diff --git a/nix/host-modules/default.nix b/nix/host-modules/default.nix
index e720cfe8..17039af3 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/default.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/default.nix
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     ./hive-priv.nix
     ./hive-priv-cache.nix
     ./hive-squid.nix
+    ./hive-squid-credential.nix
     ./hive-tls.nix
     ./otel.nix
     ./glue-bao-readers-policy-order.nix
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/hive-squid-credential.nix b/nix/host-modules/hive-squid-credential.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..47be3e2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/host-modules/hive-squid-credential.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# The password this hive's squid self-check logs in to squid with, kept where
+# only root can read it.
+#
+# swarm-controller mints it at `swarm/hives/<hive>/squid-selfcheck`
+# (`swarm_secret_client::proxy::selfcheck_path`). hive-c0re reads the same path
+# to put its hash in squid's users file; this root oneshot reads it under the
+# hive's own store identity and lands it as the systemd credential
+# `squid-selfcheck` imports (`/run/credstore/<name>`, root, `0400`, tmpfs).
+#
+# A hive with no minted credential yet leaves the file alone and the self-check
+# reports `credential=absent`.
+{
+  pkgs,
+  lib,
+  config,
+  ...
+}:
+let
+  hyperhiveCfg = config.services.hyperhive;
+  hiveController = hyperhiveCfg.deploy.hive-controller;
+  tls = hiveController.tls;
+  baoCfg = hyperhiveCfg.swarm.bao;
+  baoDeploy = hyperhiveCfg.deploy.bao;
+
+  enabled =
+    hiveController.enable
+    && hiveController.hiveName != null
+    && tls.baoHiveIdentityCertFile != null
+    && tls.baoHiveIdentityKeyFile != null;
+
+  credentialFile = "/run/credstore/${hyperhiveCfg.squid.selfcheck.credentialName}";
+
+  storeRetry = import ./lib/store-retry.nix { };
+  storeRefreshTimer = import ./lib/store-refresh-timer.nix { };
+in
+{
+  config = lib.mkIf enabled {
+    systemd.services.squid-selfcheck-credential = {
+      description = "Read the squid self-check's password from the swarm secret store";
+      wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+      before = [ "squid-selfcheck.service" ];
+      wants = [ "network-online.target" ];
+      after = [
+        "network-online.target"
+        "systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service"
+      ];
+      path = [
+        baoDeploy.package
+        pkgs.coreutils
+        pkgs.gnugrep
+      ];
+      environment = {
+        BAO_ADDR = "https://${baoCfg.domain}:${toString baoCfg.port}";
+        BAO_CLIENT_CERT = tls.baoHiveIdentityCertFile;
+        BAO_CLIENT_KEY = tls.baoHiveIdentityKeyFile;
+      }
+      // lib.optionalAttrs (baoDeploy.serverCaFile != null) {
+        BAO_CACERT = baoDeploy.serverCaFile;
+      };
+      # ./lib/store-retry.nix: the login fails for as long as the store is
+      # sealed or down.
+      inherit (storeRetry) startLimitBurst startLimitIntervalSec;
+      serviceConfig = storeRetry.serviceConfig // {
+        Type = "oneshot";
+        UMask = "0077";
+        SyslogIdentifier = "squid-selfcheck-credential";
+        TimeoutStartSec = "5min";
+      };
+      script = ''
+        set -euo pipefail
+        ${import ./lib/store-seeded-secret.nix { }}
+        ${import ./lib/atomic-write-secret.nix { }}
+        ${import ./lib/refresh-consumer.nix { }}
+
+        install -d -m 0700 /run/credstore
+        store_init
+        store_login
+        if [ "$STORE_UP" != 1 ]; then
+          echo "could not read the squid self-check credential; ${credentialFile} stays as it is." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        if ! value="$(store_bao kv get -field=value ${lib.escapeShellArg "secret/swarm/hives/${hiveController.hiveName}/squid-selfcheck"} 2>"$STORE_ERR")"; then
+          if grep -qi 'no value found' "$STORE_ERR"; then
+            echo "the swarm has not minted this hive's squid self-check credential yet; ${credentialFile} stays as it is."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          cat "$STORE_ERR" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        if [[ ! "$value" =~ ^[A-Za-z0-9_-]+$ ]]; then
+          echo "the stored squid self-check credential is not one base64url word; ${credentialFile} stays as it is." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        # Written only when the value changed, so the file keeps its mtime.
+        if secret_differs ${credentialFile} "$value"; then
+          atomic_write_secret 0400 root:root ${credentialFile} "$value"
+        fi
+      '';
+    };
+
+    systemd.timers.squid-selfcheck-credential = storeRefreshTimer "re-read the squid self-check's password";
+  };
+}
diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix
index 4f66b668..b7f617e0 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-bao.nix
@@ -942,12 +942,13 @@ let
     inherit hiveName;
   }) hyperhiveCfg.swarm.hives;
 
-  # What a hive's gateway-leaf identity may do: issue from its own role, and
-  # read two of its own cache facts. The root unit on the hive host
-  # (`hive-priv-cache-facts`, ./hive-priv-cache.nix) reads them under this
-  # identity: the key hive-priv's downloads must be signed by, and the token it
-  # pulls with. The cache's URL and name come from the host's configuration,
-  # not from the store.
