# MDS miner upgrades and reusable MSS payout identity

A software upgrade and a payout-identity change are different actions. Midstate reusable MSS addresses and one-time WOTS addresses are not interchangeable. Check current pool instructions before carrying an old configuration into a new miner.

- Canonical: https://iotahome.site/en/learn/mds-miner-upgrade-mss-address
- Publisher: IOTA Watch
- Topics: Midstate
- Published: 2026-10-26
- Updated: 2026-10-26

## At a glance

A software upgrade and a payout-identity change are different actions. Midstate reusable MSS addresses and one-time WOTS addresses are not interchangeable. Check current pool instructions before carrying an old configuration into a new miner.

## What to check

Save the public MSS address, pool, worker and last-share time before upgrading. After startup, inspect the active configuration rather than assuming a similarly named file was loaded. Verify fresh shares at the intended pool and address. Do not repeatedly reuse a one-time address merely to satisfy a lookup field.

## Example

Example: a worker reappears after upgrade under a different address. Check which configuration was loaded first. Retain the old MSS pool record rather than merging balances by device nickname.

## Continue

[Open project monitor](https://iotahome.site/en/projects/mds)

## Sources and implementation

- [midstate.cash](https://midstate.cash/)
- [midstate.luckypool.io](https://midstate.luckypool.io/how-to-mine)