diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 005c4ae..3bfb243 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -37,8 +37,19 @@ Output a concise brief covering:
    any blocking decisions
 2. **Pending tasks for this repo** — from local `workplans/` files (Step 2)
    plus any state hub tasks with `[repo:railiance-bootstrap]` in their title
-3. **Suggested next action** — the highest-priority open item across both sources
-4. **SBOM status** — `last_sbom_at` for `railiance-bootstrap` is currently null
+3. **Goal guidance** — if the summary contains a `goal_guidance` key, act on it:
+   - **`needs_workplan`** entries: for each active repo goal with no linked workstream,
+     surface it as the top suggested action — *"Repo goal '{title}' has no workplan yet.
+     Suggest: create workplans/RAIL-BS-WP-NNNN-<slug>.md and register a workstream
+     with repo_goal_id='{goal_id}'"*. Treat this as higher priority than continuing
+     existing work unless Bernd says otherwise.
+   - **`alignment_warnings`** entries: if active workstreams exist but are not linked
+     to the current repo goal, name the most recently active one and note:
+     *"Current work on '{recent_workstream_title}' may not be aligned with the active
+     goal '{active_goal_title}'. Continue unless you hear otherwise — but flag it."*
+4. **Suggested next action** — the highest-priority open item across all sources,
+   with goal alignment taken into account
+5. **SBOM status** — `last_sbom_at` for `railiance-bootstrap` is currently null
    (gap: no lockfile yet — see `workplans/RAIL-BS-WP-0001-dependency-management.md`)
 
 **During work:**
diff --git a/QUICKSTART.md b/QUICKSTART.md
index dd43a6a..5eff99c 100644
--- a/QUICKSTART.md
+++ b/QUICKSTART.md
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ From your local machine:
 ansible-playbook -i ansible/hosts.ini ansible/bootstrap.yml
 ```
 
-This installs prerequisites and sets up a single‑node k3s cluster.
+This runs in two stages:
+1. **Harden** — disables root/password SSH login, enables UFW (ports 22/6443/8472), installs fail2ban
+2. **Bootstrap** — installs base packages and a single‑node k3s cluster
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/ansible/bootstrap.yml b/ansible/bootstrap.yml
index 7c7450f..e0d2101 100644
--- a/ansible/bootstrap.yml
+++ b/ansible/bootstrap.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 ---
+# Stage 1: Harden the server before anything else is installed.
+- import_playbook: harden.yml
+
+# Stage 2: Install base packages and k3s.
 - name: Railiance host bootstrap
   hosts: all
   become: true
diff --git a/ansible/harden.yml b/ansible/harden.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..917d4f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/harden.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+---
+- name: Server hardening
+  hosts: all
+  become: true
+
+  vars:
+    ssh_port: 22
+    k3s_api_port: 6443
+    flannel_vxlan_port: 8472
+
+  tasks:
+    # ── SSH hardening ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    - name: Disable root SSH login
+      lineinfile:
+        path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
+        regexp: '^#?PermitRootLogin'
+        line: 'PermitRootLogin no'
+        state: present
+      notify: Restart sshd
+
+    - name: Disable password authentication
+      lineinfile:
+        path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
+        regexp: '^#?PasswordAuthentication'
+        line: 'PasswordAuthentication no'
+        state: present
+      notify: Restart sshd
+
+    - name: Disable challenge-response authentication
+      lineinfile:
+        path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
+        regexp: '^#?ChallengeResponseAuthentication'
+        line: 'ChallengeResponseAuthentication no'
+        state: present
+      notify: Restart sshd
+
+    # ── UFW firewall ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    - name: Install ufw
+      apt:
+        name: ufw
+        state: present
+        update_cache: yes
+
+    - name: Set UFW default inbound policy to deny
+      ufw:
+        default: deny
+        direction: incoming
+
+    - name: Set UFW default outbound policy to allow
+      ufw:
+        default: allow
+        direction: outgoing
+
+    - name: Allow SSH
+      ufw:
+        rule: allow
+        port: "{{ ssh_port }}"
+        proto: tcp
+
+    - name: Allow k3s API server
+      ufw:
+        rule: allow
+        port: "{{ k3s_api_port }}"
+        proto: tcp
+
+    - name: Allow Flannel VXLAN (inter-node)
+      ufw:
+        rule: allow
+        port: "{{ flannel_vxlan_port }}"
+        proto: udp
+
+    - name: Enable UFW
+      ufw:
+        state: enabled
+
+    # ── fail2ban ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    - name: Install fail2ban
+      apt:
+        name: fail2ban
+        state: present
+
+    - name: Configure fail2ban SSH jail
+      copy:
+        dest: /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/sshd.conf
+        content: |
+          [sshd]
+          enabled  = true
+          port     = {{ ssh_port }}
+          maxretry = 5
+          bantime  = 3600
+          findtime = 600
+        mode: '0644'
+      notify: Restart fail2ban
+
+    - name: Enable and start fail2ban
+      systemd:
+        name: fail2ban
+        enabled: true
+        state: started
+
+    # ── Shell hygiene ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    - name: Set HISTCONTROL to suppress space-prefixed commands from history
+      copy:
+        dest: /etc/profile.d/histcontrol.sh
+        content: |
+          # Commands prefixed with a space are not recorded in shell history.
