diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md
index f4efd23..1f0fdfb 100644
--- a/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/ROADMAP.md
@@ -53,15 +53,21 @@ land in Stage 5, not before.
 ## Stage 1 — `TerdutServer`, bootstrap/credentials only
 
 - Deploy terdut-server via its existing chart into a fresh, disposable
-  namespace — manual, out-of-band, nothing operator-managed yet.
-- `TerdutServer` CRD narrowed to `spec.endpoint` + `spec.allowedTeams`; the
-  rest of §4.1's spec (`image`, `replicas`, `networking`, `database`) waits
-  for Stage 5.
-- Controller implements §6 exactly: call `/api/bootstrap` only on a
-  genuinely empty install; otherwise `GET /api/service-accounts?name=terdut-operator`
-  and `POST` one if it doesn't exist. Writes the instance-scoped key to a
-  generated Secret in the operator's own namespace; sets
-  `status.credentialsSecretRef` and the `Bootstrapped`/`Ready` conditions.
+  namespace — manual, out-of-band, nothing operator-managed yet. This chart
+  run bootstraps the server itself, before the `TerdutServer` CR exists.
+- `TerdutServer` CRD narrowed to `spec.endpoint` + `spec.credentialsSecretRef`
+  + `spec.allowedTeams`; the rest of §4.1's spec (`image`, `replicas`,
+  `networking`, `database`) waits for Stage 5.
+- Controller implements §6's bring-your-own path only:
+  `spec.credentialsSecretRef` set and the Secret exists → adopt it,
+  `status.credentialsSecretRef` mirrors it, `Bootstrapped`/`Ready: True`.
+  Unset (or not found yet) → `Ready: False`, requeue, no API call made.
+  **Self-registration (the `/api/bootstrap`-race fallback in §6 point 1) is
+  explicitly deferred to Stage 5**, not implemented here: Stage 1's own
+  setup never exercises it (the chart always bootstraps first, per above),
+  and this narrowed spec has no username/email fields for it to call
+  `/api/bootstrap` with in the first place. Adding it later is additive,
+  not a breaking change to this stage's shape.
 - No Deployment/Service reconciliation at all in this stage.
 - First `envtest` suite (controller-runtime's fake API server) plus an
   `httptest.Server` fake of terdut-server's bootstrap/service-account