diff --git a/classes/updatehub-image.bbclass b/classes/updatehub-image.bbclass
index 60f3421..3336247 100644
--- a/classes/updatehub-image.bbclass
+++ b/classes/updatehub-image.bbclass
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@
 #  The active and inactive image schema requires a backend to identify and choose the image to be
 #  used for next boot. It supports: 'u-boot', 'grub' or 'grub-efi'.
 #
+#  UPDATEHUB_VALIDATION_TIMEOUT
+#
+#  How long a freshly installed image has to validate itself before updatehub-rollback-guard
+#  reboots it so the bootloader can roll back. Defaults to '5min', accepts any systemd time span.
+#  Enabled automatically with the 'u-boot' active/inactive backend when 'systemd' is in
+#  DISTRO_FEATURES; there is no sysvinit equivalent. Keep it comfortably above the time the agent
+#  needs to reach the validation callback on the slowest supported hardware.
+#
 #  UPDATEHUB_INSTALL_MODE
 #
 #  There are multiple installation modes supported. This is usually machine dependent as it depends
diff --git a/classes/updatehub-runtime.bbclass b/classes/updatehub-runtime.bbclass
index f079dbf..4ea4746 100644
--- a/classes/updatehub-runtime.bbclass
+++ b/classes/updatehub-runtime.bbclass
@@ -167,6 +167,12 @@ python () {
         raise bb.parse.SkipRecipe("'%s' in UPDATEHUB_ACTIVE_INACTIVE_BACKEND is not a valid active/inactive backend. Valid active/inactive backends are: %s" % (active_inactive_backend, ' '.join(valid_active_inactive_backends)))
     elif active_inactive_backend:
         d.appendVar('UPDATEHUB_RUNTIME_PACKAGES', ' updatehub-active-inactive-backend-%s' % active_inactive_backend)
+
+        # Guards against updates that never validate (see UPDATEHUB_VALIDATION_TIMEOUT).
+        # Requires the u-boot backend (reads its boot counter) and systemd (it's a timer).
+        if active_inactive_backend == 'u-boot' and \
+           bb.utils.contains('DISTRO_FEATURES', 'systemd', True, False, d):
+            d.appendVar('UPDATEHUB_RUNTIME_PACKAGES', ' updatehub-rollback-guard')
 }
 
 def sanitise_version(ver):
diff --git a/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard.bb b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard.bb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d345a60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard.bb
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# Copyright 2026 (C) O.S. Systems Software LTDA.
+
+SUMMARY = "Roll back an update which fails to validate itself"
+DESCRIPTION = "Reboots the system when a freshly installed image does not \
+validate itself within UPDATEHUB_VALIDATION_TIMEOUT, so U-Boot can count the \
+boot attempt and roll back to the previously working image."
+LICENSE = "MIT"
+LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://${COMMON_LICENSE_DIR}/MIT;md5=0835ade698e0bcf8506ecda2f7b4f302"
+
+SRC_URI = " \
+    file://${BPN} \
+    file://${BPN}.service \
+    file://${BPN}.timer \
+"
+
+S = "${WORKDIR}"
+
+UPDATEHUB_VALIDATION_TIMEOUT ?= "5min"
+
+# The timeout is baked into the installed files, so two machines configuring it
+# differently must not share a package.
+PACKAGE_ARCH = "${MACHINE_ARCH}"
+
+# Nothing is built; do not stage a cross toolchain for three text files.
+INHIBIT_DEFAULT_DEPS = "1"
+
+# The grace period is a systemd timer. Fail loudly rather than install units
+# which no init system will ever run.
+REQUIRED_DISTRO_FEATURES = "systemd"
+
+inherit features_check systemd
+
+do_configure[noexec] = "1"
+do_compile[noexec] = "1"
+
+# The timer is what gets enabled; it pulls in the service when it elapses.
