diff --git a/src/config/management.ts b/src/config/management.ts
index df6aea47..96910efa 100644
--- a/src/config/management.ts
+++ b/src/config/management.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   CONF_VIEW_TRIGGERS_FILTER_SELECTED_CAMERA,
   CONF_VIEW_TRIGGERS_UNTRIGGER_DELAY_SECONDS,
 } from './const';
+import { getCompositeConditionsKey } from './schema/condition-trigger/conditions/composite';
 import type {
   RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig,
   RawAdvancedCameraCardConfigArray,
@@ -350,7 +351,9 @@ export const upgradeArrayOfObjects = function (
 };
 
 /**
- * Recursively upgrade an object.
+ * Recursively upgrade an object. The entries recorded under
+ * {@link CONF_UPGRADE_FAILURE} are the user's own configuration, kept for them
+ * to migrate by hand, so this never descends into them.
  * @param transform A transform applied to each object recursively.
  * @param getObject A function to get the object to be upgraded.
  * @returns An upgrade function.
@@ -374,6 +377,9 @@ export const upgradeObjectRecursively = (
         });
       } else {
         Object.keys(data).forEach((key) => {
+          if (key === CONF_UPGRADE_FAILURE) {
+            return;
+          }
           result = recurse(data[key] as RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig) || result;
         });
       }
@@ -508,23 +514,36 @@ const conditionToConditionsTransform = (data: unknown): boolean => {
   return false;
 };
 
-const isCompositeCondition = (condition: unknown): boolean => {
-  if (!isRecord(condition)) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  const kind = condition['condition'];
-  return typeof kind === 'string' && ['or', 'and', 'not'].includes(kind);
-};
+const isCompositeCondition = (condition: unknown): boolean =>
+  getCompositeConditionsKey(condition) !== null;
 
 // Triggers are a flat OR list with no composites, so a composite condition is
 // reduced to its leaf conditions for the trigger list (the composite itself is
 // retained on the `conditions:` side).
 const flattenConditionLeaves = (condition: unknown): unknown[] => {
-  if (!isCompositeCondition(condition) || !isRecord(condition)) {
+  const key = getCompositeConditionsKey(condition);
+  if (!key || !isRecord(condition)) {
     return [condition];
   }
-  const inner = condition['conditions'];
-  return Array.isArray(inner) ? inner.flatMap(flattenConditionLeaves) : [];
+  return arrayify(condition[key]).flatMap(flattenConditionLeaves);
+};
+
+// Whether promoting this condition to a trigger would lose something, so the
+// automation keeps the condition. `user` and `user_agent` have no trigger at
+// all; a `state` condition holding both `state` and `state_not` loses one,
+// since a state trigger carries `to` or `not_to`, never both.
+const mustRetainCondition = (condition: unknown): boolean => {
+  if (!isRecord(condition)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const kind = condition['condition'];
+  if (kind === 'user' || kind === 'user_agent') {
+    return true;
+  }
+  if (kind === 'state' || kind === undefined) {
+    return condition['state'] !== undefined && condition['state_not'] !== undefined;
+  }
+  return false;
 };
 
 // A condition that fired on a *change* rather than describing an ongoing state
@@ -556,20 +575,27 @@ const isTriggerOnlyCondition = (condition: unknown): boolean => {
 };
 
