diff --git a/nix/modules/hive-forge.nix b/nix/modules/hive-forge.nix
index d11a432..b35ea33 100644
--- a/nix/modules/hive-forge.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/hive-forge.nix
@@ -8,21 +8,24 @@ let
   cfg = config.services.hive-forge;
 in
 {
-  # Thin wrapper around `services.forgejo` with hyperhive-friendly
-  # defaults: sqlite (no extra service to manage), built-in SSH on a
-  # non-22 port so it doesn't fight the host's sshd, registration off
-  # (agents get accounts seeded out of band), and ports opened in the
-  # firewall.
+  # Private Forgejo for hyperhive agents, wrapped in a nixos-container
+  # so it doesn't fight any `services.forgejo` the operator already
+  # runs on the host. The container shares the host network namespace
+  # (`privateNetwork = false`) so agents reach the forge at
+  # `http://localhost:<httpPort>` without any extra plumbing —
+  # nixos-container is just here for state + systemd-unit isolation,
+  # not network isolation.
   #
-  # Forge wiring into the agent containers is intentionally out of
-  # scope here — containers already share the host network namespace,
-  # so once this module is enabled an agent can reach the forge at
-  # http://localhost:<httpPort> without any extra bind mount. The MCP
-  # tool surface (open PR, list repos, etc.) lives in a separate
-  # follow-up that the operator opts into per agent.
+  # Container name is `hive-forge` (not `h-*`), so hive-c0re's
+  # lifecycle scanner ignores it; the operator manages it via the
+  # standard `nixos-container` CLI.
+  #
+  # State lives at `/var/lib/nixos-containers/hive-forge/var/lib/forgejo/`
+  # and survives container restart / host reboot. To wipe, destroy the
+  # container.
 
   options.services.hive-forge = {
-    enable = lib.mkEnableOption "hive-forge — private Forgejo instance for hyperhive agents";
+    enable = lib.mkEnableOption "hive-forge — private Forgejo (in a nixos-container) for hyperhive agents";
 
     httpPort = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.port;
@@ -30,7 +33,8 @@ in
       description = ''
         TCP port the forge serves HTTP on. Default 3000 sits outside
         hyperhive's claimed ranges (dashboard 7000, manager 8000,
-        sub-agents 8100..8999) so they don't collide.
+        sub-agents 8100..8999). Change this if you already have
+        another forgejo bound to 3000.
       '';
     };
 
@@ -49,10 +53,10 @@ in
       default = "localhost";
       example = "forge.internal";
       description = ''
-        Hostname agents and operator dial the forge by. `localhost` is
-        fine for a single-host setup since containers share the host
-        netns; set a real hostname when you want clones from outside
-        the host to look canonical.
+        Hostname used in repo clone URLs the forge advertises. The
+        container shares host netns so `localhost` works for any
+        agent on the same host; set a real hostname when you want
+        clones from outside the host to look canonical.
       '';
     };
 
@@ -60,44 +64,58 @@ in
       type = lib.types.bool;
       default = true;
       description = ''
-        Open `httpPort` + `sshPort` in the host firewall. Off when the
-        forge should only be reachable from inside the host (the
-        forge listens on all interfaces either way; this just gates
-        external access).
+        Open `httpPort` + `sshPort` in the host firewall. Off when
+        the forge should only be reachable from inside the host.
+        (The container shares host netns, so this is the only
+        firewall layer that matters.)
       '';
     };
   };
 
   config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
-    services.forgejo = {
-      enable = true;
-      database.type = "sqlite3";
-      lfs.enable = true;
-      settings = {
-        server = {
-          DOMAIN = cfg.domain;
-          ROOT_URL = "http://${cfg.domain}:${toString cfg.httpPort}/";
-          HTTP_PORT = cfg.httpPort;
-          START_SSH_SERVER = true;
-          SSH_PORT = cfg.sshPort;
-          SSH_LISTEN_PORT = cfg.sshPort;
-          BUILTIN_SSH_SERVER_USER = "git";
-          DISABLE_SSH = false;
+    containers.hive-forge = {
+      autoStart = true;
+      ephemeral = false;
+      # Share host netns — forgejo's HTTP / SSH listeners then look
+      # exactly like a host-side service, no port forwarding dance,
+      # and agent containers (which also share host netns) reach it
+      # via plain `localhost`.
+      privateNetwork = false;
+      config =
+        { pkgs, ... }:
+        {
+          system.stateVersion = "25.11";
+          services.forgejo = {
+            enable = true;
+            database.type = "sqlite3";
+            lfs.enable = true;
+            settings = {
+              server = {
+                DOMAIN = cfg.domain;
+                ROOT_URL = "http://${cfg.domain}:${toString cfg.httpPort}/";
+                HTTP_PORT = cfg.httpPort;
+                START_SSH_SERVER = true;
+                SSH_PORT = cfg.sshPort;
+                SSH_LISTEN_PORT = cfg.sshPort;
+                BUILTIN_SSH_SERVER_USER = "git";
+                DISABLE_SSH = false;
+              };
+              # Registration off — operator seeds agent users via
+              # `nixos-container run hive-forge -- forgejo admin
+              # user create …`.
+              service = {
+                DISABLE_REGISTRATION = true;
+                REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW = false;
+              };
+              repository = {
+                DEFAULT_BRANCH = "main";
+                DEFAULT_PRIVATE = "private";
+              };
+              log.LEVEL = "Warn";
+            };
+          };
+          environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.forgejo ];
         };
-        # Registration off — operator creates agent users via
-        # `forgejo admin user create` (or the API once seeded).
-        # Agents that need access get a dedicated account + token.
-        service = {
-          DISABLE_REGISTRATION = true;
-          REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW = false;
-        };
-        repository = {
-          DEFAULT_BRANCH = "main";
-          DEFAULT_PRIVATE = "private";
-        };
-        # Quiet logs at idle; bump when debugging.
-        log.LEVEL = "Warn";
-      };
     };
 
     networking.firewall = lib.mkIf cfg.openFirewall {
@@ -106,11 +124,5 @@ in
         cfg.sshPort
       ];
     };
-
-    # Convenience: drop the forgejo CLI on the host PATH so the
-    # operator can `forgejo admin user create …` without hunting for
-    # the wrapped binary. The forgejo service runs as its own user;
-    # admin commands need `sudo -u forgejo`.
-    environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.forgejo ];
   };
 }