diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Config/WorkerConfig.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Config/WorkerConfig.cs
index 3eee5907..c0188858 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Config/WorkerConfig.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Config/WorkerConfig.cs
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ public sealed class WorkerConfig
     [JsonPropertyName("external_mcp_api_key")]
     public string? ExternalMcpApiKey { get; set; }
 
+    /// <summary>Loopback port SSH tunnels forward to; requests there need a per-session token. 0 disables SSH sessions.</summary>
+    [JsonPropertyName("remote_mcp_port")]
+    public int RemoteMcpPort { get; set; } = 47_823;
+
     [JsonPropertyName("online_inbox")]
     public OnlineInboxConfig OnlineInbox { get; set; } = new();
 
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware.cs
index 38b90ff9..49370676 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware.cs
@@ -7,12 +7,28 @@ public sealed class ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware
 {
     private const string HeaderName = "X-ClaudeDo-Key";
 
+    /// <summary>Header carrying an SSH session's token on the remote MCP listener.</summary>
+    public const string RemoteTokenHeader = "X-ClaudeDo-Remote-Token";
+
     private readonly RequestDelegate _next;
 
     public ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware(RequestDelegate next) => _next = next;
 
-    public async Task InvokeAsync(HttpContext ctx, WorkerConfig cfg)
+    public async Task InvokeAsync(HttpContext ctx, WorkerConfig cfg, RemoteSessionTokenRegistry remoteTokens)
     {
+        // Tunnelled traffic arrives as loopback too, so the remote listener never falls back to loopback trust.
+        if (cfg.RemoteMcpPort > 0 && ctx.Connection.LocalPort == cfg.RemoteMcpPort)
+        {
+            if (!remoteTokens.IsValid(ctx.Request.Headers[RemoteTokenHeader].ToString()))
+            {
+                ctx.Response.StatusCode = 401;
+                await ctx.Response.WriteAsync($"Missing or invalid {RemoteTokenHeader} header");
+                return;
+            }
+            await _next(ctx);
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(cfg.ExternalMcpApiKey))
         {
             await _next(ctx);
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/RemoteSessionTokenRegistry.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/RemoteSessionTokenRegistry.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a07c0b75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/RemoteSessionTokenRegistry.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+using System.Collections.Concurrent;
+using System.Security.Cryptography;
+
+namespace ClaudeDo.Worker.External;
+
+/// <summary>Tokens issued to SSH sessions; the only credential accepted on the remote MCP listener.</summary>
+public sealed class RemoteSessionTokenRegistry
+{
+    // ponytail: tokens live until worker restart (no revoke on tile close); a leaked token only works while some tunnel to RemoteMcpPort is open.
+    private readonly ConcurrentDictionary<string, byte> _tokens = new();
+
+    /// <summary>Mints and registers a fresh 256-bit hex token.</summary>
+    public string Issue()
+    {
+        var token = Convert.ToHexString(RandomNumberGenerator.GetBytes(32));
+        _tokens[token] = 0;
+        return token;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>True when the token was issued by this worker instance.</summary>
+    public bool IsValid(string? token) => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(token) && _tokens.ContainsKey(token);
+}
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs
index 48acc238..b21e5def 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Program.cs
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ builder.Services.AddSingleton<HandlerRestartCoordinator>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<HandlerUsageGuard>();
 builder.Services.AddHostedService(sp => sp.GetRequiredService<HandlerUsageGuard>());
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<InteractiveLaunchSpecService>();
+builder.Services.AddSingleton<RemoteSessionTokenRegistry>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<TaskRunner>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<WorktreeMaintenanceService>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<TaskResetService>();
@@ -360,6 +361,7 @@ if (cfg.ExternalMcpPort > 0)
     externalBuilder.Services.AddSingleton(cfg);
     Share<HubBroadcaster>();
     Share<ConnectedClientTracker>();
+    Share<RemoteSessionTokenRegistry>();
     Share<QueueService>();
     Share<OverrideSlotService>();
     Share<IDbContextFactory<ClaudeDoDbContext>>();
@@ -432,7 +434,9 @@ if (cfg.ExternalMcpPort > 0)
         .WithTools<FindingsMcpTools>()
         .WithTools<NotesMcpTools>()
         .WithTools<TicketMcpTools>();
-    externalBuilder.WebHost.UseUrls($"http://127.0.0.1:{cfg.ExternalMcpPort}");
+    externalBuilder.WebHost.UseUrls(cfg.RemoteMcpPort > 0
+        ? [$"http://127.0.0.1:{cfg.ExternalMcpPort}", $"http://127.0.0.1:{cfg.RemoteMcpPort}"]
+        : [$"http://127.0.0.1:{cfg.ExternalMcpPort}"]);
 
