diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0bd3828..b98831e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ helm/*.yaml
 !helm/*.yaml.template
 !helm/openbao-values.yaml
 !helm/openbao-middleware.yaml
+!helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml
 # Kubernetes manifests (no secrets) are safe to commit
 !helm/*-cluster.yaml
 !helm/*-networkpolicies.yaml
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 59cf93a..1f6047e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,9 +14,14 @@ OPENBAO_NAMESPACE ?= openbao
 OPENBAO_RELEASE ?= openbao
 OPENBAO_VALUES ?= helm/openbao-values.yaml
 OPENBAO_MIDDLEWARE ?= helm/openbao-middleware.yaml
+OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR ?= helm/openbao-ui-overlay
+OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_K8S ?= helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml
 OPENBAO_VERIFY_AUTH_ARGS ?=
 OPENBAO_RESTORE_EVIDENCE ?= /tmp/netkingdom-openbao-restore-drill/evidence.json
 OPENBAO_EMERGENCY_EVIDENCE ?= /tmp/netkingdom-openbao-emergency-drill/evidence.json
+ARGOCD_NAMESPACE ?= argocd
+ARGOCD_BOOTSTRAP_DIR ?= argocd/bootstrap
+ARGOCD_REPOSITORY_SECRET ?=
 
 ##@ CloudNative PG (cnpg) — primary database operator
 
@@ -103,6 +108,16 @@ openbao-dry-run: openbao-repo ## Render the OpenBao Helm release without applyin
 		-f $(OPENBAO_VALUES) \
 		--dry-run
 
+openbao-overlay-apply: ## Apply KeyCape login overlay gateway and assets
+	OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR=$(OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR) \
+	  OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_K8S=$(OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_K8S) \
+	  KUBECTL='$(KUBECTL)' OPENBAO_NAMESPACE=$(OPENBAO_NAMESPACE) \
+	  scripts/openbao-ui-overlay-apply.sh
+
+openbao-verify-login-overlay: ## Verify public KeyCape login overlay is active
+	OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR=$(OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR) \
+	  scripts/openbao-verify-login-overlay.sh $(OPENBAO_VERIFY_LOGIN_OVERLAY_ARGS)
+
 openbao-deploy: openbao-repo ## Deploy / upgrade OpenBao to the openbao namespace
 	$(KUBECTL) create namespace $(OPENBAO_NAMESPACE) --dry-run=client -o yaml | $(KUBECTL) apply -f -
 	$(KUBECTL) apply -f $(OPENBAO_MIDDLEWARE)
@@ -111,6 +126,7 @@ openbao-deploy: openbao-repo ## Deploy / upgrade OpenBao to the openbao namespac
 		--namespace $(OPENBAO_NAMESPACE) \
 		-f $(OPENBAO_VALUES) \
 		--wait --timeout 5m
+	$(MAKE) openbao-overlay-apply
 
 openbao-status: ## Show OpenBao pods, services, PVCs, and seal/init status
 	$(KUBECTL) get pods,svc,pvc -n $(OPENBAO_NAMESPACE) \
@@ -149,6 +165,27 @@ openbao-validate-emergency-evidence: ## Validate non-secret OpenBao emergency se
 	OPENBAO_EMERGENCY_EVIDENCE='$(OPENBAO_EMERGENCY_EVIDENCE)' \
 	  scripts/openbao-validate-emergency-drill-evidence.sh
 
+##@ ArgoCD GitOps bootstrap
+
+argocd-bootstrap-dry-run: ## Server-side dry-run ArgoCD AppProjects and root Application
+	$(KUBECTL) apply --dry-run=server -k $(ARGOCD_BOOTSTRAP_DIR)
+
+argocd-bootstrap-deploy: ## Apply ArgoCD AppProjects and root Application
+	$(KUBECTL) apply -k $(ARGOCD_BOOTSTRAP_DIR)
+
+argocd-repo-apply: ## Apply a SOPS-encrypted ArgoCD repository Secret (set ARGOCD_REPOSITORY_SECRET)
