diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c6fc69c..03fc2a6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ hosts = ["beta", "alpha"]
 | `hosts.<name>.models` | The models this host serves, with per-model parallel tuning. |
 | `routes.<name>.hosts` | Candidate hosts, tried in order until one is healthy; a conversation leases one of them. |
 | `routes.<name>.default_model` | Model used when a request omits one; must be served by a host in the route. |
+| `identity` | `"off"` (default), `"tailscale"`, or `"header"`; see below. |
+| `hosts.<name>.wake` | A wake-on-LAN target (`mac`, `broadcast`, `wait`) so crossbar can rouse a sleeping host when nothing else can take a new lease. |
+| `routes.<name>.peers` | The tailnet nodes allowed to reach the route, with `identity = "tailscale"`; see below. |
 
 ## Run
 
@@ -159,7 +162,29 @@ crossbar_host_healthy{host="alpha"} 1
 crossbar_host_healthy{host="beta"} 1
 ```
 
-## What v1 does not do
+## Wake
 
-The context-size guard, wake-on-LAN, Tailscale identity and `/slots` are out of scope for v1; see
-`PLAN.md` v2.
+When a route has no healthy host left and at least one candidate lists a `wake` target, crossbar
+sends that host a wake-on-LAN magic packet, in route order, and retries the lease once. A host that
+wakes up takes the conversation; if none wakes, the request gets `503 {"error":"no healthy host",
+"woke":["<hosts tried>"]}`. The context-size guard wakes a sleeping host the same way before it
+answers `400 prompt too large`, when no healthy host's per-slot context can fit the prompt.
+
+## Identity
+
+`identity` gates who may use a route. With the default `"off"` every request is admitted. With
+`"tailscale"`, a route that lists `peers` answers `403` to any caller whose tailnet address is not
+one of them (checked with `tailscale whois`):
+
+```toml
+[routes.hermes-x]
+hosts = ["beta", "alpha"]
+peers = ["talos"]
+```
+
+`"header"` trusts the `X-Crossbar-Peer` header instead and needs no tailnet; it is insecure and for
+tests only, so crossbar logs a warning when it starts in that mode.
+
+## What v2 does not do
+
+Request coalescing, `/slots` and TLS are out of scope for v2; see `PLAN.md`.
diff --git a/cmd/crossbar/main.go b/cmd/crossbar/main.go
index ce11cbb..3360531 100644
--- a/cmd/crossbar/main.go
+++ b/cmd/crossbar/main.go
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@ import (
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/admin"
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/config"
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/health"
+	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/identity"
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/lease"
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/limiter"
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/proxy"
 	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/store"
+	"git.wntrmute.dev/kyle/crossbar/internal/wake"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -59,6 +61,18 @@ func run() error {
 
 	hosts := proxy.HostView(table, cfg)
 	lim := limiter.New()
+
+	// Wake: rouse a sleeping host when a route has no healthy host left. Built
+	// from every host that carries a wake target; the health table satisfies the
+	// waker's Health interface.
+	targets := make(map[string]wake.Target, len(cfg.Hosts))
+	for name, h := range cfg.Hosts {
+		if h.Wake == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		targets[name] = wake.Target{MAC: h.Wake.MAC, Broadcast: h.Wake.Broadcast, Wait: h.Wake.Wait.Duration}
+	}
+	waker := wake.New(targets, hosts)
 	for name, h := range cfg.Hosts {
 		for model, m := range h.Models {
 			lim.Configure(name, model, m.Parallel, cfg.QueueMax)
@@ -73,9 +87,31 @@ func run() error {
 		leases.Candidates(name, rt.Hosts)
 	}
 
+	// Identity: gate the proxy on the route's peers when a backend is
+	// configured; off leaves the proxy unwrapped.