     externalApp = externalBuilder.Build();
     externalApp.UseMiddleware<ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware>();
diff --git a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddlewareTests.cs b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddlewareTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6878b3d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/External/ExternalMcpAuthMiddlewareTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+using ClaudeDo.Worker.Config;
+using ClaudeDo.Worker.External;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
+
+namespace ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests.External;
+
+public sealed class ExternalMcpAuthMiddlewareTests
+{
+    private const int RemotePort = 47_823;
+
+    private static async Task<(int Status, bool Passed)> Run(WorkerConfig cfg, RemoteSessionTokenRegistry tokens,
+        int localPort, string? remoteToken = null, string? apiKey = null)
+    {
+        var passed = false;
+        var mw = new ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware(_ => { passed = true; return Task.CompletedTask; });
+        var ctx = new DefaultHttpContext();
+        ctx.Connection.LocalPort = localPort;
+        if (remoteToken is not null) ctx.Request.Headers[ExternalMcpAuthMiddleware.RemoteTokenHeader] = remoteToken;
+        if (apiKey is not null) ctx.Request.Headers["X-ClaudeDo-Key"] = apiKey;
+        await mw.InvokeAsync(ctx, cfg, tokens);
+        return (ctx.Response.StatusCode, passed);
+    }
+
+    private static WorkerConfig Cfg(string? key = null) =>
+        new() { ExternalMcpPort = 47_822, RemoteMcpPort = RemotePort, ExternalMcpApiKey = key };
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task RemotePort_WithoutToken_Is401()
+    {
+        var (status, passed) = await Run(Cfg(), new RemoteSessionTokenRegistry(), RemotePort);
+        Assert.Equal(401, status);
+        Assert.False(passed);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task RemotePort_WithUnknownToken_Is401()
+    {
+        var (status, passed) = await Run(Cfg(), new RemoteSessionTokenRegistry(), RemotePort, remoteToken: "nope");
+        Assert.Equal(401, status);
+        Assert.False(passed);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task RemotePort_WithIssuedToken_PassesEvenWhenApiKeyConfigured()
+    {
+        var tokens = new RemoteSessionTokenRegistry();
+        var token = tokens.Issue();
+        var (_, passed) = await Run(Cfg(key: "secret"), tokens, RemotePort, remoteToken: token);
+        Assert.True(passed);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task RemotePort_ApiKeyAlone_DoesNotPass()
+    {
+        var (status, passed) = await Run(Cfg(key: "secret"), new RemoteSessionTokenRegistry(), RemotePort, apiKey: "secret");
+        Assert.Equal(401, status);
+        Assert.False(passed);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task NormalPort_WithoutKeyConfigured_StillPasses()
+    {
+        var (_, passed) = await Run(Cfg(), new RemoteSessionTokenRegistry(), 47_822);
+        Assert.True(passed);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Issue_ReturnsDistinct64HexTokens()
+    {
+        var tokens = new RemoteSessionTokenRegistry();
+        var a = tokens.Issue();
+        var b = tokens.Issue();
+        Assert.NotEqual(a, b);
+        Assert.Matches("^[0-9A-F]{64}$", a);
+        Assert.True(tokens.IsValid(a));
+        Assert.False(tokens.IsValid(""));
+        await Task.CompletedTask;
+    }
+}