+	@test -n "$(ARGOCD_REPOSITORY_SECRET)" || \
+	  (echo "ERROR: set ARGOCD_REPOSITORY_SECRET=argocd/repositories/<repo>.repository.sops.yaml"; exit 1)
+	sops -d $(ARGOCD_REPOSITORY_SECRET) | $(KUBECTL) apply -f -
+
+argocd-status: ## Show Railiance ArgoCD projects, root app, and registered repos
+	$(KUBECTL) get appprojects.argoproj.io -n $(ARGOCD_NAMESPACE) \
+	  railiance-bootstrap railiance-tenants
+	$(KUBECTL) get applications.argoproj.io -n $(ARGOCD_NAMESPACE) \
+	  railiance-apps-root
+	$(KUBECTL) get secrets -n $(ARGOCD_NAMESPACE) \
+	  -l argocd.argoproj.io/secret-type=repository
+
 ##@ Backup
 
 backup: ## Backup platform services (PostgreSQL logical dump) — age-encrypted to Nextcloud
@@ -161,4 +198,4 @@ help: ## Show this help
 	  /^[a-zA-Z_-]+:.*?##/ { printf "  \033[36m%-22s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2 } \
 	  /^##@/ { printf "\n\033[1m%s\033[0m\n", substr($$0, 5) }' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
 
-.PHONY: db-deploy db-status db-shell db-logs apps-pg-deploy apps-pg-status apps-pg-shell apps-pg-logs net-kingdom-pg-inter-hub-networkpolicy-deploy pg-deploy pg-status pg-pgpool-check valkey-deploy valkey-status openbao-repo openbao-dry-run openbao-deploy openbao-status openbao-verify openbao-verify-post-unseal openbao-configure-initial openbao-configure-ssh openbao-verify-ssh openbao-verify-authenticated openbao-validate-restore-evidence openbao-validate-emergency-evidence backup help
+.PHONY: db-deploy db-status db-shell db-logs apps-pg-deploy apps-pg-status apps-pg-shell apps-pg-logs net-kingdom-pg-inter-hub-networkpolicy-deploy pg-deploy pg-status pg-pgpool-check valkey-deploy valkey-status openbao-repo openbao-dry-run openbao-overlay-apply openbao-verify-login-overlay openbao-deploy openbao-status openbao-verify openbao-verify-post-unseal openbao-configure-initial openbao-configure-ssh openbao-verify-ssh openbao-verify-authenticated openbao-validate-restore-evidence openbao-validate-emergency-evidence argocd-bootstrap-dry-run argocd-bootstrap-deploy argocd-repo-apply argocd-status backup help
diff --git a/docs/openbao.md b/docs/openbao.md
index e06723c..a04d0f1 100644
--- a/docs/openbao.md
+++ b/docs/openbao.md
@@ -52,9 +52,11 @@ make openbao-deploy
 make openbao-status
 ```
 
-`make openbao-deploy` also applies `helm/openbao-middleware.yaml`, which
-defines the Traefik rate-limit and HSTS middlewares referenced by the OpenBao
-Ingress.
+`make openbao-deploy` applies `helm/openbao-middleware.yaml` (Traefik
+rate-limit and HSTS), upgrades the OpenBao Helm release, then applies the
+KeyCape login overlay gateway (`helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml`). Public
+ingress for `bao.coulomb.social` targets `openbao-ui-gateway`, not the chart
+ingress (which stays disabled in `helm/openbao-values.yaml`).
 
 On Railiance01 directly:
 
@@ -300,7 +302,13 @@ The browser operator surface is:
 https://bao.coulomb.social
 ```
 
-Use the KeyCape-backed auth method:
+Operators see a streamlined **Sign in with KeyCape** mask. The raw OpenBao
+fields (namespace, method, mount path, role) are hidden presets applied by the
+UI overlay in `helm/openbao-ui-overlay/`. Public ingress targets the
+`openbao-ui-gateway` nginx proxy, which injects overlay assets and forwards to
+the OpenBao service.
