diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c5f36cf8..1b638514 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Minimal `flake.nix` for a host that runs hive-c0re:
     nixosConfigurations.my-host = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
       system = "x86_64-linux";
       modules = [
-        hyperhive.nixosModules.default  # hive-c0re + hive-forge in one import
+        hyperhive.nixosModules.default  # hive-c0re + hive-forge + hive-gateway in one import
         ({ ... }: {
           services.hyperhive.enable = true;
           # services.hyperhive.c0re.operatorPronouns = "they/them";  # default: "she/her"
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ manager container, and auto-rebuilds any container whose hyperhive
 rev goes stale. `claude-code` is unfree — hyperhive scopes the
 whitelist to itself, nothing for the operator to set.
 
+Optional: set `services.hyperhive.gateway.enable = false;` to bypass
+the default nginx in front. By default (`gateway.enable = true`) every
+request hits a small nginx in its own nixos-container that proxies
+to hive-c0re's dashboard on the upstream port; `/matrix/` is served
+directly from `services.hyperhive.matrix.gui.package` when the matrix
+GUI is on. v0 is HTTP-only (TLS lives in a follow-up); pair with
+`services.hyperhive.gateway.localHostsEntry = true;` for local dev so
+`http://<services.hyperhive.domain>` resolves to the host without
+setting up real DNS.
+
 Optional: set `services.hyperhive.c0re.preBuildAgentTemplates = true;`
 to pre-fetch the per-container system closures into your host's
 /nix/store as part of `nixos-rebuild`. First-agent-spawn then
diff --git a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
index 8d1630e6..19863253 100644
--- a/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
+++ b/nix/modules/hive-c0re.nix
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ in
   # is set before it can be enabled.
   imports = [
     ./hive-forge.nix
+    ./hive-gateway.nix
     ./hive-matrix.nix
   ];
 
@@ -230,14 +231,12 @@ in
         # Agents poll this URL for Forgejo notifications. Derived from
         # services.hyperhive.forge.{domain,httpPort} so it tracks forge config changes.
         HIVE_FORGE_URL = "http://${config.services.hyperhive.forge.domain}:${toString config.services.hyperhive.forge.httpPort}";
-      }
-      // lib.optionalAttrs config.services.hyperhive.matrix.gui.enable {
-        # Optional matrix-GUI static dist mounted at /matrix/ by the
-        # dashboard router (#607 v0). Pre-#15 / pre-nginx-front: this is
-        # the simplest same-origin shape — fluffychat-web ships as a
-        # static dist, no runtime daemon needed.
-        HIVE_MATRIX_GUI_DIR = "${config.services.hyperhive.matrix.gui.package}";
       };
+      # Matrix GUI static serving lives entirely on the hive-gateway
+      # nginx since #609 — when gateway is off the operator opts out
+      # of matrix-GUI serving entirely (mara on PR #620: "if you
+      # disable gateway you have to static host that yourself
+      # somewhere"). c0re no longer touches /matrix/.
       serviceConfig = {
         ExecStart = "${cfg.package}/bin/hive-c0re --socket /run/hyperhive/host.sock serve --hyperhive-flake ${cfg.hyperhiveFlake} --dashboard-port ${toString cfg.dashboardPort} --operator-pronouns ${lib.escapeShellArg cfg.operatorPronouns} --context-window-tokens ${lib.escapeShellArg (builtins.toJSON cfg.contextWindowTokens)}";
         Restart = "on-failure";
diff --git a/nix/modules/hive-gateway.nix b/nix/modules/hive-gateway.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c4c288c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/modules/hive-gateway.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+{
+  pkgs,
+  lib,
+  config,
+  ...
+}:
+let
+  cfg = config.services.hyperhive.gateway;
+  hyperhiveDomain = config.services.hyperhive.domain;
+  matrixCfg = config.services.hyperhive.matrix;
+in
+{
+  # Single nginx in front of every hyperhive surface (#609 / #15 v0).
+  # Lives in its own nixos-container (like hive-forge / hive-matrix) so
+  # the operator can opt out without touching the host's own nginx, and
+  # so the static-serve responsibility for the matrix GUI moves off
+  # hive-c0re's axum router. Shares host netns so `localhost`
+  # upstream resolution works without any port-forward dance.
+  #
+  # Routes (v0):
+  #   `location /matrix/` → static-serve fluffychat-web dist (when
+  #                          `services.hyperhive.matrix.gui.enable` is true)
+  #   `location /`        → proxy_pass to hive-c0re's dashboard upstream
+  #
+  # Container name `hive-gateway` keeps hive-c0re's lifecycle scanner
+  # (which only sees `h-*`) out of the picture. State-free — nginx
+  # config lives in the nix store, no runtime persistence to manage.