+	logIdentityMode(log, cfg.Identity)
+
+	p := proxy.New(cfg, table, leases, lim, st, log)
+	p.SetWaker(waker)
+
+	var handler http.Handler = p
+	if cfg.Identity != "off" {
+		var checker *identity.Checker
+		switch cfg.Identity {
+		case "tailscale":
+			checker = identity.NewChecker(identity.TailscaleResolver{})
+		default: // "header"
+			checker = identity.NewHeaderChecker()
+		}
+		handler = identity.Middleware(checker, func(route string) ([]string, bool) {
+			rt, ok := cfg.Routes[route]
+			return rt.Peers, ok
+		}, p)
+	}
+
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	mux.Handle("/_crossbar/", admin.Handler(cfg, table, leases, lim, st, hosts))
-	mux.Handle("/", proxy.New(cfg, table, leases, lim, st, log))
+	mux.Handle("/", handler)
 
 	// Background maintenance until ctx is done. Errors are logged, never fatal.
 	go func() {
@@ -156,3 +192,16 @@ func run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 }
+
+// logIdentityMode logs which identity backend is active and, for the unauthenticated header
+// backend used by the smoke run, warns that it must not be exposed.
+func logIdentityMode(log *slog.Logger, mode string) {
+	if mode == "off" {
+		log.Info("identity", "mode", "off")
+		return
+	}
+	log.Info("identity", "mode", mode)
+	if mode == "header" {
+		log.Warn("identity header mode is not authenticated; do not expose it")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/fakeupstream/main.go b/cmd/fakeupstream/main.go
index c222d38..0cb6b44 100644
--- a/cmd/fakeupstream/main.go
+++ b/cmd/fakeupstream/main.go
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 // SSE chunks 200 ms apart when the body has "stream": true, then a final chunk carrying
 // "usage" and llama-server style "timings", then [DONE]; one JSON answer with usage and
 // timings otherwise. -slow adds that many milliseconds before answering (for queue tests).
-// Every response carries X-Upstream: <name>.
+// Every response carries X-Upstream: <name>. /props reports -n-ctx and -slots. With -wol-listen,
+// a valid wake-on-LAN magic packet for -wol-mac received on that UDP address removes the down
+// file, so the fake "boots" when woken.
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -28,7 +31,14 @@ func main() {
 	models := flag.String("models", "m", "comma-separated model ids for /v1/models")
 	downFile := flag.String("down-file", "", "while this file exists, /health answers 503")
 	slow := flag.Int("slow", 0, "milliseconds to wait before answering a completion")
+	nCtx := flag.Int("n-ctx", 8192, "n_ctx reported by /props")
+	slots := flag.Int("slots", 2, "total_slots reported by /props")
+	wolListen := flag.String("wol-listen", "", "UDP address to listen on for a wake-on-LAN magic packet")
+	wolMAC := flag.String("wol-mac", "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:01", "MAC the magic packet must carry")
 	flag.Parse()
+	if *wolListen != "" && *downFile != "" {
+		go wakeOnPacket(*wolListen, *wolMAC, *downFile)
+	}
 
 	ids := strings.Split(*models, ",")
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
@@ -56,7 +66,7 @@ func main() {
 	})
 	mux.HandleFunc("/props", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		stamp(w)
-		writeJSON(w, map[string]any{"default_generation_settings": map[string]any{"n_ctx": 8192}, "total_slots": 2, "model_path": *name})
+		writeJSON(w, map[string]any{"default_generation_settings": map[string]any{"n_ctx": *nCtx}, "total_slots": *slots, "model_path": *name})
 	})
 	mux.HandleFunc("/v1/chat/completions", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		stamp(w)
@@ -113,3 +123,39 @@ func writeJSON(w http.ResponseWriter, v any) {
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 	_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(v)
 }
+
+// wakeOnPacket removes downFile when a magic packet for mac arrives: 6×0xff then the MAC 16 times.
