diff --git a/pawletos.xml b/pawletos.xml
index 79a4a86..82702e7 100644
--- a/pawletos.xml
+++ b/pawletos.xml
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@
   <!--<project path="vendor/pawlet/framework-extension" name="PawletOS/FrameworkExtension" remote="oxmc_git" revision="main" />-->
   <!--<project path="frameworks/base/pawlet" name="PawletOS/FrameworkAPI" remote="oxmc_git" revision="main" />-->
 
-  <!-- TWRP Recovery -->
+  <!-- TWRP Recovery — disabled until TWRP supports Android 16 (latest upstream is android-14.1).
+       TARGET_NO_RECOVERY := true is set in BoardConfig.mk for both rpi4 and rpi5.
+       Re-enable when TWRP android-16 support is available or an alternative recovery is chosen.
   <remove-project name="platform/bootable/recovery" />
   <project path="bootable/recovery" name="PawletOS/android_bootable_recovery" remote="oxmc_git" revision="twrp-11" />
   <project path="vendor/pawlet/twrp_recovery" name="PawletOS/twrp_recovery" remote="oxmc_git" revision="android-16" />
   <project path="vendor/twrp" name="PawletOS/android_vendor_twrp" remote="oxmc_git" revision="android-14.1" />
+  -->
 
   <!-- Vendor (HALs, system apps, etc.) -->
   <project path="vendor/pawlet" name="PawletOS/android_vendor_pawlet" remote="oxmc_git" revision="main" />
@@ -30,9 +33,14 @@
   <!-- Patches (applied post-sync by PawletOS-Build/environ.py) -->
   <project path="vendor/pawlet/patches" name="PawletOS/patches" remote="oxmc_git" revision="main" />
 
-  <!-- update_engine: use LineageOS fork for improved OTA compatibility -->
+  <!-- update_engine: LineageOS fork commented out until OTA implementation is finalised.
+       LineageOS fork (lineage-22.2) targets Android 15 — build compatibility with Android 16
+       is unverified and the LineageOS-specific patches (OTA server format, signing) are not
+       yet needed for PawletOS. Re-enable once PawletUpdater OTA flow is implemented and
+       the fork is validated against Android 16, or a lineage-23+ branch is available.
   <remove-project name="platform/system/update_engine" />
   <project path="system/update_engine" name="LineageOS/android_system_update_engine" remote="github" revision="lineage-22.2" />
+  -->
 
   <!-- First party apps -->
   <project path="packages/apps/ConfigProvisioner" name="PawletOS/app_ConfigProvisioner" remote="oxmc_git" revision="main" />