diff --git a/pipekit/engine/runner.py b/pipekit/engine/runner.py
index e957772..b21562c 100644
--- a/pipekit/engine/runner.py
+++ b/pipekit/engine/runner.py
@@ -91,16 +91,19 @@ def run_module(module_id: int, *, group_run_id: int | None = None,
             status = "success"
             return RunOutcome(run_id, status, None, None, resolved_sql, merge_sql)
 
-        # 4. ensure staging table exists on dest. Mirror the real dest schema
-        # so jrunner's auto-DELETE and the subsequent merge INSERT both find
-        # a table to work on. Idempotent — no-op after first run.
+        # 4. (re)create staging from dest. DROP+CREATE (not IF NOT EXISTS) so
+        # any drift — dest columns added since staging was last made — is
+        # self-healing. Staging is ephemeral per SPEC; nothing of value lives
+        # between runs.
         staging_schema, _, _ = module["staging_table"].partition(".")
         if staging_schema and staging_schema != module["staging_table"]:
             jrunner.run_dest_sql(
                 dest_conn, f"CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS {staging_schema};")
+        jrunner.run_dest_sql(
+            dest_conn, f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {module['staging_table']};")
         jrunner.run_dest_sql(
             dest_conn,
-            f"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {module['staging_table']} "
+            f"CREATE TABLE {module['staging_table']} "
             f"(LIKE {module['dest_table']} INCLUDING ALL);",
         )
 
diff --git a/pipekit/jrunner.py b/pipekit/jrunner.py
index 2fc9d3e..4bcdb89 100644
--- a/pipekit/jrunner.py
+++ b/pipekit/jrunner.py
@@ -216,6 +216,14 @@ _STACK_FRAME_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*at [\w.$<>]+\([^)\n]*\.java:\d+\)", re.M)
 _EXCEPTION_HEADER_RE = re.compile(
     r"^(?:[\w.$]+\.)*[\w$]+(?:Exception|Error)(?::[^\n]*)?$", re.M)
 
+# jrunner runs query-mode SQL with `executeQuery`, which requires the
+# statement to produce a ResultSet. DDL/DML (CREATE, TRUNCATE, INSERT)
+# still executes, but PG then throws "No results were returned by the
+# query." The statement succeeded — ignore the trace.
+_BENIGN_EXCEPTION_SUBSTRINGS = (
+    "No results were returned by the query",
+)
+
 
 def _detect_silent_failure(stdout: str, stderr: str) -> str | None:
     """Return a short error summary if jrunner exited 0 but logged a failure."""
@@ -223,9 +231,10 @@ def _detect_silent_failure(stdout: str, stderr: str) -> str | None:
     if not _STACK_FRAME_RE.search(combined):
         return None
     m = _EXCEPTION_HEADER_RE.search(combined)
-    if m:
-        return m.group(0).strip()
-    return "jrunner logged a Java stack trace but exited 0"
+    header = m.group(0).strip() if m else "jrunner logged a Java stack trace but exited 0"
+    if any(s in header for s in _BENIGN_EXCEPTION_SUBSTRINGS):
+        return None
+    return header
 
 
 class JrunnerError(RuntimeError):
diff --git a/pipekit/web/app.py b/pipekit/web/app.py
index e789284..e6a4905 100644
--- a/pipekit/web/app.py
+++ b/pipekit/web/app.py
@@ -162,17 +162,36 @@ async def module_update(request: Request, module_id: int):
     if merge_strategy not in ("full", "incremental", "append"):
         raise HTTPException(400, f"invalid merge_strategy: {merge_strategy!r}")
 
+    new_staging = form["staging_table"].strip()
+    new_description = (form.get("dest_description") or "").strip() or None
+
+    # DDL snap: drop the staging table under its old name (runner recreates
+    # fresh from dest on next run). Re-apply dest COMMENT if it changed.
+    dest_conn = repo.get_connection(module["dest_connection_id"])
+    if dest_conn is not None:
+        try:
+            jrunner.run_dest_sql(
+                dest_conn, f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {module['staging_table']};")
+            if new_description != module["dest_description"]:
+                jrunner.run_dest_sql(
+                    dest_conn,
+                    f"COMMENT ON TABLE {module['dest_table']} IS "
+                    f"{_sql_str(new_description or '')};",
+                )
+        except jrunner.JrunnerError as e:
+            raise HTTPException(500, f"dest DDL snap failed: {e}")
+
     repo.update_module(
         module_id,
         name=new_name,
         source_connection_id=int(form["source_connection_id"]),
         dest_connection_id=int(form["dest_connection_id"]),
         dest_table=form["dest_table"].strip(),
-        staging_table=form["staging_table"].strip(),
+        staging_table=new_staging,
         source_query=form["source_query"],
         merge_strategy=merge_strategy,
         merge_key=(form.get("merge_key") or "").strip() or None,
-        dest_description=(form.get("dest_description") or "").strip() or None,
+        dest_description=new_description,
         enabled=1 if form.get("enabled") == "1" else 0,
     )
     return RedirectResponse(url=f"/modules/{module_id}", status_code=303)
@@ -414,6 +433,9 @@ async def wizard_create(request: Request):
         create_table_sql = dest_drv.build_create_table_sql(qualified_dest, chosen)
     except NotImplementedError as e:
         raise HTTPException(400, str(e))
+    effective_staging = staging_table or f"pipekit_staging.{module_name}"
+    staging_schema, _, _ = effective_staging.partition(".")
+
     try:
         jrunner.run_dest_sql(
             dest_conn,
@@ -424,6 +446,19 @@ async def wizard_create(request: Request):
                                           dest_description, chosen)
         if comment_sql:
             jrunner.run_dest_sql(dest_conn, comment_sql)
+        # Pre-align staging to dest so first run doesn't surprise us.
+        if staging_schema and staging_schema != effective_staging:
+            jrunner.run_dest_sql(
+                dest_conn,
+                f"CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS {dest_drv.quote_identifier(staging_schema)};",
+            )
+        jrunner.run_dest_sql(
+            dest_conn, f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {effective_staging};")
+        jrunner.run_dest_sql(
+            dest_conn,
+            f"CREATE TABLE {effective_staging} "
+            f"(LIKE {qualified_dest} INCLUDING ALL);",
+        )
     except jrunner.JrunnerError as e:
         raise HTTPException(500, f"dest provisioning failed: {e}")
 
diff --git a/pipekit/web/templates/module_form.html b/pipekit/web/templates/module_form.html
index c67dec9..89c517a 100644
--- a/pipekit/web/templates/module_form.html
+++ b/pipekit/web/templates/module_form.html
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
                 <label class="field">
                     <span>staging table</span>
                     <input type="text" name="staging_table" required value="{{ module.staging_table }}">
-                    <span class="help">dropped + recreated each run</span>
+                    <span class="help">dropped on save; recreated from dest on next run</span>
                 </label>
             </div>
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
             <label class="field">
                 <span>dest description</span>
                 <textarea name="dest_description" rows="2">{{ module.dest_description or '' }}</textarea>
-                <span class="help">COMMENT ON TABLE value; editing here does NOT re-apply it to the dest table</span>
+                <span class="help">COMMENT ON TABLE value; re-applied on save if changed</span>
             </label>
 
             <label class="field" style="flex-direction:row;align-items:center;gap:0.5rem">