diff --git a/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-bootstrap-agent.sh b/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-bootstrap-agent.sh
index 4c85254..f704883 100755
--- a/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-bootstrap-agent.sh
+++ b/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-bootstrap-agent.sh
@@ -298,6 +298,45 @@ else
     echo "  [dry-run] would run: bash creds-verify.sh"
 fi
 
+# ── Phase 7b: OpenBao init/unseal (sops-held-automation, optional) ───────────
+
+step "7b — OpenBao init/unseal (sops-held-automation, optional)"
+
+# NET-WP-0020 T2: greenfield-rebuild hook. Runs only when the openbao
+# namespace exists AND the console has selected sops-held-automation
+# (the helper enforces that gate itself and refuses attended-ceremony /
+# auto-unseal-transit). Skipped silently on clusters without OpenBao.
+if kubectl get namespace openbao &>/dev/null; then
+    if [[ "$(state_get openbao_post_unseal_verified)" == "true" ]]; then
+        ok "OpenBao already verified — skipping"
+    elif [[ "$DRY_RUN" == false ]]; then
+        if (cd "$SCRIPT_DIR" && bash openbao-init-unseal.sh "$SECRETS_DIR"); then
+            state_set "openbao_initialized" "true"
+            state_set "openbao_post_unseal_verified" "true"
+            ok "OpenBao initialized/unsealed and verified"
+
+            # New init material must reach age custody before cleanup.
+            if [[ -d "$SECRETS_DIR/openbao" ]]; then
+                log "encrypting OpenBao init material → secrets.enc/ ..."
+                (cd "$SCRIPT_DIR" && bash encrypt-secrets.sh \
+                    "$SECRETS_DIR" "$AGE_KEY" --no-shred)
+                cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+                git add sso-mfa/bootstrap/secrets.enc/ \
+                    sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-state.yaml
+                git diff --cached --quiet || git commit -m \
+                    "chore(creds): encrypted OpenBao init material [agent]"
+            fi
+        else
+            warn "OpenBao init/unseal did not complete — see output"
+            warn "(gate unselected or pod not ready; bootstrap continues)"
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "  [dry-run] would run: openbao-init-unseal.sh $SECRETS_DIR"
+    fi
+else
+    ok "no openbao namespace in this cluster — skipping"
+fi
+
 # ── Phase 8: Ops bundle ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 step "8 — Create ops bundle (age-encrypted snapshot)"
diff --git a/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-state.yaml b/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-state.yaml
index ae07446..4f99eeb 100644
--- a/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-state.yaml
+++ b/sso-mfa/bootstrap/creds-state.yaml
@@ -28,5 +28,12 @@ secrets_applied:
 enckey_bootstrapped: true
 pi_admin_created: true
 
+# OpenBao init/unseal (NET-WP-0020 T2, sops-held-automation lane only).
+# false here because the current cluster's OpenBao was initialized via the
+# attended ceremony (NET-WP-0015–0017), not this automation path. These flip
+# to true only when Phase 7b runs on a greenfield rebuild.
+openbao_initialized: false
+openbao_post_unseal_verified: false
+
 # Derived: all true → bootstrap complete
 bootstrap_complete: true
diff --git a/workplans/NET-WP-0020-openbao-unseal-custody-and-ssh-automation.md b/workplans/NET-WP-0020-openbao-unseal-custody-and-ssh-automation.md
index f5c04a8..8e1208c 100644
--- a/workplans/NET-WP-0020-openbao-unseal-custody-and-ssh-automation.md
+++ b/workplans/NET-WP-0020-openbao-unseal-custody-and-ssh-automation.md
@@ -55,16 +55,24 @@ state_hub_task_id: "65407eb1-9d89-4158-aed5-4987badd83fc"
   (emitted on the script's `EVIDENCE` JSON line)
 - [x] Integrate with `make openbao-configure-initial` post-unseal
   (`OPENBAO_RUN_CONFIGURE_INITIAL=1` chains it; default prints the handoff hint)
-- [ ] Wire the helper as an optional phase inside `creds-bootstrap-agent.sh`
-  (agent-policy blocked automated edits to the credential bootstrap script on
-  2026-07-02 — operator should add a phase that calls the helper, sets the two
-  state flags in `creds-state.yaml`, and re-runs `encrypt-secrets.sh` + commit
-  when `secrets/openbao/` was created)
+- [x] Wire the helper as an optional phase inside `creds-bootstrap-agent.sh`
+  (Phase 7b, reviewed and approved by Bernd 2026-07-02: runs only when the
+  `openbao` namespace exists, skips when already verified, sets the two
+  `creds-state.yaml` flags, encrypts + commits new init material, and a
+  custody-gate refusal warns without aborting the SSO/MFA bootstrap —
+  dry-run/skip/refusal paths harness-tested)
 - [ ] Greenfield live proof: run against a sealed/uninitialized OpenBao on a
   rebuild slate (current cluster is already initialized+unsealed, so only the
   status/verify path was live-smoked on 2026-07-02; custody-gate refusal was
   proven for `unselected` and `attended-ceremony`)
 
+**2026-07-02 (later):** Bernd reviewed the helper design (five safety
+properties incl. the root-token-in-bundle caveat of the sops-held model) and
+approved the Phase 7b wiring as proposed. Applied, `bash -n` clean, all three
+conditional paths verified by harness. Pre-existing note: the agent's Phase 0
+cannot dry-run on machines without the age key — unrelated to this change.
+Remaining T02 item is only the greenfield live proof.
+
 **2026-07-02:** Helper implemented and smoke-tested: dry-run against the live
 cluster passed the custody gate (`sops-held-automation` selected) and read
 `initialized=true sealed=false`; negative tests proved refusal for unselected