+SYSTEMD_SERVICE:${PN} = "${BPN}.timer"
+
+do_install() {
+    install -Dm 0755 ${WORKDIR}/${BPN} ${D}${bindir}/${BPN}
+    install -Dm 0644 ${WORKDIR}/${BPN}.service ${D}${systemd_system_unitdir}/${BPN}.service
+    install -Dm 0644 ${WORKDIR}/${BPN}.timer ${D}${systemd_system_unitdir}/${BPN}.timer
+
+    sed -i -e 's,@VALIDATION_TIMEOUT@,${UPDATEHUB_VALIDATION_TIMEOUT},g' \
+           -e 's,@BINDIR@,${bindir},g' \
+        ${D}${bindir}/${BPN} \
+        ${D}${systemd_system_unitdir}/${BPN}.service \
+        ${D}${systemd_system_unitdir}/${BPN}.timer
+}
+
+# systemd.bbclass doesn't follow the timer's Unit= to package the .service.
+FILES:${PN} += "${systemd_system_unitdir}/${BPN}.service"
+
+# fw_printenv, to read the boot counter state from the U-Boot environment.
+RDEPENDS:${PN} += "u-boot-fw-utils"
diff --git a/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a5ea44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# -*- shell-script -*-
+#
+# Copyright 2026 (C) O.S. Systems Software LTDA.
+#
+# Force a reboot when a freshly installed image fails to validate itself.
+#
+# U-Boot only counts boot attempts (bootcount) while upgrade_available=1; a
+# healthy boot clears that flag via updatehub-active-validated. A boot that
+# fails services but leaves systemd running is not a hang -- systemd keeps
+# petting the watchdog -- so bootcount never advances and a broken image can
+# sit in the active slot forever. This script reboots once the timeout below
+# elapses so U-Boot counts the attempt and can roll back to the other slot.
+#
+# No 'set -e': runs in an already-broken boot, so a failing diagnostic must
+# never stop the script short of the reboot.
+
+TIMEOUT="@VALIDATION_TIMEOUT@"
+
+# BOOTCOUNT_ENV=0 means the counter isn't in the U-Boot environment: nothing to police.
+BOOTCOUNT_ENV=1
+if [ -f /etc/default/updatehub-active ]; then
+    . /etc/default/updatehub-active
+fi
+[ "$BOOTCOUNT_ENV" = "1" ] || exit 0
+
+# Log to kmsg too: a boot broken enough to need this often has no working journal.
+log() {
+    logger -t updatehub "updatehub-rollback-guard: $*" 2>/dev/null
+    echo "updatehub-rollback-guard: $*" > /dev/kmsg 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+# Single call: a second fw_printenv re-reads storage, which may be what's broken.
+{ read -r upgrade_available; read -r bootcount; } <<EOF
+$(fw_printenv -n upgrade_available bootcount 2>/dev/null)
+EOF
+
+# Not a probationary boot.
+if [ "$upgrade_available" != "1" ]; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+log "image did not validate itself within $TIMEOUT (bootcount=${bootcount:-?}); rebooting so U-Boot counts the attempt and can roll back"
+
+# Not touching bootcount/updatehub_active: that's U-Boot's and the boot script's job.
+# sysrq is the real fallback, for when PID 1 can't be reached.
+systemctl --no-block reboot || echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard.service b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d247522
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard.service
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Roll back an update that failed to validate itself
+# No deps: must run even when the data partition/agent/targets pulling them in have failed.
+DefaultDependencies=no
+IgnoreOnIsolate=yes
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=@BINDIR@/updatehub-rollback-guard
diff --git a/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard.timer b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard.timer
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8af180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-core/updatehub/updatehub-rollback-guard/updatehub-rollback-guard.timer
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Grace period before rolling back an unvalidated update
+# Default deps order this after sysinit.target, which a broken-enough boot never reaches.
+DefaultDependencies=no
+IgnoreOnIsolate=yes
+Conflicts=shutdown.target
+Before=shutdown.target
+
+[Timer]
+# From boot, not from timer start, so a slow/partial boot can't extend the grace period.
+OnBootSec=@VALIDATION_TIMEOUT@
+Unit=updatehub-rollback-guard.service
+
+[Install]
+# emergency/rescue.target isolate and don't pull in timers.target, so list them explicitly.
+WantedBy=timers.target emergency.target rescue.target