diff --git a/salt/elasticfleet/config.sls b/salt/elasticfleet/config.sls
index 9c79dfab6..6a8919605 100644
--- a/salt/elasticfleet/config.sls
+++ b/salt/elasticfleet/config.sls
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ eaoptionalintegrationsdir:
 
 {% for minion in node_data %}
 {% set role = node_data[minion]["role"] %}
-{% if role in [ "eval","fleet","heavynode","import","manager", "managerhype", "managersearch","standalone" ] %}
+{% if role in [ "eval","fleet","import","manager", "managerhype", "managersearch","standalone" ] %}
 {% set optional_integrations = ELASTICFLEETMERGED.optional_integrations %}
 {% set integration_keys = optional_integrations.keys() %}
 fleet_server_integrations_{{ minion }}:
diff --git a/salt/elasticfleet/manager.sls b/salt/elasticfleet/manager.sls
index c9fe91d4d..4ae64314b 100644
--- a/salt/elasticfleet/manager.sls
+++ b/salt/elasticfleet/manager.sls
@@ -67,8 +67,6 @@ so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade:
         interval: 30
     - require:
       - http: wait_for_so-kibana
-    - onchanges:
-      - file: /opt/so/state/elastic_fleet_packages.txt
 
 so-elastic-fleet-integrations:
   cmd.run:
diff --git a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-load b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-load
index 33c880dba..7c2aeb006 100644
--- a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-load
+++ b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-load
@@ -9,13 +9,11 @@
 RETURN_CODE=0
 
 if [ ! -f /opt/so/state/eaintegrations.txt ]; then
-  # First, check for any package upgrades
-  /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade
 
-  # Second, update Fleet Server policies
+  # update Fleet Server policies
   /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-elastic-fleet-server
 
-  # Third, configure Elastic Defend Integration seperately
+  # configure Elastic Defend Integration separately
   /usr/sbin/so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-elastic-defend
 
   # Each group fetches its agent policy once and dispatches create/update writes concurrently.
@@ -32,9 +30,12 @@ if [ ! -f /opt/so/state/eaintegrations.txt ]; then
   elastic_fleet_load_integrations_dir "so-grid-nodes_heavy" \
     /opt/so/conf/elastic-fleet/integrations/grid-nodes_heavy "Grid Nodes Policy_Heavy" || RETURN_CODE=1
 
-  # Fleet Server - Optional integrations (one agent policy per FleetServer_* directory)
+  # Fleet Server - Optional integrations (adds integration configuration to a given FleetServer_ policy)
   for FLEET_DIR in /opt/so/conf/elastic-fleet/integrations-optional/FleetServer*/; do
     [ -d "$FLEET_DIR" ] || continue
+    INTEGRATIONS=("${FLEET_DIR%/}"/*.json)
+    [ -e "${INTEGRATIONS[0]}" ] || continue
+
     FLEET_POLICY=$(basename "$FLEET_DIR")
     elastic_fleet_load_integrations_dir "$FLEET_POLICY" \
       "${FLEET_DIR%/}" "Fleet Server Policy" "elasticsearch-logs" || RETURN_CODE=1
diff --git a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade
index 8ba250c00..f3d77b852 100644
--- a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade
+++ b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade
@@ -12,17 +12,22 @@ PKG_LOAD_FAILURES=0
 PKG_LOAD_FAILURES_NAMES=()
 
 {%- for PACKAGE in SUPPORTED_PACKAGES %}
-echo "Upgrading {{ PACKAGE }} package..."
-if VERSION=$(elastic_fleet_package_latest_version_check "{{ PACKAGE }}"); then
-    if ! elastic_fleet_package_install "{{ PACKAGE }}" "$VERSION"; then
-        PKG_LOAD_FAILURES=$((PKG_LOAD_FAILURES + 1))
-        PKG_LOAD_FAILURES_NAMES+=("{{ PACKAGE }}")
+if INSTALLED_VERSION=$(elastic_fleet_package_version_check "{{ PACKAGE }}") && LATEST_VERSION=$(elastic_fleet_package_latest_version_check "{{ PACKAGE }}"); then
+
+    if [ "$INSTALLED_VERSION" == "$LATEST_VERSION" ]; then
+        echo "{{ PACKAGE }} integration version $INSTALLED_VERSION is already at the reported latest version $LATEST_VERSION, skipping upgrade."
+    else
+        echo "Upgrading {{ PACKAGE }} package to version $LATEST_VERSION..."
+        if ! elastic_fleet_package_install "{{ PACKAGE }}" "$LATEST_VERSION"; then
+            PKG_LOAD_FAILURES=$((PKG_LOAD_FAILURES + 1))
+            PKG_LOAD_FAILURES_NAMES+=("{{ PACKAGE }}")
+        fi
     fi
 else
+    echo "ERROR: Failed to get version information for integration {{ PACKAGE }}"
     PKG_LOAD_FAILURES=$((PKG_LOAD_FAILURES + 1))
     PKG_LOAD_FAILURES_NAMES+=("{{ PACKAGE }}")
 fi
-echo
 {%- endfor %}
 
 if [ $PKG_LOAD_FAILURES -gt 0 ]; then
@@ -35,6 +40,3 @@ if [ $PKG_LOAD_FAILURES -gt 0 ]; then
 else
     echo "Successfully upgraded all packages."
 fi
-
-echo
-/usr/sbin/so-elasticsearch-templates-load
diff --git a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-setup b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-setup
index 5e0dc0c69..b62310375 100755
--- a/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-setup
+++ b/salt/elasticfleet/tools/sbin_jinja/so-elastic-fleet-setup
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@ if ! elastic_fleet_policy_create "so-grid-nodes_heavy" "SO Grid Nodes - Heavy No
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Check for package upgrades
+so-elastic-fleet-package-upgrade
+
 # Load Integrations for default policies
 so-elastic-fleet-integration-policy-load