diff --git a/gateway/platforms/api_server.py b/gateway/platforms/api_server.py
index 9a4990465..2077c9c85 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/api_server.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/api_server.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Exposes an HTTP server with endpoints:
 - POST /v1/runs                    — start a run, returns run_id immediately (202)
 - GET  /v1/runs/{run_id}/events    — SSE stream of structured lifecycle events
 - GET  /health                     — health check
+- GET  /health/detailed            — rich status for cross-container dashboard probing
 
 Any OpenAI-compatible frontend (Open WebUI, LobeChat, LibreChat,
 AnythingLLM, NextChat, ChatBox, etc.) can connect to hermes-agent
@@ -565,6 +566,27 @@ class APIServerAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
         """GET /health — simple health check."""
         return web.json_response({"status": "ok", "platform": "hermes-agent"})
 
+    async def _handle_health_detailed(self, request: "web.Request") -> "web.Response":
+        """GET /health/detailed — rich status for cross-container dashboard probing.
+
+        Returns gateway state, connected platforms, PID, and uptime so the
+        dashboard can display full status without needing a shared PID file or
+        /proc access.  No authentication required.
+        """
+        from gateway.status import read_runtime_status
+
+        runtime = read_runtime_status() or {}
+        return web.json_response({
+            "status": "ok",
+            "platform": "hermes-agent",
+            "gateway_state": runtime.get("gateway_state"),
+            "platforms": runtime.get("platforms", {}),
+            "active_agents": runtime.get("active_agents", 0),
+            "exit_reason": runtime.get("exit_reason"),
+            "updated_at": runtime.get("updated_at"),
+            "pid": os.getpid(),
+        })
+
     async def _handle_models(self, request: "web.Request") -> "web.Response":
         """GET /v1/models — return hermes-agent as an available model."""
         auth_err = self._check_auth(request)
@@ -1783,6 +1805,7 @@ class APIServerAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             self._app = web.Application(middlewares=mws)
             self._app["api_server_adapter"] = self
             self._app.router.add_get("/health", self._handle_health)
+            self._app.router.add_get("/health/detailed", self._handle_health_detailed)
             self._app.router.add_get("/v1/health", self._handle_health)
             self._app.router.add_get("/v1/models", self._handle_models)
             self._app.router.add_post("/v1/chat/completions", self._handle_chat_completions)
diff --git a/hermes_cli/web_server.py b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
index f73104ce8..be6047533 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/web_server.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Usage:
 import asyncio
 import json
 import logging
+import os
 import secrets
 import sys
 import threading
@@ -280,12 +281,56 @@ class EnvVarReveal(BaseModel):
     key: str
 
 
+_GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL = os.getenv("GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL")
+_GATEWAY_HEALTH_TIMEOUT = float(os.getenv("GATEWAY_HEALTH_TIMEOUT", "3"))
+
+
+def _probe_gateway_health() -> tuple[bool, dict | None]:
+    """Probe the gateway via its HTTP health endpoint (cross-container).
+
+    Uses ``/health/detailed`` first (returns full state), falling back to
+    the simpler ``/health`` endpoint.  Returns ``(is_alive, body_dict)``.
+
+    This is a **blocking** call — run via ``run_in_executor`` from async code.
+    """
+    if not _GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL:
+        return False, None
+
+    base = _GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL.rstrip("/")
+    for path in (f"{base}/detailed", base):
+        try:
+            req = urllib.request.Request(path, method="GET")
+            with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=_GATEWAY_HEALTH_TIMEOUT) as resp:
+                if resp.status == 200:
+                    body = json.loads(resp.read())
+                    return True, body
+        except Exception:
+            continue
+    return False, None
+
+
 @app.get("/api/status")
 async def get_status():
     current_ver, latest_ver = check_config_version()
 
+    # --- Gateway liveness detection ---
+    # Try local PID check first (same-host).  If that fails and a remote
+    # GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL is configured, probe the gateway over HTTP so the
+    # dashboard works when the gateway runs in a separate container.
     gateway_pid = get_running_pid()
     gateway_running = gateway_pid is not None
+    remote_health_body: dict | None = None
+
+    if not gateway_running and _GATEWAY_HEALTH_URL:
+        loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+        alive, remote_health_body = await loop.run_in_executor(
+            None, _probe_gateway_health
+        )
+        if alive:
+            gateway_running = True
+            # PID from the remote container (display only — not locally valid)
+            if remote_health_body:
+                gateway_pid = remote_health_body.get("pid")
 
     gateway_state = None
     gateway_platforms: dict = {}
@@ -302,7 +347,12 @@ async def get_status():
     except Exception:
         configured_gateway_platforms = None
 
+    # Prefer the detailed health endpoint response (has full state) when the
+    # local runtime status file is absent or stale (cross-container).
     runtime = read_runtime_status()
+    if runtime is None and remote_health_body and remote_health_body.get("gateway_state"):
+        runtime = remote_health_body
+
     if runtime:
         gateway_state = runtime.get("gateway_state")
         gateway_platforms = runtime.get("platforms") or {}
diff --git a/web/src/pages/StatusPage.tsx b/web/src/pages/StatusPage.tsx
index 4e22239eb..b4a5e362a 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/StatusPage.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/StatusPage.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ const GATEWAY_STATE_DISPLAY: Record<string, { badge: "success" | "warning" | "de
 };
 
 function gatewayValue(status: StatusResponse): string {
-  if (status.gateway_running) return `PID ${status.gateway_pid}`;
+  if (status.gateway_running && status.gateway_pid) return `PID ${status.gateway_pid}`;
+  if (status.gateway_running) return "Running (remote)";
   if (status.gateway_state === "startup_failed") return "Start failed";
   return "Not running";
 }