 // Drop trigger-only conditions from a retained `conditions:` list, recursing
-// into composites and discarding any that become empty.
+// into composites and discarding any the recursion empties.
 const dropTriggerOnlyConditions = (conditions: unknown[]): unknown[] => {
   const kept: unknown[] = [];
   for (const condition of conditions) {
-    if (
-      isCompositeCondition(condition) &&
-      isRecord(condition) &&
-      Array.isArray(condition['conditions'])
-    ) {
-      const inner = dropTriggerOnlyConditions(condition['conditions']);
-      if (inner.length) {
-        kept.push({ ...condition, conditions: inner });
+    const key = getCompositeConditionsKey(condition);
+    if (key && isRecord(condition)) {
+      const children = arrayify(condition[key]);
+      const inner = dropTriggerOnlyConditions(children);
+      // An empty `or` never matches and an empty `and` always does, so a
+      // composite the user wrote empty is kept; only one the recursion emptied
+      // is dropped.
+      if (inner.length || !children.length) {
+        // `arrayify` has already normalised `children`, so rebuilding a
+        // composite the recursion left alone would rewrite Home Assistant's
+        // single-condition spelling (`or: <condition>`) into a list the user
+        // never wrote.
+        kept.push(isEqual(inner, children) ? condition : { ...condition, [key]: inner });
       }
-    } else if (!isTriggerOnlyCondition(condition)) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!isTriggerOnlyCondition(condition)) {
       kept.push(condition);
     }
   }
@@ -598,15 +624,28 @@ const rewriteConditionAsTrigger = (condition: unknown): unknown => {
   // picture-element state form -- the only condition that may omit `condition`.
   if (kind === 'state' || kind === undefined) {
     const entityId = condition['entity_id'] ?? condition['entity'];
+    const matchFields = mustRetainCondition(condition)
+      ? {}
+      : {
+          ...(condition['state'] !== undefined && { to: condition['state'] }),
+          ...(condition['state_not'] !== undefined && {
+            not_to: condition['state_not'],
+          }),
+        };
     return {
       trigger: 'state',
       ...withoutKeys('condition', 'entity', 'entity_id', 'state', 'state_not'),
       ...(entityId !== undefined && { entity_id: entityId }),
-      ...(condition['state'] !== undefined && { to: condition['state'] }),
-      ...(condition['state_not'] !== undefined && { not_to: condition['state_not'] }),
+      ...matchFields,
     };
   }
 
+  // `user` and `user_agent` are fixed for the session, so no trigger matches
+  // them.
+  if (kind === 'user' || kind === 'user_agent') {
+    return null;
+  }
+
   // A `call` condition describes a phase; as a trigger it is the arrival at
   // that phase.
   if (kind === 'call') {
@@ -624,38 +663,67 @@ const rewriteConditionAsTrigger = (condition: unknown): unknown => {
   return { trigger: kind, ...withoutKeys('condition') };
 };
 
+// Home Assistant accepts the singular `trigger`/`condition`/`action` keys as
+// aliases for the plural ones (the schema renames them), and a single item in
+// place of a list. Migration reads whichever spelling the automation was written
+// in so that it can write back under the same key.
+const getAutomationList = (
+  automation: RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig,
+  plural: string,
+  singular: string,
+): { key: string; items: unknown[] } => {
+  // Mirroring the schema's rename, the singular key is honoured only when the
+  // plural is absent; an automation with neither is written under the plural.
+  const key = singular in automation && !(plural in automation) ? singular : plural;
+  return { key, items: arrayify(automation[key]) };
+};
+
+const hasAutomationTriggers = (automation: RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig): boolean =>
+  'triggers' in automation || 'trigger' in automation;
+
 /**
  * Promote an automation's `conditions:` into HA-native `triggers:`.
  *
- * A single simple condition becomes one trigger and the `conditions:` block is
- * dropped. Multiple conditions (or a composite) become one trigger per leaf,
- * while the original `conditions:` are retained as an ongoing predicate
- * (dual-list) -- minus any trigger-only forms, which would no longer be valid
- * conditions. Idempotent: an automation that already has `triggers:` is left
+ * A single condition that its trigger fully expresses becomes that trigger, and
+ * the `conditions:` block is dropped. Everything else -- multiple conditions, a
+ * composite, or a condition the trigger cannot express -- becomes one trigger
+ * per leaf, and the original `conditions:` are retained as an ongoing predicate
+ * (dual-list) minus any trigger-only forms, which would no longer be valid
+ * conditions. Idempotent: an automation that already has triggers is left
  * untouched.
  */
 const promoteConditionsToTriggersTransform = (data: unknown): boolean => {
-  if (!isRecord(data) || 'triggers' in data) {
+  if (!isRecord(data) || hasAutomationTriggers(data)) {
     return false;
   }
-  const conditions = data['conditions'];
-  if (!Array.isArray(conditions) || !conditions.length) {
+  const { key, items: conditions } = getAutomationList(data, 'conditions', 'condition');
+  if (!conditions.length) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (conditions.length === 1 && !isCompositeCondition(conditions[0])) {
+  if (
+    conditions.length === 1 &&
+    !isCompositeCondition(conditions[0]) &&
+    !mustRetainCondition(conditions[0])
+  ) {
     data['triggers'] = [rewriteConditionAsTrigger(conditions[0])];
-    delete data['conditions'];
+    delete data[key];
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  const triggers = conditions
+    .flatMap(flattenConditionLeaves)
+    .map(rewriteConditionAsTrigger)
+    .filter((trigger) => trigger !== null);
+
+  // Conditions that produce no trigger never change after startup, so
+  // evaluating them once at startup is faithful.
+  data['triggers'] = triggers.length ? triggers : [{ trigger: 'initialized' }];
+  const ongoing = dropTriggerOnlyConditions(conditions);
+  if (ongoing.length) {
+    data[key] = ongoing;
   } else {
-    data['triggers'] = conditions
-      .flatMap(flattenConditionLeaves)
-      .map(rewriteConditionAsTrigger);
-    const ongoing = dropTriggerOnlyConditions(conditions);
-    if (ongoing.length) {
-      data['conditions'] = ongoing;
-    } else {
-      delete data['conditions'];
-    }
+    delete data[key];
   }
   return true;
 };
@@ -803,9 +871,13 @@ const hasRisingEdgeOnlyCondition = (conditions: unknown[]): boolean =>
 const convertActionsNotAutomation = (
   automation: RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig,
 ): 'converted' | 'failed' => {
-  const conditions = automation['conditions'];
+  const { key: conditionsKey, items: conditions } = getAutomationList(
+    automation,
+    'conditions',
+    'condition',
+  );
 
