diff --git a/scripts/smoke-vm.sh b/scripts/smoke-vm.sh
index a05527f..5166b89 100755
--- a/scripts/smoke-vm.sh
+++ b/scripts/smoke-vm.sh
@@ -69,22 +69,21 @@ echo "==> node=$NODE sha=$SHORT_SHA iso=$(basename "$ISO_PATH")"
 ISO_NAME="furtka-${SHORT_SHA}.iso"
 VOLID="${ISO_STORAGE}:iso/${ISO_NAME}"
 
-# --- Step 1: upload ISO ----------------------------------------------------
-# PVE's upload endpoint errors if the file exists. Delete first so re-runs
-# on the same SHA (e.g. workflow re-dispatch) work.
+# --- Step 1: upload ISO (or reuse if same SHA already on PVE) ---------------
+# For a given commit SHA the ISO bytes are reproducible, so if furtka-<sha>.iso
+# is already in PVE storage from a prior smoke run we reuse it and skip the
+# upload. Avoids DELETE-permission friction and shaves ~2 min off re-runs.
 if api "$API/nodes/$NODE/storage/$ISO_STORAGE/content/$VOLID" \
       --output /dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
-  echo "==> removing stale ISO $VOLID"
-  api --request DELETE "$API/nodes/$NODE/storage/$ISO_STORAGE/content/$VOLID" \
-      --output /dev/null
+  echo "==> reusing existing ISO $VOLID"
+else
+  echo "==> uploading ISO as $ISO_NAME"
+  api --request POST "$API/nodes/$NODE/storage/$ISO_STORAGE/upload" \
+      --form "content=iso" \
+      --form "filename=@${ISO_PATH};filename=${ISO_NAME}" \
+      > /dev/null
 fi
 
-echo "==> uploading ISO as $ISO_NAME"
-api --request POST "$API/nodes/$NODE/storage/$ISO_STORAGE/upload" \
-    --form "content=iso" \
-    --form "filename=@${ISO_PATH};filename=${ISO_NAME}" \
-    > /dev/null
-
 # --- Step 2: pick a free VMID in the reserved range ------------------------
 # List VMs on the node, filter by range, pick the lowest integer not in use.
 USED="$(api "$API/nodes/$NODE/qemu" | python3 -c '