+          # Use this when typing secrets interactively.
+          export HISTCONTROL=ignorespace
+        mode: '0644'
+
+  handlers:
+    - name: Restart sshd
+      systemd:
+        name: sshd
+        state: restarted
+
+    - name: Restart fail2ban
+      systemd:
+        name: fail2ban
+        state: restarted
diff --git a/ansible/hosts.ini.example b/ansible/hosts.ini.example
index 409f1ce..da2e399 100644
--- a/ansible/hosts.ini.example
+++ b/ansible/hosts.ini.example
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 [seed]
 # 203.0.113.10 ansible_user=ubuntu ansible_become=true
 
+# HostEurope server (second Kubernetes host)
+[hosteurope]
+# <IP> ansible_user=ubuntu ansible_become=true
+
 # Optional: control plane / workers (future multi-node)
 #[k3s_master]
 # 203.0.113.11 ansible_user=ubuntu ansible_become=true
diff --git a/workplans/RAIL-BS-WP-0002-hosteurope-bootstrap.md b/workplans/RAIL-BS-WP-0002-hosteurope-bootstrap.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59c6d90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workplans/RAIL-BS-WP-0002-hosteurope-bootstrap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+---
+id: RAIL-BS-WP-0002
+type: workplan
+title: "Secure Single-Server Bootstrap at HostEurope"
+domain: railiance
+repo: railiance-bootstrap
+status: active
+owner: railiance
+topic_slug: railiance
+repo_goal_id: d7092599-927b-4796-b52e-8be833301478
+state_hub_workstream_id: "bf40b47e-be5b-4930-a7d2-362e76b943bb"
+created: "2026-03-08"
+updated: "2026-03-08"
+handoff_note: "T01-T03 done locally (WSL, no ansible). T04+T05 require ansible on a Linux box with network access to 92.205.62.239. hosts.ini created with the IP (gitignored — recreate on new box). Run: ansible -i ansible/hosts.ini hosteurope -m ping, then ansible-playbook -i ansible/hosts.ini -l hosteurope ansible/bootstrap.yml"
+---
+
+# Secure Single-Server Bootstrap at HostEurope
+
+## Goal
+
+Bootstrap a new HostEurope server securely so that it can function as the
+second Kubernetes host in the ThreePhoenix cluster. The bare Ubuntu server is
+provisioned manually by Bernd. This workplan covers everything from first SSH
+contact through a verified, hardened k3s node — all services secured from the
+start, no shortcuts.
+
+Scope is deliberately narrow: one server, secure from day one. Automated
+provisioning of additional server resources (railiance-hosts) and the
+full three-node setup are deferred.
+
+## Boundary conditions
+
+- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server at HostEurope, manually provisioned
+- SSH access established using existing private credentials
+- All remote access must be key-based only (no password auth)
+- Firewall active before k3s is installed
+- No credentials committed to the repo
+
+---
+
+## Tasks
+
+### T01 — Add HostEurope host to inventory
+
+```task
+id: RAIL-BS-WP-0002-T01
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-08"
+priority: high
+state_hub_task_id: "d41e1f8e-1dc2-41e9-bf83-521c99908e18"
+```
+
+Add the HostEurope host to `ansible/hosts.ini` (create from `hosts.ini.example`
+if not present). Place it in a `[hosteurope]` group so it can be targeted
+independently from other nodes.