+
+Hidden defaults (also in `helm/openbao-ui-overlay/presets.json`):
 
 ```text
 method: OIDC
@@ -309,6 +317,19 @@ mount path: netkingdom
 role: platform-admin
 ```
 
+Deploy or refresh the overlay:
+
+```bash
+make openbao-overlay-apply
+make openbao-verify-login-overlay
+make openbao-verify-login-overlay OPENBAO_VERIFY_LOGIN_OVERLAY_ARGS=--check-upstream-drift
+```
+
+After an OpenBao image or chart upgrade, follow
+`helm/openbao-ui-overlay/README.md` to refresh overlay selectors and
+`patches/<version>/manifest.sha256` fingerprints if upstream login markup
+changed.
+
 The OpenBao UI redirects the browser to KeyCape at `kc.coulomb.social`, then
 returns to:
 
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d9b203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+# OpenBao browser UI gateway — injects the KeyCape login overlay and proxies
+# to the OpenBao service. Public ingress for bao.coulomb.social targets this
+# gateway instead of the chart-managed OpenBao ingress.
+#
+# ConfigMap data is applied by scripts/openbao-ui-overlay-apply.sh from
+# helm/openbao-ui-overlay/*.
+
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+metadata:
+  name: openbao-ui-gateway
+  namespace: openbao
+  labels:
+    app.kubernetes.io/name: openbao-ui-gateway
+    app.kubernetes.io/part-of: railiance-platform
+    railiance-platform/component: secrets
+spec:
+  replicas: 1
+  selector:
+    matchLabels:
+      app.kubernetes.io/name: openbao-ui-gateway
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        app.kubernetes.io/name: openbao-ui-gateway
+        app.kubernetes.io/part-of: railiance-platform
+        railiance-platform/component: secrets
+    spec:
+      containers:
+        - name: nginx
+          image: nginx:1.27-alpine
+          imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
+          ports:
+            - name: http
+              containerPort: 8080
+              protocol: TCP
+          readinessProbe:
+            httpGet:
+              path: /ui/platform-overlay/presets.json
+              port: http
+            initialDelaySeconds: 3
+            periodSeconds: 10
+          livenessProbe:
+            httpGet:
+              path: /ui/platform-overlay/presets.json
+              port: http
+            initialDelaySeconds: 10
+            periodSeconds: 20
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              cpu: 25m
+              memory: 32Mi
+            limits:
+              cpu: 200m
+              memory: 128Mi
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: nginx-config
+              mountPath: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
+              subPath: nginx.conf
+              readOnly: true
+            - name: overlay-assets
+              mountPath: /etc/nginx/overlay
+              readOnly: true
+      volumes:
+        - name: nginx-config
+          configMap:
+            name: openbao-ui-gateway-nginx
+        - name: overlay-assets
+          configMap:
+            name: openbao-ui-overlay
+---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Service
+metadata:
+  name: openbao-ui-gateway
+  namespace: openbao
+  labels:
+    app.kubernetes.io/name: openbao-ui-gateway
+    app.kubernetes.io/part-of: railiance-platform
+    railiance-platform/component: secrets
+spec:
+  type: ClusterIP
+  selector:
+    app.kubernetes.io/name: openbao-ui-gateway
+  ports:
+    - name: http
+      port: 8080
+      targetPort: http
+      protocol: TCP
+---
+apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
+kind: Ingress
+metadata:
+  name: openbao-ui-gateway
+  namespace: openbao
+  labels:
+    app.kubernetes.io/name: openbao-ui-gateway
+    app.kubernetes.io/part-of: railiance-platform
+    railiance-platform/component: secrets
+  annotations:
+    cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: letsencrypt-prod
+    traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.middlewares: >-
+      openbao-openbao-rate-limit@kubernetescrd,
+      openbao-openbao-hsts@kubernetescrd
+spec:
+  ingressClassName: traefik
+  tls:
+    - secretName: bao-tls
+      hosts:
+        - bao.coulomb.social
+  rules:
+    - host: bao.coulomb.social
+      http:
+        paths:
+          - path: /
+            pathType: Prefix
+            backend:
+              service:
+                name: openbao-ui-gateway
+                port:
+                  number: 8080
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/README.md b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20ddc12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# OpenBao KeyCape login overlay
+
+Streamlines the browser login mask at `https://bao.coulomb.social` to a single
+**Sign in with KeyCape** action. Namespace, auth method, mount path, and role
+are preset in `presets.json` and hidden by `overlay.css` / `overlay.js`.
