diff --git a/core/gallery/backends.go b/core/gallery/backends.go
index ee3ca906d..6bf8c5d14 100644
--- a/core/gallery/backends.go
+++ b/core/gallery/backends.go
@@ -110,7 +110,13 @@ func InstallBackendFromGallery(ctx context.Context, galleries []config.Gallery,
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if backends.Exists(name) {
+		// Only short-circuit if the install is *actually usable*. An orphaned
+		// meta entry whose concrete was removed still shows up in
+		// ListSystemBackends with a RunFile pointing at a path that no longer
+		// exists; returning early there leaves the caller with a broken
+		// alias and the worker fails with "backend not found after install
+		// attempt" on every retry. Re-install in that case.
+		if existing, ok := backends.Get(name); ok && isBackendRunnable(existing) {
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
@@ -375,17 +381,44 @@ func DeleteBackendFromSystem(systemState *system.SystemState, name string) error
 	}
 
 	if metadata != nil && metadata.MetaBackendFor != "" {
-		metaBackendDirectory := filepath.Join(systemState.Backend.BackendsPath, metadata.MetaBackendFor)
-		xlog.Debug("Deleting meta backend", "backendDirectory", metaBackendDirectory)
-		if _, err := os.Stat(metaBackendDirectory); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("meta backend %q not found", metadata.MetaBackendFor)
+		concreteDirectory := filepath.Join(systemState.Backend.BackendsPath, metadata.MetaBackendFor)
+		xlog.Debug("Deleting concrete backend referenced by meta", "concreteDirectory", concreteDirectory)
+		// If the concrete the meta points to is already gone (earlier delete,
+		// partial install, or manual cleanup), keep going and remove the
+		// orphaned meta dir. Previously we returned an error here, which made
+		// the orphaned meta impossible to uninstall from the UI — the delete
+		// kept failing and every subsequent install short-circuited because
+		// the stale meta metadata made ListSystemBackends.Exists(name) true.
+		if _, statErr := os.Stat(concreteDirectory); statErr == nil {
+			os.RemoveAll(concreteDirectory)
+		} else if os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+			xlog.Warn("Concrete backend referenced by meta not found — removing orphaned meta only",
+				"meta", name, "concrete", metadata.MetaBackendFor)
+		} else {
+			return statErr
 		}
-		os.RemoveAll(metaBackendDirectory)
 	}
 
 	return os.RemoveAll(backendDirectory)
 }
 
+// isBackendRunnable reports whether the given backend entry can actually be
+// invoked. A meta backend is runnable only if its concrete's run.sh still
+// exists on disk; concrete backends are considered runnable as long as their
+// RunFile is set (ListSystemBackends only emits them when the runfile is
+// present). Used to guard the "already installed" short-circuit so an
+// orphaned meta pointing at a missing concrete triggers a real reinstall
+// rather than being silently skipped.
+func isBackendRunnable(b SystemBackend) bool {
+	if b.RunFile == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	if fi, err := os.Stat(b.RunFile); err != nil || fi.IsDir() {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 type SystemBackend struct {
 	Name             string
 	RunFile          string
diff --git a/core/gallery/backends_test.go b/core/gallery/backends_test.go
index 626cbf1da..e5969c1f8 100644
--- a/core/gallery/backends_test.go
+++ b/core/gallery/backends_test.go
@@ -952,6 +952,58 @@ var _ = Describe("Gallery Backends", func() {
 			err = DeleteBackendFromSystem(systemState, "non-existent")
 			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
 		})
+
+		It("removes an orphaned meta backend whose concrete is missing", func() {
+			// Real scenario from the dev cluster: the concrete got wiped
+			// (partial install, manual cleanup, previous crash) but the meta
+			// directory + metadata.json still points at it. The old code
+			// errored with "meta backend X not found" and left the orphan in
+			// place, making the backend impossible to uninstall.
+			metaName := "meta-backend"
+			concreteName := "concrete-backend-that-vanished"
+			metaPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, metaName)
+			Expect(os.MkdirAll(metaPath, 0750)).To(Succeed())
+
+			meta := BackendMetadata{Name: metaName, MetaBackendFor: concreteName}
+			data, err := json.MarshalIndent(meta, "", "  ")
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(metaPath, "metadata.json"), data, 0644)).To(Succeed())
+
+			// Concrete directory intentionally absent.
+			systemState, err := system.GetSystemState(system.WithBackendPath(tempDir))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			Expect(DeleteBackendFromSystem(systemState, metaName)).To(Succeed())
+			Expect(metaPath).NotTo(BeADirectory())
+		})
+	})
+
+	Describe("InstallBackendFromGallery — orphaned meta reinstall", func() {
+		It("re-runs install when the meta's concrete is missing", func() {
+			// Seed state: meta dir exists with metadata pointing at a
+			// concrete that was removed from disk. ListSystemBackends still
+			// surfaces the meta via its metadata.Name → the old short-circuit
+			// at `if backends.Exists(name) { return nil }` returned silently,
+			// leaving the worker's findBackend() with a dead alias forever.
+			// The fix: require the backend to be runnable before we skip.
+			metaName := "meta-orphan"
+			concreteName := "concrete-gone"
+			metaPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, metaName)
+			Expect(os.MkdirAll(metaPath, 0750)).To(Succeed())
+			meta := BackendMetadata{Name: metaName, MetaBackendFor: concreteName}
+			data, err := json.MarshalIndent(meta, "", "  ")
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(metaPath, "metadata.json"), data, 0644)).To(Succeed())
+
+			systemState, err := system.GetSystemState(system.WithBackendPath(tempDir))
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+			listed, err := ListSystemBackends(systemState)
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			b, ok := listed.Get(metaName)
+			Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isBackendRunnable(b)).To(BeFalse()) // concrete run.sh absent
+		})
 	})
 
 	Describe("ListSystemBackends", func() {