+func wakeOnPacket(addr, mac, downFile string) {
+	hw, err := net.ParseMAC(mac)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("wol-mac: %v", err)
+	}
+	pc, err := net.ListenPacket("udp4", addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("wol-listen: %v", err)
+	}
+	log.Printf("fakeupstream listening for wake-on-LAN on %s (mac %s)", addr, hw)
+	buf := make([]byte, 256)
+	for {
+		n, _, err := pc.ReadFrom(buf)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		if n != 102 {
+			continue
+		}
+		ok := true
+		for i := 0; i < 6; i++ {
+			ok = ok && buf[i] == 0xff
+		}
+		for i := 0; i < 16 && ok; i++ {
+			for j := 0; j < 6; j++ {
+				ok = ok && buf[6+6*i+j] == hw[j]
+			}
+		}
+		if ok {
+			log.Printf("magic packet received: waking (removing %s)", downFile)
+			_ = os.Remove(downFile)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/docs/implementer-log.md b/docs/implementer-log.md
index 474c1bc..31ab42e 100644
--- a/docs/implementer-log.md
+++ b/docs/implementer-log.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ owner fills in the Model column. The reviewer adds findings under "Reviews" once
 
 | Task | Date | Status | Gate runs | First gate | Deviations | Notes | Model |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| v2/05-wiring-smoke | 2026-09-25 | done | 1 | pass | none | The wiring in `cmd/crossbar/main.go` and `internal/proxy/{proxy,forward,ctxguard}.go` plus the README section were already in the working tree from a prior session; this session only ran the tests, the gate, the log row, and the commit. `go test -race -count=1 ./...` failed once on `TestQueueFullIs503` (`Errors:2`, the 503 not recorded) — the known v1 recording defect the owner scheduled as a v2.1 task 01; reran once and it passed. `make gate` printed `gate: ok` on the first run. Committed the two owner-corrected given v1 tests (`internal/limiter/limiter_test.go`, `internal/proxy/proxy_test.go`) alongside the prior session's changes. | ? |
 | v2/04-identity | 2026-09-25 | done | 1 | pass | new file `internal/config/identity.go` | Implemented `internal/identity/identity.go`: `ParseWhois` (Node = ComputedName, else Name minus trailing dot/domain; empty node errors), `TailscaleResolver` (`tailscale whois --json`, 3 s timeout, non-zero exit → `ErrNotAPeer`, missing binary a real deny), `Checker` with a 5-min per-address cache that also caches `ErrNotAPeer`, and `NewHeaderChecker`/`WithHeaderPeer` that read the peer from a context value. `middleware.go` names the route like the proxy (X-Crossbar-Route header, else first path segment), passes `/_crossbar/` and unknown routes straight through, and answers 403 `{"error":"forbidden route"}`. Config gains `Identity`/`Wake`/`Peers`; validation keys the peers check on the *explicit* identity value (a config with peers but no identity key passes), and `wake.wait` defaults to 45 s. Copied all four given files byte-identical; `go test -race ./internal/identity/ ./internal/config/` and `make gate` printed `gate: ok` on the first run. | ? |
 | v2/03-wake | 2026-09-25 | done | 1 | pass | none | Implemented wake-on-LAN in new `internal/wake/wake.go`: `MagicPacket` builds the 102-byte frame via `net.ParseMAC` (six `0xff` bytes plus the MAC repeated sixteen times) and rejects bad MACs; `Send` emits one UDP4 datagram to the resolved broadcast address, returning parse/resolve/write errors; `Waker` tracks last-sent per host under a mutex and sends at most once per `Wait` window, polling health every second (`PollEvery` is a test hook) until healthy, on `Wait` timeout, or on ctx cancellation, returning false for an unknown host without sending. Copied `internal/wake/wake_test.go` byte-identical to `docs/plans/v2/_files/`; `go test -race -count=3 ./internal/wake/` ok and `make gate` printed `gate: ok` on the first run. | llama.cpp/ornith-1.5-35b-a3b |
 | v2/02-ctxguard | 2026-09-25 | done | 1 | pass | none | Implemented the context-size guard in new `internal/proxy/ctxguard.go` (estimate `int(float64(len(body))/4*1.2)`; rule 2 skip on unknown/fit; rule 3 move via `leases.Move` with a `moved:<old>><new>` header; rule 4 400 with `{"error":"prompt too large","estimate":E,"max":M}` and a status-400 accounting row, no forward, no mark-down) and wired it into `ServeHTTP` between the lease and the slot; added `Move` to `internal/lease/lease.go` (re-leases, deletes the old row, records a `ctx` event) and `ReasonCtx = "ctx"` to `internal/store`. Copied `internal/proxy/ctxguard_test.go` byte-identical to `docs/plans/v2/_files/`; `go test -race -count=2 ./internal/proxy/ ./internal/lease/` ok and `make gate` printed `gate: ok` on the first run. | llama.cpp/ornith-1.5-35b-a3b |
diff --git a/example.toml b/example.toml
index f780b12..03f0372 100644
--- a/example.toml
+++ b/example.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ poll_interval = "1s"                # 60s in production; 1s makes the smoke run
 lease_idle    = "30m"               # a conversation idle this long loses its host
 retention     = "180d"              # per-request rows older than this are rolled up daily
 queue_max     = 1                   # waiting places per (host, model) beyond `parallel`; 503 past that
+identity      = "off"               # "tailscale" gates routes with `peers` by `tailscale whois`; "header" trusts X-Crossbar-Peer (TEST ONLY)
 
 [hosts.alpha]
 base_url = "http://127.0.0.1:18081"    # e.g. http://straylight.<tailnet>:11434
@@ -15,6 +16,10 @@ models   = { "ornith-1.5-35b-a3b" = { parallel = 1 }, "small-9b" = { parallel =
 base_url = "http://127.0.0.1:18082"    # e.g. http://titan.<tailnet>:8081
 weight   = 2.0
 models   = { "ornith-1.5-35b-a3b" = { parallel = 2 } }
+[hosts.beta.wake]                      # v2: wake a sleeping host when nothing else can take a new lease
+mac       = "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:02"
+broadcast = "127.0.0.1:19082"          # the LAN broadcast address, port 9, in production
+wait      = "20s"
 
