diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/liquidation.spec.js b/test/e2e/specs/liquidation.spec.js
index 1ee9313d..99a50310 100644
--- a/test/e2e/specs/liquidation.spec.js
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/liquidation.spec.js
@@ -195,6 +195,12 @@ describe('Wallet App Test Cases', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  context('Old auctioneer', () => {
+    it('should pause the old auctioneer', () => {
+      cy.pauseOldAuctioneer();
+    });
+  });
+
   context('Adjusting auction params from econ-gov', () => {
     it('should allow gov1 to create a proposal', () => {
       cy.skipWhen(AGORIC_NET !== networks.LOCAL);
@@ -304,6 +310,9 @@ describe('Wallet App Test Cases', () => {
   });
 
   context('Creating vaults and changing ATOM price', () => {
+    it('should pause the old auctioneer', () => {
+      cy.pauseOldAuctioneer();
+    });
     it(
       'should connect with the wallet',
       {
@@ -374,6 +383,10 @@ describe('Wallet App Test Cases', () => {
   });
 
   context('Place bids and make all vaults enter liquidation', () => {
+    it('should pause the old auctioneer', () => {
+      cy.pauseOldAuctioneer();
+    });
+
     it('should create a vault minting 400 ISTs and giving 80 ATOMs as collateral', () => {
       cy.skipWhen(AGORIC_NET !== networks.LOCAL);
       cy.createVault({ wantMinted: 400, giveCollateral: 80, userKey: 'gov1' });
diff --git a/test/e2e/support.js b/test/e2e/support.js
index ca61b857..78ec993e 100644
--- a/test/e2e/support.js
+++ b/test/e2e/support.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   FACUET_HEADERS,
   agoricNetworks,
 } from './test.utils';
+import { makeMarshal, Far } from './unmarshal.js';
 
 const AGORIC_NET = Cypress.env('AGORIC_NET') || 'local';
 const network = AGORIC_NET !== 'local' ? 'testnet' : 'local';
@@ -104,6 +105,69 @@ Cypress.Commands.add('verifyAuctionData', (propertyName, expectedValue) => {
     });
 });
 
