diff --git a/ansible.cfg b/ansible.cfg
index 0a39d93e..2aa551ff 100644
--- a/ansible.cfg
+++ b/ansible.cfg
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@
 host_key_checking = False
 retry_files_enabled = False
 no_target_syslog = False
+[libssh_connection]
+publickey_algorithms = ssh-rsa
diff --git a/roles/restore/tasks/ios.yml b/roles/restore/tasks/ios.yml
index c18b2d0a..4e490135 100644
--- a/roles/restore/tasks/ios.yml
+++ b/roles/restore/tasks/ios.yml
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
   ansible.builtin.debug:
     msg: "restoring from /backup/{{ rollback_date }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt"
 
+## overwrite doesn't work as of June 2025
 - name: Include task list in play
-  ansible.builtin.include_tasks: "ios/{{ restore_mode | default('overwrite') }}.yml"
+  ansible.builtin.include_tasks: "ios/{{ restore_mode | default('merge') }}.yml"
 
 - name: Print to terminal window
   ansible.builtin.debug:
-    msg: "Restore is complete for device {{ inventory_hostname }} is set to {{ rollback_date }} timestamp, restored with restore_mode {{ restore_mode | default('overwrite') }} "
+    msg: "Restore is complete for device {{ inventory_hostname }} is set to {{ rollback_date }} timestamp, restored with restore_mode {{ restore_mode | default('merge') }} "
diff --git a/roles/restore/tasks/ios/overwrite.yml b/roles/restore/tasks/ios/overwrite.yml
index 262d6746..a1f580aa 100644
--- a/roles/restore/tasks/ios/overwrite.yml
+++ b/roles/restore/tasks/ios/overwrite.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,29 @@
 ---
-- name: Copy file over to flash on network device
-  ansible.builtin.command: "scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no /tmp/{{ rollback_date }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt {{ ansible_user }}@{{ inventory_hostname }}:flash:{{ rollback_date }}-{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt"
-  delegate_to: localhost
+### -O forces scp versus sftp which Cisco IOS does support
+- name: Copy file over to flash on network device using SCP
+  ansible.builtin.shell: >
+    scp -O -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no
+    /backup/{{ rollback_date }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt
+    {{ inventory_hostname }}:'flash:{{ rollback_date }}-{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt'
+  run_once: true
+  delegate_to: backup-server
 
-- name: Overwrite startup config - archive
-  cisco.ios.ios_config:
-    lines:
-      - 'archive'
+# - name: Copy file over to flash on network device
+#   ansible.builtin.shell: >
+#     scp -O -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no
+#     /tmp/{{ rollback_date }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt
+#     {{ ansible_user }}@{{ inventory_hostname }}:'flash:{{ rollback_date }}-{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt'
+#   delegate_to: localhost
+#   run_once: true
+
+# - name: Copy file over to flash on network device
+#   ansible.netcommon.net_put:
+#     src: "/tmp/{{ rollback_date }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt"
+#     dest: "flash:{{ rollback_date }}-{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt"
 
 - name: Overwrite startup config - overwrite
+  environment:
+    ANSIBLE_LIBSSH_PUBLICKEY_ALGORITHMS: ssh-rsa
   cisco.ios.ios_command:
     commands:
       - command: 'configure replace flash://{{ rollback_date }}-{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt force'