diff --git a/apps/machine/src/services/operator-config.ts b/apps/machine/src/services/operator-config.ts
index ba9ddcb..d853114 100644
--- a/apps/machine/src/services/operator-config.ts
+++ b/apps/machine/src/services/operator-config.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ export interface OperatorConfigServiceConfig {
 export interface OperatorConfigService {
   /** Unsubscribe from operator events and free resources. */
   stop(): void
+  /**
+   * Republish the current cassette state (kind-30078, replaceable). Call after
+   * a dispense and on a cassette reload so the operator's view tracks reality.
+   * Best-effort — logs and swallows errors.
+   */
+  publishCassettesState(): Promise<void>
+}
+
+const NOOP_SERVICE: OperatorConfigService = {
+  stop: () => {},
+  publishCassettesState: async () => {},
 }
 
 export async function startOperatorConfigService(
@@ -63,11 +74,11 @@ export async function startOperatorConfigService(
 ): Promise<OperatorConfigService> {
   if (cfg.operatorPubkeys.length === 0) {
     console.log('[OperatorConfig] No operator pubkeys configured — service disabled')
-    return { stop: () => {} }
+    return NOOP_SERVICE
   }
   if (!isElectron || !window.electronAPI) {
     console.log('[OperatorConfig] Not in Electron — service disabled (browser dev mode)')
-    return { stop: () => {} }
+    return NOOP_SERVICE
   }
   const api = window.electronAPI
   const machineId = cfg.machineId ?? cfg.signer.pubkey
@@ -103,6 +114,12 @@ export async function startOperatorConfigService(
 
   return {
     stop: () => cfg.nostrClient.unsubscribe(subscriptionId),
+    publishCassettesState: () =>
+      publishCassettesState(cfg, api, machineId)
+        .then(() => {})
+        .catch((err) => {
+          console.warn('[OperatorConfig] cassettes-state republish failed:', err)
+        }),
   }
 }
 
@@ -193,29 +210,35 @@ async function handleOperatorConfigEvent(
   console.log(
     `[OperatorConfig] Applied — created_at=${event.created_at}, positions=${Object.keys(parsed.positions).join(',')}`
   )
+
+  // Republish our resulting cassette state so the operator's view reflects the
+  // applied config (the "on cassette reload" case). Different d-tag from the
+  // operator's config event, so no echo loop. Best-effort.
+  const machineId = cfg.machineId ?? cfg.signer.pubkey
+  await publishCassettesState(cfg, api, machineId).catch((err) =>
+    console.warn('[OperatorConfig] post-apply cassettes-state republish failed:', err)
+  )
 }
 
-async function maybePublishBootstrap(
+/**
+ * Publish the ATM's current cassette state as a replaceable kind-30078 event
+ * (`bitspire-cassettes-state:<machineId>`), NIP-44-encrypted to the operator.
+ * Replaceable → latest wins; the operator consumes every update. Call after a
+ * dispense and on a cassette reload so the operator view tracks reality, not
+ * the frozen bootstrap snapshot (coord 2026-06-21 / lamassu-next#56).
+ *
+ * NOT gated on the bootstrap flag — this is the live update. Returns whether an
+ * event was published (false when there are no cassettes / no operator).
+ */
+async function publishCassettesState(
   cfg: OperatorConfigServiceConfig,
   api: NonNullable<typeof window.electronAPI>,
   machineId: string
-): Promise<void> {
-  const already = await api.getBootstrapPublishedAt()
-  if (already !== null) {
-    console.log('[OperatorConfig] Bootstrap already published at unix', already)
-    return
-  }
+): Promise<boolean> {
   const cassettes = await api.loadCassettes()
-  if (cassettes.length === 0) {
-    console.log('[OperatorConfig] state.db.cassettes empty — skipping bootstrap')
-    return
-  }
-
+  if (cassettes.length === 0) return false
   const operatorPubkey = cfg.operatorPubkeys[0]
-  if (!operatorPubkey) {
-    console.log('[OperatorConfig] No operator pubkey — skipping bootstrap')
-    return
-  }
+  if (!operatorPubkey) return false
 
   const positions: Record<string, { denomination: number; count: number }> = {}
   for (const c of cassettes) {
@@ -235,6 +258,30 @@ async function maybePublishBootstrap(
   })
 
   await cfg.nostrClient.publish(event)
-  await api.markBootstrapPublished(Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000))
-  console.log('[OperatorConfig] Bootstrap hello-event published:', { dTag, eventId: event.id })
+  console.log('[OperatorConfig] cassettes-state published:', { dTag, eventId: event.id })
+  return true
+}
+
+/**
+ * First-boot hello: publish the cassette state once and mark the gate. The
+ * gate (lamassu-next#56) prevents re-emitting the *bootstrap* on every boot;
+ * live updates after dispenses go through `publishCassettesState` directly.
+ */
+async function maybePublishBootstrap(
+  cfg: OperatorConfigServiceConfig,
+  api: NonNullable<typeof window.electronAPI>,
+  machineId: string
+): Promise<void> {
+  const already = await api.getBootstrapPublishedAt()
+  if (already !== null) {
+    console.log('[OperatorConfig] Bootstrap already published at unix', already)
+    return
+  }
+  const published = await publishCassettesState(cfg, api, machineId)
+  if (published) {
+    await api.markBootstrapPublished(Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000))
+    console.log('[OperatorConfig] Bootstrap hello-event published')
+  } else {
+    console.log('[OperatorConfig] No cassettes/operator — skipping bootstrap')
+  }
 }
diff --git a/apps/machine/src/stores/atm.ts b/apps/machine/src/stores/atm.ts
index ca22847..2bfaeea 100644
--- a/apps/machine/src/stores/atm.ts
+++ b/apps/machine/src/stores/atm.ts
@@ -521,7 +521,10 @@ export const useAtmStore = defineStore('atm', () => {
             bills,
             cassettes: dr?.cassettes,
             error: dr?.error ?? ctx.error,
-          }).then(() => reloadPersistedInventory())
+          })
+            .then(() => reloadPersistedInventory())
+            // Republish cassette state — a partial dispense changed counts.
+            .then(() => operatorConfigSvc?.publishCassettesState())
         }
       }
 
@@ -551,7 +554,11 @@ export const useAtmStore = defineStore('atm', () => {
             bills,
             cassettes: dr?.cassettes,
             error: dr?.error,
-          }).then(() => reloadPersistedInventory())
+          })
+            .then(() => reloadPersistedInventory())
+            // Republish cassette state after a cash-out dispense (counts
+            // decremented); harmless no-op echo for a cash-in complete.
+            .then(() => (isCashInTx ? undefined : operatorConfigSvc?.publishCassettesState()))
         }
       }