+
+## Mechanism (T01 decision)
+
+OpenBao ships UI assets inside the container image. There is no supported API
+to customize the login form ([`/sys/config/ui`](https://openbao.org/api-docs/system/config-ui/)
+only configures response headers).
+
+We use an **nginx UI gateway** (`openbao-ui-gateway`) that:
+
+1. Proxies all traffic to `openbao.openbao.svc.cluster.local:8200`.
+2. Serves overlay assets from a ConfigMap at `/ui/platform-overlay/`.
+3. Injects `overlay.css` and `overlay.js` into HTML responses via `sub_filter`.
+
+Overlay assets live entirely in this directory. Upgrading OpenBao does not
+require hand-editing files inside the OpenBao pod.
+
+Track upstream [openbao/openbao#2936](https://github.com/openbao/openbao/issues/2936)
+for native custom CSS. When available, keep `presets.json` and branding assets
+and retire nginx `sub_filter` injection if the upstream API covers the same
+behaviour.
+
+## Layout
+
+| File | Purpose |
+| --- | --- |
+| `VERSION` | OpenBao image tag this overlay targets (`openbao-values.yaml`) |
+| `presets.json` | Hidden login defaults (`netkingdom`, `platform-admin`, …) |
+| `overlay.css` | Hide raw OpenBao login fields |
+| `overlay.js` | Apply presets, branding, mount deep-link |
+| `nginx.conf` | Gateway proxy + HTML injection |
+| `patches/<version>/manifest.sha256` | Upstream UI fingerprints for drift detection |
+
+## Deploy
+
+From `railiance-platform`:
+
+```bash
+make openbao-overlay-apply   # overlay only
+make openbao-deploy          # middleware + overlay + Helm upgrade
+make openbao-verify-login-overlay
+```
+
+## Reapply after an OpenBao upgrade
+
+1. Bump `server.image.tag` in `helm/openbao-values.yaml`.
+2. Deploy: `make openbao-deploy`.
+3. Fetch live UI assets and compare hashes:
+
+   ```bash
+   curl -sS https://bao.coulomb.social/ui/ -o /tmp/index.html
+   # locate vault-*.js path in /tmp/index.html, then:
+   curl -sS "https://bao.coulomb.social/ui/assets/vault-....js" -o /tmp/vault.js
+   sha256sum /tmp/index.html /tmp/vault.js
+   ```
+
+4. If hashes differ from `patches/<old-version>/manifest.sha256`, update
+   `overlay.css` / `overlay.js` selectors against the new Ember templates.
+5. Write `patches/<new-version>/manifest.sha256`, update `VERSION`.
+6. Run `make openbao-verify-login-overlay CHECK_UPSTREAM_DRIFT=1`.
+7. Attended browser login through KeyCape MFA.
+
+Workplan: `helix-forge/workplans/HF-WP-0003-openbao-keycape-login-overlay.md`
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/VERSION b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d21aa93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2.5.4
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/nginx.conf b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/nginx.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15a1e67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/nginx.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+worker_processes auto;
+error_log /dev/stderr notice;
+pid /tmp/nginx.pid;
+
+events {
+  worker_connections 1024;
+}
+
+http {
+  include /etc/nginx/mime.types;
+  default_type application/octet-stream;
+  access_log /dev/stdout;
+  sendfile on;
+  keepalive_timeout 65;
+  server_tokens off;
+
+  upstream openbao_upstream {
+    server openbao.openbao.svc.cluster.local:8200;
+  }
+
+  server {
+    listen 8080;
+
+    location /ui/platform-overlay/ {
+      alias /etc/nginx/overlay/;
+      add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=300";
+    }
+
+    location / {
+      proxy_pass http://openbao_upstream;
+      proxy_http_version 1.1;
+      proxy_set_header Host $host;
+      proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
+      proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+      proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
+      # Disable upstream compression so sub_filter can rewrite HTML.
