diff --git a/api/service_composer.py b/api/service_composer.py
index dff548b..818eec5 100644
--- a/api/service_composer.py
+++ b/api/service_composer.py
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ _SAFE_ID_RE = re.compile(r'^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9_-]{0,63}$')
 _DIGEST_RE = re.compile(r'@sha256:[0-9a-f]{64}$')
 
 # Bundled cosign public key — shipped in the repo (config/cosign/cosign.pub) so
-# every cell can verify store-service image signatures offline. install.sh keeps
-# it at /opt/pic/config/cosign/cosign.pub; in the cell-api container it is
-# COPYed to /app/config/cosign/cosign.pub.
+# every cell can verify store-service image signatures offline. It is bind-mounted
+# into cell-api at /app/config/cosign/cosign.pub (see docker-compose.yml). Because
+# `make reinstall`/`uninstall` run `rm -rf config/`, setup_cell.ensure_cosign_pubkey()
+# restores it from git on every setup so the mount is never empty.
 _COSIGN_PUBKEY_PATH = os.environ.get(
     'PIC_COSIGN_PUBKEY', '/app/config/cosign/cosign.pub'
 )
diff --git a/scripts/setup_cell.py b/scripts/setup_cell.py
index af07a04..73c4f83 100644
--- a/scripts/setup_cell.py
+++ b/scripts/setup_cell.py
@@ -62,6 +62,38 @@ def ensure_file(rel):
         print(f'[EXISTS]  {rel}')
 
 
+def ensure_cosign_pubkey():
+    """Restore the tracked cosign public key if a config wipe removed it.
+
+    `config/cosign/cosign.pub` is a git-tracked asset bind-mounted into cell-api
+    and used to verify store-service image signatures. `make reinstall`/
+    `uninstall` run `rm -rf config/`, which deletes it from the working tree, and
+    nothing else recreates it — leaving every store install broken under the
+    default enforce mode. Restore it from HEAD here (setup runs on every
+    install/reinstall). Best-effort: if this is not a git checkout, warn rather
+    than fail — install.sh surfaces the same warning.
+    """
+    rel = os.path.join('config', 'cosign', 'cosign.pub')
+    path = os.path.join(ROOT, rel)
+    if os.path.exists(path) and os.path.getsize(path) > 0:
+        print(f'[EXISTS]  {rel}')
+        return
+    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path), exist_ok=True)
+    try:
+        blob = subprocess.run(
+            ['git', '-C', ROOT, 'show', 'HEAD:config/cosign/cosign.pub'],
+            capture_output=True, check=True).stdout
+        if blob:
+            with open(path, 'wb') as f:
+                f.write(blob)
+            print(f'[RESTORED] {rel} (from git HEAD)')
+            return
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f'[WARN] could not restore {rel} from git: {e}')
+    print(f'[WARN] {rel} is missing — store-service image signature '
+          'verification will fail under enforce mode until it is provided')
+
+
 def ensure_caddy_ca_cert():
     cert_dir = os.path.join(ROOT, 'config', 'caddy', 'certs')
     ca_key = os.path.join(cert_dir, 'ca.key')
@@ -402,6 +434,7 @@ def main():
     for f in REQUIRED_FILES:
         ensure_file(f)
 
+    ensure_cosign_pubkey()
     ensure_caddy_ca_cert()
     priv, _pub = generate_wg_keys()
     write_wg0_conf(priv, vpn_address, wg_port)
diff --git a/tests/test_setup_cell.py b/tests/test_setup_cell.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a5b23c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_setup_cell.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+"""Tests for scripts/setup_cell.py setup helpers."""
+import os
+import sys
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).parent.parent / 'scripts'))
+import setup_cell  # noqa: E402
+
+
+class TestEnsureCosignPubkey(unittest.TestCase):
+    """ensure_cosign_pubkey restores the tracked key after a `rm -rf config/`.
+
+    Regression: `make reinstall`/`uninstall` wipe config/, deleting the tracked
+    config/cosign/cosign.pub; without restore, enforce-mode store installs break.
+    """
+
+    KEY_REL = os.path.join('config', 'cosign', 'cosign.pub')
+    KEY_BODY = '-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----\nTESTKEYDATA\n-----END PUBLIC KEY-----\n'
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tmp = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        env = {**os.environ, 'GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL': '/dev/null', 'GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM': '/dev/null'}
+        subprocess.run(['git', 'init', '-q', self.tmp], check=True, env=env)
+        subprocess.run(['git', '-C', self.tmp, 'config', 'user.email', 't@t'], check=True)
+        subprocess.run(['git', '-C', self.tmp, 'config', 'user.name', 't'], check=True)
+        self.key = os.path.join(self.tmp, self.KEY_REL)
+        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.key))
+        with open(self.key, 'w') as f:
+            f.write(self.KEY_BODY)
+        subprocess.run(['git', '-C', self.tmp, 'add', '-A'], check=True)
+        subprocess.run(['git', '-C', self.tmp, 'commit', '-qm', 'init'], check=True, env=env)
+        self._root = setup_cell.ROOT
+        setup_cell.ROOT = self.tmp
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        setup_cell.ROOT = self._root
+        shutil.rmtree(self.tmp, ignore_errors=True)
+
+    def test_restores_key_when_wiped(self):
+        os.remove(self.key)
+        shutil.rmtree(os.path.dirname(self.key))  # mimic `rm -rf config/`
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.key))
+        setup_cell.ensure_cosign_pubkey()
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(self.key))
+        self.assertEqual(open(self.key).read(), self.KEY_BODY)
+
+    def test_noop_when_key_present(self):
+        setup_cell.ensure_cosign_pubkey()
+        self.assertEqual(open(self.key).read(), self.KEY_BODY)
+
+    def test_warns_not_raises_outside_git(self):
+        # Not a git checkout and key missing → must warn, never raise.
+        non_git = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        setup_cell.ROOT = non_git
+        try:
+            setup_cell.ensure_cosign_pubkey()  # should not raise
+            self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(os.path.join(non_git, self.KEY_REL)))
+        finally:
+            shutil.rmtree(non_git, ignore_errors=True)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()