diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs b/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
index 23fa8de5..e2140da0 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn resolve_approval_dag(
     let mut terminal_tag = None;
     match approval.kind {
         ApprovalKind::Spawn => {
-            // Post-spawn forge bookkeeping (user, config repo mirror, meta
+            // Post-spawn forge bookkeeping (config repo mirror, meta
             // access) — warn-only, then the resolution events + a rescan so
             // the dashboard reflects the post-spawn state either way.
             if result.is_ok() {
@@ -605,13 +605,10 @@ fn fetch_approval_for_worker(
 }
 
 /// Forge bookkeeping run once after the very first container spawn:
-/// create the per-agent forge user, mirror the applied repo, and grant
-/// read access to core/meta. Also rescans containers so the dashboard
-/// reflects the post-spawn state.
+/// mirror the applied repo and grant read access to core/meta. The
+/// agent's forge user and token are swarm-controller's, not this
+/// hive's. Also rescans containers so the dashboard reflects the post-spawn state.
 async fn forge_after_first_spawn(coord: &Arc<Coordinator>, agent: &str) {
-    if let Err(e) = crate::forge::ensure_user_for(agent).await {
-        tracing::warn!(%agent, error = ?e, "forge: ensure_user after first spawn failed");
-    }
     if let Err(e) = crate::forge::ensure_config_repo(agent).await {
         tracing::warn!(%agent, error = ?e, "forge: ensure_config_repo after first spawn failed");
     }
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
index 89ca413d..e79e1d65 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//! Optional Forgejo wiring — per-agent user + token provisioning,
+//! Optional Forgejo wiring — per-agent account alignment,
 //! config-repo mirroring, meta read-access grants. Also seeds
 //! `internal/docs` — a private repo every agent gets read-only
 //! collaborator access to for operator-curated shared content.
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ pub use repos::{
     ensure_meta_remote, ensure_repo, ensure_shared_docs_repo, fast_forward_applied_main,
     fetch_config_main_into_applied, meta_read_access, push_config, push_meta, shared_docs_access,
 };
-pub use users::{core_token, ensure_user_for, provision_user_token};
+pub use users::{core_token, provision_user_token};
 
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
@@ -212,9 +212,9 @@ pub(crate) fn api(token: &str) -> Result<Forgejo> {
     Forgejo::new(Auth::Token(token), url).context("build forgejo api client")
 }
 
-/// Per-agent forge sync: ensure the agent has a forgejo user + token,
-/// a mirrored config repo, read access to `core/meta`, and the `meta`
-/// remote in its proposed repo. All operations are idempotent; failures
+/// Per-agent forge sync: align the agent's forge account (email,
+/// repo-creation lockdown), mirror its config repo, grant read access
+/// to `core/meta`, and wire the `meta` remote in its proposed repo. All operations are idempotent; failures
 /// are logged as warnings but don't abort the caller.
 ///
 /// `core_token` is `core_token()` — passed in so callers that already
@@ -228,11 +228,10 @@ pub(crate) fn api(token: &str) -> Result<Forgejo> {
 /// dashboard warning (see [`ensure_all`]); the rebuild path ignores it and
 /// relies on the journal `warn!` lines alone (a rebuild is its own retry).
 pub async fn sync_agent(name: &str, core_token: Option<&str>) -> bool {
+    // The agent's forge user and token are swarm-controller's now
+    // (`MintAgentForgeToken`); this hive no longer creates or re-mints
+    // either.
     let mut ok = true;
-    if let Err(e) = ensure_user_for(name).await {
-        tracing::warn!(%name, error = ?e, "forge: ensure_user failed");
-        ok = false;
-    }
     // Align email to match the git user.email set by meta::render_flake
     // so commits link to the agent's Forgejo profile. Best-effort;
     // also patches up agents created before this fix (old @hive.local).
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/users.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/users.rs
index 2bc6be80..fc36a113 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/users.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/users.rs
@@ -313,8 +313,8 @@ pub(super) async fn ensure_repo_creation_disabled(name: &str) {
 /// a monotonic clock so re-issuing doesn't collide with an existing
 /// token of the same name in the DB. `scopes` is the scope string
 /// passed to `forgejo admin user generate-access-token --scopes`;
-/// use `TOKEN_SCOPES` for agents, `CORE_TOKEN_SCOPES` for the
-/// bootstrap `core` user.
+/// use `TOKEN_SCOPES` for `hivectl forge create-user` accounts and
+/// `CORE_TOKEN_SCOPES` for the bootstrap `core` user.
 async fn mint_token(name: &str, scopes: &str) -> Result<String> {
     let token_name = format!(
         "{TOKEN_NAME_PREFIX}-{}",
@@ -349,16 +349,6 @@ async fn mint_token(name: &str, scopes: &str) -> Result<String> {
     Ok(token)
 }
 