+  # What a hive's gateway-leaf identity may do: issue from its own role, read
+  # two of its own cache facts, and read its own squid self-check credential.
+  # The root unit on the hive host (`hive-priv-cache-facts`,
+  # ./hive-priv-cache.nix) reads the facts under this identity: the key
+  # hive-priv's downloads must be signed by, and the token it pulls with. The
+  # cache's URL and name come from the host's configuration, not from the
+  # store. `squid-selfcheck-credential` (./hive-squid.nix) reads the credential.
   hiveLeafPolicyText =
     obj:
     ''
@@ -961,7 +962,8 @@ let
         [
           "public-key"
           "pull-token"
-        ];
+        ]
+    + readStanza "${credentialMountPath}/data/swarm/hives/${obj.hiveName}/squid-selfcheck";
 
   # The PKI mount agent client certificates are issued from. Its root is
   # generated inside the store, so the agent CA's key never exists outside it.
diff --git a/nix/module-eval/bao-grants.nix b/nix/module-eval/bao-grants.nix
index 022a51c1..b6e48f1e 100644
--- a/nix/module-eval/bao-grants.nix
+++ b/nix/module-eval/bao-grants.nix
@@ -1496,9 +1496,10 @@ let
     {
       # One role, policy and login role per hive in the directory, each
       # naming only its own hive: the policy text in the unit is exactly the
-      # `update` on its own role and `read` on its own two cache facts, and each
+      # `update` on its own role and `read` on its own two cache facts and its own
+      # squid self-check credential, and each
       # hive's block names neither the other's role nor its subject.
-      name = "each hive's gateway-leaf identity may issue from its own role and read its own two cache facts, and nothing else";
+      name = "each hive's gateway-leaf identity may issue from its own role and read its own two cache facts and squid self-check credential, and nothing else";
       ok =
         let
           s = baoGrantTwoHives.systemd.services.swarm-bao-hive-leaf-policy.script;
@@ -1536,6 +1537,10 @@ let
             path = "secret/data/swarm/hives/h1/attic/pull-token";
             caps = [ "read" ];
           }
+          {
+            path = "secret/data/swarm/hives/h1/squid-selfcheck";
+            caps = [ "read" ];
+          }
           {
             path = "pki/issue/swarm-hive-leaf-h2";
             caps = [ "update" ];
@@ -1548,6 +1553,10 @@ let
             path = "secret/data/swarm/hives/h2/attic/pull-token";
             caps = [ "read" ];
           }
+          {
+            path = "secret/data/swarm/hives/h2/squid-selfcheck";
+            caps = [ "read" ];
+          }
         ]
         && issues "h1" "h1.t.local" h1
         && issues "h2" "h2.example.org" h2
diff --git a/nix/module-eval/hive-tls.nix b/nix/module-eval/hive-tls.nix
index 45f265c7..c59cbdbe 100644
--- a/nix/module-eval/hive-tls.nix
+++ b/nix/module-eval/hive-tls.nix
@@ -800,6 +800,28 @@ let
           noService.systemd.services.hive-priv-cache-facts.environment.BAO_CLIENT_CERT
           == "/etc/pki/bao-hive.pem";
     }
+    {
+      # Control: the lookup finds the sibling root unit of the same shape. The
+      # squid self-check's password is read under this hive's own identity and
+      # lands where only root reads it, as the credential `squid-selfcheck`
+      # imports.
+      name = "the squid self-check credential is read by a root oneshot under this hive's own identity into the credstore";
+      ok =
+        let
+          u = units.squid-selfcheck-credential;
+        in
+        lib.hasInfix "secret/swarm/hives/h1/squid-selfcheck" u.script
+        && !(lib.hasInfix "swarm/hives/h2" u.script)
+        && lib.hasInfix "/run/credstore/hive-squid.selfcheck" u.script
+        && lib.hasInfix "atomic_write_secret 0400 root:root" u.script
+        && u.environment.BAO_CLIENT_CERT == units.hive-priv-cache-facts.environment.BAO_CLIENT_CERT
+        && u.environment.BAO_CLIENT_KEY == units.hive-priv-cache-facts.environment.BAO_CLIENT_KEY
+        && u.serviceConfig.Type == "oneshot"
+        && !(remainsAfterExit u)
+        && allLocal.systemd.timers ? squid-selfcheck-credential
+        && !(noIdentity.systemd.services ? squid-selfcheck-credential)
+        && !(noIdentity.systemd.timers ? squid-selfcheck-credential);
+    }
     {
       name = "hive-priv is told the cache's address by the host's configuration";
       ok =