diff --git a/docs/roadmap.md b/docs/roadmap.md
index e8d353e..61b5349 100644
--- a/docs/roadmap.md
+++ b/docs/roadmap.md
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ critical / high:
 | rubenhensen/bolletjestrui:main-10268f1 | 5 | 76 | rebuild on a current base image |
 | coredns/coredns:1.10.1 | 5 | 70 | see below |
 | dexidp/dex:v2.45.1, argocd v3.5.6, redis 8.2.3 | 4, 1, 2 | | come with Argo CD |
-| mariadb:11.4.5 | 4 | 65 | the newest 11.4 patch; Renovate now covers it |
+| mariadb:11.4.5 | 4 | 65 | 11.4.13 since PR #60; Renovate stays on 11.4 (it offered 11.8, PR #42) |
 | calico v3.29.3 | 2-3 | ~50 | comes with microk8s |
 | goauthentik ldap / server 2026.8.5 | 3, 1 | 74, 65 | the next authentik patch |
 
diff --git a/mbgwp/mariadb-cluster.yaml b/mbgwp/mariadb-cluster.yaml
index ea54e7f..226d6e7 100644
--- a/mbgwp/mariadb-cluster.yaml
+++ b/mbgwp/mariadb-cluster.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ spec:
     name: mbgwp-mariadb-credentials
     key: root-password
 
-  image: mariadb:11.4.5
+  image: mariadb:11.4.13
   imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 
   port: 3306
diff --git a/renovate.json b/renovate.json
index 9a8a8d5..8d60364 100644
--- a/renovate.json
+++ b/renovate.json
@@ -90,6 +90,13 @@
       ],
       "enabled": false
     },
+    {
+      "description": "MariaDB goes from one LTS to the next by hand, after a dump: there is no way back. 11.4 has community support until May 2029, longer than 11.8 (June 2028); the next step is 12.3 (June 2029). Within 11.4 the patches come through",
+      "matchDepNames": [
+        "mariadb"
+      ],
+      "allowedVersions": "<11.5"
+    },
     {
       "description": "Patch updates of apps that hold little state and are easy to roll back, and of CI's tools, merge themselves once CI passes: three days after the release, in the evening or at the weekend, when the cluster can be reached. Not the databases, operators, Vault, authentik, Longhorn, Velero, immich, Gitea or WordPress. Renovate merges itself; the repo has no branch protection for GitHub's auto-merge to wait on",
       "matchFileNames": [