diff --git a/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvl.conf b/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvl.conf
index bb39cf026ada..c276a49aa13d 100644
--- a/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvl.conf
+++ b/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvl.conf
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ CONFIG_COLD_STORE_EXECUTE_DRAM=y
 # SOF / loadable modules
 CONFIG_INTEL_MODULES=y
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_MANAGER=y
+CONFIG_LIBRARY_AUTH_SUPPORT=y
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_BASE_ADDRESS=0xa0688000
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_BUILD_LIB=y
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_DEFAULT_MODULAR=y
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ CONFIG_MM_DRV_INTEL_VIRTUAL_REGION_COUNT=3
 CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_SRAM_RETENTION_MODE=n
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
diff --git a/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvls.conf b/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvls.conf
index bb39cf026ada..c276a49aa13d 100644
--- a/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvls.conf
+++ b/app/boards/intel_adsp_ace40_nvls.conf
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ CONFIG_COLD_STORE_EXECUTE_DRAM=y
 # SOF / loadable modules
 CONFIG_INTEL_MODULES=y
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_MANAGER=y
+CONFIG_LIBRARY_AUTH_SUPPORT=y
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_BASE_ADDRESS=0xa0688000
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_BUILD_LIB=y
 CONFIG_LIBRARY_DEFAULT_MODULAR=y
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ CONFIG_MM_DRV_INTEL_VIRTUAL_REGION_COUNT=3
 CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_SRAM_RETENTION_MODE=n
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
diff --git a/src/audio/template/llext/CMakeLists.txt b/src/audio/template/llext/CMakeLists.txt
index f84bd6daf916..52a1bcf0639f 100644
--- a/src/audio/template/llext/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/audio/template/llext/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2025 Intel Corporation.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-sof_llext_build("template_comp"
+sof_llext_build("template"
 	SOURCES	../template.c
 		../template-generic.c
 		../template-ipc4.c
diff --git a/src/audio/template/llext/llext.toml.h b/src/audio/template/llext/llext.toml.h
index 4808c9af8f42..d7183adc306f 100644
--- a/src/audio/template/llext/llext.toml.h
+++ b/src/audio/template/llext/llext.toml.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include <tools/rimage/config/platform.toml>
 #define LOAD_TYPE "2"
-#include "../template_comp.toml"
+#include "../template.toml"
 
 [module]
 count = __COUNTER__
diff --git a/tools/rimage/config/nvl.toml.h b/tools/rimage/config/nvl.toml.h
index cb12069f671f..cec992a4a2af 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/config/nvl.toml.h
+++ b/tools/rimage/config/nvl.toml.h
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ index = __COUNTER__
 #include <audio/mfcc/mfcc.toml>
 #endif
 
+#if defined(CONFIG_COMP_TEMPLATE) || defined(LLEXT_FORCE_ALL_MODULAR)
+#include <audio/template/template.toml>
+#endif
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_COMP_SOUND_DOSE) || defined(LLEXT_FORCE_ALL_MODULAR)
 #include <audio/sound_dose/sound_dose.toml>
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c b/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c
index 6cc7434e74bc..931c77e10403 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c
+++ b/tools/rimage/src/adsp_config.c
@@ -2052,7 +2052,7 @@ static int parse_adsp_config_v1_5(const toml_table_t *toml, struct image *image)
 
 		/* assign correct write functions */
 		out->write_firmware = man_write_fw_v1_5_sue;
-		out->write_firmware_meu = man_write_fw_meu_v1_5;
+		out->write_firmware_meu = NULL;
 		out->verify_firmware = ri_manifest_verify_v1_5;
 
 		/* parse others sibtables */
@@ -2235,7 +2235,7 @@ static int parse_adsp_config_ace_v1_5(const toml_table_t *toml, struct image *im
 
 	/* assign correct write functions */
 	out->write_firmware = man_write_fw_ace_v1_5;
-	out->write_firmware_meu = man_write_fw_meu_v2_5;
+	out->write_firmware_meu = NULL;
 	out->verify_firmware = ri_manifest_verify_v2_5;
 
 	/* version array has already been parsed, so increment ctx.array_cnt */
diff --git a/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c b/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c
index 22eddfa00c74..db89d5f699b0 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c
+++ b/tools/rimage/src/manifest.c
@@ -542,6 +542,11 @@ static int man_module_create_reloc(struct image *image, struct manifest_module *
 	struct elf_section section;
 	int err;
 
+	if (!modules) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: relocatable image requires module configuration\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	/* load in module manifest data */
 	err = elf_section_read_by_name(&module->file.elf, ".module", &section);
 	if (err) {
@@ -1786,8 +1791,12 @@ int resign_image(struct image *image)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (i >= size) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "error: didn't found header marker %d\n", i);
+	/* the scan stops a full marker before the end, so a trailing partial word
+	 * leaves the loop index below the size; test the result of the scan itself
+	 */
+	if (!image->fw_image) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: could not find valid CSE header $CPD in %s\n",
+			image->in_file);
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c b/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c
index 2245288dfece..0b41905944c2 100644
--- a/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c
+++ b/tools/rimage/src/rimage.c
@@ -202,6 +202,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (image.meu_offset && !image.adsp->write_firmware_meu) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: MEU signing is not supported for this target\n");
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	/* set IMR Type and the PV bit in found machine definition */
 	if (image.adsp->man_v1_8) {
 		if (imr_type_override)
@@ -274,7 +280,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* process and write output */
 	if (image.meu_offset) {
-		assert(image.adsp->write_firmware_meu);
 		ret = image.adsp->write_firmware_meu(&image);
 	} else {
 		assert(image.adsp->write_firmware);
diff --git a/versions.json b/versions.json
index 89bebab40c35..c5a96734b740 100644
--- a/versions.json
+++ b/versions.json
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
   "SOF": {
     "MAJOR": "2",
     "MINOR": "14",
-    "MICRO": "99"
+    "MICRO": "1203"
   }
 }
diff --git a/west.yml b/west.yml
index a684deb8871a..e00fe540e541 100644
--- a/west.yml
+++ b/west.yml
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ manifest:
 
     - name: zephyr
       repo-path: zephyr
-      revision: fbd71c30f7b9083de9826577edb57d360efc01ed
-      remote: zephyrproject
+      revision: 156717ef2ad8ccdb355a3ca0537f7c520b9787c7
+      remote: thesofproject
 
       # Import some projects listed in zephyr/west.yml@revision
       #