diff --git a/hack/lib/helm-validation.js b/hack/lib/helm-validation.js
index 83c25e6..2eeb2c7 100644
--- a/hack/lib/helm-validation.js
+++ b/hack/lib/helm-validation.js
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ const path = require("node:path");
 const { spawnSync } = require("node:child_process");
 const YAML = require("yaml");
 const { modelNames, versionFiles, variantFiles, kindOf } = require("./catalog");
+const { valueSetAt } = require("./inputs");
 
 function affectsValidator(file) {
   return (
     file.startsWith("schema/crds/") ||
     /^hack\/(validate-helm|install-helm-tools|build-crds)(\.integration)?\.(js|test\.js)$/.test(file) ||
-    /^hack\/lib\/(helm-validation|crd-schema|download|catalog)(\.test)?\.js$/.test(file) ||
+    /^hack\/lib\/(helm-validation|crd-schema|download|catalog|inputs)(\.test)?\.js$/.test(file) ||
     ["package.json", "package-lock.json", ".github/workflows/lint.yml"].includes(file)
   );
 }
@@ -122,9 +123,9 @@ function parseVersions(file) {
 // variant spells first-class projected on top, so they win over the same keys
 // in values. image.digest is not projected.
 //
-// Each declared input is set to its default, else its example, standing in for
-// the answer swiss puts in the derived layer at deploy, so the chart renders
-// every path swiss fills. values never sets one; validate:schema refuses that.
+// Each declared input renders as swiss composes it with no site answer: its
+// default, else the value values gives it, else its example, standing in for
+// the answer a deploy gives.
 function catalogValues(variant) {
   const values = structuredClone(variant.values ?? {});
   const set = (keys, value) => {
@@ -140,7 +141,11 @@ function catalogValues(variant) {
     set(["image", "repository"], variant.image.repository);
     set(["image", "tag"], String(variant.image.tag ?? ""));
   }
-  for (const input of variant.inputs ?? []) set(input.key.split("."), "default" in input ? input.default : input.example);
+  for (const input of variant.inputs ?? []) {
+    const keys = input.key.split(".");
+    if ("default" in input) set(keys, input.default);
+    else if (valueSetAt(values, keys) !== input.key) set(keys, input.example);
+  }
   return values;
 }
 
diff --git a/hack/lib/helm-validation.test.js b/hack/lib/helm-validation.test.js
index ca08bd3..c1052a1 100644
--- a/hack/lib/helm-validation.test.js
+++ b/hack/lib/helm-validation.test.js
@@ -197,19 +197,21 @@ test("variant values get swiss's projection of servedName, requires.gpus and the
   assert.deepEqual(catalogValues(v2), { model: { name: "served", gpus: "2" } });
 });
 
-test("a declared input renders with its default, else its example", () => {
+test("a declared input renders with its default, else the value values gives it, else its example", () => {
   const variant = {
     servedName: "m",
     requires: { gpus: 8 },
     inputs: [
       { key: "storageKVOffload.mooncake.master", title: "t", example: "mooncake-master.example:50051" },
       { key: "storageKVOffload.mooncake.device", title: "t", example: "mlx5_0", default: "mlx5_3" },
+      { key: "storageKVOffload.mooncake.te_meta_data_server", title: "t", example: "http://x.example/m" },
+      { key: "storageKVOffload.mooncake.global_segment_size", title: "t", example: "2gb", default: "4gb" },
     ],
-    values: { storageKVOffload: { enabled: true, mooncake: { protocol: "rdma" } } },
+    values: { storageKVOffload: { enabled: true, mooncake: { protocol: "rdma", te_meta_data_server: "", global_segment_size: "1gb" } } },
   };
   assert.deepEqual(catalogValues(variant).storageKVOffload, {
     enabled: true,
-    mooncake: { protocol: "rdma", master: "mooncake-master.example:50051", device: "mlx5_3" },
+    mooncake: { protocol: "rdma", master: "mooncake-master.example:50051", device: "mlx5_3", te_meta_data_server: "", global_segment_size: "4gb" },
   });
   assert.equal(variant.values.storageKVOffload.mooncake.master, undefined);
 });
diff --git a/hack/lib/inputs.js b/hack/lib/inputs.js
index b3bc384..2cf603c 100644
--- a/hack/lib/inputs.js
+++ b/hack/lib/inputs.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 "use strict";
-// A variant's inputs, past what the schema can see. A key is declared once, and
-// values leaves it alone: swiss puts the answer, the site's or else the input's
-// default, in the derived layer. The example and the default are valid answers.
-// swiss repeats these checks when it loads a variant (internal/catalog).
+// A variant's inputs, past what the schema can see. A key is declared once. A
+// value values gives it is the base an answer overrides: swiss puts the answer,
+// the site's or else the input's default, in the derived layer above it. The
+// example and the default are valid answers. swiss repeats these checks when it
+// loads a variant (internal/catalog).
 