-  if (!Array.isArray(conditions) || !conditions.length) {
+  if (!conditions.length) {
     // No conditions -- `actions_not` could never have run; it is simply dropped.
     delete automation['actions_not'];
     return 'converted';
@@ -816,25 +888,29 @@ const convertActionsNotAutomation = (
   }
 
   const actionsNot = automation['actions_not'];
-  const actions = Array.isArray(automation['actions']) ? automation['actions'] : [];
+  const { key: actionsKey, items: actions } = getAutomationList(
+    automation,
+    'actions',
+    'action',
+  );
 
   automation['triggers'] = synthesizeAnyChangeTriggers(conditions);
   delete automation['actions_not'];
 
-  // `conditions` move *into* the `if` below; they must not also remain as a
+  // The conditions move *into* the `if` below; they must not also remain as a
   // top-level ongoing condition, which would block the automation (and so the
   // `else` branch) whenever they fail -- exactly the case `else` exists to handle.
-  delete automation['conditions'];
+  delete automation[conditionsKey];
 
   // The `if` tests only the ongoing predicates; dropping the trigger-only
   // conditions can leave nothing, in which case `else` could never run.
   const ongoing = dropTriggerOnlyConditions(conditions);
   if (!ongoing.length) {
-    automation['actions'] = actions;
+    automation[actionsKey] = actions;
     return 'converted';
   }
 
-  automation['actions'] = [
+  automation[actionsKey] = [
     {
       if: ongoing,
       then: actions,
@@ -1511,6 +1587,10 @@ const ACTION_PROPERTIES = [
   'then',
 ];
 
+// The action properties that are required wherever they appear, so removing
+// their last action must leave an empty list.
+const REQUIRED_ACTION_PROPERTIES = ['actions', 'then'];
+
 const isRemovedMicrophoneAction = (data: unknown): boolean =>
   isRecord(data) &&
   (data['action'] === 'fire-dom-event' ||
@@ -1526,10 +1606,9 @@ const isRemovedMicrophoneAction = (data: unknown): boolean =>
  * merely resembles an action -- the `data` of a `perform-action`, for
  * instance -- is left as the user wrote it.
  *
- * A property holding a single such action is deleted, since every one of those
- * is optional. A list keeps its property even when it empties: some are
- * required (`automations[].actions`, an `if` action's `then`) and an empty one
- * is valid everywhere.
+ * A property that empties is left as an empty list where it is required
+ * (`automations[].actions`, an `if` action's `then`), and deleted elsewhere. An
+ * empty list is valid wherever one is accepted.
  */
 const removeMicrophoneActionsTransform = (data: unknown): boolean => {
   // Arrays are records too, so their entries are walked by the loop below.
@@ -1542,7 +1621,11 @@ const removeMicrophoneActionsTransform = (data: unknown): boolean => {
     if (ACTION_PROPERTIES.includes(key)) {
       const value = data[key];
       if (isRemovedMicrophoneAction(value)) {
-        delete data[key];
+        if (REQUIRED_ACTION_PROPERTIES.includes(key)) {
+          data[key] = [];
+        } else {
+          delete data[key];
+        }
         modified = true;
         continue;
       }
@@ -1555,7 +1638,11 @@ const removeMicrophoneActionsTransform = (data: unknown): boolean => {
       }
     }
 