+
+  options.services.hyperhive.gateway = {
+    enable = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = true;
+      description = ''
+        Run hive-gateway — a single nginx in front of every hyperhive
+        surface. On by default: the gateway hosts the matrix GUI static
+        dist (when `services.hyperhive.matrix.gui.enable` is true) and
+        proxies everything else to hive-c0re's dashboard upstream. Set
+        `services.hyperhive.gateway.enable = false` to bypass nginx
+        entirely and reach hive-c0re directly on its dashboard port
+        (7000 by default).
+
+        v0 is HTTP-only; TLS / public-domain shape is tracked
+        separately.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    port = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.port;
+      default = 80;
+      example = 8080;
+      description = ''
+        TCP port the gateway listens on. Default 80 (canonical web
+        port). nginx inside the container binds <1024 because the
+        container's init runs as root; if 80 is already taken on the
+        host (existing nginx, traefik, etc.) override to an unused
+        port like 8080 or move the conflicting service.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    upstreamHost = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.str;
+      default = "127.0.0.1";
+      description = ''
+        Host the gateway proxies non-static requests to. Defaults to
+        `127.0.0.1` because the gateway container shares the host
+        netns, so loopback resolves directly to hive-c0re.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    upstreamPort = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.port;
+      default = 7000;
+      description = ''
+        TCP port the gateway proxies non-static requests to. Defaults
+        to `7000` (hive-c0re's out-of-the-box dashboard port). Operators
+        who change `services.hyperhive.c0re.dashboardPort` should set
+        `upstreamPort` to match — kept as a hardcoded default rather
+        than a cross-reference to keep this module's options eval
+        independent of c0re's option tree shape.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    openFirewall = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = true;
+      description = ''
+        Open `port` in the host firewall. Off when the gateway should
+        only be reachable from inside the host (e.g. behind another
+        reverse proxy that handles TLS termination).
+      '';
+    };
+
+    localHostsEntry = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = false;
+      example = true;
+      description = ''
+        Add an `/etc/hosts` entry mapping `services.hyperhive.domain`
+        to `127.0.0.1` on the host. Useful for local deployments +
+        tests where there's no real DNS for `services.hyperhive.domain`
+        but the operator (or browser-based tests) want to hit
+        `http://''${services.hyperhive.domain}` to exercise the
+        gateway shape. Off by default — operators running with real
+        DNS shouldn't have a stale `/etc/hosts` entry sticking
+        around. Requires `services.hyperhive.domain` to be set.
+      '';
+    };
+  };
+
+  config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
+    assertions = [
+      {
+        assertion = !cfg.localHostsEntry || hyperhiveDomain != null;
+        message = ''
+          services.hyperhive.gateway.localHostsEntry = true requires
+          services.hyperhive.domain to be set. Either pin a hostname
+          or leave `localHostsEntry` at its default of false.
+        '';
+      }
+    ];
+
+    containers.hive-gateway = {
+      autoStart = true;
+      ephemeral = false;
+      # Share host netns — nginx then binds host-level ports directly,
+      # `localhost` upstream resolution reaches hive-c0re without any
+      # port-forward dance, and the firewall config below is the only
+      # layer that matters.
+      privateNetwork = false;
+      config =
+        { pkgs, ... }:
+        {
+          system.stateVersion = "26.05";
+          services.nginx = {
+            enable = true;
+            recommendedProxySettings = true;
+            recommendedOptimisation = true;
+            virtualHosts."_" = {
+              listen = [
+                {
+                  addr = "0.0.0.0";
+                  port = cfg.port;
+                }
+              ];
+              locations =
+                # Matrix GUI: when the operator has flipped both
+                # `services.hyperhive.matrix.enable` and `matrix.gui.enable`
+                # on, nginx serves fluffychat-web (or whatever override)
+                # as a static dist at `/matrix/`. fluffychat is a SPA
+                # — fall back to its index.html on deep links.
+                lib.optionalAttrs (matrixCfg.enable && matrixCfg.gui.enable) {
+                  "/matrix/" = {
+                    alias = "${matrixCfg.gui.package}/";
+                    extraConfig = ''
+                      try_files $uri $uri/ /matrix/index.html;
+                    '';
+                  };
+                }
+                // {
+                  # Everything else proxies to hive-c0re. Upgrade
+                  # headers stay set so SSE (`/dashboard/stream`,
+                  # `/events/stream`) + websocket (`/screen/ws`)
+                  # endpoints keep working transparently.
+                  "/" = {
+                    proxyPass = "http://${cfg.upstreamHost}:${toString cfg.upstreamPort}";
+                    proxyWebsockets = true;
+                    extraConfig = ''
+                      proxy_buffering off;
+                      proxy_read_timeout 1d;
+                    '';
+                  };
+                };
+            };
+          };
+        };
+    };
+
+    networking.firewall = lib.mkIf cfg.openFirewall {
+      allowedTCPPorts = [ cfg.port ];
+    };
+
+    networking.hosts = lib.mkIf (cfg.localHostsEntry && hyperhiveDomain != null) {
+      "127.0.0.1" = [ hyperhiveDomain ];
+    };
+  };
+}