diff --git a/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/detail_lifecycle.go b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/detail_lifecycle.go
index ce2f49b9f..95bf5d1ba 100644
--- a/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/detail_lifecycle.go
+++ b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/detail_lifecycle.go
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ func (h *healthState) startDetailRequests(ctx context.Context, nodeInformer cach
 	h.detailRequests = manager
 	h.detailMu.Unlock()
 
+	if h.statusCache != nil {
+		h.statusCache.ObserveLegacyDetails(manager)
+	}
+
 	go func() {
 		<-manager.done
 
diff --git a/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_detail_observer.go b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_detail_observer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29fbee53f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_detail_observer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package main
+
+import "k8s.io/klog/v2"
+
+// ObserveLegacyDetails bridges accepted legacy publications into the detail API
+// while preserving existing full-cache and callback behavior during migration.
+// It does not replay existing entries or refresh TTL on reads/source changes.
+func (c *NodeStatusCache) ObserveLegacyDetails(manager *nodeDetailRequests) {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+
+	c.legacyObserver = manager
+}
+
+// The cache lock preserves publication order against concurrent full/delta
+// updates. The observer resolves informer identity but performs no network I/O.
+func (c *NodeStatusCache) observeLegacyLocked(nodeName string, entry *CachedNodeStatus) {
+	if c.legacyObserver == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	status := *entry.Status
+	if status.NodeInfo.Name == "" {
+		status.NodeInfo.Name = nodeName
+	}
+
+	if err := c.legacyObserver.ObserveLegacy(nodeName, &status, entry.Revision, entry.peerIdentity, nil); err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("Observing legacy node %q details failed: %v", nodeName, err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_detail_observer_test.go b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_detail_observer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3230b2e29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_detail_observer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"testing/synctest"
+	"time"
+
+	statusv1alpha1 "github.com/Azure/unbounded/internal/net/status/v1alpha1"
+)
+
+func TestLegacyObserverBridgeAuthenticatedPublishAndCachedDetails(t *testing.T) {
+	synctest.Test(t, func(t *testing.T) {
+		var pulls atomic.Int32
+
+		manager := testDetailRequests(t, nodeDetailRequestHooks{
+			Pull: func(context.Context, string) (*NodeStatusResponse, error) {
+				pulls.Add(1)
+
+				return nil, errors.New("node HTTP endpoint is unreachable")
+			},
+		})
+		health := &healthState{
+			statusCache: NewNodeStatusCache(), detailRequests: manager,
+			nodeTokenVerifier: fakeServiceAccountTokenVerifier{},
+		}
+		health.isLeader.Store(true)
+		health.statusCache.ObserveLegacyDetails(manager)
+
+		fullCallbacks := 0
+
+		health.statusCache.SetOnChange(func(_ string, status *NodeStatusResponse) {
+			fullCallbacks++
+
+			if len(status.Peers) == 0 {
+				t.Error("bridge replaced the existing full callback payload")
+			}
+		})
+
+		issuer := testTokenIssuer(t)
+		token := testNodeToken(t, issuer)
+		mux := http.NewServeMux()
+		registerPushHandlers(mux, health, nil, make(chan struct{}, maxConcurrentNodeWS), issuer)
+		registerStatusHandlers(mux, health, false, nil, nil, nil)
+
+		fullBody := `{"mode":"full","nodeName":"node-a","status":{"nodeInfo":{"name":"node-a"},"peers":[{"name":"peer-1"}]}}`
+
+		publish := func(body, bearer string) int {
+			request := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/status/push", strings.NewReader(body))
+			request.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+bearer)
+
+			response := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			mux.ServeHTTP(response, request)
+
+			return response.Code
+		}
+		if code := publish(fullBody, "invalid"); code != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+			t.Fatalf("unauthenticated publication returned %d", code)
+		}
+
+		assertNodeDetailEntries(t, manager.cache, 0)
+
+		if code := publish(fullBody, token); code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("full publication returned %d", code)
+		}
+
+		response, first := serveDetailRequest(t, mux, http.MethodPost, "/status/node/node-a/details", "{}")
+		if response.Code != http.StatusOK || first.State != statusv1alpha1.NodeDetailComplete ||
