diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index f95865b..0905319 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -41,7 +41,19 @@
                 </exclusion>
             </exclusions>
         </dependency>
-        <!-- RPCharacters is softdepend; DiscordGateService uses reflection at runtime. -->
+        <!-- RPCharacters is optional; DiscordGateService uses reflection at runtime. -->
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
+            <artifactId>junit-jupiter</artifactId>
+            <version>5.11.4</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
+            <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
+            <version>5.14.2</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
     <repositories>
@@ -74,6 +86,11 @@
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>3.14.1</version>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>3.5.2</version>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 </project>
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/TFMCWeb.java b/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/TFMCWeb.java
index 311f00d..bca688e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/TFMCWeb.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/TFMCWeb.java
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ public void onEnable() {
 
 		gateService = new DiscordGateService(this, linkCache);
 		if (!gateService.isRpcAvailable()) {
-			getLogger().warning(
-				"RPCharacters not found — Discord Survival gate disabled; link/HTTP still active."
+			getLogger().info(
+				"Discord Survival gate waiting for RPCharacters; availability is checked when used."
 			);
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateService.java b/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateService.java
index 46d66eb..d0146d2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateService.java
@@ -15,29 +15,39 @@
 import net.tfminecraft.TFMCWeb.cache.LinkCache;
 
 /**
- * Applies Survival Discord gate via RPCharacters (soft-depend, reflection).
+ * Applies Survival Discord gate via RPCharacters (optional, reflection).
  */
 public final class DiscordGateService {
 
 	private final JavaPlugin plugin;
 	private final LinkCache linkCache;
-	private final boolean rpcAvailable;
+	private Plugin resolvedRpc;
 	private Method setGateUuid;
 	private Method setGatePlayer;
 
 	public DiscordGateService(JavaPlugin plugin, LinkCache linkCache) {
 		this.plugin = plugin;
 		this.linkCache = linkCache;
-		this.rpcAvailable = resolveRpc();
 	}
 
 	private boolean resolveRpc() {
 		Plugin rpc = Bukkit.getPluginManager().getPlugin("RPCharacters");
 		if (rpc == null || !rpc.isEnabled()) {
+			resolvedRpc = null;
+			setGateUuid = null;
+			setGatePlayer = null;
 			return false;
 		}
+		if (rpc == resolvedRpc) {
+			return setGateUuid != null && setGatePlayer != null;
+		}
+		resolvedRpc = rpc;
+		setGateUuid = null;
+		setGatePlayer = null;
 		try {
-			Class<?> cls = Class.forName("net.tfminecraft.RPCharacters.RPCharacters");
+			// RPC depends on TFMCWeb, so resolve only once it has enabled, using
+			// its own class rather than TFMCWeb's plugin class loader.
+			Class<?> cls = rpc.getClass();
 			setGateUuid = cls.getMethod("setDiscordGate", UUID.class, boolean.class);
 			setGatePlayer = cls.getMethod("setDiscordGate", Player.class, boolean.class);
 			return true;
@@ -52,7 +62,7 @@ private boolean resolveRpc() {
 	}
 
 	public boolean isRpcAvailable() {
-		return rpcAvailable;
+		return resolveRpc();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -77,7 +87,7 @@ public void applyGate(Player player) {
 	}
 
 	public void applyGate(Player player, boolean eligible) {
-		if (player == null || !rpcAvailable) {
+		if (player == null || !isRpcAvailable()) {
 			return;
 		}
 		boolean required = player.getGameMode() == GameMode.SURVIVAL && !eligible;
@@ -86,7 +96,7 @@ public void applyGate(Player player, boolean eligible) {
 
 	/** Offline-safe: set UUID gate flag; RPC reevaluates if online. */
 	public void applyGate(UUID uuid, boolean eligible) {
-		if (uuid == null || !rpcAvailable) {
+		if (uuid == null || !isRpcAvailable()) {
 			return;
 		}
 		Player online = Bukkit.getPlayer(uuid);
@@ -99,7 +109,7 @@ public void applyGate(UUID uuid, boolean eligible) {
 	}
 
 	public void clearGate(UUID uuid) {
-		if (uuid == null || !rpcAvailable) {
+		if (uuid == null || !isRpcAvailable()) {
 			return;
 		}
 		Player online = Bukkit.getPlayer(uuid);
diff --git a/src/main/resources/plugin.yml b/src/main/resources/plugin.yml
index 79dba5d..7587643 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/plugin.yml
+++ b/src/main/resources/plugin.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ version: ${project.version}
 author: TFMC
 
 depend: [TLibs]
-softdepend: [RPCharacters, Essentials]
+# RPCharacters depends on TFMCWeb; its optional gate API is resolved at runtime.
+softdepend: [Essentials]
 