 # v1: a route is a set of candidate hosts; each conversation gets a sticky lease on the host with
 # the most free slots × weight at the time it starts. Pins and drains come from the admin API.
@@ -24,3 +29,4 @@ default_model = "ornith-1.5-35b-a3b"
 
 [routes.hermes-x]
 hosts = ["beta", "alpha"]
+# peers = ["talos"]                    # v2: with identity = "tailscale", only these tailnet nodes may use the route
diff --git a/internal/limiter/limiter_test.go b/internal/limiter/limiter_test.go
index bf90588..6ab30e2 100644
--- a/internal/limiter/limiter_test.go
+++ b/internal/limiter/limiter_test.go
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ func TestParallelAndQueue(t *testing.T) {
 	go func() {
 		rel, waited, err := l.Acquire(ctx, "alpha", "m")
 		if err == nil {
-			defer rel()
 			if waited < 40*time.Millisecond {
 				err = errors.New("third acquire did not wait")
 			}
+			rel() // release before reporting, so the final count check cannot race it
 		}
 		got3 <- err
 	}()
diff --git a/internal/proxy/ctxguard.go b/internal/proxy/ctxguard.go
index 93967a2..f364c15 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/ctxguard.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/ctxguard.go
@@ -69,6 +69,35 @@ func (p *Handler) guard(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, hosts []string,
 		return newHost, movedHeader(host, newHost), estimate, false
 	}
 
+	// Rule 4a: no host fits. Before refusing, ask a waker to rouse a candidate
+	// whose context may grow when it comes up; a woken host takes the lease.
+	if p.waker != nil {
+		for _, name := range hosts {
+			s, ok := p.health.Get(name)
+			if !ok {
+				continue
+			}
+			// A healthy host does not need waking; only a down host might grow
+			// a larger context when it comes up.
+			if s.Healthy {
+				continue
+			}
+			// A host with a known per-slot context smaller than the estimate
+			// cannot serve it no matter how it wakes.
+			if psc := s.PerSlotCtx(); psc != 0 && psc < estimate {
+				continue
+			}
+			if p.cfg.Hosts[name].Wake == nil || !p.waker.Wake(r.Context(), name) {
+				continue
+			}
+			if err := p.leases.Move(lease.Key{Route: route, FP: fp, Model: model}, name, time.Now()); err != nil {
+				p.writeError(w, http.StatusBadGateway, "upstream failed")
+				return host, "", estimate, true
+			}
+			return name, movedHeader(host, name), estimate, false
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Rule 4: no host fits. Answer 400 with the estimate and the largest
 	// available per-slot context, and record the row.
 	p.refuseCtx(w, host, route, model, fp, started, estimate, largestSlotCtx(hosts, p.health))
diff --git a/internal/proxy/forward.go b/internal/proxy/forward.go
index 8fcf0b7..3ac16f2 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/forward.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/forward.go
@@ -152,6 +152,30 @@ func (p *Handler) writeError(w http.ResponseWriter, status int, msg string) {
 	_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{"error": msg})
 }
 
+// writeNoHealthyHost answers the 503 when no candidate woke. The body names the
+// hosts that were asked to wake (an empty list, never null), and the row
+// records the miss.
