diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 081af9a..0a182f2 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.7.1
\ No newline at end of file
+1.7.2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/VERSIONS.md b/VERSIONS.md
index 8697b90..df1fdf5 100644
--- a/VERSIONS.md
+++ b/VERSIONS.md
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ Tags and `VERSION` use **MAJOR.FEATURE.FIX** (three components), introduced in *
 | **FEATURE** | New capabilities (phases, HTML features, i18n packs, …) |
 | **FIX** | Bugfixes and docs that do not add a feature |
 
-Git tags: `vMAJOR.FEATURE.FIX` (e.g. `v1.7.1`). File `VERSION` omits the `v` prefix.
+Git tags: `vMAJOR.FEATURE.FIX` (e.g. `v1.7.2`). File `VERSION` omits the `v` prefix.
 
 | Tag | Date (UTC) | Notes |
 |-----|------------|--------|
 | **v1.8.0** | *planned* | **L10n** packs for user-facing strings: **fr-CH** (FrancPaysan) and **de-CH** (hacktivism / Taler CH German). |
+| **v1.7.2** | 2026-07-18 | **Bugfix:** Caddy static handles — `root` must be host dir + matcher `/monitoring*` (not leaf dir + `/monitoring/`), else file_server returns empty 404 after apply. |
 | **v1.7.1** | 2026-07-18 | Host-agent default `STRICT_EXIT=1`; monpages staging-vs-public diagnosis; re-htmlify after public check fails. |
 | **v1.7.0** | 2026-07-18 | CLI `--ver` / `--version` / `-V`: suite version, git commit, repo/tag/commit URLs. |
 | **v1.6.0** | 2026-07-18 | **Mail monitoring:** phase `mail` (firefly + pixel/TSA); MX/SMTP/IMAP/SPF/DMARC; `/taler-monitoring-mail*`. |
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ Git tags: `vMAJOR.FEATURE.FIX` (e.g. `v1.7.1`). File `VERSION` omits the `v` pre
 
 ## Sticky bar version (v1.3.0+)
 
-Generated HTML shows the installed release tag (e.g. `v1.7.1`) and links to Forgejo:
+Generated HTML shows the installed release tag (e.g. `v1.7.2`) and links to Forgejo:
 
 `https://git.hacktivism.ch/hernani/taler-monitoring/src/tag/<tag>`
 
@@ -65,5 +66,5 @@ Full locale packs (fr-CH / de-CH): **v1.8.0** (planned).
 
 ```bash
 git clone https://git.hacktivism.ch/hernani/taler-monitoring.git ~/src/taler-monitoring
-cd ~/src/taler-monitoring && git checkout v1.7.1
+cd ~/src/taler-monitoring && git checkout v1.7.2
 ```
diff --git a/site-gen/caddy-monitoring-handles.snippet b/site-gen/caddy-monitoring-handles.snippet
index fedec82..b88655b 100644
--- a/site-gen/caddy-monitoring-handles.snippet
+++ b/site-gen/caddy-monitoring-handles.snippet
@@ -1,89 +1,40 @@
-# Host Caddy on koopa (root service). Paste BEFORE catch-all reverse_proxy.
+# Host Caddy (root service). Place BEFORE catch-all reverse_proxy in each site block.
+#
+# CRITICAL (v1.7.2): root must be the *host directory* (…/monitoring-sites/{host}),
+# and the matcher must be a path *prefix* (`/monitoring*`), so that URI
+# /monitoring/index.html maps to {root}/monitoring/index.html.
+#
+# WRONG (causes empty HTTP 404 from Caddy file_server):
+#   handle /monitoring/ {
+#       root * …/monitoring-sites/{host}/monitoring
+#       file_server
+#   }
+# → looks for …/monitoring/monitoring/index.html
 #
 # Disk layout:
 #   /var/www/monitoring-sites/{host}/monitoring/index.html
-#   /var/www/monitoring-sites/{host}/monitoring_err/index.html
-#   /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-surface*/index.html
-#   /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-aptdeploy*/index.html
-#
-# /monitoring*                    → bank + exchange + taler.hacktivism.ch
-# /taler-monitoring-surface*      → taler.hacktivism.ch only
-# /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy*    → taler.hacktivism.ch only
-# /taler-monitoring-mattermost*  → taler.hacktivism.ch only
-# /taler-monitoring-mail*        → taler.hacktivism.ch only
+#   /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-*/index.html
 
 # --- only inside taler.hacktivism.ch { ... } ---
-    handle /taler-monitoring-surface_err {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-surface_err/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-surface_err/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-surface_err
+    handle /taler-monitoring-surface* {
+        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch
         file_server
     }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-surface {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-surface/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-surface/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-surface
+    handle /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy* {
+        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch
         file_server
     }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy_err {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy_err/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy_err/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-aptdeploy_err
+    handle /taler-monitoring-mattermost* {
+        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch
         file_server
     }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-aptdeploy/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-aptdeploy
+    handle /taler-monitoring-mail* {
+        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch
         file_server
     }
 
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mattermost_err {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-mattermost_err/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mattermost_err/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-mattermost_err
-        file_server
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mattermost {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-mattermost/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mattermost/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-mattermost
-        file_server
-    }
-
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mail_err {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-mail_err/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mail_err/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-mail_err
-        file_server
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mail {
-        redir /taler-monitoring-mail/ 302
-    }
-    handle /taler-monitoring-mail/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/taler.hacktivism.ch/taler-monitoring-mail
-        file_server
-    }
-
-# --- bank + exchange + taler (each site block) ---
-    handle /monitoring_err {
-        redir /monitoring_err/ 302
-    }
-    handle /monitoring_err/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/{host}/monitoring_err
-        file_server
-    }
-    handle /monitoring {
-        redir /monitoring/ 302
-    }
-    handle /monitoring/ {
-        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/{host}/monitoring
+# --- bank + exchange + taler (each site block; set root host dir) ---
+    handle /monitoring* {
+        root * /var/www/monitoring-sites/{host}
         file_server
     }