-/// Mint a fresh Forgejo access token for an agent and write it to the
-/// agent's state dir via hive-priv. hive-c0re runs unprivileged and
-/// cannot write to agent-owned (0755) state directories directly.
-async fn mint_and_persist_agent_token(name: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let token = mint_token(name, TOKEN_SCOPES).await?;
-    crate::priv_client::write_agent_forge_token(name, &token)
-        .await
-        .with_context(|| format!("write forge-token for {name} via hive-priv"))
-}
-
 /// Mint a fresh Forgejo access token for the `core` admin user and
 /// write it directly to `path`. Unlike agent tokens this path is owned
 /// by hive-c0re itself (under `/var/lib/hyperhive/`), so a direct
@@ -376,24 +366,11 @@ async fn mint_and_persist_core_token(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-/// Ensure `name` has a forgejo user + token file. Always re-mints the
-/// token so the on-disk file always reflects the current `TOKEN_SCOPES`.
-/// Safe to call on every spawn and on every hive-c0re startup.
-pub async fn ensure_user_for(name: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    if !is_present().await {
-        return Ok(());
-    }
-    ensure_user_exists(name, false, None).await?;
-    ensure_user_email(name).await;
-    mint_and_persist_agent_token(name).await
-}
-
 /// Provision a forgejo user for `name` and return the freshly-minted
-/// token. Unlike [`ensure_user_for`], the token is **not** persisted to
-/// disk — the caller is responsible for storing it. Used by `hivectl
-/// forge create-user` for human (non-agent) accounts so we don't create
-/// stray `/var/lib/hyperhive/agents/<name>/` directories for users that
-/// aren't agents.
+/// token, which is **not** persisted to disk — the caller is responsible
+/// for storing it. Used by `hivectl forge create-user` for human
+/// (non-agent) accounts. Agent tokens are minted by swarm-controller
+/// (`swarm-controller/src/forge/agent_token.rs`), not here.
 ///
 /// `password` picks the account password. `None` keeps the existing
 /// random-throwaway shape (caller doesn't need web UI access — token
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/priv_client.rs b/hive-c0re/src/priv_client.rs
index 978c3ad6..4ef99842 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/priv_client.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/priv_client.rs
@@ -361,18 +361,6 @@ pub async fn set_agent_paused(agent_name: &str, paused: bool) -> Result<()> {
     .await?)
 }
 