+      proxy_set_header Accept-Encoding "";
+      proxy_buffering on;
+
+      sub_filter_types text/html;
+      sub_filter_once on;
+      sub_filter '</head>' '<link rel="stylesheet" href="/ui/platform-overlay/overlay.css"><script src="/ui/platform-overlay/overlay.js" defer></script></head>';
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/overlay.css b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/overlay.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fa851a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/overlay.css
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/* KeyCape login overlay for OpenBao UI — see presets.json and overlay.js */
+
+html.keycape-overlay-active .toolbar-namespace-picker,
+html.keycape-overlay-active nav.tabs,
+html.keycape-overlay-active label[for="namespace"],
+html.keycape-overlay-active label[for="role"],
+html.keycape-overlay-active label[for="custom-path"],
+html.keycape-overlay-active #namespace,
+html.keycape-overlay-active #role,
+html.keycape-overlay-active #custom-path,
+html.keycape-overlay-active select[name="auth-method"],
+html.keycape-overlay-active .auth-form .box.has-slim-padding.is-shadowless,
+html.keycape-overlay-active .auth-form .has-bottom-margin-s {
+  display: none !important;
+}
+
+html.keycape-overlay-active .splash-page-header .brand-icon-large {
+  display: none !important;
+}
+
+html.keycape-overlay-active h1.title.is-3 {
+  font-size: 1.45rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.keycape-overlay-banner {
+  padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
+  background: #f4f6f8;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid #d9dee3;
+  font-size: 0.875rem;
+  color: #3d4f5f;
+  line-height: 1.4;
+}
+
+html.keycape-overlay-active .login-form .auth-form {
+  padding-top: 0.25rem;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/overlay.js b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/overlay.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52c83a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/overlay.js
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+(function () {
+  "use strict";
+
+  const PRESETS_URL = "/ui/platform-overlay/presets.json";
+  const DEFAULT_PRESETS = {
+    namespace: "",
+    method: "oidc",
+    mount: "netkingdom",
+    role: "platform-admin",
+    title: "Sign in with KeyCape",
+    signInLabel: "Sign in with KeyCape",
+    banner:
+      "Platform operators authenticate through KeyCape at kc.coulomb.social.",
+  };
+
+  let presets = { ...DEFAULT_PRESETS };
+
+  function isAuthPage() {
+    const path = window.location.pathname;
+    return (
+      /\/ui\/vault\/auth(?:\/|$)/.test(path) ||
+      /\/ui\/?$/.test(path)
+    );
+  }
+
+  function hideNode(node) {
+    if (!node) return;
+    const field =
+      node.closest(".field.is-horizontal") ||
+      node.closest(".field") ||
+      node.closest(".box") ||
+      node;
+    field.style.display = "none";
+    field.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
+  }
+
+  function setInputValue(input, value) {
+    if (!input || input.value === value) return;
+    input.value = value;
+    input.dispatchEvent(new Event("input", { bubbles: true }));
+    input.dispatchEvent(new Event("change", { bubbles: true }));
+  }
+
+  function ensureAuthMountSelected() {
+    const mount = presets.mount || "netkingdom";
+    const withValue = mount.endsWith("/") ? mount : `${mount}/`;
+    const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+    const current = params.get("with") || "";
+
+    if (current.replace(/\/$/, "") === withValue.replace(/\/$/, "")) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!isAuthPage() || window.location.pathname.includes("/oidc/")) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    params.set("with", withValue);
+    const next = `${window.location.pathname}?${params.toString()}`;
+    if (next !== `${window.location.pathname}${window.location.search}`) {
+      window.location.replace(next);
+    }
+  }
+
+  function applyDom() {
+    if (!isAuthPage()) return;
+
+    hideNode(document.querySelector(".toolbar-namespace-picker"));
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll(
+        '#namespace, input[name="namespace"], label[for="namespace"]'
+      )
+      .forEach(hideNode);
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll('select[name="auth-method"], #auth-method')
+      .forEach((el) => hideNode(el.closest(".field") || el));
