Failed to remodel from "recovered" image

Hello there,

Background: We are developing an Ubuntu Core IoT device that is supposed to function without any form of system-user login. We start the devices on a “factory image” linked to a “factory model”, and we “commission” the devices by doing a “remodel” action to a different model and different (sub)store. We trigger the remodel action from a Landscape script (so not from CLI, but over the snapd REST API).

Today I was playing around with recovery modes. Basically this is what I want to achieve: If anything fails on the device (like Landscape failing to come online) I want my clients to be able to “factory reset” my device, so we can start “fresh”, without a support engineer having to go install a new Ubuntu Core image. I tried picking the first recovery image and booted it in “install mode”: this image is on the “factory model”. When I tried to do the remodel action again, it failed, with this message:

:~$ snap change 7
Status  Spawn               Ready               Summary
Error   today at 08:00 UTC  today at 08:00 UTC  Request new device serial
Hold    today at 08:00 UTC  today at 08:00 UTC  Prepare remodeling

......................................................................
Request new device serial

2024-10-01T08:00:45Z ERROR cannot save serial to device save assertion database: account-key (iqnwY7BQEy_26TCj6olbBaFiRnmvPTfCO-QLWqQLwEQ7qN-iru3PCvzsP3h0asux) not found

I have no idea what this error means and how to resolve it.

Should it be possible to remodel from a recovered image? Or should I be booting in a different mode?