 // Problems with one variant's inputs, each line prefixed with at.
 function inputProblems(variant, at = "") {
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ function inputProblems(variant, at = "") {
     if (declared.has(input.key)) lines.push(`${where}declared twice`);
     declared.add(input.key);
     const set = valueSetAt(variant.values, input.key.split("."));
-    if (set) lines.push(`${where}values.${set} sets it; give the value as the input's default`);
+    if (set && set !== input.key) lines.push(`${where}values.${set} is not a map, so the answer has no place to go`);
     const type = input.type ?? "string";
     let pattern;
     if (input.pattern !== undefined && type !== "string") {
@@ -55,4 +56,4 @@ function valueSetAt(values, keys) {
   return keys.join(".");
 }
 
-module.exports = { inputProblems };
+module.exports = { inputProblems, valueSetAt };
diff --git a/hack/lib/inputs.test.js b/hack/lib/inputs.test.js
index 752d1a0..5b1f586 100644
--- a/hack/lib/inputs.test.js
+++ b/hack/lib/inputs.test.js
@@ -18,16 +18,13 @@ test("a declared input that values leaves alone, with a valid example and defaul
   assert.deepEqual(inputProblems({ requires: { gpus: 1 } }), []);
 });
 
-test("values may not set an input: at its key, under it, or with a non-map on the way", () => {
-  for (const [values, at] of [
-    [{ storageKVOffload: { mooncake: { master: "mc:50051" } } }, "storageKVOffload.mooncake.master"],
-    [{ storageKVOffload: { mooncake: { master: { host: "h" } } } }, "storageKVOffload.mooncake.master"],
-    [{ storageKVOffload: { mooncake: "off" } }, "storageKVOffload.mooncake"],
-  ]) {
-    assert.deepEqual(inputProblems(variant([master], values), "v: "), [
-      `v: inputs[0] storageKVOffload.mooncake.master: values.${at} sets it; give the value as the input's default`,
-    ]);
+test("values may set an input's key, as the base an answer overrides, but no non-map above it", () => {
+  for (const value of ["mooncake-master.example:50051", ""]) {
+    assert.deepEqual(inputProblems(variant([master], { storageKVOffload: { mooncake: { master: value } } })), []);
   }
+  assert.deepEqual(inputProblems(variant([master], { storageKVOffload: { mooncake: "off" } }), "v: "), [
+    "v: inputs[0] storageKVOffload.mooncake.master: values.storageKVOffload.mooncake is not a map, so the answer has no place to go",
+  ]);
 });
 
