diff --git a/scripts/policy/frameworks/management/controller/main.zeek b/scripts/policy/frameworks/management/controller/main.zeek
index 4a342fe02b..b2407d532f 100644
--- a/scripts/policy/frameworks/management/controller/main.zeek
+++ b/scripts/policy/frameworks/management/controller/main.zeek
@@ -186,24 +186,6 @@ global g_configs: table[ConfigState] of Management::Configuration
 
 function config_deploy_to_agents(config: Management::Configuration, req: Management::Request::Request)
 	{
-	# Make any final changes to the configuration we send off.
-
-	# If needed, fill in agent IP address info as learned from their peerings.
-	# XXX this will need revisiting when we support host names.
-	local instances: set[Management::Instance];
-
-	for ( inst in config$instances )
-		{
-		if ( inst$name in g_instances_known
-		    && inst$host == 0.0.0.0
-		    && g_instances_known[inst$name]$host != 0.0.0.0 )
-			inst$host = g_instances_known[inst$name]$host;
-
-		add instances[inst];
-		}
-
-	config$instances = instances;
-
 	for ( name in g_instances )
 		{
 		if ( name !in g_instances_ready )
@@ -1037,6 +1019,27 @@ event Management::Controller::API::stage_configuration_request(reqid: string, co
 	g_configs[STAGED] = config;
 	config_copy = copy(config);
 
+	# The staged config is preserved as the client sent it to us. For the
+	# ready-to-deploy version we fill in additional details here.
+	#
+	# One such bit of information is that we know the IP addresses of
+	# instances that connected to the controller from their Broker peering.
+	#
+	# XXX this will need revisiting when we support host names.
+	local instances: set[Management::Instance];
+
+	for ( inst in config_copy$instances )
+		{
+		if ( inst$name in g_instances_known
+		    && inst$host == 0.0.0.0
+		    && g_instances_known[inst$name]$host != 0.0.0.0 )
+			inst$host = g_instances_known[inst$name]$host;
+
+		add instances[inst];
+		}
+
+	config_copy$instances = instances;
+
 	if ( Management::Controller::auto_assign_broker_ports )
 		config_assign_broker_ports(config_copy);
 	if ( Management::Controller::auto_assign_metrics_ports )