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll('#custom-path, input[name="custom-path"]')
+      .forEach(hideNode);
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll('#role, input[name="role"], label[for="role"]')
+      .forEach(hideNode);
+
+    document.querySelectorAll("nav.tabs").forEach((el) => {
+      el.style.display = "none";
+      el.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
+    });
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll(".auth-form .has-bottom-margin-s")
+      .forEach(hideNode);
+
+    document.querySelectorAll("h1.title.is-3").forEach((heading) => {
+      if (/Sign in to OpenBao|Authenticate/.test(heading.textContent)) {
+        heading.textContent = presets.title;
+      }
+    });
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll('#auth-submit, button[data-test="auth-submit"]')
+      .forEach((button) => {
+        button.textContent = presets.signInLabel;
+      });
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll('#namespace, input[name="namespace"]')
+      .forEach((input) => setInputValue(input, presets.namespace || ""));
+
+    document
+      .querySelectorAll('#role, input[name="role"]')
+      .forEach((input) => setInputValue(input, presets.role || "platform-admin"));
+
+    if (!document.getElementById("keycape-overlay-banner")) {
+      const banner = document.createElement("div");
+      banner.id = "keycape-overlay-banner";
+      banner.className = "keycape-overlay-banner";
+      banner.textContent = presets.banner;
+      const loginForm = document.querySelector(".login-form");
+      if (loginForm) {
+        loginForm.prepend(banner);
+      }
+    }
+
+    document.documentElement.classList.add("keycape-overlay-active");
+  }
+
+  async function loadPresets() {
+    try {
+      const response = await fetch(PRESETS_URL, { cache: "no-store" });
+      if (!response.ok) return;
+      const data = await response.json();
+      presets = { ...DEFAULT_PRESETS, ...data };
+    } catch (_error) {
+      presets = { ...DEFAULT_PRESETS };
+    }
+  }
+
+  function observe() {
+    const observer = new MutationObserver(() => applyDom());
+    observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
+    applyDom();
+  }
+
+  async function init() {
+    await loadPresets();
+    if (!isAuthPage()) return;
+
+    ensureAuthMountSelected();
+
+    if (document.readyState === "loading") {
+      document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", observe);
+    } else {
+      observe();
+    }
+  }
+
+  init();
+})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/patches/2.5.4/manifest.sha256 b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/patches/2.5.4/manifest.sha256
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0f761c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/patches/2.5.4/manifest.sha256
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# OpenBao UI asset fingerprints for image tag 2.5.4.
+# Regenerate after an OpenBao image bump when login markup drifts.
+# Compare vault.js only — index.html is intentionally modified by the gateway.
+#   curl -sS https://bao.coulomb.social/ui/ -o /tmp/index.html
+#   vault_path=$(rg -o '/ui/assets/vault-[a-f0-9]+\\.js' /tmp/index.html | head -1)
+#   curl -sS "https://bao.coulomb.social${vault_path}" -o /tmp/vault.js
+#   sha256sum /tmp/vault.js
+f0214b5be89377395f8d6521c34139877529bd95ba703901c78b527ab0f1c231  ui/assets/vault-bae6b876038fbf475728f993b5a62002.js
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/presets.json b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/presets.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9aa265c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/openbao-ui-overlay/presets.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "namespace": "",
+  "method": "oidc",
+  "mount": "netkingdom",
+  "role": "platform-admin",
+  "title": "Sign in with KeyCape",
+  "signInLabel": "Sign in with KeyCape",
+  "banner": "Platform operators authenticate through KeyCape at kc.coulomb.social."
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/helm/openbao-values.yaml b/helm/openbao-values.yaml
index eaf301f..88914a7 100644
--- a/helm/openbao-values.yaml
+++ b/helm/openbao-values.yaml
@@ -30,24 +30,10 @@ server:
       cpu: 500m
       memory: 512Mi
 
+  # Public browser ingress is owned by helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml so the
+  # KeyCape login overlay gateway can inject overlay assets.
