diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 1e63062b..a013fece 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -766,12 +766,10 @@ impl Config {
                 ))));
             }
 
-            // Add the retry topic if configured. Retry topics are produce-only;
-            // this taskbroker writes retries to them but does not consume from
-            // them. Aliasing the main topic is allowed (retries are re-enqueued
-            // there), but aliasing the deadletter topic is not: the names would
-            // collide and the retry would silently inherit the deadletter
-            // cluster/role.
+            // Register the retry topic on the deadletter cluster: retries are
+            // published by the upkeep producer, which is the same producer used
+            // for the deadletter topic (see kafka_producer_cluster). Aliasing
+            // the deadletter topic is rejected to avoid a name collision.
             if let Some(ref retry_topic) = self.kafka_retry_topic {
                 if retry_topic == &self.kafka_deadletter_topic {
                     return Err(Box::new(figment::Error::from(format!(
@@ -782,7 +780,7 @@ impl Config {
                 self.kafka_topics
                     .entry(retry_topic.clone())
                     .or_insert_with(|| TopicConfig {
-                        cluster: DEFAULT_CLUSTER.to_owned(),
+                        cluster: DEADLETTER_CLUSTER.to_owned(),
                         consumer_group,
                         produce_only: true,
                         raw: None,
@@ -2019,4 +2017,40 @@ kafka_clusters:
             Ok(())
         });
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_legacy_retry_topic_uses_deadletter_cluster() {
+        // Reproduces the `ingest-profiles-raw` pool: the main consumer topic
+        // lives on a different cluster than the retry+DLQ topics. The retry
+        // producer is the upkeep/deadletter producer, so a distinct legacy
+        // retry topic must be registered on the deadletter cluster, not the
+        // main consumer cluster. Otherwise the same-cluster validation compares
+        // the retry topic against the wrong cluster and rejects this config.
+        Jail::expect_with(|jail| {
+            jail.set_env("TASKBROKER_KAFKA_CLUSTER", "kafka-profiles:9092");
+            jail.set_env("TASKBROKER_KAFKA_TOPIC", "profiles");
+            jail.set_env("TASKBROKER_KAFKA_RETRY_TOPIC", "taskworker-ingest");
+            jail.set_env("TASKBROKER_KAFKA_DEADLETTER_TOPIC", "taskworker-ingest-dlq");
+            jail.set_env("TASKBROKER_KAFKA_DEADLETTER_CLUSTER", "kafka-small:9092");
+
+            let args = Args { config: None };
+            let config = Config::from_args(&args).expect("legacy retry config should validate");
+
+            // The retry topic resolves to the deadletter cluster (where the
+            // upkeep producer actually publishes), not the main consumer cluster.
+            let retry_topic = config
+                .kafka_topics
+                .get("taskworker-ingest")
+                .expect("retry topic registered");
+            assert!(retry_topic.produce_only);
+            assert_eq!(
+                config.cluster(&retry_topic.cluster).unwrap().address,
+                "kafka-small:9092"
+            );
+            // And it matches the producer's cluster.
+            assert_eq!(config.kafka_producer_cluster().address, "kafka-small:9092");
+
+            Ok(())
+        });
+    }
 }