diff --git a/deploy/production/README.md b/deploy/production/README.md
index 15d4ada..b40e665 100644
--- a/deploy/production/README.md
+++ b/deploy/production/README.md
@@ -25,10 +25,17 @@ have different mount IDs and `link(2)` may return `EXDEV` across them. The
 client deliberately treats that case as copy-only and performs a full payload
 free-space check.
 
-When a Syncthing route is physically nested below the qB root, mount the qB
-root once and map the exact Syncthing API folder through it:
+Automatic routes always use the Syncthing API path `routes/<route-id>`. Bind
+that path from a dedicated directory beneath the qB data root, then map the
+same path through the qB client mount:
 
 ```yaml
+# Syncthing compose project
+volumes:
+  - /srv/syncthing-config:/var/syncthing
+  - /srv/downloads/.archive-control-routes:/var/syncthing/routes
+
+# Archive Control client compose project
 volumes:
   - /srv/downloads:/data/qb
   - /srv/syncthing-config:/data/sync
@@ -38,15 +45,14 @@ volumes:
 [syncthing]
 api_root = "/var/syncthing"
 local_root = "/data/sync"
-local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/Downloads/Sync" = "/data/qb/Sync" }
+local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/routes" = "/data/qb/.archive-control-routes" }
 ```
 
-Do **not** additionally mount `/srv/downloads/Sync` at a path beneath
-`/data/sync`. The override is the authoritative mapping for that folder and
-keeps qB source files and staging destinations in one mount namespace. Use
-the folder's normalized API-visible **path** as the override key (for example,
-Syncthing `~/Downloads/Sync` becomes `/var/syncthing/Downloads/Sync`); do not
-use the folder ID.
+Do **not** mount the route directory separately into the client. The override
+is the authoritative mapping and keeps qB source files and automatic route
+folders in one mount namespace. Existing manually configured Syncthing folders
+below the qB tree may retain their own exact overrides. Use API-visible paths,
+not Syncthing folder IDs, as override keys.
 
 Before starting a stack, validate its config and then run the generic host
 preflight with that machine's own paths and container names:
diff --git a/deploy/production/lithium/client.toml b/deploy/production/lithium/client.toml
index 1b95b24..5fb2dd1 100644
--- a/deploy/production/lithium/client.toml
+++ b/deploy/production/lithium/client.toml
@@ -39,4 +39,5 @@ endpoint = "http://syncthing:8384"
 api_key_file = "/run/secrets/syncthing_api_key"
 api_root = "/var/syncthing"
 local_root = "/data/sync"
+local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/routes" = "/data/qb/.archive-control-routes" }
 advertised_addresses = ["dynamic"]
diff --git a/deploy/production/x1/client.toml b/deploy/production/x1/client.toml
index 9f11110..f0d9c8e 100644
--- a/deploy/production/x1/client.toml
+++ b/deploy/production/x1/client.toml
@@ -41,5 +41,5 @@ api_root = "/var/syncthing"
 local_root = "/data/sync"
 # This existing folder is physically inside the qB data tree. Map it through
 # that same client bind mount so source staging can use hardlinks.
-local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/DownloadsSync" = "/data/qb/Sync" }
+local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/DownloadsSync" = "/data/qb/Sync", "/var/syncthing/routes" = "/data/qb/.archive-control-routes" }
 advertised_addresses = ["dynamic"]
diff --git a/deploy/production/x2/client.toml b/deploy/production/x2/client.toml
index e1eee49..ad48c98 100644
--- a/deploy/production/x2/client.toml
+++ b/deploy/production/x2/client.toml
@@ -42,5 +42,5 @@ local_root = "/data/sync"
 # `DownloadsSync-X2` is ~/Downloads/Sync on the host, nested below the qB
 # root. Resolve it through /data/qb rather than a second nested bind mount so
 # source staging can hardlink it.
-local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/Downloads/Sync" = "/data/qb/Sync" }
+local_path_overrides = { "/var/syncthing/Downloads/Sync" = "/data/qb/Sync", "/var/syncthing/routes" = "/data/qb/.archive-control-routes" }
 advertised_addresses = ["dynamic"]
diff --git a/docs/deployment-preflight.md b/docs/deployment-preflight.md
index ff0f8ca..331cf70 100644
--- a/docs/deployment-preflight.md
+++ b/docs/deployment-preflight.md
@@ -78,11 +78,11 @@ python3 scripts/preflight-deployment.py ... \
 
 ## What it checks
 
-- Each configured qBittorrent and Syncthing API root resolves through Docker
-  mounts to the same host path as the matching client local root.
-- The client uses one bind mount for its qBittorrent and Syncthing roots, so
-  hard-link staging remains possible rather than silently falling back to a
-  space-consuming copy.
+- The future automatic `routes/<route-id>` path resolves through Docker mounts
+  to the same host path as its client-side mapping.
+- That future route path and qBittorrent content root use one client bind
+  mount, so hard-link staging remains possible rather than silently falling
+  back to a space-consuming copy.
 - The token, qB password, and Syncthing API-key files are non-empty regular
   files with no group/world permissions.
 - The client image can read its configuration and reports usable permissions,
@@ -90,12 +90,11 @@ python3 scripts/preflight-deployment.py ... \
 - qBittorrent authentication/version compatibility and Syncthing
   authentication/device identity are healthy from the client container.
 
