diff --git a/panda/python/__init__.py b/panda/python/__init__.py
index 0c4b8d9ada..ec5f5d4382 100644
--- a/panda/python/__init__.py
+++ b/panda/python/__init__.py
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ class Panda:
 
   @classmethod
   def usb_connect(cls, serial, claim=True, no_error=False):
-    handle, usb_serial, bootstub = None, None, None
+    handle, usb_serial, bootstub, bootstub_hw_type = None, None, None, None
     context = usb1.USBContext()
     context.open()
     try:
@@ -301,13 +301,17 @@ class Panda:
               handle.claimInterface(0)
               # handle.setInterfaceAltSetting(0, 0)  # Issue in USB stack
 
+            if bootstub:
+              bcd = device.getbcdDevice()
+              if type(bcd) is int and 0 <= bcd <= 0xffff and bcd != 0x2300:
+                bootstub_hw_type = bytes([bcd >> 8])
             break
     except Exception:
       logger.exception("USB connect error")
 
     usb_handle = None
     if handle is not None:
-      usb_handle = PandaUsbHandle(handle)
+      usb_handle = PandaUsbHandle(handle, bootstub_hw_type=bootstub_hw_type)
     else:
       context.close()
 
@@ -616,7 +620,14 @@ class Panda:
     return bytes(part_1 + part_2)
 
   def get_type(self):
-    return self._handle.controlRead(Panda.REQUEST_IN, 0xc1, 0, 0, 0x40)
+    result = self._handle.controlRead(Panda.REQUEST_IN, 0xc1, 0, 0, 0x40)
+    # Older USB bootstubs identify the board in bcdDevice instead of endpoint C1.
+    # Accept that identity only for the exact legacy unsupported-request response.
+    if (self.bootstub and isinstance(self._handle, PandaUsbHandle) and result is not None and
+        result.startswith(b"\xff\x00\xc1\x3e\xde\xad\xd0\x0d") and
+        self._handle.bootstub_hw_type in self.SUPPORTED_DEVICES):
+      return self._handle.bootstub_hw_type
+    return result
 
   def get_packets_versions(self):
     dat = self._handle.controlRead(Panda.REQUEST_IN, 0xdd, 0, 0, 8)
diff --git a/panda/python/usb.py b/panda/python/usb.py
index 0a012896be..dde80d9621 100644
--- a/panda/python/usb.py
+++ b/panda/python/usb.py
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ from .base import BaseHandle, BaseSTBootloaderHandle, TIMEOUT
 from .constants import McuType
 
 class PandaUsbHandle(BaseHandle):
-  def __init__(self, libusb_handle):
+  def __init__(self, libusb_handle, *, bootstub_hw_type: bytes | None = None):
     self._libusb_handle = libusb_handle
+    self.bootstub_hw_type = bootstub_hw_type
 
   def close(self):
     self._libusb_handle.close()
diff --git a/panda/tests/test_legacy_usb_bootstub.py b/panda/tests/test_legacy_usb_bootstub.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2534fc22b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/panda/tests/test_legacy_usb_bootstub.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"""Actual Panda USB construction preserves supported pre-7.0 bootstub identities."""
+import struct
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
+import pytest
+from panda import Panda, McuType
+
+LEGACY_RESPONSE = b"\xff\x00\xc1\x3e\xde\xad\xd0\x0d" + bytes(56)
+SERIAL = "010002000300040005000600"
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=["linux", "darwin"])
+def usb_device(monkeypatch, request):
+  monkeypatch.setattr("panda.sys.platform", request.param)
+  device = Mock()
+  device.getVendorID.return_value = 0x3801
+  device.getProductID.return_value = 0xddee
+  device.getSerialNumber.return_value = SERIAL
+  device.getbcdDevice.return_value = 0x0700
+  handle = device.open.return_value
+  response = {"hardware": LEGACY_RESPONSE}
+
+  def control_read(_kind, request, _value, _index, _length, _timeout):
+    if request == 0xc1:
+      return response["hardware"]
+    if request == 0xdd:
+      return struct.pack("<II", Panda.HEALTH_PACKET_VERSION, Panda.CAN_PACKET_VERSION)
+    return b""
+
+  handle.controlRead.side_effect = control_read
+  context = Mock()
+  context.getDeviceList.return_value = [device]
+  monkeypatch.setattr("panda.usb1.USBContext", Mock(return_value=context))
+  return device, response
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("hardware,mcu,internal", [(6, McuType.F4, True), (7, McuType.H7, False),
+                                                 (9, McuType.H7, True), (10, McuType.H7, True)])
+def test_actual_usb_bootstub_construction_selects_exact_supported_mcu(usb_device, hardware, mcu, internal):
+  device, _ = usb_device
+  device.getbcdDevice.return_value = hardware << 8
+  with Panda(SERIAL, disable_checks=False) as panda:
+    assert panda.bootstub
+    assert panda.is_connected_usb()
+    assert panda.get_type() == bytes([hardware])
+    assert panda.get_mcu_type() == mcu
+    assert panda.is_internal() is internal
+    assert panda.get_mcu_type().config.app_fn == ("panda.bin.signed" if hardware == 6 else "panda_h7.bin.signed")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("bcd", [None, True, -1, 0x10000, 0x2300, 0, 0xff00, 0x0800, 0x0300])
+def test_unrecognized_descriptors_never_guess_firmware(usb_device, bcd):
+  device, _ = usb_device
+  device.getbcdDevice.return_value = bcd
+  with Panda(SERIAL, disable_checks=False) as panda:
+    assert panda.get_type() == LEGACY_RESPONSE
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Unknown HW"):
+      panda.get_mcu_type()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("reported", [b"\x07", b"\x06", b"\x00", b"", None, b"malformed"])
+def test_modern_response_cannot_be_overridden_by_descriptor(usb_device, reported):
+  _, response = usb_device
+  response["hardware"] = reported
+  with Panda(SERIAL, disable_checks=False) as panda:
+    assert panda.get_type() == reported
+
+
+def test_application_mode_does_not_use_bootstub_descriptor(usb_device):
+  device, _ = usb_device
+  device.getProductID.return_value = 0xddcc
+  with Panda(SERIAL, disable_checks=False) as panda:
+    assert not panda.bootstub
+    assert panda.get_type() == LEGACY_RESPONSE
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Unknown HW"):
+      panda.get_mcu_type()
+  device.getbcdDevice.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_reconnect_discards_bootstub_identity(usb_device):
+  device, response = usb_device
+  with Panda(SERIAL, disable_checks=False) as panda:
+    assert panda.get_type() == b"\x07"
+    device.getProductID.return_value = 0xddcc
+    response["hardware"] = b"\x06"
+    panda.connect()
+    assert not panda.bootstub
+    assert panda.get_type() == b"\x06"
+    assert panda.get_mcu_type() is McuType.F4
+    assert panda._handle.bootstub_hw_type is None
diff --git a/prebuilt.json b/prebuilt.json
index 3d74e7cc4c..e75276a9c9 100644
--- a/prebuilt.json
+++ b/prebuilt.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"protected_inventory_sha256": "8e0fe562b5213c0de8b4c765e1f9b311f39ddb74b62876e2437aa506ee4cd46f", "schema_version": 1}
+{"protected_inventory_sha256": "c4c810b0c47cf295f2f692149b452dbef9868845e97a618fd7b35b164be1fdb1", "schema_version": 1}