diff --git a/decnet/env.py b/decnet/env.py
index a6ce40db..e6029999 100644
--- a/decnet/env.py
+++ b/decnet/env.py
@@ -174,6 +174,101 @@ _cors_raw: str = os.environ.get("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", _cors_default)
 DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS: list[str] = [o.strip() for o in _cors_raw.split(",") if o.strip()]
 
 
+# Master→worker mTLS hostname verification. Off by default because legacy
+# enrollments were issued certs with operator-supplied SAN lists that may
+# not match the URL the master uses to connect; set to "true" on a fresh
+# production deploy where you control enrollment to get TLS hostname checks
+# on top of CA + fingerprint pinning.
+DECNET_VERIFY_HOSTNAME: bool = (
+    os.environ.get("DECNET_VERIFY_HOSTNAME", "false").lower() == "true"
+)
+
+
+_LOOPBACK_HOSTS = {"localhost", "127.0.0.1", "::1"}
+_WILDCARD_BIND_HOSTS = {"0.0.0.0", "::"}  # nosec B104 — comparison only
+
+
+def _origin_host(origin: str) -> str:
+    """Pull the bare hostname out of a CORS origin (``http(s)://host:port``).
+
+    Returns the full origin lowercased if the URL can't be parsed — the
+    caller treats unrecognised origins as non-loopback, which is the safer
+    default for a public-binding check.
+    """
+    from urllib.parse import urlparse
+
+    try:
+        parsed = urlparse(origin)
+        host = (parsed.hostname or "").lower()
+        return host or origin.strip().lower()
+    except (ValueError, AttributeError):
+        return origin.strip().lower()
+
+
+def validate_public_binding() -> None:
+    """Refuse to start the master API/web with a footgun config.
+
+    Three checks, all gated on the API binding being non-loopback (i.e.
+    actually exposed to the network):
+
+    * If CORS allow-list still contains a loopback origin, fail. The most
+      common shape of this bug is operator flips ``DECNET_API_HOST=0.0.0.0``
+      to "make it work" and forgets to update ``DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS`` —
+      the dashboard then either can't talk to the API at all, or worse,
+      they wildcard CORS to paper over it.
+
+    * If the canary HTTP base is plaintext (``http://``) and the canary
+      host isn't loopback, fail. Canary tokens phone home on trigger;
+      plaintext over the public internet leaks the token to anyone on
+      the path.
+
+    * If the rate limiter is globally disabled, log loudly. Don't fail —
+      operators sometimes want this for benchmarking — but never let it
+      slip past unmentioned on a public binding.
+
+    Called from the FastAPI lifespan so it surfaces at startup, not on
+    first request. Skipped automatically when running under pytest so
+    the test suite doesn't have to set five env vars per fixture.
+    """
+    if any(k.startswith("PYTEST") for k in os.environ):
+        return
+    if DECNET_API_HOST in _LOOPBACK_HOSTS:
+        return  # not exposed; nothing to validate
+
+    bind_label = "DECNET_API_HOST" if DECNET_API_HOST in _WILDCARD_BIND_HOSTS else "DECNET_API_HOST"
+    loopback_origins = [o for o in DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS if _origin_host(o) in _LOOPBACK_HOSTS]
+    if loopback_origins:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"{bind_label}={DECNET_API_HOST!r} exposes the API to the network, "
+            f"but DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS still contains loopback origin(s) "
+            f"{loopback_origins!r}. Set DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS to the public "
+            f"dashboard URL(s) before starting (e.g. "
+            f"DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS=https://dashboard.example.com)."
+        )
+
+    canary_base = os.environ.get("DECNET_CANARY_HTTP_BASE", "").strip()
+    if canary_base and canary_base.lower().startswith("http://"):
+        host = _origin_host(canary_base)
+        if host and host not in _LOOPBACK_HOSTS:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"DECNET_CANARY_HTTP_BASE={canary_base!r} is plaintext HTTP and "
+                f"points at a non-loopback host. Canary triggers carry secrets "
+                f"that must not cross the public internet in cleartext — use "
+                f"https:// or front the canary endpoint with a TLS proxy."
+            )
+
+    limiter_enabled = os.environ.get("DECNET_LIMITER_ENABLED", "true").lower() != "false"
+    if not limiter_enabled:
+        # Late import to avoid a circular dependency through decnet.logging.
+        from decnet.logging import get_logger
+        get_logger("env").critical(
+            "DECNET_LIMITER_ENABLED=false on a public binding (%s=%s). "
+            "Login + write endpoints have no rate limiting — only run this "
+            "way for benchmarking or behind an external rate-limiting proxy.",
+            bind_label, DECNET_API_HOST,
+        )
+
+
 def __getattr__(name: str) -> str:
     """Lazy resolution for secrets only the master web/api process needs."""
     if name == "DECNET_JWT_SECRET":
diff --git a/decnet/swarm/client.py b/decnet/swarm/client.py
index 0c9a4c4d..f31da15b 100644
--- a/decnet/swarm/client.py
+++ b/decnet/swarm/client.py
@@ -106,15 +106,20 @@ class AgentClient:
         address: Optional[str] = None,
         agent_port: Optional[int] = None,
         identity: Optional[MasterIdentity] = None,
-        verify_hostname: bool = False,
+        verify_hostname: Optional[bool] = None,
     ):
         """Either pass a SwarmHost dict, or explicit address/port.
 
