diff --git a/src/gateway/call.ts b/src/gateway/call.ts
index 75dcfb0b3e00..400fa47e5f4a 100644
--- a/src/gateway/call.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/call.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import {
   resolveLeastPrivilegeOperatorScopesForMethod,
   type OperatorScope,
 } from "./method-scopes.js";
+import { allowsGatewayPrivateIngressNoAuth } from "./private-ingress-auth.js";
 import { PROTOCOL_VERSION } from "./protocol/index.js";
 export type { GatewayConnectionDetails };
 
@@ -267,10 +268,18 @@ function shouldOmitDeviceIdentityForGatewayCall(params: {
   const mode = params.opts.mode ?? GATEWAY_CLIENT_MODES.CLI;
   const clientName = params.opts.clientName ?? GATEWAY_CLIENT_NAMES.CLI;
   const hasSharedAuth = Boolean(params.token || params.password);
+  // BrowserOS private-ingress no-auth: backend gateway-client calls on
+  // loopback can omit device identity entirely when running with the env
+  // flag. Same trust boundary as the server-side bypasses in
+  // server-runtime-config and connect-policy. Without this, in-process
+  // backend tools (e.g. the agent's cron tool) try to load device.json
+  // and the connection then fails handshake under no-auth.
+  const allowsLoopbackNoAuth =
+    isLoopbackGatewayUrl(params.url) && allowsGatewayPrivateIngressNoAuth();
   return (
     mode === GATEWAY_CLIENT_MODES.BACKEND &&
     clientName === GATEWAY_CLIENT_NAMES.GATEWAY_CLIENT &&
-    hasSharedAuth &&
+    (hasSharedAuth || allowsLoopbackNoAuth) &&
     isLoopbackGatewayUrl(params.url)
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/gateway/role-policy.ts b/src/gateway/role-policy.ts
index 2f35920b17fe..fa6ddd66e8f3 100644
--- a/src/gateway/role-policy.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/role-policy.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { isNodeRoleMethod } from "./method-scopes.js";
+import { allowsGatewayPrivateIngressNoAuth } from "./private-ingress-auth.js";
 
 const GATEWAY_ROLES = ["operator", "node"] as const;
 
@@ -11,8 +12,21 @@ export function parseGatewayRole(roleRaw: unknown): GatewayRole | null {
   return null;
 }
 
-export function roleCanSkipDeviceIdentity(role: GatewayRole, sharedAuthOk: boolean): boolean {
-  return role === "operator" && sharedAuthOk;
+export function roleCanSkipDeviceIdentity(
+  role: GatewayRole,
+  sharedAuthOk: boolean,
+  isLocalClient = false,
+): boolean {
+  if (role !== "operator") {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (sharedAuthOk) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  // BrowserOS private-ingress no-auth: trust loopback operator clients when
+  // the env flag is set. Mirrors the missing-device bypass in connect-policy
+  // and the bind-time bypass in server-runtime-config.
+  return isLocalClient && allowsGatewayPrivateIngressNoAuth();
 }
 
 export function isRoleAuthorizedForMethod(role: GatewayRole, method: string): boolean {
diff --git a/src/gateway/server/ws-connection/connect-policy.ts b/src/gateway/server/ws-connection/connect-policy.ts
index 27284609174b..fd17b6bbc401 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server/ws-connection/connect-policy.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server/ws-connection/connect-policy.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { allowsGatewayPrivateIngressNoAuth } from "../../private-ingress-auth.js";
 import type { ConnectParams } from "../../protocol/index.js";
 import type { GatewayRole } from "../../role-policy.js";
 import { roleCanSkipDeviceIdentity } from "../../role-policy.js";
@@ -140,7 +141,13 @@ export function evaluateMissingDeviceIdentity(params: {
       return { kind: "reject-control-ui-insecure-auth" };
     }
   }
-  if (roleCanSkipDeviceIdentity(params.role, params.sharedAuthOk)) {
+  if (roleCanSkipDeviceIdentity(params.role, params.sharedAuthOk, params.isLocalClient)) {
+    return { kind: "allow" };
+  }
+  // BrowserOS private-ingress no-auth: extra defense for any future caller
+  // that bypasses roleCanSkipDeviceIdentity. Same trust boundary as the
+  // bind-time bypass in server-runtime-config (env flag set + loopback).
+  if (params.isLocalClient && allowsGatewayPrivateIngressNoAuth()) {
     return { kind: "allow" };
   }
   if (!params.authOk && params.hasSharedAuth) {