diff --git a/k8s/bases/infrastructure/controllers/openbao/helm-release.yaml b/k8s/bases/infrastructure/controllers/openbao/helm-release.yaml
index b9658d150..e5af4c61c 100644
--- a/k8s/bases/infrastructure/controllers/openbao/helm-release.yaml
+++ b/k8s/bases/infrastructure/controllers/openbao/helm-release.yaml
@@ -63,7 +63,21 @@ spec:
         size: ${openbao_storage_size:=1Gi}
       auditStorage:
         enabled: true
-        size: 1Gi
+        # 10Gi (up from the chart default 1Gi). The file audit backend
+        # does not rotate, and OpenBao FAILS CLOSED on audit-write
+        # errors (every API request blocks once the volume is full).
+        # 10Gi gives multi-year headroom for this cluster's request
+        # volume (~700 KB/day from current ESO + vault-snapshot
+        # traffic). Once the observability stack lands, promtail will
+        # ship the stream off-PVC and the size will become irrelevant.
+        # Until then, monitor 'kubelet_volume_stats_available_bytes'
+        # on the openbao-audit-* PVC and rotate manually via
+        #   kubectl -n openbao exec openbao-0 -- sh -c \
+        #     'mv /openbao/audit/audit.log /openbao/audit/audit.log.$(date -u +%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ) && \
+        #      kill -HUP 1'
+        # (OpenBao reopens its audit FD on SIGHUP, so the move +
+        #  signal pattern is safe.)
+        size: ${openbao_audit_storage_size:=10Gi}
       standalone:
         enabled: true
         config: |
@@ -85,6 +99,34 @@ spec:
           storage "file" {
             path = "/openbao/data"
           }
+
+          # Declarative file audit device on the auditStorage PV. OpenBao
+          # blocks runtime audit enables: `bao audit enable file …`
+          # returns "cannot enable audit device via API; use declarative,
+          # config-based audit device management instead", so the device
+          # MUST be declared here in HCL. The mount path /openbao/audit
+          # is the chart's auditStorage default. Every API request is
+          # written to /openbao/audit/audit.log as one JSON record per
+          # line; tail it from the openbao pod today, ship via promtail
+          # once the observability stack lands.
+          #
+          # HCL shape (per https://openbao.org/docs/configuration/audit):
+          #   audit "<arbitrary identifier>" {
+          #     type    = "<device>"
+          #     path    = "<api mount path>"   # what /sys/audit/<path>/ becomes
+          #     options = { ... backend-specific options ... }
+          #   }
+          # Both `type` and `path` are required at parse time. `type`
+          # selects the backend; `path` is what `bao audit list` reports
+          # and what API requests address. We use "file/" so the device
+          # is reachable at /sys/audit/file/.
+          audit "file" {
+            type    = "file"
+            path    = "file/"
+            options = {
+              file_path = "/openbao/audit/audit.log"
+            }
+          }
       topologySpreadConstraints:
         - maxSkew: 1
           topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname
diff --git a/k8s/bases/infrastructure/vault-config/job.yaml b/k8s/bases/infrastructure/vault-config/job.yaml
index a69d3f532..cf541016b 100644
--- a/k8s/bases/infrastructure/vault-config/job.yaml
+++ b/k8s/bases/infrastructure/vault-config/job.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@
 #   3. Configures Kubernetes auth (in-cluster auto-discovery for CA + token reviewer)
 #   4. Creates least-privilege policies
 #   5. Creates auth roles mapping ServiceAccounts to policies
+#   6. Configures OIDC auth (Dex) for human admin access
+#   7. Configures the Database secrets engine for fleetdm MySQL rotation
+#
+# The file audit device is declared in the openbao HelmRelease config
+# (declarative-only — OpenBao rejects runtime audit enables via API),
+# so no runtime step is needed here for auditing.
 #
 # On fresh install the init containers auto-initialize the vault and create
 # the openbao-unseal Secret. On Velero restore the Secret and PVC are both
@@ -450,6 +456,26 @@ spec:
                 echo "It will be configured on the next vault-config reconciliation."
               fi
 
+              # NOTE: the file audit device used to be enabled here at
+              # runtime. OpenBao rejects that path -- `bao audit enable`
+              # returns "cannot enable audit device via API; use
+              # declarative, config-based audit device management
+              # instead". The audit device is now declared in the
+              # openbao HelmRelease's standalone.config HCL, alongside
+              # listener and storage:
+              #
+              #   audit "file" {
+              #     type    = "file"
+              #     path    = "file/"
+              #     options = {
+              #       file_path = "/openbao/audit/audit.log"
+              #     }
+              #   }
+              #
+              # See https://openbao.org/docs/configuration/audit for the
+              # full shape (both `type` and `path` are required). No
+              # runtime step is needed for OpenBao to start auditing.
+
               # --- 7. Database secrets engine: fleetdm MySQL static-role rotation ---
               # OpenBao owns and periodically rotates the 'fleet' MySQL user's
               # password; ESO reads the current value via the VaultDynamicSecret
@@ -483,10 +509,18 @@ spec:
                   # re-rotating on every idempotent Job re-run. App user only,
                   # never root.
                   if ! bao read database/static-roles/fleet >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+                    # Default rotation: 168h (7 days). Was 2160h (90 days)
+                    # which gave a leaked credential a 90-day half-life.
+                    # 7 days matches HashiCorp's documented sweet spot for
+                    # interactive workloads (long enough that cache misses
+                    # are rare, short enough that a leak is bounded).
+                    # Overridable via the fleetdm_mysql_rotation_period
+                    # cluster variable for fork operators with different
+                    # constraints.
                     bao write database/static-roles/fleet \
                       db_name=fleetdm-mysql \
                       username="fleet" \
-                      rotation_period="${fleetdm_mysql_rotation_period:=2160h}"
+                      rotation_period="${fleetdm_mysql_rotation_period:=168h}"
                     echo "fleetdm MySQL static role created."
                   else
                     echo "fleetdm MySQL static role already exists."