-/// Write the Forgejo access token for `agent_name` to
-/// `<agent_state_root>/<agent_name>/state/forge-token` via hive-priv
-/// (running as root). The file is written 0600 and chowned to the agent
-/// user so it is readable from inside the agent container.
-pub async fn write_agent_forge_token(agent_name: &str, token: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    ok(call(&PrivRequest::WriteAgentForgeToken {
-        agent_name: agent_name.to_owned(),
-        token: token.to_owned(),
-    })
-    .await?)
-}
-
 /// Write a Matrix access token for `agent_name` via hive-priv (running as
 /// root). `account: None` writes the hive-internal
 /// `<state>/matrix-token`; `account: Some(name)` writes
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
index 0d0e3440..f2c4b389 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
@@ -600,36 +600,30 @@ async fn handle_forge_create_user(
             "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.as_str())
-            .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()));
+        // An agent's forge user and token are swarm-controller's: it mints
+        // the token into the swarm secret store and the agent fetches it
+        // from there. A hive-minted token would be one the swarm neither
+        // tracks nor rotates.
+        anyhow::bail!(
+            "forge create-user: '{name}' is an agent; its forge token is minted by \
+             swarm-controller — run `swarmctl agent mint-forge-token {name}` on the \
+             controller host"
+        );
+    }
+    let token = crate::forge::provision_user_token(name.as_str(), password)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("forge create-user {name}"))?;
+    let mut out = vec![
+        format!("forge: provisioned user '{name}' (not an agent — token not persisted)"),
+        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 {
-        let token = crate::forge::provision_user_token(name.as_str(), 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(),
-            );
-        }
+        out.push(
+            "password: random throwaway (not surfaced — pass --password or --password-stdin to set one you can use)".to_owned(),
+        );
     }
     Ok(HostResponse::messages(out))
 }
diff --git a/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs b/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
index 2e9dcae0..d7263bfb 100644
--- a/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
+++ b/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
@@ -316,10 +316,10 @@ pub enum HostRequest {
         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
+    /// equivalent of `hivectl forge create-user`: for a non-agent
+    /// (operator/human) it mints a user and returns the token in
+    /// [`HostResponse::messages`]. An existing agent is refused: its token is
+    /// swarm-controller's to mint. `password` is resolved client-side
     /// (inline flag or stdin) and only meaningful for non-agent accounts.
     ForgeCreateUser {
         name: Ident,
diff --git a/hive-priv-sock/src/lib.rs b/hive-priv-sock/src/lib.rs
index 60dfdcd2..8fa577c4 100644
--- a/hive-priv-sock/src/lib.rs
+++ b/hive-priv-sock/src/lib.rs
@@ -468,19 +468,6 @@ pub enum PrivRequest {
     },
 
     // --- Agent credential writes ---
-    /// Write `forge-token` into `AGENT_STATE_ROOT/<agent_name>/state/forge-token`.
-    ///
-    /// hive-priv validates `agent_name`, creates the state dir if absent,
-    /// writes the file 0600, and chowns it to the state dir's owner so
-    /// the agent process can read it. Required because hive-c0re runs
-    /// unprivileged and cannot write to agent-owned state directories.
-    WriteAgentForgeToken {
-        /// Logical agent name (validated by `validate_agent_name`).
-        agent_name: String,
-        /// Token value. hive-priv appends a trailing newline before writing.
-        token: String,
-    },
-
     /// Write a matrix access token into the agent's state dir. With
     /// `account: None` it targets the hive-internal `matrix-token`; with
     /// `account: Some(name)` it targets `matrix-token-<name>` for an extra
@@ -488,8 +475,10 @@ pub enum PrivRequest {
     /// `account` suffix as plain identifiers before building the path, so a
     /// crafted account name cannot traverse out of the state dir.
     ///
-    /// Same write semantics as `WriteAgentForgeToken` — validates names,
-    /// creates dir, writes 0600, chowns to agent owner.
+    /// hive-priv validates the names, creates the state dir if absent,
+    /// writes the file 0600, and chowns it to the state dir's owner so the
+    /// agent process can read it. Required because hive-c0re runs
+    /// unprivileged and cannot write to agent-owned state directories.
     WriteAgentMatrixToken {
         /// Logical agent name (validated by `validate_agent_name`).
         agent_name: String,
@@ -512,7 +501,7 @@ pub enum PrivRequest {
     /// The operator-supplied GitHub personal access token (PAT) for the
     /// agent's GitHub integration (`services.hyperhive.agent.github.enable`). Same write
     /// semantics as
-    /// `WriteAgentForgeToken` — validates `agent_name`, creates the state dir
+    /// `WriteAgentMatrixToken` — validates `agent_name`, creates the state dir
     /// if absent, writes the file 0600, and chowns it to the agent so the
     /// `gh` wrapper / git credential helper can read it. No account suffix
     /// (single GitHub account per agent).
@@ -534,7 +523,7 @@ pub enum PrivRequest {
     /// `label` MUST be validated as a plain identifier (same rule as the
     /// matrix `account` suffix) before it goes into the filename — a
     /// crafted label could otherwise traverse out of the state dir. Same
-    /// write semantics as `WriteAgentForgeToken` — validates `agent_name`,
+    /// write semantics as `WriteAgentMatrixToken` — validates `agent_name`,
     /// creates the state dir if absent, writes both files 0600, chowns to
     /// the agent.
     WriteAgentExtraForgeAccount {
diff --git a/hive-priv/src/main.rs b/hive-priv/src/main.rs
index 5a1be8d5..66358cb6 100644
--- a/hive-priv/src/main.rs
+++ b/hive-priv/src/main.rs
@@ -403,11 +403,6 @@ async fn exec(
             paused,
         } => exec_set_agent_paused(agent_name, paused),
 