   ingress:
-    enabled: true
-    annotations:
-      cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: letsencrypt-prod
-      traefik.ingress.kubernetes.io/router.middlewares: >-
-        openbao-openbao-rate-limit@kubernetescrd,
-        openbao-openbao-hsts@kubernetescrd
-    ingressClassName: traefik
-    pathType: Prefix
-    activeService: true
-    hosts:
-      - host: bao.coulomb.social
-        paths:
-          - /
-    tls:
-      - secretName: bao-tls
-        hosts:
-          - bao.coulomb.social
+    enabled: false
 
   authDelegator:
     enabled: true
diff --git a/scripts/openbao-ui-overlay-apply.sh b/scripts/openbao-ui-overlay-apply.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..93e2c25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/openbao-ui-overlay-apply.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+OPENBAO_NAMESPACE="${OPENBAO_NAMESPACE:-openbao}"
+KUBECTL="${KUBECTL:-kubectl}"
+ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+OVERLAY_DIR="${OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR:-$ROOT_DIR/helm/openbao-ui-overlay}"
+K8S_MANIFEST="${OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_K8S:-$ROOT_DIR/helm/openbao-ui-overlay-k8s.yaml}"
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'USAGE'
+Usage: scripts/openbao-ui-overlay-apply.sh
+
+Builds and applies the OpenBao KeyCape login overlay ConfigMaps and gateway
+Deployment/Service/Ingress. Idempotent — safe to run on every openbao-deploy.
+
+Environment:
+  OPENBAO_NAMESPACE      Kubernetes namespace. Default: openbao
+  KUBECTL                  kubectl command, including --kubeconfig if needed
+  OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR   Overlay asset directory
+  OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_K8S   Gateway manifest path
+USAGE
+}
+
+if [ "${1:-}" = "-h" ] || [ "${1:-}" = "--help" ]; then
+  usage
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+for required in overlay.css overlay.js presets.json nginx.conf VERSION; do
+  if [ ! -f "$OVERLAY_DIR/$required" ]; then
+    echo "missing overlay asset: $OVERLAY_DIR/$required" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+done
+
+if [ ! -f "$K8S_MANIFEST" ]; then
+  echo "missing gateway manifest: $K8S_MANIFEST" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+$KUBECTL create namespace "$OPENBAO_NAMESPACE" --dry-run=client -o yaml | $KUBECTL apply -f -
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+$KUBECTL create configmap openbao-ui-overlay \
+  --namespace "$OPENBAO_NAMESPACE" \
+  --from-file="$OVERLAY_DIR/overlay.css" \
+  --from-file="$OVERLAY_DIR/overlay.js" \
+  --from-file="$OVERLAY_DIR/presets.json" \
+  --from-file="$OVERLAY_DIR/VERSION" \
+  --dry-run=client -o yaml | $KUBECTL apply -f -
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+$KUBECTL create configmap openbao-ui-gateway-nginx \
+  --namespace "$OPENBAO_NAMESPACE" \
+  --from-file=nginx.conf="$OVERLAY_DIR/nginx.conf" \
+  --dry-run=client -o yaml | $KUBECTL apply -f -
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+$KUBECTL apply -f "$K8S_MANIFEST"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+$KUBECTL rollout restart deployment/openbao-ui-gateway -n "$OPENBAO_NAMESPACE"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+$KUBECTL rollout status deployment/openbao-ui-gateway -n "$OPENBAO_NAMESPACE" --timeout=120s
+
+printf '[OK] OpenBao UI overlay applied from %s\n' "$OVERLAY_DIR"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/openbao-verify-login-overlay.sh b/scripts/openbao-verify-login-overlay.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..074a810
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/openbao-verify-login-overlay.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+BASE_URL="${OPENBAO_UI_BASE_URL:-https://bao.coulomb.social}"
+OVERLAY_DIR="${OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR:-$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)/helm/openbao-ui-overlay}"
+CHECK_DRIFT="${CHECK_UPSTREAM_DRIFT:-0}"
+
+ok() { printf '[OK] %s\n' "$*"; }
+err() { printf '[ERR] %s\n' "$*" >&2; }
+step() { printf '\n==> %s\n' "$*"; }
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'USAGE'
+Usage: scripts/openbao-verify-login-overlay.sh [--check-upstream-drift]
+
+Verifies the public OpenBao UI serves the KeyCape login overlay assets and
+that index.html injection is present.