-    modified = removeMicrophoneActionsTransform(data[key]) || modified;
+    // The entries recorded under `__UPGRADE_FAILURE__` are kept as the user
+    // wrote them.
+    if (key !== CONF_UPGRADE_FAILURE) {
+      modified = removeMicrophoneActionsTransform(data[key]) || modified;
+    }
   }
   return modified;
 };
diff --git a/src/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.ts b/src/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.ts
index d96bb4b8..c56a5f1c 100644
--- a/src/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
-// Accept a single item where a list is expected and normalise it to a list,
-// mirroring Home Assistant's `cv.ensure_list`. The schema output is always the
-// list, so the rest of the code only ever sees the canonical form.
+import { arrayify } from '../../../utils/basic';
+
+// Normalise a single item to an array like Home Assistant's `cv.ensure_list` (a
+// key written with no value is a list of nothing). The schema output is always
+// the list, so the rest of the code only ever sees the canonical form. An
+// absent value is passed through so that an optional field stays absent rather
+// than becoming an empty list.
+//
+// For a list of strings use `stringOrArray` instead, which keeps the falsy
+// values `arrayify` drops.
 export const preprocessToArray = <T extends z.ZodTypeAny>(arraySchema: T) =>
-  z.preprocess(
-    (value) => (value === undefined || Array.isArray(value) ? value : [value]),
-    arraySchema,
-  );
+  z.preprocess((value) => (value === undefined ? value : arrayify(value)), arraySchema);
diff --git a/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/composite.ts b/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/composite.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f2d8768
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/composite.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { isRecord } from '../../../../utils/basic';
+
+const COMPOSITE_CONDITION_OPERATORS = ['and', 'or', 'not'] as const;
+
+/**
+ * Recognize a composite condition in any of the three formats that Home
+ * Assistant accepts:
+ *   - `{condition: <op>, conditions: [...]}` -- the canonical form.
+ *   - `{and|or|not: [...]}` -- the boolean operator is the key.
+ *   - `{condition: [...]}` -- a list under the discriminator is an implicit AND.
+ *
+ * @param value The value to inspect.
+ * @returns The key the inner conditions are held under, which differs between
+ * the spellings, or `null` if the value is not a composite condition.
+ */
+export const getCompositeConditionsKey = (value: unknown): string | null => {
+  if (!isRecord(value)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(value.condition)) {
+    return 'condition';
+  }
+  if ('condition' in value) {
+    return COMPOSITE_CONDITION_OPERATORS.some((op) => op === value.condition)
+      ? 'conditions'
+      : null;
+  }
+  const present = COMPOSITE_CONDITION_OPERATORS.filter((op) => op in value);
+  return present.length === 1 ? present[0] : null;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Expand Home Assistant's composite shorthand to the canonical `{condition:
+ * <op>, conditions: [...]}` form.
+ *
+ * @param value The value to expand.
+ * @returns The canonical form, or the value untouched if it is not shorthand.
+ */
+export const expandCompositeShorthand = (value: unknown): unknown => {
+  const key = getCompositeConditionsKey(value);
+  if (!key || !isRecord(value) || key === 'conditions') {
+    return value;
+  }
+  const { [key]: conditions, ...rest } = value;
+  // A list under the discriminator is an implicit `and`; every other shorthand
+  // names its own operator.
+  return { ...rest, condition: key === 'condition' ? 'and' : key, conditions };
+};
diff --git a/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/types.ts b/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/types.ts
index 5234be2e..4e479de3 100644
--- a/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/types.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema/condition-trigger/conditions/types.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
-import { isRecord } from '../../../../utils/basic';
 import { preprocessToArray } from '../../common/preprocess-to-array';
 import { conditionBaseSchema } from './base';
+import { expandCompositeShorthand } from './composite';
 import { callConditionSchema } from './custom/call';
 import { cameraConditionSchema } from './custom/camera';
 import { displayModeConditionSchema } from './custom/display-mode';
@@ -56,32 +56,6 @@ const notConditionSchema: z.ZodSchema<NotCondition> = conditionBaseSchema.extend
   conditions: preprocessToArray(z.lazy(() => conditionSchema).array()),
 });
 
