diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs b/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs
index 143e0657..8cd2ec63 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 name,
                 password,
                 password_stdin,
-            } => forge_create_user(&name, password.as_deref(), password_stdin).await,
+            } => forge_create_user(&socket, &name, password.as_deref(), password_stdin).await,
         },
         Cmd::Matrix { cmd } => run_matrix_cmd(&socket, cmd).await,
         Cmd::Github { cmd } => match cmd {
@@ -1258,38 +1258,42 @@ async fn github_set_token(agent: &str, token: Option<String>, token_stdin: bool)
     Ok(())
 }
 
-async fn forge_create_user(name: &str, password: Option<&str>, password_stdin: bool) -> Result<()> {
-    if !hive_c0re::forge::is_present().await {
+async fn forge_create_user(
+    socket: &Path,
+    name: &str,
+    password: Option<&str>,
+    password_stdin: bool,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    // Resolve the password client-side (inline flag or stdin read); the
+    // daemon never touches this process's stdin. The is-present check, the
+    // agent-vs-operator branch, and token persistence now live in the
+    // daemon handler.
+    let password = resolve_password(password, password_stdin)?;
+    forge_request(
+        socket,
+        hive_host_sock::HostRequest::ForgeCreateUser {
+            name: name.to_owned(),
+            password,
+        },
+    )
+    .await
+}
+
+/// Send a forge provisioning request to the daemon and print its result
+/// lines. Mirrors [`matrix_request`] — the daemon owns the provisioning
+/// logic; hivectl just relays the outcome.
+async fn forge_request(socket: &Path, req: hive_host_sock::HostRequest) -> Result<()> {
+    let resp = hive_c0re::client::request(socket, req)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("connect to daemon socket {}", socket.display()))?;
+    if !resp.ok {
         bail!(
-            "hive-forge container not running — wait for hive-c0re to start it before provisioning forge users"
+            "forge: {}",
+            resp.error.as_deref().unwrap_or("unknown error")
         );
     }
-    let user_password = resolve_password(password, password_stdin)?;
-    if agent_exists(name)? {
-        if user_password.is_some() {
-            bail!(
-                "forge create-user: --password / --password-stdin is for non-agent (operator) accounts only; '{name}' is an agent which authenticates via API token"
-            );
-        }
-        hive_c0re::forge::ensure_user_for(name)
-            .await
-            .with_context(|| format!("forge create-user {name}"))?;
-        let path = Coordinator::agent_notes_dir(name).join("forge-token");
-        println!("forge: provisioned agent user '{name}'");
-        println!("token persisted at: {}", path.display());
-    } else {
-        let token = hive_c0re::forge::provision_user_token(name, user_password.as_deref())
-            .await
-            .with_context(|| format!("forge create-user {name}"))?;
-        println!("forge: provisioned user '{name}' (not an agent — token not persisted)");
-        println!("token: {token}");
-        if password.is_some() || password_stdin {
-            println!("password: set as supplied — use it to log into the forge web UI");
-        } else {
-            println!(
-                "password: random throwaway (not surfaced — pass --password or --password-stdin to set one you can use)"
-            );
-        }
+    for line in &resp.messages {
+        println!("{line}");
     }
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
index 5e88d8a1..6a5d1bc4 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@ async fn dispatch(req: &HostRequest, coord: Arc<Coordinator>) -> HostResponse {
             HostRequest::MatrixInvite { user, room } => {
                 handle_matrix_invite(user, room.as_deref()).await?
             }
+            HostRequest::ForgeCreateUser { name, password } => {
+                handle_forge_create_user(name, password.as_deref()).await?
+            }
         })
     }
     .await;
@@ -346,6 +349,46 @@ async fn handle_matrix_create_user(name: &str, password: Option<&str>) -> Result
     Ok(HostResponse::messages(out))
 }
 
+async fn handle_forge_create_user(name: &str, password: Option<&str>) -> Result<HostResponse> {
+    if !crate::forge::is_present().await {
+        anyhow::bail!(
+            "hive-forge container not running — wait for hive-c0re to start it before provisioning forge users"
+        );
+    }
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    if agent_exists(name)? {
+        if password.is_some() {
+            // Agents authenticate by API token, never by password — refuse
+            // rather than silently dropping a supplied one.
+            anyhow::bail!(
+                "forge create-user: a password is for non-agent (operator) accounts only; '{name}' is an agent which authenticates via API token"
+            );
+        }
+        crate::forge::ensure_user_for(name)
+            .await
+            .with_context(|| format!("forge create-user {name}"))?;
+        let path = Coordinator::agent_notes_dir(name).join("forge-token");
+        out.push(format!("forge: provisioned agent user '{name}'"));
+        out.push(format!("token persisted at: {}", path.display()));
+    } else {
+        let token = crate::forge::provision_user_token(name, password)
+            .await
+            .with_context(|| format!("forge create-user {name}"))?;
+        out.push(format!(
+            "forge: provisioned user '{name}' (not an agent — token not persisted)"
+        ));
+        out.push(format!("token: {token}"));
+        if password.is_some() {
+            out.push("password: set as supplied — use it to log into the forge web UI".to_owned());
+        } else {
+            out.push(
+                "password: random throwaway (not surfaced — pass --password or --password-stdin to set one you can use)".to_owned(),
+            );
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(HostResponse::messages(out))
+}
+
 async fn handle_matrix_sync_admin() -> Result<HostResponse> {
     require_matrix_present().await?;
     let register_token =
diff --git a/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs b/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
index b55581fc..a375505f 100644
--- a/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
+++ b/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
@@ -147,6 +147,17 @@ pub enum HostRequest {
         #[serde(default)]
         room: Option<String>,
     },
+    /// Create or refresh a forge account + API token for `name`. Daemon-side
+    /// equivalent of `hivectl forge create-user`: for an existing agent it
+    /// provisions the account and persists the token to `<notes>/forge-token`;
+    /// for a non-agent (operator/human) it mints a user and returns the token
+    /// in [`HostResponse::messages`]. `password` is resolved client-side
+    /// (inline flag or stdin) and only meaningful for non-agent accounts.
+    ForgeCreateUser {
+        name: String,
+        #[serde(default)]
+        password: Option<String>,
+    },
 }
 
 /// Selects which container classes a hive-wide [`HostRequest::Stop`] /