-        ``verify_hostname`` stays False by default because the worker's
-        cert SAN is populated from the operator-supplied address list, not
-        from modern TLS hostname-verification semantics.  The mTLS client
-        cert + CA pinning are what authenticate the peer.
+        ``verify_hostname`` defers to ``DECNET_VERIFY_HOSTNAME`` when the
+        caller doesn't pass an explicit value — production deploys flip
+        the env var on so the worker's cert SAN must match the address
+        the master connects to, on top of the existing CA + fingerprint
+        pin. Defaults to False so dev/test enrollments with mismatched
+        SANs keep working unchanged.
         """
+        if verify_hostname is None:
+            from decnet.env import DECNET_VERIFY_HOSTNAME
+            verify_hostname = DECNET_VERIFY_HOSTNAME
         if host is not None:
             self._address = host["address"]
             self._port = int(host.get("agent_port") or 8765)
diff --git a/decnet/web/api.py b/decnet/web/api.py
index b4689f6c..82a40e06 100644
--- a/decnet/web/api.py
+++ b/decnet/web/api.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from decnet.env import (
     DECNET_INGEST_LOG_FILE,
     DECNET_PROFILE_DIR,
     DECNET_PROFILE_REQUESTS,
+    validate_public_binding,
 )
 from decnet.logging import get_logger
 from decnet.web.dependencies import repo
@@ -69,6 +70,11 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI) -> AsyncGenerator[None, None]:
             soft,
         )
 
+    # Refuse to come up with a footgun config on a public binding (loopback
+    # CORS origin while bound to 0.0.0.0, plaintext canary base, etc.).
+    # Raises ValueError with an actionable message; uvicorn surfaces it.
+    validate_public_binding()
+
     log.info("API startup initialising database")
     for attempt in range(1, 6):
         try:
diff --git a/tests/web/test_validate_public_binding.py b/tests/web/test_validate_public_binding.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59f0db48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/web/test_validate_public_binding.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+"""validate_public_binding refuses footgun configs at master startup.
+
+The validator no-ops under pytest by design (so unit tests in unrelated
+modules don't have to set five env vars per fixture); these tests strip
+the PYTEST_* vars before calling it so the real code path runs.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def _reimport_env(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    for mod in list(sys.modules):
+        if mod == "decnet.env" or mod.startswith("decnet.env."):
+            sys.modules.pop(mod)
+    return importlib.import_module("decnet.env")
+
+
+def _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    import os
+    for k in list(os.environ):
+        if k.startswith("PYTEST"):
+            monkeypatch.delenv(k, raising=False)
+
+
+def test_validator_noop_on_loopback_binding(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_API_HOST", "127.0.0.1")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", "http://localhost:8080")
+    env = _reimport_env(monkeypatch)
+    _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch)
+    env.validate_public_binding()  # no raise
+
+
+def test_validator_rejects_loopback_cors_on_public_bind(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_API_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", "http://localhost:8080")
+    env = _reimport_env(monkeypatch)
+    _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="loopback origin"):
+        env.validate_public_binding()
+
+
+def test_validator_accepts_public_cors_on_public_bind(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_API_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", "https://dashboard.example.com")
+    env = _reimport_env(monkeypatch)
+    _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch)
+    env.validate_public_binding()  # no raise
+
+
+def test_validator_rejects_plaintext_canary_on_public_bind(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_API_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", "https://dashboard.example.com")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CANARY_HTTP_BASE", "http://canary.example.com:8088")
+    env = _reimport_env(monkeypatch)
+    _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="plaintext HTTP"):
+        env.validate_public_binding()
+
+
+def test_validator_allows_loopback_canary_even_on_public_bind(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    # Local canary endpoint behind the master is fine; only public-facing
+    # plaintext is the footgun.
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_API_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", "https://dashboard.example.com")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CANARY_HTTP_BASE", "http://localhost:8088")
+    env = _reimport_env(monkeypatch)
+    _strip_pytest_vars(monkeypatch)
+    env.validate_public_binding()  # no raise
+
+
+def test_validator_skips_under_pytest(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    # With PYTEST_* still in env (default), even a misconfigured env passes —
+    # this is the deliberate bypass so unrelated tests don't trip on it.
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_API_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_CORS_ORIGINS", "http://localhost:8080")
+    env = _reimport_env(monkeypatch)
+    env.validate_public_binding()  # no raise — guard short-circuits