+			first.Details == nil || first.Details.Status.Peers[0].Name != "peer-1" || pulls.Load() != 0 {
+			t.Fatal("cached authenticated details required a direct HTTP pull")
+		}
+
+		time.Sleep(time.Second)
+
+		deltaBody := `{"mode":"delta","nodeName":"node-a","baseRevision":1,"delta":{"peers":[{"name":"peer-2"},{"name":"peer-3"}]}}`
+		if code := publish(deltaBody, token); code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("delta publication returned %d", code)
+		}
+
+		current := manager.Request("node-a", false)
+		if current.RequestID != first.RequestID || current.Details == nil || len(current.Details.Status.Peers) != 2 ||
+			!current.Details.ExpiresAt.Equal(first.Details.ExpiresAt.Add(time.Second)) || pulls.Load() != 0 {
+			t.Fatal("delta did not refresh the existing cache association")
+		}
+
+		legacy, ok := health.statusCache.Get("node-a")
+		if !ok || legacy.Overview != nil || len(legacy.Status.Peers) != 2 || fullCallbacks != 2 {
+			t.Fatal("bridge changed existing full-cache or callback behavior")
+		}
+
+		health.statusCache.UpdateSource("node-a", "ws")
+
+		if _, err := health.statusCache.StoreOverview("summary-node", statusv1alpha1.NodeStatusOverview{
+			NodeInfo: NodeInfo{Name: "summary-node"},
+		}, "push"); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		after, _ := manager.cache.Get("node-a")
+		if after.ExpiresAt != current.Details.ExpiresAt || fullCallbacks != 3 {
+			t.Fatal("source/summary change renewed the detail TTL or changed callbacks")
+		}
+
+		fresh := manager.Request("node-a", true)
+
+		if code := publish(fullBody, token); code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Fatalf("next full publication returned %d", code)
+		}
+
+		pending := manager.Result("node-a", fresh.RequestID)
+		if pending.State != statusv1alpha1.NodeDetailPending || pending.RequestID != fresh.RequestID || pending.Deadline != fresh.Deadline {
+			t.Fatal("legacy publication reset or completed a pending correlated refresh")
+		}
+
+		time.Sleep(manager.cache.ttl)
+		synctest.Wait()
+		assertNodeDetailEntries(t, manager.cache, 0)
+
+		legacy, ok = health.statusCache.Get("node-a")
+
+		if !ok || len(legacy.Status.Peers) != 1 || legacy.Overview != nil {
+			t.Fatal("bridge prematurely removed the legacy full base")
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func TestLegacyObserverBridgeFailurePreservesOldStore(t *testing.T) {
+	synctest.Test(t, func(t *testing.T) {
+		manager := testDetailRequests(t, nodeDetailRequestHooks{})
+		cache := NewNodeStatusCache()
+		cache.ObserveLegacyDetails(manager)
+
+		status := NodeStatusResponse{Peers: []WireGuardPeerStatus{{Name: "peer"}}}
+		cache.StoreFull("node", status, "ws")
+
+		details := manager.Request("node", false)
+
+		if details.Details == nil || details.Details.Status.NodeInfo.Name != "node" ||
+			status.NodeInfo.Name != "" || cache.entries["node"].Status.NodeInfo.Name != "" {
+			t.Fatal("bridge failed to normalize only its own shallow snapshot")
+		}
+
+		manager.Close()
+
+		if revision := cache.StoreFull("node", status, "ws"); revision != 2 {
+			t.Fatal("observer failure changed old cache revision behavior")
+		}
+
+		if len(cache.entries["node"].Status.Peers) != 1 {
+			t.Fatal("observer failure discarded the old full payload")
+		}
+
+		cache.ObserveLegacyDetails(nil)
+
+		if revision := cache.StoreFull("node", status, "ws"); revision != 3 {
+			t.Fatal("detaching the bridge changed legacy storage")
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_status.go b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_status.go
index 3dbb37b88..a1708718f 100644
--- a/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_status.go
+++ b/cmd/unbounded-net-controller/node_status.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type NodeStatusCache struct {
 	entries          map[string]*CachedNodeStatus
 	onChange         func(nodeName string, status *NodeStatusResponse)
 	onOverviewChange func(nodeName string, overview statusv1alpha1.NodeStatusOverview)
+	legacyObserver   *nodeDetailRequests
 }
 
 // NewNodeStatusCache creates an empty NodeStatusCache.
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ func (c *NodeStatusCache) StoreFull(nodeName string, status NodeStatusResponse,
 		Source:     source,
 		Revision:   revision,
 	}
+	c.observeLegacyLocked(nodeName, c.entries[nodeName])
+
 	fn := c.onChange
 	statusPtr := c.entries[nodeName].Status
 	c.mu.Unlock()
@@ -368,6 +371,8 @@ func (c *NodeStatusCache) commitParsedDelta(nodeName string, previous *CachedNod
 		Revision:     revision,
 		peerIdentity: peerIdentity,
 	}
+	c.observeLegacyLocked(nodeName, c.entries[nodeName])
+
 	fn := c.onChange
 	mergedPtr := c.entries[nodeName].Status
 	c.mu.Unlock()