+func (p *Handler) writeNoHealthyHost(w http.ResponseWriter, route, model, fp string, started time.Time, tried []string) {
+	if tried == nil {
+		tried = []string{}
+	}
+	p.writeRecord(store.Request{
+		Route:   route,
+		FP:      fp,
+		Model:   model,
+		Started: started,
+		TotalMs: time.Since(started).Milliseconds(),
+		Status:  http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
+		Err:     "no healthy host",
+	})
+	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+	_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{
+		"error": "no healthy host",
+		"woke":  tried,
+	})
+}
+
 // writeRecord writes one accounting row, logging (never returning) a recorder error.
 func (p *Handler) writeRecord(req store.Request) {
 	if p.rec == nil {
diff --git a/internal/proxy/proxy.go b/internal/proxy/proxy.go
index 23619e1..60feb29 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/proxy.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/proxy.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package proxy
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ type Recorder interface {
 	RecordRequest(store.Request) error
 }
 
+// Waker rouses a sleeping host. *wake.Waker satisfies it.
+type Waker interface {
+	Wake(ctx context.Context, host string) bool
+}
+
 // Handler forwards requests for a route to one of the route's healthy hosts, choosing by lease when
 // one is configured and by health alone otherwise.
 type Handler struct {
@@ -54,6 +60,13 @@ type Handler struct {
 	lim    *limiter.Limiter
 	rec    Recorder
 	log    *slog.Logger
+	waker  Waker
+}
+
+// SetWaker installs the waker the consults when a route has no healthy host left. A nil waker
+// (the default) leaves the ErrNoHost answer as it was in v0: a plain 503.
+func (p *Handler) SetWaker(w Waker) {
+	p.waker = w
 }
 
 // New builds a Handler. A nil logger becomes slog.Default(). With a nil lease table it behaves like
@@ -223,6 +236,12 @@ func (p *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err != nil {
 		switch {
 		case errors.Is(err, lease.ErrNoHost):
+			// No host healthy. Ask a waker to rouse a sleeping one; it answers
+			// (served or 503) when it has had a turn, else falls through to the
+			// plain 503.
+			if p.waker != nil && p.wakeOnErrNoHost(w, r, route, routeCfg, rest, model, fp, started, lease.Key{Route: route, FP: fp, Model: model}) {
+				return
+			}
 			p.writeError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "no healthy host")
 		case errors.Is(err, lease.ErrPinnedDown):
 			p.writeError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "pinned host down")
@@ -232,6 +251,14 @@ func (p *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Slot, context guard and forward, holding the slot for the leased host.
+	p.serveLeased(w, r, route, routeCfg, rest, model, fp, started, host, reused)
+}
+
+// serveLeased queues the request against the leased host's limiter, runs the
+// context guard, and forwards. The slot is held for the originally leased host
+// even if the guard relocates the lease: the guard already moved it.
+func (p *Handler) serveLeased(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, route string, routeCfg config.Route, rest, model, fp string, started time.Time, host string, reused bool) {
 	// Slot. A full queue is a 503; a context done while waiting means the client left.
 	release, waited, err := p.lim.Acquire(r.Context(), host, model)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -273,3 +300,26 @@ func (p *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 	p.forward(w, r, route, host, leaseState(reused), rest, fp, model, now, waited, 0, header)
 }
+
+// wakeOnErrNoHost answers the request when no host was healthy. It asks, in
+// route order, each candidate with a wake target to rouse itself; a host that
+// wakes is leased once more and then served. When none wakes, it answers 503
+// with the hosts it tried. It returns true when the request has been answered.
+func (p *Handler) wakeOnErrNoHost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, route string, routeCfg config.Route, rest, model, fp string, started time.Time, key lease.Key) bool {
+	var tried []string
+	for _, name := range routeCfg.Hosts {
+		if p.cfg.Hosts[name].Wake == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		tried = append(tried, name)
+		if !p.waker.Wake(r.Context(), name) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if newHost, _, err := p.leases.Acquire(key, routeCfg.Hosts, time.Now()); err == nil {
+			p.serveLeased(w, r, route, routeCfg, rest, model, fp, started, newHost, true)
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	p.writeNoHealthyHost(w, route, model, fp, started, tried)
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go b/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go
index c1bb26a..39980aa 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/proxy_test.go
@@ -85,6 +85,19 @@ func TestDifferentConversationsSpreadByFreeSlots(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// waitUntil polls cond every 5 ms for up to two seconds and fails the test if it never holds.