+
+Verify Ansible can reach the host:
+
+```bash
+ansible -i ansible/hosts.ini hosteurope -m ping
+```
+
+**Done when:** ping succeeds from local control node.
+
+---
+
+### T02 — Create server hardening playbook
+
+```task
+id: RAIL-BS-WP-0002-T02
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-08"
+priority: high
+state_hub_task_id: "e8abc64b-d74c-4718-9859-96d53551c654"
+```
+
+Create `ansible/harden.yml` (or a `roles/harden/` role called from
+`bootstrap.yml`) covering:
+
+- Disable root SSH login (`PermitRootLogin no`)
+- Disable password authentication (`PasswordAuthentication no`)
+- Enable and configure UFW: deny all inbound by default, allow SSH (22),
+  k3s API (6443), and Flannel VXLAN (8472/UDP) — add others as needed
+- Install and enable `fail2ban` with SSH jail
+- Set `HISTCONTROL=ignorespace` in `/etc/profile.d/` to allow secret-safe
+  shell usage
+
+**Done when:** `ansible-lint ansible/harden.yml` passes and a dry-run
+(`--check`) against the HostEurope host produces no errors.
+
+---
+
+### T03 — Integrate hardening into bootstrap sequence
+
+```task
+id: RAIL-BS-WP-0002-T03
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-08"
+priority: high
+state_hub_task_id: "bf991fa3-a870-4c80-8d9e-91f96b97eb7c"
+```
+
+Ensure `ansible/bootstrap.yml` runs hardening **before** k3s installation.
+Either import `harden.yml` as a play or invoke the role inline.
+
+Order must be:
+1. Harden (T02)
+2. Install base packages
+3. Install k3s
+
+Update `QUICKSTART.md` step 6 to note that hardening runs automatically as
+part of bootstrap.
+
+**Done when:** `bootstrap.yml` task list reflects the correct order and the
+QUICKSTART reflects it.
+
+---
+
+### T04 — Run bootstrap on the HostEurope host
+
+```task
+id: RAIL-BS-WP-0002-T04
+status: todo
+priority: high
+state_hub_task_id: "f62896f2-6fed-4512-a41b-3f5b9a1ca311"
+```
+
+Execute the full bootstrap playbook against the HostEurope host:
+
+```bash
+ansible-playbook -i ansible/hosts.ini -l hosteurope ansible/bootstrap.yml
+```
+
+**Done when:**
+- Playbook completes with no failed tasks
+- `k3s kubectl get nodes` shows the host in `Ready` state
+- UFW is active and SSH still works after the run
+
+---
+
+### T05 — Smoke test and record
+
+```task
+id: RAIL-BS-WP-0002-T05
+status: todo
+priority: medium
+state_hub_task_id: "9e92effe-3531-4675-8bc8-7b2bc2c04877"
+```
+
+Run the existing smoke test:
+
+```bash
+tests/smoke_kube.sh
+```
+
+If the smoke test is not yet parameterized for a remote host, extend it or
+run the equivalent `kubectl get nodes` via `ansible -m shell`.
+
+Add a brief note to `docs/` (or a new `docs/hosteurope-bootstrap.md`) recording:
+- Server specs (vCPU, RAM, disk)
+- IP / hostname (public, non-sensitive — no credentials)
+- Date bootstrapped
+- k3s version installed
+
+Call `add_progress_event()` in the State Hub to close out the workstream.
+
+**Done when:** smoke test passes and the progress event is logged.
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+- Repo goal: `d7092599-927b-4796-b52e-8be833301478`
+- ThreePhoenix workstream: `9e208376-23f1-40c7-9813-fac1f7d6ad3b`
+- Safety Net workstream: `7e8b0c20-51eb-40c9-9e3b-85dd380d7625` (safety net
+  passed green 2026-02-27 — safe to proceed with cluster work)
+- Existing playbook: `ansible/bootstrap.yml`
+- Inventory template: `ansible/hosts.ini.example`