diff --git a/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/default.nix b/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/default.nix
index ba9d7b37..fc484b13 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/default.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/default.nix
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@
 let
   cfg = config.services.hyperhive.gateway;
   hyperhiveDomain = config.services.hyperhive.domain;
+  # Derived once in ../swarm.nix; the vhosts that get the swarm-services
+  # cert are exactly the names that cert is issued for, so both read the
+  # same list rather than each deciding what "a swarm service" means.
+  swarmServiceDomains = config.services.hyperhive.swarm.serviceDomains;
   matrixCfg = config.services.hyperhive.swarm.matrix;
   forgeCfg = config.services.hyperhive.swarm.forge;
   networkCfg = config.services.hyperhive.network;
@@ -263,6 +267,12 @@ in
             if cfg.tls.certDir != null then "/run/hive-tls/${cfg.tls.certName}" else "${tlsDir}/cert.pem";
           tlsKey =
             if cfg.tls.certDir != null then "/run/hive-tls/${cfg.tls.keyName}" else "${tlsDir}/key.pem";
+          # The swarm-services pair, used only by the vhosts whose names
+          # this hive's CA cannot sign. Self-signed mode only: with an
+          # operator cert or ACME the operator owns every name and there
+          # is no second issuer in the picture.
+          svcCert = "${tlsDir}/swarm-services.pem";
+          svcKey = "${tlsDir}/swarm-services-key.pem";
           nginxTree = import ./vhosts.nix {
             inherit
               lib
@@ -274,6 +284,9 @@ in
               swaggerUiTheme
               tlsCert
               tlsKey
+              svcCert
+              svcKey
+              swarmServiceDomains
               ;
             errorPages = import ./error-pages.nix { inherit pkgs; };
           };
@@ -362,6 +375,23 @@ in
               # Permission denied`, blocking the unit. Cert is world-read.
               install -m 0644 /run/hive-ca/gateway.pem ${tlsCert}
               install -m 0640 -g nginx /run/hive-ca/gateway-key.pem ${tlsKey}
+
+              # The swarm-services leaf, when this host issues one. It is
+              # a separate pair rather than more SANs on the one above
+              # because no hive CA can sign these names — each is
+              # constrained to its own hive's domain and the service
+              # names are siblings of it.
+              #
+              # Absent is a normal state, not a failure: the leaf exists
+              # only where the swarm CA is autoconfigured. Copying it
+              # conditionally keeps a hive whose certs come from its
+              # operator working unchanged.
+              if [ -s /run/hive-ca/swarm-services.pem ]; then
+                install -m 0644 /run/hive-ca/swarm-services.pem ${svcCert}
+                install -m 0640 -g nginx /run/hive-ca/swarm-services-key.pem ${svcKey}
+              else
+                rm -f ${svcCert} ${svcKey}
+              fi
             '';
           };
 
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/vhosts.nix b/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/vhosts.nix
index f94395b5..8cf647d7 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/vhosts.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/hive-gateway/vhosts.nix
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
   errorPages, # ./error-pages.nix: { notFound, unreachable, unauthorized }
   tlsCert,
   tlsKey,
+  svcCert, # swarm-services leaf, for names the hive CA cannot sign
+  svcKey,
+  swarmServiceDomains, # which vhosts those are (../swarm.nix derives it)
 }:
 let
   # The gateway always terminates TLS: self-signed is the implicit
@@ -51,6 +54,25 @@ let
         sslCertificateKey = tlsKey;
       };
 
+  # TLS attrs for one vhost, by name. A swarm service's name may sit
+  # outside this hive's domain — and then the hive CA is
+  # name-constrained out of it, so its vhost must serve the
+  # swarm-services leaf instead. Everything else keeps the hive leaf.
+  #
+  # Only in self-signed mode: with ACME or an operator cert there is a
+  # single issuer that already covers every name, and a second pair
+  # would be a cert nobody asked for.
+  vhostTlsFor =
+    host:
+    if !cfg.tls.acme.enable && cfg.tls.certDir == null && builtins.elem host swarmServiceDomains then
+      {
+        addSSL = true;
+        sslCertificate = svcCert;
+        sslCertificateKey = svcKey;
+      }
+    else
+      vhostTls;
+
   # Public-facing scheme + port-suffix for URLs the gateway
   # mints into responses (well-known JSON, the deprecated
   # `<hive>/matrix/*` 301 redirect, future absolute-URL needs):
@@ -85,7 +107,7 @@ let
   # `forge.sshPort`. See `docs/gateway.md`. Empty attrset when the
   # forge isn't behind the gateway.
   forgeVhost = lib.optionalAttrs (forgeCfg.behindGateway or false) {
-    "${forgeCfg.domain}" = vhostTls // {
+    "${forgeCfg.domain}" = (vhostTlsFor forgeCfg.domain) // {
       listen = vhostListen;
       extraConfig = securityHeaders;
       locations."/" = {
@@ -107,7 +129,7 @@ let
   # longer-prefix-wins puts `/_matrix/` ahead of `/`. See
   # `docs/gateway.md`. Empty attrset when matrix has no gateway host.
   matrixVhost = lib.optionalAttrs (matrixCfg.enable && matrixCfg.gatewayHost != null) {
-    "${matrixCfg.gatewayHost}" = vhostTls // {
+    "${matrixCfg.gatewayHost}" = (vhostTlsFor matrixCfg.gatewayHost) // {
       listen = vhostListen;
       extraConfig = securityHeaders;
       locations = {