 commands:
   linkdiscord:
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateServiceTest.java b/src/test/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateServiceTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..884b7ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/net/tfminecraft/TFMCWeb/gate/DiscordGateServiceTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+package net.tfminecraft.TFMCWeb.gate;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mockStatic;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+import java.util.UUID;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
+import org.bukkit.Bukkit;
+import org.bukkit.GameMode;
+import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
+import org.bukkit.plugin.PluginManager;
+import org.bukkit.plugin.java.JavaPlugin;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.mockito.MockedStatic;
+
+import net.tfminecraft.TFMCWeb.cache.LinkCache;
+
+class DiscordGateServiceTest {
+
+	private MockedStatic<Bukkit> bukkit;
+	private PluginManager plugins;
+	private RpcPlugin rpc;
+	private Player player;
+	private UUID uuid;
+	private LinkCache cache;
+	private DiscordGateService gate;
+
+	@BeforeEach
+	void setUp() {
+		bukkit = mockStatic(Bukkit.class);
+		plugins = mock(PluginManager.class);
+		bukkit.when(Bukkit::getPluginManager).thenReturn(plugins);
+		rpc = mock(RpcPlugin.class);
+		when(plugins.getPlugin("RPCharacters")).thenReturn(rpc);
+		JavaPlugin web = mock(JavaPlugin.class);
+		when(web.getLogger()).thenReturn(Logger.getAnonymousLogger());
+		player = mock(Player.class);
+		uuid = UUID.randomUUID();
+		when(player.getUniqueId()).thenReturn(uuid);
+		when(player.isOnline()).thenReturn(true);
+		when(player.getGameMode()).thenReturn(GameMode.SURVIVAL);
+		cache = new LinkCache();
+		RpcPlugin.lastUuid = null;
+		RpcPlugin.lastRequired = null;
+		// TFMCWeb starts while its dependent RPCharacters is still disabled.
+		gate = new DiscordGateService(web, cache);
+	}
+
+	@AfterEach
+	void tearDown() {
+		bukkit.close();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void freezesUnlinkedSurvivalPlayerAfterRpcEnablesLater() {
+		assertFalse(gate.isRpcAvailable());
+		gate.applyGate(player);
+		assertNull(RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
+		gate.applyGate(player);
+
+		assertEquals(uuid, RpcPlugin.lastUuid);
+		assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+		assertTrue(gate.isRpcAvailable());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void releasesEligiblePlayersAndDoesNotFreezeOtherGameModes() {
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
+		cache.putLinked(uuid, "discord-id", "player");
+		gate.applyGate(player);
+		assertEquals(Boolean.FALSE, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+
+		cache.putUnlinked(uuid);
+		for (GameMode mode : GameMode.values()) {
+			when(player.getGameMode()).thenReturn(mode);
+			gate.applyGate(player);
+			assertEquals(mode == GameMode.SURVIVAL, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void appliesAndClearsOfflineGateAfterRpcEnablesLater() {
+		assertFalse(gate.isRpcAvailable());
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
+		gate.applyGate(uuid, false);
+		assertEquals(uuid, RpcPlugin.lastUuid);
+		assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+
+		gate.clearGate(uuid);
+		assertEquals(Boolean.FALSE, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void clearGateAlsoResolvesRpcAfterLateEnable() {
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
+		gate.clearGate(uuid);
+		assertEquals(uuid, RpcPlugin.lastUuid);
+		assertEquals(Boolean.FALSE, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void toleratesMissingRpcAndStopsCallingDisabledRpc() {
+		when(plugins.getPlugin("RPCharacters")).thenReturn(null);
+		gate.applyGate(player);
+		assertFalse(gate.isRpcAvailable());
+		assertNull(RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+
+		when(plugins.getPlugin("RPCharacters")).thenReturn(rpc);
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
+		assertTrue(gate.isRpcAvailable());
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(false);
+		gate.applyGate(player);
+		gate.applyGate(uuid, false);
+		gate.clearGate(uuid);
+		assertFalse(gate.isRpcAvailable());
+		assertNull(RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+
+		when(rpc.isEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
+		gate.applyGate(player);
+		assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, RpcPlugin.lastRequired);
+	}
+
+	public static class RpcPlugin extends JavaPlugin {
+		static UUID lastUuid;
+		static Boolean lastRequired;
+
+		public static void setDiscordGate(UUID uuid, boolean required) {
+			lastUuid = uuid;
+			lastRequired = required;
+		}
+
+		public static void setDiscordGate(Player player, boolean required) {
+			setDiscordGate(player.getUniqueId(), required);
+		}
+	}
+}