-In particular, `syncthing.api_root` must refer to the Syncthing **shared-data
-mount**, not its configuration volume. For example, if Syncthing mounts its
-config at `/var/syncthing` and data at `/var/syncthing/Sync`, use
-`api_root = "/var/syncthing/Sync"` when `local_root` maps that data directory.
-This prevents a route folder being created in the config volume while the
-client writes nonce files into the data volume.
+In particular, if `syncthing.api_root` is the Syncthing configuration root,
+bind its `routes` subdirectory from a dedicated directory beneath qB's data
+root and add a `local_path_overrides` mapping for that exact API path. This
+prevents automatic route folders being created on a small configuration
+filesystem while the client expects to hardlink from the qB data mount.
 
 ## Failure handling
 
diff --git a/scripts/preflight-deployment.py b/scripts/preflight-deployment.py
index 6d66b7b..5e8c72e 100755
--- a/scripts/preflight-deployment.py
+++ b/scripts/preflight-deployment.py
@@ -82,6 +82,34 @@ def require_regular_secret(path: Path) -> None:
         raise CheckFailure(f"secret must be a non-empty mode-0600 regular file: {path}")
 
 
+def route_local_path(syncthing: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
+    """Resolve the fixed, future automatic ``routes/`` path in the client."""
+
+    api_root = PurePosixPath(syncthing["api_root"])
+    candidate = api_root / "routes"
+    overrides = syncthing.get("local_path_overrides", {})
+    if not isinstance(overrides, dict):
+        raise CheckFailure("syncthing.local_path_overrides must be a table")
+    matches: list[tuple[int, PurePosixPath, str]] = []
+    for raw_api, raw_local in overrides.items():
+        if not isinstance(raw_api, str) or not isinstance(raw_local, str):
+            raise CheckFailure("syncthing.local_path_overrides entries are invalid")
+        root = PurePosixPath(raw_api)
+        try:
+            relative = candidate.relative_to(root)
+        except ValueError:
+            continue
+        matches.append((len(root.parts), relative, raw_local))
+    if matches:
+        _, relative, local_root = max(matches, key=lambda item: item[0])
+        return str(Path(local_root).joinpath(*relative.parts))
+    try:
+        relative = candidate.relative_to(api_root)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        raise CheckFailure("future route path is outside syncthing.api_root") from exc
+    return str(Path(syncthing["local_root"]).joinpath(*relative.parts))
+
+
 def run_client_check(container: str, config: str, flag: str) -> None:
     result = subprocess.run(
         ["docker", "exec", container, "archive-client", "--config", config, flag],
@@ -136,15 +164,20 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         qbittorrent = docker_inspect(args.qbittorrent_container)
 
         client_qb = map_path(client, qb["local_root"])
-        client_sync = map_path(client, sync["local_root"])
-        syncthing_api = map_path(syncthing, sync["api_root"])
+        client_route = map_path(client, route_local_path(sync))
+        syncthing_route = map_path(
+            syncthing, str(PurePosixPath(sync["api_root"]) / "routes")
+        )
         qb_api = map_path(qbittorrent, qb["api_root"])
-        require_same_path("Syncthing api_root/local_root", syncthing_api, client_sync)
+        require_same_path(
+            "future Syncthing routes/local route mapping",
+            syncthing_route, client_route,
+        )
         require_same_path("qBittorrent api_root/local_root", qb_api, client_qb)
-        if client_qb.destination != client_sync.destination:
+        if client_qb.destination != client_route.destination:
             raise CheckFailure(
-                "qBittorrent and Syncthing roots use separate client bind mounts; "
-                "hard-link staging would be unavailable"
+                "qBittorrent and future route roots use separate client bind "
+                "mounts; hard-link staging would be unavailable"
             )
         for key in ("shared_token_file",):
             require_regular_secret(map_path(client, config[key]).source)
diff --git a/tests/test_deployment_preflight.py b/tests/test_deployment_preflight.py
index 8e5f817..7ac60fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_deployment_preflight.py
+++ b/tests/test_deployment_preflight.py
@@ -36,6 +36,19 @@ class DeploymentPreflightTests(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(preflight.CheckFailure, "not backed"):
             preflight.map_path({"Mounts": []}, "/missing")
 
+    def test_maps_future_route_through_syncthing_override(self):
+        config = {
+            "api_root": "/var/syncthing",
+            "local_root": "/data/sync",
+            "local_path_overrides": {
+                "/var/syncthing/routes": "/data/qb/.archive-control-routes",
+            },
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            preflight.route_local_path(config),
+            "/data/qb/.archive-control-routes",
+        )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()