+
+Environment:
+  OPENBAO_UI_BASE_URL       Public UI base URL. Default: https://bao.coulomb.social
+  OPENBAO_UI_OVERLAY_DIR    Local overlay directory for drift fingerprints
+  CHECK_UPSTREAM_DRIFT      Set to 1 to compare live UI hashes with patches/
+USAGE
+}
+
+while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --check-upstream-drift)
+      CHECK_DRIFT=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    -h|--help)
+      usage
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    *)
+      err "unknown argument: $1"
+      usage >&2
+      exit 2
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+require_pattern() {
+  local label="$1"
+  local haystack="$2"
+  local pattern="$3"
+  if ! grep -Eq "$pattern" <<<"$haystack"; then
+    err "$label"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  ok "$label"
+}
+
+step "Overlay asset endpoints"
+index_html="$(curl -fsS "$BASE_URL/ui/")"
+overlay_js="$(curl -fsS "$BASE_URL/ui/platform-overlay/overlay.js")"
+overlay_css="$(curl -fsS "$BASE_URL/ui/platform-overlay/overlay.css")"
+presets_json="$(curl -fsS "$BASE_URL/ui/platform-overlay/presets.json")"
+
+require_pattern \
+  "index.html injects overlay.js" \
+  "$index_html" \
+  '/ui/platform-overlay/overlay\.js'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "index.html injects overlay.css" \
+  "$index_html" \
+  '/ui/platform-overlay/overlay\.css'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "overlay.js activates KeyCape overlay" \
+  "$overlay_js" \
+  'keycape-overlay-active'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "presets.json targets netkingdom mount" \
+  "$presets_json" \
+  '"mount"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"netkingdom"'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "presets.json targets platform-admin role" \
+  "$presets_json" \
+  '"role"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"platform-admin"'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "overlay.css hides namespace picker" \
+  "$overlay_css" \
+  'toolbar-namespace-picker'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "overlay branding title present in presets" \
+  "$presets_json" \
+  'Sign in with KeyCape'
+
+step "Hidden-field selectors still present in overlay.js"
+require_pattern \
+  "overlay.js hides namespace input" \
+  "$overlay_js" \
+  '#namespace|input\[name="namespace"\]'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "overlay.js hides role input" \
+  "$overlay_js" \
+  '#role|input\[name="role"\]'
+
+require_pattern \
+  "overlay.js hides mount path input" \
+  "$overlay_js" \
+  '#custom-path|input\[name="custom-path"\]'
+
+if [ "$CHECK_DRIFT" = "1" ]; then
+  step "Upstream UI drift check"
+  version_file="$OVERLAY_DIR/VERSION"
+  if [ ! -f "$version_file" ]; then
+    err "missing overlay VERSION file: $version_file"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  version="$(tr -d '[:space:]' < "$version_file")"
+  manifest="$OVERLAY_DIR/patches/$version/manifest.sha256"
+  if [ ! -f "$manifest" ]; then
+    err "missing fingerprint manifest: $manifest"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  vault_asset="$(grep -Eo '/ui/assets/vault-[a-f0-9]+\.js' <<<"$index_html" | head -1 || true)"
+  if [ -z "$vault_asset" ]; then
+    err "could not locate vault.js asset path in index.html"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  live_vault_hash="$(curl -fsS "$BASE_URL$vault_asset" | sha256sum | awk '{print $1}')"
+
+  expected_vault_hash="$(awk '!/^#/ && /ui\/assets\/vault-/ {print $1; exit}' "$manifest")"
+  expected_vault_path="$(awk '!/^#/ && /ui\/assets\/vault-/ {print $2; exit}' "$manifest")"
+
+  if [ -n "$expected_vault_hash" ] && [ "$live_vault_hash" != "$expected_vault_hash" ]; then
+    err "vault bundle hash drift for ${vault_asset:-unknown}: expected $expected_vault_hash got $live_vault_hash"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  ok "vault bundle hash matches patches/$version/manifest.sha256 (${expected_vault_path:-$vault_asset})"
+fi
+
+printf '\nOpenBao login overlay verification passed for %s\n' "$BASE_URL"
\ No newline at end of file