diff --git a/docs/gateway.md b/docs/gateway.md
index 82eb6c59..e8614a5b 100644
--- a/docs/gateway.md
+++ b/docs/gateway.md
@@ -130,9 +130,11 @@ logical agent name → TCP web port:
 
 Written alongside `agents.conf` on every topology change. Ports come from
 `lifecycle::agent_web_port(name)` — a pure FNV-1a hash of the name,
-reproducible from the name alone. The manager is excluded: the gateway
-routes `/` directly to c0re's dashboard upstream, not through a
-per-agent `/agent/<name>/` prefix.
+reproducible from the name alone. The manager is excluded: it always
+uses a unix socket (`HIVE_WEB_SOCKET` is unconditionally set for the
+manager role), so its TCP port never appears in the fallback map.
+The gateway routes `/agent/root/` to the manager's unix socket via
+`agents.conf` alongside sub-agents.
 
 The file doubles as a human-readable audit artifact — `cat agent-ports.json`
 shows every registered sub-agent and its deterministic port assignment. TCP
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/gateway_nginx.rs b/hive-c0re/src/gateway_nginx.rs
index 06cc2d4d..20a55936 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/gateway_nginx.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/gateway_nginx.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use std::fmt::Write as _;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use crate::agent_sockets;
-use crate::lifecycle::{self, MANAGER_NAME};
+use crate::lifecycle;
 
 const HOST_CONF_PATH: &str = "/var/lib/hyperhive/gateway/agents.conf";
 
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ const PROXY_HEADER_BLOCK: &str = "    proxy_http_version 1.1;
     proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
     proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;";
 
-/// Render the nginx include body for `names`. Manager is filtered out.
+/// Render the nginx include body for `names`. Manager is included so
+/// `/agent/root/` is routable through the gateway.
 ///
 /// When `frontend_dir` is `Some(path)` each agent gets split location
 /// blocks:
@@ -66,9 +67,6 @@ fn render(names: &[String], frontend_dir: Option<&str>) -> String {
          \n# Gateway reloads nginx automatically on each update (systemd path unit).\n",
     );
     for name in names {
-        if name == MANAGER_NAME {
-            continue;
-        }
         let port = lifecycle::agent_web_port(name);
         let upstream = if agent_sockets::ready_marker_for(name).exists() {
             format!(
@@ -235,6 +233,7 @@ fn reload_gateway_nginx() {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use crate::lifecycle::MANAGER_NAME;
 
     // ── legacy mode (frontend_dir = None) ──────────────────────────────
 
@@ -247,13 +246,13 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn render_filters_manager() {
+    fn render_includes_manager() {
         let names: Vec<String> = [MANAGER_NAME, "iris"]
             .iter()
             .map(|s| (*s).to_owned())
             .collect();
         let body = render(&names, None);
-        assert!(!body.contains(&format!("/agent/{MANAGER_NAME}/")));
+        assert!(body.contains(&format!("/agent/{MANAGER_NAME}/")));
         assert!(body.contains("/agent/iris/"));
     }
 
@@ -358,13 +357,13 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn split_mode_filters_manager() {
+    fn split_mode_includes_manager() {
         let names: Vec<String> = [MANAGER_NAME, "iris"]
             .iter()
             .map(|s| (*s).to_owned())
             .collect();
         let body = render(&names, Some(FAKE_FRONTEND));
-        assert!(!body.contains(&format!("/agent/{MANAGER_NAME}/")));
+        assert!(body.contains(&format!("/agent/{MANAGER_NAME}/")));
         assert!(body.contains("/agent/iris/"));
     }