+const { fromCapData } = makeMarshal(undefined, (s, iface) =>
+  Far(iface, { getSlot: () => s }),
+);
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('pauseOldAuctioneer', () => {
+  const agopsOpts = {
+    env: { AGORIC_NET },
+    timeout: COMMAND_TIMEOUT,
+  };
+  const netConfig =
+    AGORIC_NET === 'local'
+      ? ''
+      : `-B https://${AGORIC_NET}.agoric.net/network-config`;
+  cy.exec(
+    `agoric follow ${netConfig} -lF :published.agoricNames.instance -o text`,
+  ).then(async ({ stdout }) => {
+    cy.wait(2 * 60 * 1000);
+    const byName = Object.fromEntries(fromCapData(JSON.parse(stdout)));
+    cy.expect(byName).to.have.property('auctioneer');
+    cy.task('info', `Object is: ${JSON.stringify(byName)}`);
+    const auctioneer = byName.auctioneer;
+    // cy.expect(byName).to.have.property('auctioneer175');
+    const oldAuctioneer = byName.auctioneer175;
+
+    cy.exec(
+      `${agops} ec find-continuing-id --from gov1 --for 'charter member invitation'`,
+      agopsOpts,
+    ).then(({ stdout }) => {
+      const acceptId = stdout.trim();
+      cy.expect(acceptId).to.be.a('string');
+      cy.expect(acceptId).to.have.length.of.at.least(2);
+
+      const changeFile = '/tmp/proposeChange.json';
+      cy.expect(acceptId).to.be.a('string');
+      cy.expect(acceptId).to.have.length.of.at.least(2);
+      cy.exec(
+        `${agops} auctioneer proposeParamChange --charterAcceptOfferId ${acceptId} --start-frequency 100000000000000`,
+        agopsOpts,
+      ).then(({ stdout }) => {
+        const offerSpec = JSON.parse(stdout);
+        cy.task('info', `offerSpec is: ${JSON.stringify(offerSpec)}`);
+        // cy.expect(offerSpec.slots[0]).to.equal(auctioneer.getSlot());
+        offerSpec.slots[0] = oldAuctioneer.getSlot();
+        cy.writeFile(changeFile, JSON.stringify(offerSpec), 'utf8');
+
+        const broadcastCommand = `${agops} perf satisfaction --executeOffer ${changeFile} --from gov1 --keyring-backend=test`;
+
+        cy.exec(broadcastCommand, {
+          env: { AGORIC_NET },
+          timeout: COMMAND_TIMEOUT,
+          failOnNonZeroExit: false, //@@@
+        }).then(({ stdout, stderr }) => {
+          console.log('@@broadcast', { stdout, stderr });
+          expect(stdout).not.to.contain('Error');
+        });
+
+        cy.exec(`${agops} ec vote --send-from gov1 --forPosition 0`, agopsOpts);
+        cy.exec(`${agops} ec vote --send-from gov2 --forPosition 0`, agopsOpts);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 Cypress.Commands.add('skipWhen', function (expression) {
   if (expression) {
     this.skip();
diff --git a/test/e2e/unmarshal.js b/test/e2e/unmarshal.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60eb52ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/unmarshal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+// @ts-check
+'use strict';
+
+const {
+  create,
+  entries,
+  fromEntries,
+  freeze,
+  keys,
+  setPrototypeOf,
+  prototype: objectPrototype,
+} = Object;
+const { isArray } = Array;
+
+const { freeze: harden } = Object;
+
+const sigilDoc = {
+  '!': 'escaped string',
+  '+': `non-negative bigint`,
+  '-': `negative bigint`,
+  '#': `manifest constant`,
+  '%': `symbol`,
+  $: `remotable`,
+  '&': `promise`,
+};
+const sigils = keys(sigilDoc).join('');
+
+/** @type {<V, U>(obj: Record<string, V>, f: (v: V) => U) => Record<string, U>} */
+const objMap = (obj, f) =>
+  fromEntries(entries(obj).map(([p, v]) => [f(p), f(v)]));
+
+export const makeMarshal = (_v2s, convertSlotToVal = (s, _i) => s) => {
+  const fromCapData = ({ body, slots }) => {
+    const recur = (v) => {
+      switch (typeof v) {
+        case 'boolean':
+        case 'number':
+          return v;
+        case 'string':
+          if (v === '') return v;
+          const sigil = v.slice(0, 1);
+          if (!sigils.includes(sigil)) return v;
+          switch (sigil) {
+            case '!':
+              return v.slice(1);
+            case '+':
+              return BigInt(v.slice(1));
+            case '-':
+              return -BigInt(v.slice(1));
+            case '$': {
+              const [ix, iface] = v.slice(1).split('.');
+              return convertSlotToVal(slots[Number(ix)], iface);
+            }
+            case '#':
+              switch (v) {
+                case '#undefined':
+                  return undefined;
+                case '#Infinity':
+                  return Infinity;
+                case '#NaN':
+                  return Infinity;
+                default:
+                  throw RangeError(`Unexpected constant ${v}`);
+              }
+            case '%':
+              // TODO: @@asyncIterator
+              return Symbol.for(v.slice(1));
+            default:
+              throw RangeError(`Unexpected sigil ${sigil}`);
+          }
+        case 'object':
+          if (v === null) return v;
+          if (isArray(v)) {
+            return freeze(v.map(recur));
+          }
+          return freeze(objMap(v, recur));
+        default:
+          throw RangeError(`Unexpected value type ${typeof v}`);
+      }
+    };
+    const encoding = JSON.parse(body.replace(/^#/, ''));
+    return recur(encoding);
+  };
+
+  const toCapData = () => {
+    throw Error('not implemented');
+  };
+
+  return harden({
+    fromCapData,
+    unserialize: fromCapData,
+    toCapData,
+    serialize: toCapData,
+  });
+};
+
+const PASS_STYLE = Symbol.for('passStyle');
+export const Far = (iface, methods) => {
+  const proto = freeze(
+    create(objectPrototype, {
+      [PASS_STYLE]: { value: 'remotable' },
+      [Symbol.toStringTag]: { value: iface },
+    })
+  );
+  setPrototypeOf(methods, proto);
+  freeze(methods);
+  return methods;
+};
+
+// export { makeUnmarshal };