/exchange/merchant mem/CPU) |
+| ladder-… | **Phase A withdraw** (23): mint explorer pool — 0 → random → max−1 → max into **one cumulative wallet** (mids × `LADDER_WITHDRAW_SCALE`, default 1.5) |
+| ladder-… | wallet-cli accept-uri + explorer confirm when `selected`; settle; coins snap |
+| ladder-… | **Phase B pay** (23): same shape 0 → random → max−1 → max via merchant orders + `handle-uri --yes` |
+| ladder-… | **load snapshot** after + delta + overall timing (withdraw + pay) |
+| report | withdraw TSV + pay TSV + JSON |
 
-Default path (`build_ladder`, strictly increasing):
+Default amounts (`build_ladder_pair`, strictly increasing):
 
 ```text
-[fixed]  GOA:0
-[random] (LADDER_STEPS − 2) log-uniform amounts in (ε, max)
-[fixed]  GOA:4503599627370496  (LADDER_MAX_AMOUNT)
+withdraw: [0] + random mids + [max−1] + [max]
+pay:      [0] + (withdraw_mid / scale) + [max−1] + [max]   # always ≤ matching withdraw mid
 ```
 
-TSV column `range`: `pin:0` | `random` | `pin:max` (no legacy `LADDER_RANGES`).
+TSV `range`: `pin:0` | `random` | `pin:max-1` | `pin:max`.
+
+Soft: absolute **max** mint/pay may `CEILING_REJECT` / skip (WARN). **max-1** is a hard pin.  
+`LADDER_PAY=0` skips phase B.
 
 | Env | Default | Meaning |
 |-----|---------|---------|
diff --git a/scripts/taler-monitoring/taler-monitoring.sh b/scripts/taler-monitoring/taler-monitoring.sh
index 9be5740..ff6586e 100755
--- a/scripts/taler-monitoring/taler-monitoring.sh
+++ b/scripts/taler-monitoring/taler-monitoring.sh
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ Env (same meaning):
   TALER_DOMAIN  BANK_PUBLIC  EXCHANGE_PUBLIC  MERCHANT_PUBLIC  EXPECT_CURRENCY
   SKIP_SSH=1    NO_COLOR=1
   PERF_WARN_MS  PERF_FAIL_MS   (urls latency; default 8000 / 20000)
+  KOOPA_SSH  KOOPA_SSH_FALLBACKS   (default koopa → koopa-external)
+  METRICS_LOAD=0   skip host/container RAM/CPU probes (e2e/ladder/inside)
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ export EXPECT_CURRENCY SKIP_SSH LOCAL_STACK TALER_DOMAIN_PROBE
 export WITHDRAW_AMT PAY_AMT CREDIT_AMT MERCHANT_INSTANCE
 export E2E_FAKE_INCOMING E2E_REMOTE E2E_VARIABLE E2E_ATM_MAX
 export E2E_WITHDRAW_VALUES E2E_PAY_VALUES
-# Ladder: 0 + random mids + max (see check_goa_ladder.sh build_ladder). No LADDER_RANGES.
+# Ladder: withdraw then pay — 0 + random mids + max-1 + max (see check_goa_ladder.sh).
 # Defaults so set -u export is safe when vars were never set by caller.
 : "${LADDER_STEPS:=23}"
 : "${LADDER_MIN_AMOUNT:=0.000001}"
@@ -151,10 +153,14 @@ export E2E_WITHDRAW_VALUES E2E_PAY_VALUES
 : "${LADDER_HIGH_FROM:=1000000}"
 : "${LADDER_HIGH_RUNGS:=12}"
 : "${LADDER_LOAD:=1}"
+: "${LADDER_PAY:=1}"
+: "${LADDER_WITHDRAW_SCALE:=1.5}"
+: "${LADDER_PAY_SETTLE_ROUNDS:=6}"
 export LADDER_STEPS LADDER_MIN_AMOUNT LADDER_CONFIRM_POLLS LADDER_MAX_RUNGS LADDER_TIMEOUT_S LADDER_REPORT_DIR
 export LADDER_SETTLE_ROUNDS LADDER_SETTLE_SLEEP EXP_PW_FILE EXP_USER
 export LADDER_MAX_AMOUNT LADDER_INCLUDE_ZERO LADDER_INCLUDE_MAX
 export LADDER_HIGH_FROM LADDER_HIGH_RUNGS LADDER_LOAD
+export LADDER_PAY LADDER_WITHDRAW_SCALE LADDER_PAY_SETTLE_ROUNDS
 export TALER_DOMAIN_APPLIED=1
 
 # Default phases