diff --git a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/lib.rs b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/lib.rs
index 649fd2a3..558eaa69 100644
--- a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use lqos_config::{
     TopologyEffectiveNodeState, TopologyEffectiveStateFile, TopologyQueueVisibilityPolicy,
     TopologyRuntimeStatusFile, TopologyShapingCircuitInput, TopologyShapingDeviceInput,
     TopologyShapingInputsFile, TopologyShapingResolutionSource, circuit_anchors_path,
-    compute_effective_network_generation, detect_shaping_cpus, plan_top_level_assignments,
+    compute_effective_network_file_generation, detect_shaping_cpus, plan_top_level_assignments,
     topology_auto_attachment_option, topology_effective_network_path,
     topology_effective_state_path, topology_runtime_status_path, topology_shaping_inputs_path,
 };
diff --git a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/publish.rs b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/publish.rs
index 8e3e9125..e5f90ba4 100644
--- a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/publish.rs
+++ b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/publish.rs
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@ pub fn publish_effective_topology_artifacts(
     let effective_state_value = serde_json::to_value(&artifacts.effective)?;
 
     let effective_network_path = topology_effective_network_path(config);
-    let effective_generation = artifacts
-        .effective_network
-        .as_ref()
-        .map(compute_effective_network_generation)
-        .transpose()?;
 
     let shaping_inputs_path = topology_shaping_inputs_path(config);
     let shaping_inputs = build_shaping_inputs(config, artifacts)?;
@@ -88,6 +83,21 @@ pub fn publish_effective_topology_artifacts(
         })?;
     }
 
+    let effective_generation = if artifacts.effective_network.is_some() {
+        Some(
+            compute_effective_network_file_generation(&effective_network_path).with_context(
+                || {
+                    format!(
+                        "Unable to compute effective topology generation from {:?}",
+                        effective_network_path
+                    )
+                },
+            )?,
+        )
+    } else {
+        None
+    };
+
     match prepared_shaping_inputs {
         Some((shaping_inputs, shaping_inputs_value)) => {
             let current_shaping_inputs = TopologyShapingInputsFile::load(config).ok();
diff --git a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/group_01.rs b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/group_01.rs
index 5c95a7b9..9abc9bb7 100644
--- a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/group_01.rs
+++ b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/group_01.rs
@@ -589,6 +589,70 @@
         assert!(topology_runtime_status_path(&config).exists());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn publish_runtime_status_hashes_existing_equal_effective_network_file() {
+        let lqos_directory = unique_temp_dir("lqos-topology-runtime-status-existing-network");
+        let config = Config {
+            lqos_directory: lqos_directory.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+            state_directory: None,
+            ..Config::default()
+        };
+        fs::write(
+            lqos_directory.join("ShapedDevices.csv"),
+            concat!(
+                "Circuit ID,Circuit Name,Device ID,Device Name,Parent Node,Parent Node ID,Anchor Node ID,MAC,IPv4,IPv6,Download Min Mbps,Upload Min Mbps,Download Max Mbps,Upload Max Mbps,Comment\n",
+                "\"circuit-1\",\"Circuit 1\",\"device-1\",\"Device 1\",\"Tower 1\",\"tower-1\",\"tower-1\",\"aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff\",\"192.0.2.10/32\",\"\",\"10\",\"10\",\"100\",\"100\",\"\"\n",
+            ),
+        )
+        .expect("ShapedDevices.csv should write");
+
+        let mut artifacts = sample_runtime_artifacts();
+        artifacts.effective_network = Some(json!({
+            "Tower 1": {
+                "id": "tower-1",
+                "name": "Tower 1",
+                "downloadBandwidthMbps": -0.0,
+                "uploadBandwidthMbps": 100.0,
+                "children": {}
+            }
+        }));
+        let effective_network_path = topology_effective_network_path(&config);
+        let existing_effective_network = r#"{
+  "Tower 1": {
+    "id": "tower-1",
+    "name": "Tower 1",
+    "downloadBandwidthMbps": 0.0,
+    "uploadBandwidthMbps": 100.0,
+    "children": {}
+  }
+}"#;
+        fs::create_dir_all(
+            effective_network_path
+                .parent()
+                .expect("effective network path should have a parent"),
+        )
+        .expect("effective network state directory should exist");
+        fs::write(
+            &effective_network_path,
+            existing_effective_network,
+        )
+        .expect("existing effective network should write");
+
+        publish_effective_topology_artifacts(&config, &artifacts, "generation-1")
+            .expect("ready status should publish");
+        let ready = TopologyRuntimeStatusFile::load(&config).expect("ready status should load");
+        assert!(ready.ready);
+        assert_eq!(
+            fs::read_to_string(&effective_network_path)
+                .expect("effective network should remain readable"),
+            existing_effective_network,
+        );
+        let effective_network_generation =
+            compute_effective_network_file_generation(&effective_network_path)
+                .expect("effective network generation should compute from published file");
+        assert_eq!(ready.effective_generation, effective_network_generation);
+    }
+
 
     #[test]
     fn publish_marks_runtime_not_ready_when_shaping_inputs_are_absent() {
diff --git a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/helpers.rs b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/helpers.rs
index 625573ab..7ffe6b75 100644
--- a/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/helpers.rs
+++ b/src/rust/lqos_topology/src/tests/helpers.rs
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
         TopologyCanonicalRateInputSource, TopologyCanonicalStateFile, TopologyEditorNode,
         TopologyEditorStateFile, TopologyEffectiveAttachmentState, TopologyEffectiveNodeState,
         TopologyEffectiveStateFile, TopologyQueueVisibilityPolicy, TopologyRuntimeStatusFile,
-        TopologyShapingResolutionSource, topology_auto_attachment_option as auto_attachment_option,
-        topology_effective_network_path, topology_effective_state_path, topology_runtime_status_path,
-        topology_shaping_inputs_path,
+        TopologyShapingResolutionSource, compute_effective_network_file_generation,
+        topology_auto_attachment_option as auto_attachment_option, topology_effective_network_path,
+        topology_effective_state_path, topology_runtime_status_path, topology_shaping_inputs_path,
     };
     use lqos_overrides::{TopologyAttachmentMode, TopologyOverridesFile};
     use serde_json::{Value, json};