-// Expand Home Assistant's composite shorthand to the canonical `{condition:
-// <op>, conditions: [...]}` form:
-//   - `{and|or|not: [...]}` -- the boolean operator is the key.
-//   - `condition: [...]` -- a list under the discriminator is an implicit AND.
-//     Conservative: anything already canonical, ambiguous, or unrecognised
-//     passes through for the union (or its error) to handle.
-const expandCompositeShorthand = (value: unknown): unknown => {
-  if (!isRecord(value)) {
-    return value;
-  }
-  if (Array.isArray(value.condition)) {
-    const { condition: conditions, ...rest } = value;
-    return { ...rest, condition: 'and', conditions };
-  }
-  if ('condition' in value) {
-    return value;
-  }
-  const present = (['and', 'or', 'not'] as const).filter((op) => op in value);
-  const op = present.length === 1 ? present[0] : undefined;
-  if (op === undefined) {
-    return value;
-  }
-  const { [op]: conditions, ...rest } = value;
-  return { ...rest, condition: op, conditions };
-};
-
 // The raw union of all condition members. `conditionSchema` wraps this with the
 // shorthand preprocess; this is exported only for schema introspection.
 export const conditionUnion = z.union([
diff --git a/tests/config/management.test.ts b/tests/config/management.test.ts
index 1612fa4a..d5913119 100644
--- a/tests/config/management.test.ts
+++ b/tests/config/management.test.ts
@@ -4004,6 +4004,30 @@ describe('should handle version specific upgrades', () => {
         postUpgradeChecks(config);
       });
 
