diff --git a/hermes_cli/web_server.py b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
index 77d8ca9c695..eff1fe69b07 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/web_server.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
@@ -3376,8 +3376,20 @@ _LOOPBACK_HOSTS = frozenset({"127.0.0.1", "::1", "localhost", "testclient"})
 def _ws_client_is_allowed(ws: "WebSocket") -> bool:
     """Check if the WebSocket client IP is acceptable.
 
-    Allows loopback clients only.
+    Loopback mode: only loopback clients allowed — the legacy
+    ``?token=<_SESSION_TOKEN>`` path is the only auth we have, so we
+    don't want LAN hosts guessing tokens.
+
+    Gated mode: any peer is allowed — uvicorn's ``proxy_headers=True``
+    (enabled when the OAuth gate is active so cookies can pick up
+    ``X-Forwarded-Proto``) rewrites ``ws.client.host`` to the
+    X-Forwarded-For value, which is the real internet client IP. The
+    OAuth gate + single-use ``?ticket=`` is the auth at that point; the
+    Host/Origin guard in :func:`_ws_host_origin_is_allowed` is what
+    blocks DNS-rebinding here, not the peer IP.
     """
+    if getattr(app.state, "auth_required", False):
+        return True
     client_host = ws.client.host if ws.client else ""
     if not client_host:
         return True
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_ws_auth.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_ws_auth.py
index 78b8ef46847..44087e53b4d 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_ws_auth.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_ws_auth.py
@@ -244,6 +244,54 @@ class TestWsAuthOkGated:
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
+class TestWsRequestIsAllowedGated:
+    """Bug fix: in gated mode, the WS peer-IP loopback check must be
+    bypassed.
+
+    When the OAuth gate is active, ``start_server`` runs uvicorn with
+    ``proxy_headers=True`` so the dashboard can honour
+    ``X-Forwarded-Proto`` from Fly's TLS terminator. A side effect is that
+    ``ws.client.host`` is rewritten to the X-Forwarded-For value — the
+    real internet client IP, never loopback. The loopback peer guard
+    (intended only for unauthenticated loopback dev) must not also reject
+    those upgrades: the OAuth gate + single-use ticket is the auth.
+
+    Regression coverage: every WS endpoint (``/api/pty``, ``/api/ws``,
+    ``/api/pub``, ``/api/events``) calls ``_ws_request_is_allowed`` after
+    ``_ws_auth_ok``. If the peer-IP check rejects gated mode, the chat
+    tab + sidebar tool feed silently fail to connect even after a
+    successful OAuth login.
+    """
+
+    def test_non_loopback_peer_allowed_in_gated_mode(self, gated_app):
+        ws = _fake_ws(query={}, client_host="203.0.113.7")
+        # Host header matches the bound host so the DNS-rebinding guard
+        # passes; only the peer-IP check is under test.
+        ws.headers = {"host": "fly-app.fly.dev"}
+        assert web_server._ws_request_is_allowed(ws) is True
+
+    def test_non_loopback_peer_rejected_in_loopback_mode(self, loopback_app):
+        """Loopback mode still enforces the peer-IP guard — the legacy
+        token path is the only auth and we don't want random LAN hosts
+        guessing it."""
+        ws = _fake_ws(query={}, client_host="192.168.1.42")
+        ws.headers = {"host": "127.0.0.1:8080"}
+        assert web_server._ws_request_is_allowed(ws) is False
+
+    def test_loopback_peer_allowed_in_loopback_mode(self, loopback_app):
+        ws = _fake_ws(query={}, client_host="127.0.0.1")
+        ws.headers = {"host": "127.0.0.1:8080"}
+        assert web_server._ws_request_is_allowed(ws) is True
+
+    def test_host_origin_guard_still_runs_in_gated_mode(self, gated_app):
+        """Bypassing the peer-IP check must not bypass the DNS-rebinding
+        Host header guard — that one still protects against attacker
+        sites resolving DNS to the public IP."""
+        ws = _fake_ws(query={}, client_host="203.0.113.7")
+        ws.headers = {"host": "evil.example.com"}
+        assert web_server._ws_request_is_allowed(ws) is False
+
+
 class TestSidecarUrl:
     def test_loopback_uses_session_token(self, loopback_app):
         url = web_server._build_sidecar_url("ch-1")