diff --git a/Directory.Build.props b/Directory.Build.props
index 74c9008..cd12396 100644
--- a/Directory.Build.props
+++ b/Directory.Build.props
@@ -21,7 +21,12 @@
              admin entrypoint (DynamicTenancyAdminExtensions) that dispatches add/disable/enable/remove
              to every registered dynamic tenant source — graceful no-op when none — so CritterWatch never
              sniffs the concrete tenancy type. -->
-        <JasperFxVersion>2.6.0</JasperFxVersion>
+        <!-- 2.6.1: remove redundant HttpChainDescriptor pipeline-introspection fields (#411). Drops
+             HttpChainDescriptor.Middleware/Postprocessors/ServiceDependencies, the MiddlewareStepDescriptor
+             type, and graph-level HttpGraphUsage.MiddlewareTypes — the same operator-facing pipeline
+             information is available on demand via the chain's generated source code, so the descriptor
+             copies were redundant payload (~30-50 KB compressed per ~163-endpoint topology). -->
+        <JasperFxVersion>2.6.1</JasperFxVersion>
         <LangVersion>13</LangVersion>
         <NoWarn>1570;1571;1572;1573;1574;1587;1591;1701;1702;1711;1735;0618</NoWarn>
         <Authors>Jeremy D. Miller;Jaedyn Tonee</Authors>
diff --git a/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpChainDescriptor.cs b/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpChainDescriptor.cs
index 3408c85..6b0f15b 100644
--- a/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpChainDescriptor.cs
+++ b/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpChainDescriptor.cs
@@ -109,11 +109,10 @@ public class HttpChainDescriptor : OptionsDescription
     /// <summary>OpenAPI tags applied to this chain.</summary>
     public new List<string> Tags { get; set; } = new();
 
-    /// <summary>Middleware steps in apply order.</summary>
-    public List<MiddlewareStepDescriptor> Middleware { get; set; } = new();
-
-    /// <summary>Postprocessor steps in apply order.</summary>
-    public List<MiddlewareStepDescriptor> Postprocessors { get; set; } = new();
+    // jasperfx#411: the Middleware / Postprocessors / ServiceDependencies pipeline-introspection fields
+    // were removed. The same operator-facing information is available on demand via the chain's generated
+    // source code (RequestHandlerSourceCode in Wolverine.CritterWatch) — the generated C# IS the compiled
+    // pipeline — so the descriptor copies were redundant payload.
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Cascading message types this chain may publish — the
@@ -122,9 +121,6 @@ public class HttpChainDescriptor : OptionsDescription
     /// </summary>
     public List<TypeDescriptor> CascadingMessageTypes { get; set; } = new();
 
-    /// <summary>Service dependencies the chain resolves at runtime.</summary>
-    public List<TypeDescriptor> ServiceDependencies { get; set; } = new();
-
     /// <summary>Full OpenAPI shape of the operation, when discoverable.</summary>
     public OpenApiOperationDescriptor? OpenApi { get; set; }
 
diff --git a/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpGraphUsage.cs b/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpGraphUsage.cs
index 01a7466..9c7fe0f 100644
--- a/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpGraphUsage.cs
+++ b/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/HttpGraphUsage.cs
@@ -80,11 +80,8 @@ public class HttpGraphUsage : OptionsDescription
     /// </summary>
     public List<string> PolicyNames { get; set; } = new();
 
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Type names of middleware that may apply across the graph (the
-    /// <c>WolverineHttpOptions.Middleware</c> registry).
-    /// </summary>
-    public List<string> MiddlewareTypes { get; set; } = new();
+    // jasperfx#411: graph-level MiddlewareTypes (the WolverineHttpOptions.Middleware registry) was removed
+    // for API consistency with the per-chain pipeline-introspection removal.
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Names of tenant-detection strategies registered on the graph.
diff --git a/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/MiddlewareStepDescriptor.cs b/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/MiddlewareStepDescriptor.cs
index 42313a8..24a2dba 100644
--- a/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/MiddlewareStepDescriptor.cs
+++ b/src/JasperFx/Descriptors/MiddlewareStepDescriptor.cs
@@ -1,29 +1,8 @@
 namespace JasperFx.Descriptors;
 
-/// <summary>
-/// One ordered step in a chain's middleware / postprocessor pipeline.
-/// </summary>
-public class MiddlewareStepDescriptor
-{
-    /// <summary>Type that owns the step (handler / middleware / policy).</summary>
-    public string TypeFullName { get; set; } = "";
-
-    /// <summary>Method name within the owning type.</summary>
-    public string MethodName { get; set; } = "";
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Step kind — <c>"Middleware"</c>, <c>"Postprocessor"</c>,
-    /// <c>"Validation"</c>, <c>"Audit"</c>, etc. Used for visual
-    /// grouping in the Pipeline tab.
-    /// </summary>
-    public string Kind { get; set; } = "";
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Compact display string for the row (e.g.
-    /// <c>"OrderHandler.Before(Order)"</c>).
-    /// </summary>
-    public string Description { get; set; } = "";
-}
+// jasperfx#411: MiddlewareStepDescriptor (one step in a chain's middleware/postprocessor pipeline) was
+// removed along with HttpChainDescriptor.Middleware/Postprocessors. Pipeline information is available on
+// demand via the chain's generated source code rather than mirrored into the descriptor payload.
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Narrow per-namespace prefix applied via Wolverine's