+      it('should empty a required actions property rather than delete it', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card' as const,
+          cameras: [{}],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              triggers: [{ trigger: 'initialized' as const }],
+              actions: {
+                action: 'custom:advanced-camera-card-action' as const,
+                advanced_camera_card_action: 'microphone_connect' as const,
+              },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'initialized' }],
+          actions: [],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
       it('should splice an action array and keep the order of the rest', () => {
         const config = {
           type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card' as const,
@@ -4899,6 +4923,245 @@ describe('should handle version specific upgrades', () => {
         });
         postUpgradeChecks(config);
       });
+
+      it('should retain a state condition holding both state and state_not', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                {
+                  condition: 'state',
+                  entity: 'binary_sensor.door',
+                  state: 'on',
+                  state_not: 'unavailable',
+                },
+              ],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          conditions: [
+            {
+              condition: 'state',
+              entity: 'binary_sensor.door',
+              state: 'on',
+              state_not: 'unavailable',
+            },
+          ],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'state', entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door' }],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should retain a user condition rather than promote it to a trigger', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                { condition: 'user', users: ['abc'] },
+                { condition: 'fullscreen', fullscreen: true },
+              ],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          conditions: [
+            { condition: 'user', users: ['abc'] },
+            { condition: 'fullscreen', fullscreen: true },
+          ],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'fullscreen', fullscreen: true }],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should retain a lone user condition and trigger on initialization', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: [{ condition: 'user', users: ['abc'] }],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          conditions: [{ condition: 'user', users: ['abc'] }],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'initialized' }],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should promote a malformed lone condition for the schema to reject', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: ['nonsense'],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          triggers: ['nonsense'],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('should trigger on initialization when no condition yields a trigger', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                { condition: 'user', users: ['abc'] },
+                { condition: 'user_agent', user_agent: 'Chrome' },
+              ],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          conditions: [
+            { condition: 'user', users: ['abc'] },
+            { condition: 'user_agent', user_agent: 'Chrome' },
+          ],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'initialized' }],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe("automation singular keys and Home Assistant's single-item forms", () => {
+      const live = { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' };
+      const automate = (
+        automation: RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig,
+      ): RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig & {
+        automations: RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig[];
+      } => ({
+        type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+        cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+        automations: [automation],
+      });
+
+      it('should leave an automation using the singular trigger key untouched', () => {
+        const config = automate({
+          trigger: [{ trigger: 'initialized' }],
+          conditions: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [live],
+        });
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          trigger: [{ trigger: 'initialized' }],
+          conditions: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [live],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should promote a singular condition key and retain the ongoing conditions under it', () => {
+        const config = automate({
+          condition: [{ condition: 'camera' }, { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [live],
+        });
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          condition: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'camera' }, { trigger: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [live],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should promote a single condition standing in for the conditions list', () => {
+        const config = automate({
+          conditions: { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] },
+          actions: [live],
+        });
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [live],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should convert actions_not when the conditions are a single condition', () => {
+        const config = automate({
+          conditions: {
+            condition: 'state',
+            entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door',
+            state: 'on',
+          },
+          actions: [live],
+          actions_not: [
+            { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'clips' },
+          ],
+        });
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'state', entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door' }],
+          actions: [
+            {
+              if: [{ condition: 'state', entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door', state: 'on' }],
+              then: [live],
+              else: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'clips' }],
+            },
+          ],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should convert actions_not under the singular action key', () => {
+        const config = automate({
+          conditions: [
+            { condition: 'state', entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door', state: 'on' },
+          ],
+          action: [live],
+          actions_not: [
+            { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'clips' },
+          ],
+        });
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'state', entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door' }],
+          action: [
+            {
+              if: [{ condition: 'state', entity_id: 'binary_sensor.door', state: 'on' }],
+              then: [live],
+              else: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'clips' }],
+            },
+          ],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
     });
 
     describe('automation actions_not -> if/then/else', () => {
@@ -5049,6 +5312,22 @@ describe('should handle version specific upgrades', () => {
         postUpgradeChecks(config);
       });
 