-        PrivRequest::WriteAgentForgeToken {
-            ref agent_name,
-            ref token,
-        } => write_forge_token(agent_name, token),
-
         PrivRequest::WriteAgentMatrixToken {
             ref agent_name,
             ref token,
@@ -619,12 +614,6 @@ fn exec_set_agent_paused(agent_name: &str, paused: bool) -> Result<(String, Stri
     set_agent_paused(agent_name, paused)
 }
 
-/// `WriteAgentForgeToken`.
-fn write_forge_token(agent_name: &str, token: &str) -> Result<(String, String)> {
-    validate_agent_name(agent_name)?;
-    write_agent_state_file(agent_name, "forge-token", &format!("{token}\n"))
-}
-
 /// `WriteAgentGithubToken`.
 fn write_github_token(agent_name: &str, token: &str) -> Result<(String, String)> {
     validate_agent_name(agent_name)?;
@@ -1441,7 +1430,7 @@ struct ForgeSidecar<'a> {
     base_url: &'a str,
 }
 
-/// Shared helper for `WriteAgentForgeToken` and `WriteAgentMatrixToken`.
+/// Shared helper for the `WriteAgent*Token` requests.
 /// Writes `content` to `AGENT_STATE_ROOT/<agent_name>/state/<filename>`,
 /// chowns to the agent user (derived from the state dir's existing owner),
 /// and chmods 0600. Running as root (hive-priv), so this succeeds
diff --git a/hivectl/src/cli.rs b/hivectl/src/cli.rs
index a4de9784..35bc83d0 100644
--- a/hivectl/src/cli.rs
+++ b/hivectl/src/cli.rs
@@ -248,15 +248,15 @@ impl ScopeArgs {
 
 #[derive(Subcommand)]
 pub enum ForgeCmd {
-    /// Create or refresh the Forgejo account + token for `<name>`.
+    /// Create or refresh a non-agent Forgejo account + token for `<name>`.
     ///
-    /// For an existing agent, persists the token to its state dir; for a
-    /// human/other account, prints the token to stdout. Set a password to
-    /// enable forge web-UI login (otherwise it uses a random throwaway).
+    /// Prints the token to stdout. Set a password to enable forge web-UI
+    /// login (otherwise it uses a random throwaway). Refused for an
+    /// existing agent: swarm-controller mints an agent's token
+    /// (`swarmctl agent mint-forge-token <agent>`).
     CreateUser {
-        /// Forgejo username. For agents: the container/agent name
-        /// (`<n>` in `h-<n>`; manager uses the literal `manager`).
-        /// For humans: any forgejo username — `mara`, `damocles`, etc.
+        /// Forgejo username of a human/other account — `mara`,
+        /// `damocles`, etc.
         name: String,
         /// Set the account password to this string instead of a random
         /// throwaway. Use this for operator accounts that need to log
diff --git a/hivectl/src/forge.rs b/hivectl/src/forge.rs
index bebad895..12ca8964 100644
--- a/hivectl/src/forge.rs
+++ b/hivectl/src/forge.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //! `hivectl forge create-user <name>` — provision a Forgejo account via the
-//! daemon (which owns the forge admin token + account-token persistence);
+//! daemon (which owns the forge admin token);
 //! hivectl just resolves the password client-side and relays the request.
 
 use std::io::{self, Write};