diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/ci_runner.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/ci_runner.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a58f38de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/ci_runner.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+//! hive-ci Forgejo Actions runner registration, driven from hive-c0re.
+//!
+//! Moves the runner-registration forge round-trip OFF the container's
+//! boot-critical path (it was a host-side `hive-ci-prefetch` oneshot that
+//! gated `container@hive-ci` start — see `nix/host-modules/hive-ci.nix`).
+//! hive-c0re holds the forge admin token; here it validates the runner's
+//! existing credentials and, when they're absent or stale, mints a fresh
+//! registration token and hands it to hive-priv, which writes it to the host
+//! env-file the container bind-mounts read-only and restarts the in-container
+//! runner. The admin token never enters the container — only the registration
+//! token does, exactly as the prefetch did.
+
+use anyhow::{Context as _, Result};
+use serde_json::Value;
+
+use super::forge_http_base;
+
+/// Host path to the hive-ci runner's persisted credentials. The container is
+/// non-ephemeral, so `.runner` survives restarts; a present file with a sane
+/// `id` means the runner is already registered.
+const RUNNER_FILE: &str = "/var/lib/nixos-containers/hive-ci/var/lib/gitea-runner/hive/.runner";
+
+/// Whether the operator enabled the CI runner. The nix module sets
+/// `HYPERHIVE_FORGE_CI_ENABLED=1` on `hive-c0re.service` when
+/// `services.hyperhive.forge.ci.enable` is on; absent means CI is off and
+/// there is no hive-ci container to register a runner for.
+fn ci_enabled() -> bool {
+    std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_FORGE_CI_ENABLED").is_ok_and(|v| v == "1" || v.eq_ignore_ascii_case("true"))
+}
+
+/// Ensure the hive-ci runner is registered against the forge. Best-effort:
+/// every failure is logged and swallowed so it never aborts the startup
+/// sweep ([`super::ensure_all`]). No-op when CI is disabled or the runner
+/// already holds valid credentials (so a healthy runner is never restarted).
+pub(super) async fn ensure_ci_runner_registered(core_token: &str) {
+    if !ci_enabled() {
+        return;
+    }
+    // Existing creds still valid on the forge → nothing to do.
+    if let Some(id) = existing_runner_id()
+        && runner_valid(core_token, id).await
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+    // Absent or stale → mint a fresh registration token and hand it to
+    // hive-priv (root) to write the env-file + restart the runner.
+    match fetch_registration_token(core_token).await {
+        Ok(token) => {
+            if let Err(e) = crate::priv_client::register_ci_runner(&token).await {
+                tracing::warn!(error = ?e, "ci runner: hive-priv register_ci_runner failed");
+            } else {
+                tracing::info!("ci runner: registered hive-ci runner with a fresh token");
+            }
+        }
+        Err(e) => tracing::warn!(error = ?e, "ci runner: fetch registration token failed"),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Parse the runner id from the persisted `.runner` JSON, if present and sane
+/// (a `0` id is the gitea-runner "unregistered" sentinel).
+fn existing_runner_id() -> Option<u64> {
+    let raw = std::fs::read_to_string(RUNNER_FILE).ok()?;
+    let json: Value = serde_json::from_str(&raw).ok()?;
+    let id = json.get("id")?.as_u64()?;
+    (id != 0).then_some(id)
+}
+
+/// `GET /admin/runners/{id}` — `true` iff the runner still exists on the forge
+/// (HTTP 200). A 404 (deleted from the admin panel) or any other status means
+/// re-registration is needed. A transport error (forge unreachable) is treated
+/// as "keep the existing creds" so a network blip never wipes a valid runner.
+async fn runner_valid(core_token: &str, id: u64) -> bool {
+    let url = format!("{}/api/v1/admin/runners/{id}", forge_http_base());
+    match reqwest::Client::new()
+        .get(&url)
+        .header("Authorization", format!("token {core_token}"))
+        .send()
+        .await
+    {
+        Ok(resp) => resp.status().is_success(),
+        Err(e) => {
+            tracing::warn!(error = ?e, "ci runner: validation request failed; keeping existing creds");
+            true
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// `GET /admin/runners/registration-token` — mint a fresh registration token.
+/// forgejo-api (0.11) doesn't wrap this endpoint, so this is a raw request
+/// against the local HTTP forge ([`forge_http_base`]), mirroring the prefetch's
+/// former curl; Forgejo accepts `Authorization: token <admin>`.
+async fn fetch_registration_token(core_token: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    let url = format!(
+        "{}/api/v1/admin/runners/registration-token",
+        forge_http_base()
+    );
+    let resp = reqwest::Client::new()
+        .get(&url)
+        .header("Authorization", format!("token {core_token}"))
+        .send()
+        .await
+        .context("GET admin/runners/registration-token")?;
+    let status = resp.status();
+    let json: Value = resp
+        .json()
+        .await
+        .context("parse registration-token response")?;
+    if !status.is_success() {
+        anyhow::bail!("registration-token HTTP {status}: {json}");
+    }
+    json.get("token")
+        .and_then(Value::as_str)
+        .map(str::to_owned)
+        .context("registration-token response missing 'token' field")
+}
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
index b54a661a..f18fca49 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 //! collaborator access to for operator-curated shared content.
 //! No-op when `hive-forge` isn't running. Full design: `docs/forge.md`.
 
+mod ci_runner;
 pub mod config_pr_poll;
 mod pr_merge;
 mod repos;
@@ -266,6 +267,9 @@ pub async fn ensure_all() {
         if let Err(e) = ensure_config_org_avatar(token).await {
             tracing::warn!(error = ?e, "forge: ensure_config_org_avatar failed");
         }
+        // Register the hive-ci Actions runner (off the container's boot path;
+        // no-op when CI is disabled or the runner already holds valid creds).
+        ci_runner::ensure_ci_runner_registered(token).await;
     }
     let Ok(containers) = crate::lifecycle::list().await else {
         tracing::warn!("forge: nixos-container list failed; skipping user sweep");