+      it('should keep a retired microphone action in a recorded upgrade failure', () => {
+        const failing = {
+          conditions: [{ condition: 'template', value_template: '{{ true }}' }],
+          actions: [
+            {
+              action: 'fire-dom-event',
+              advanced_camera_card_action: 'microphone_connect',
+            },
+          ],
+          actions_not: elseActions,
+        };
+        const config = automate({ ...failing });
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config['__UPGRADE_FAILURE__']).toEqual({ automations: [failing] });
+      });
+
       it('should record a screen condition as an upgrade failure, untouched', () => {
         const failing = {
           conditions: [{ condition: 'screen', media_query: '(orientation: landscape)' }],
@@ -5478,6 +5757,230 @@ describe('should handle version specific upgrades', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('composite condition shorthand', () => {
+      it('should keep a conditional element whose shorthand conditions are all retained', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          elements: [
+            {
+              type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card-conditional',
+              conditions: [
+                {
+                  or: [
+                    { condition: 'state', state: 'off', entity: 'input_boolean.door' },
+                    { condition: 'call', call: 'answered' },
+                  ],
+                },
+              ],
+              elements: [{ type: 'icon', icon: 'mdi:cow' }],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(config.elements).toEqual([
+          {
+            type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card-conditional',
+            conditions: [
+              {
+                or: [
+                  { condition: 'state', state: 'off', entity: 'input_boolean.door' },
+                  { condition: 'call', call: 'answered' },
+                ],
+              },
+            ],
+            elements: [{ type: 'icon', icon: 'mdi:cow' }],
+          },
+        ]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should prune trigger-only leaves from an operator shorthand composite', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          overrides: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                {
+                  or: [{ condition: 'camera' }, { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+                },
+              ],
+              merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.overrides).toEqual([
+          {
+            conditions: [{ or: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }] }],
+            merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+          },
+        ]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should prune trigger-only leaves from an implicit and composite', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          overrides: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                {
+                  condition: [
+                    { condition: 'camera' },
+                    { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] },
+                  ],
+                },
+              ],
+              merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.overrides).toEqual([
+          {
+            conditions: [{ condition: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }] }],
+            merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+          },
+        ]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should promote the leaves of a shorthand composite to triggers', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                {
+                  or: [{ condition: 'camera' }, { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+                },
+              ],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          conditions: [{ or: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }] }],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'camera' }, { trigger: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should keep a composite the user wrote empty', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          elements: [
+            {
+              type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card-conditional',
+              conditions: [{ condition: [] }],
+              elements: [{ type: 'icon', icon: 'mdi:cow' }],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(config.elements).toEqual([
+          {
+            type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card-conditional',
+            conditions: [{ condition: [] }],
+            elements: [{ type: 'icon', icon: 'mdi:cow' }],
+          },
+        ]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should keep an untouched single-condition composite as it was written', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          overrides: [
+            {
+              conditions: [{ or: { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] } }],
+              merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeFalsy();
+        expect(config.overrides).toEqual([
+          {
+            conditions: [{ or: { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] } }],
+            merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+          },
+        ]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should prune a trigger-only leaf from a single-condition composite', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          overrides: [
+            {
+              conditions: [{ or: { condition: 'camera' } }],
+              merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.overrides).toEqual([]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should promote the leaf of a single-condition composite to a trigger', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          automations: [
+            {
+              conditions: [{ or: { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] } }],
+              actions: [
+                { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' },
+              ],
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.automations[0]).toEqual({
+          conditions: [{ or: { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] } }],
+          triggers: [{ trigger: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+          actions: [{ action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live' }],
+        });
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+
+      it('should drop a bare picture-element state condition with no state match', () => {
+        const config = {
+          type: 'custom:advanced-camera-card',
+          cameras: [{ camera_entity: 'camera.office' }],
+          overrides: [
+            {
+              conditions: [
+                { entity: 'binary_sensor.door' },
+                { condition: 'view', views: ['live'] },
+              ],
+              merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+            },
+          ],
+        };
+        expect(upgradeConfig(config)).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(config.overrides).toEqual([
+          {
+            conditions: [{ condition: 'view', views: ['live'] }],
+            merge: { menu: { style: 'none' } },
+          },
+        ]);
+        postUpgradeChecks(config);
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('trigger template paths -> top-level trigger.*', () => {
       it('should rewrite every legacy trigger path in an automation action', () => {
         const config = {
diff --git a/tests/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.test.ts b/tests/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a190761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { z } from 'zod';
+
+import { preprocessToArray } from '../../../../src/config/schema/common/preprocess-to-array';
+
+const schema = z.object({
+  items: preprocessToArray(z.object({ name: z.string() }).array()).optional(),
+});
+
+describe('preprocessToArray', () => {
+  it('should keep a list as it is', () => {
+    expect(schema.parse({ items: [{ name: 'office' }] })).toEqual({
+      items: [{ name: 'office' }],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should normalise a single item to a list', () => {
+    expect(schema.parse({ items: { name: 'office' } })).toEqual({
+      items: [{ name: 'office' }],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should read a key written with no value as a list of nothing', () => {
+    expect(schema.parse({ items: null })).toEqual({ items: [] });
+  });
+
+  it('should leave an absent optional field absent', () => {
+    expect(schema.parse({})).toEqual({});
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/config/types.test.ts b/tests/config/types.test.ts
index f09d00ca..e858ea0f 100644
--- a/tests/config/types.test.ts
+++ b/tests/config/types.test.ts
@@ -1935,6 +1935,20 @@ describe('automations should accept Home Assistant input shorthands', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('should accept a conditions key written with no value', () => {
+    const result = automationsSchema.parse([
+      {
+        triggers: [{ trigger: 'initialized' }],
+        conditions: null,
+        actions: [
+          { action: 'fire-dom-event', advanced_camera_card_action: 'live_substream_on' },
+        ],
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject([{ conditions: [] }]);
+  });
+
   it('should keep the plural key when both singular and plural are given', () => {
     const result = automationsSchema.parse([
       {