diff --git a/src/webui/internal/handlers/system.go b/src/webui/internal/handlers/system.go
index 4fadd8fc..3a63d8ff 100644
--- a/src/webui/internal/handlers/system.go
+++ b/src/webui/internal/handlers/system.go
@@ -273,6 +273,49 @@ func (h *SystemHandler) SupportBundle(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 // target="running" (default): PUT to running so changes take effect immediately;
 // sets the cfg-unsaved cookie so the persistent notification prompts a save.
 // target="startup": PUT to startup only; reboot required to apply.
+// migrateConfig runs an uploaded .cfg backup through the on-target migrate(1)
+// tool so a config saved by an older release is brought up to the running
+// syntax before it is applied. The config is written to a temp file and
+// migrated in place — migrate only reads stdin from a TTY, so the file path is
+// the reliable interface. A config already at the current version comes back
+// unchanged. An error carrying migrate's stderr is returned for a config newer
+// than the system supports (downgrade) or any other migrate failure.
+func migrateConfig(ctx context.Context, raw []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp("", "restore-*.cfg")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	tmp := f.Name()
+	defer os.Remove(tmp)
+
+	if _, err := f.Write(raw); err != nil {
+		f.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "/usr/sbin/migrate", "-i", "-e", tmp)
+	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		msg := strings.TrimSpace(stderr.String())
+		msg = strings.ReplaceAll(msg, tmp+": ", "")
+		msg = strings.TrimPrefix(msg, "Error: ")
+		if msg == "" {
+			msg = err.Error()
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s", msg)
+	}
+
+	if notes := strings.TrimSpace(stderr.String()); notes != "" {
+		log.Printf("restore: migrated uploaded config:\n%s", notes)
+	}
+
+	return os.ReadFile(tmp)
+}
+
 func (h *SystemHandler) RestoreConfig(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err := r.ParseMultipartForm(10 << 20); err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, "bad request", http.StatusBadRequest)
@@ -304,12 +347,22 @@ func (h *SystemHandler) RestoreConfig(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Bring an older backup up to the running syntax before applying it.
+	migrated, err := migrateConfig(r.Context(), raw)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("restore: migrate: %v", err)
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/html")
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, `<span class="sc-fd-err">Restore failed: %s</span>`,
+			template.HTMLEscapeString(err.Error()))
+		return
+	}
+
 	target := "running"
 	if r.FormValue("save-to-startup") == "on" {
 		target = "startup"
 	}
 
-	if err := h.RC.PutDatastore(r.Context(), target, check); err != nil {
+	if err := h.RC.PutDatastore(r.Context(), target, json.RawMessage(migrated)); err != nil {
 		log.Printf("restore(%s): %v", target, err)
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/html")
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, `<span class="sc-fd-err">Restore failed: %s</span>`,
diff --git a/src/webui/static/css/style.css b/src/webui/static/css/style.css
index 0ef816c2..db935cc5 100644
--- a/src/webui/static/css/style.css
+++ b/src/webui/static/css/style.css
@@ -2813,6 +2813,19 @@ details.cfg-fold[open] > summary::before { transform: rotate(90deg); }
   margin-top: 0.75rem;
   cursor: pointer;
 }
+
+/* Restore card: let the form fill the body so its file selector and checkbox
+   sit under the leading paragraph, with only the submit button anchored at the
+   bottom (aligned with the other action cards). */
+#restore-form {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  flex: 1;
+}
+.sc-form-actions {
+  margin-top: auto;
+  padding-top: 0.75rem;
+}
 .sc-restore-warn-text {
   color: var(--warning-fg);
   font-size: 0.875rem;
diff --git a/src/webui/templates/pages/backup.html b/src/webui/templates/pages/backup.html
index b1da3ad2..71083559 100644
--- a/src/webui/templates/pages/backup.html
+++ b/src/webui/templates/pages/backup.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <div class="card-header">Backup</div>
     <div class="card-body sc-action-body">
       <p class="sc-desc">Download the current startup configuration as a JSON file.
-	The file format is <pre>startup-config-$hostname-$date-$time.cfg</pre>
+	The file format is <code>startup-config-$hostname-$date-$time.cfg</code>
       </p>
       <div>
         <a href="/config" hx-boost="false" class="btn btn-primary">Download config</a>
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
     <div class="card-body sc-action-body">
       <p class="sc-desc">Restore a previously backed-up configuration.  By default
         the restore operation is made to running config, this is the safe default.</p>
+      <p class="sc-desc">If the file was saved by an older release, it is migrated to
+        the current configuration syntax before being applied.</p>
       <form id="restore-form"
             hx-post="/maintenance/backup/restore"
             hx-target="#restore-result"
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@
           <span class="sc-restore-warn-text">Save to startup — may break system boot!</span>
         </label>
         <div id="restore-result"></div>
-        <div style="margin-top:0.75rem">
+        <div class="sc-form-actions">
           <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Restore</button>
         </div>
       </form>