 test("the default is an answer: of the input's type, matching its pattern", () => {
diff --git a/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-l3-6000d.yaml b/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-l3-6000d.yaml
index b479cea..36cc2b6 100644
--- a/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-l3-6000d.yaml
+++ b/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-l3-6000d.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: catalog.swiss/v2
 kind: Variant
 model: deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4
 id: sglang-tp8-l3-6000d
-version: 1.0.6
+version: 1.0.7
 servedName: deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4
 engine: sglang
 description: >-
@@ -34,6 +34,21 @@ requires:
   # Not expressible in this block, but required on the node:
   #   * ~650 GiB of 2 MiB hugepages reserved AND advertised by kubelet
   #   * routes to the EBOF targets on the storage NICs
+inputs:
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.master
+    title: Mooncake master
+    description: host:port of the standalone Mooncake master, outside Kubernetes, owning NoF volumes no other master holds.
+    pattern: '[^\s:/]+:[0-9]+'
+    example: mooncake-master.example:50051
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.te_meta_data_server
+    title: Mooncake metadata server
+    description: The transfer engine's metadata server URL, or P2PHANDSHAKE.
+    pattern: 'https?://\S+|P2PHANDSHAKE'
+    example: http://mooncake-master.example:8080/metadata
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.device
+    title: Mooncake storage HCAs
+    description: The storage NICs, comma-separated. Left to auto-detect, Mooncake picked the management NIC on the cluster this was tuned on.
+    example: mlx5_0,mlx5_1
 values:
   model:
     localPath: /data/models/DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731-NVFP4
diff --git a/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml b/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml
index 5489beb..697815d 100644
--- a/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml
+++ b/models/deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4/sglang-tp8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: catalog.swiss/v2
 kind: Variant
 model: deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4
 id: sglang-tp8-pd-l3-6000d
-version: 1.0.4
+version: 1.0.5
 servedName: deepseek-v4-flash-0731-nvfp4
 engine: sglang
 description: >-
@@ -41,6 +41,21 @@ requires:
   # ebof.modelsphere.io/storage-net=true; pd.prefill.affinityReplace pins them):
   #   * ~650 GiB of 2 MiB hugepages reserved AND advertised by kubelet
   #   * routes to the EBOF targets on the storage NICs
+inputs:
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.master
+    title: Mooncake master
+    description: host:port of the standalone Mooncake master, outside Kubernetes, owning NoF volumes no other master holds.
+    pattern: '[^\s:/]+:[0-9]+'
+    example: mooncake-master.example:50051
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.te_meta_data_server
+    title: Mooncake metadata server
+    description: The transfer engine's metadata server URL, or P2PHANDSHAKE.
+    pattern: 'https?://\S+|P2PHANDSHAKE'
+    example: http://mooncake-master.example:8080/metadata
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.device
+    title: Mooncake storage HCAs
+    description: The storage NICs, comma-separated. Left to auto-detect, Mooncake picked the management NIC on the cluster this was tuned on.
+    example: mlx5_0,mlx5_1
 values:
   model:
     localPath: /data/models/DeepSeek-V4-Flash-0731-NVFP4
diff --git a/models/glm5.3/sglang-tp8-pp2-ep8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml b/models/glm5.3/sglang-tp8-pp2-ep8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml
index 1b12f84..9b0f0fd 100644
--- a/models/glm5.3/sglang-tp8-pp2-ep8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml
+++ b/models/glm5.3/sglang-tp8-pp2-ep8-pd-l3-6000d.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: catalog.swiss/v2
 kind: Variant
 model: glm5.3
 id: sglang-tp8-pp2-ep8-pd-l3-6000d
-version: 1.0.5
+version: 1.0.6
 servedName: glm-5.3
 engine: sglang
 description: >-
@@ -24,6 +24,21 @@ requires:
   rdma: true
   gpuProduct:
     - NVIDIA-RTX-6000D
+inputs:
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.master
+    title: Mooncake master
+    description: host:port of the Mooncake Store master this KV tier uses.
+    pattern: '[^\s:/]+:[0-9]+'
+    example: mooncake-master.example:50051
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.te_meta_data_server
+    title: Mooncake metadata server
+    description: The transfer engine's metadata server URL, or P2PHANDSHAKE.
+    pattern: 'https?://\S+|P2PHANDSHAKE'
+    example: http://mooncake-master.example:8080/metadata
+  - key: storageKVOffload.mooncake.device
+    title: Mooncake storage HCAs
+    description: The storage NICs, comma-separated. Empty lets Mooncake pick.
+    example: mlx5_0,mlx5_1
 values:
   model:
     localPath: /data/models/GLM-5.3-NVFP4
diff --git a/schema/version.schema.json b/schema/version.schema.json
index 92980b2..cb2e377 100644
--- a/schema/version.schema.json
+++ b/schema/version.schema.json
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
           ]
         },
         "inputs": {
-          "description": "Chart values every deploy must answer, such as the address of a service the site runs. Unlike requires, which swiss interprets and checks against the cluster, an input names one chart value by its key, and swiss only relays its answer: swiss puts the answer in the derived layer -- the site profile's inputs, else the input's default -- and the deploy's overrides go over it. swiss refuses to compose a plan that leaves one without a valid answer. values never sets an input's key. model.localPath is never one: swiss answers it from the site's model.pathTemplate.",
+          "description": "Chart values every deploy must answer, such as the address of a service the site runs. Unlike requires, which swiss interprets and checks against the cluster, an input names one chart value by its key, and swiss only relays its answer: swiss puts the answer in the derived layer -- the site profile's inputs, else the input's default -- and the deploy's overrides go over it. swiss refuses to compose a plan that leaves one without a valid answer. A value values gives an input's key is the base its answer overrides. model.localPath is never one: swiss answers it from the site's model.pathTemplate.",
           "type": "array",
           "minItems": 1,
           "items": {