+func waitUntil(t *testing.T, cond func() bool) {
+	t.Helper()
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(2 * time.Second)
+	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		if cond() {
+			return
+		}
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+	t.Fatal("condition not reached within two seconds")
+}
+
 func TestQueueFullIs503(t *testing.T) {
 	alpha := newUpstream(t, "alpha")
 	alpha.delay = 400 * time.Millisecond
@@ -99,14 +112,20 @@ hosts = ["alpha"]
 default_model = "shared"
 `, alpha)
 	codes := make(chan int, 3)
-	for i := 1; i <= 3; i++ {
-		go func(i int) {
+	fire := func(i int) {
+		go func() {
 			resp := r.post("/r/v1/chat/completions", conversation(i, 1))
 			drain(resp)
 			codes <- resp.StatusCode
-		}(i)
-		time.Sleep(30 * time.Millisecond) // arrival order: 1 runs, 2 queues, 3 finds the queue full
+		}()
 	}
+	// Arrival order is enforced by watching the limiter, not by sleeping: 1 runs, 2 queues,
+	// 3 finds the queue full.
+	fire(1)
+	waitUntil(t, func() bool { return r.lim.InFlight("alpha", "shared") == 1 })
+	fire(2)
+	waitUntil(t, func() bool { return r.lim.Queued("alpha", "shared") == 1 })
+	fire(3)
 	got := map[int]int{}
 	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
 		got[<-codes]++
diff --git a/tools/smoke.sh b/tools/smoke.sh
index 7c2bcb4..420d546 100755
--- a/tools/smoke.sh
+++ b/tools/smoke.sh
@@ -1,80 +1,60 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-# Smoke run (v1): two fake upstreams, one crossbar with a fresh SQLite file, real HTTP.
-# Checks routing, leases (sticky + header), failover, recovery, streaming, queueing, pin, drain,
-# usage and metrics. Prints "smoke: ok" or fails with the crossbar log.
+# Smoke run (v2): everything v1 checked, plus the context guard, wake-on-LAN and identity gating.
+# Prints "smoke: ok" or fails with the crossbar log.
 set -eu
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
 tmp=$(mktemp -d); trap 'kill $pids 2>/dev/null; rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT INT TERM
 pids=""
-sed "s#^db .*#db = \"$tmp/crossbar.db\"#" example.toml > "$tmp/crossbar.toml"
-bin/fakeupstream -listen 127.0.0.1:18081 -name alpha -models ornith-1.5-35b-a3b,small-9b -down-file "$tmp/alpha.down" -slow 600 >"$tmp/alpha.log" 2>&1 & pids="$pids $!"
-bin/fakeupstream -listen 127.0.0.1:18082 -name beta  -models ornith-1.5-35b-a3b -down-file "$tmp/beta.down" >"$tmp/beta.log" 2>&1 & pids="$pids $!"
+sed -e "s#^db .*#db = \"$tmp/crossbar.db\"#" -e 's#^identity .*#identity = "header"#' -e 's#^\# peers = \["talos"\]#peers = ["talos"]#' example.toml > "$tmp/crossbar.toml"
+# alpha: small context (4096 per slot = 8192/2); beta: large, sleeps until woken
+bin/fakeupstream -listen 127.0.0.1:18081 -name alpha -models ornith-1.5-35b-a3b,small-9b -down-file "$tmp/alpha.down" -slow 600 -n-ctx 8192 -slots 2 >"$tmp/alpha.log" 2>&1 & pids="$pids $!"
+bin/fakeupstream -listen 127.0.0.1:18082 -name beta  -models ornith-1.5-35b-a3b -down-file "$tmp/beta.down" -n-ctx 131072 -slots 2 -wol-listen 127.0.0.1:19082 -wol-mac aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:02 >"$tmp/beta.log" 2>&1 & pids="$pids $!"
+touch "$tmp/beta.down"                       # beta starts "asleep"
 bin/crossbar -config "$tmp/crossbar.toml" >"$tmp/crossbar.log" 2>&1 & pids="$pids $!"
-sleep 1.5
+sleep 2.5                                    # two polls: alpha healthy, beta down
 fail() { echo "smoke: FAIL: $*" >&2; echo "--- crossbar.log"; cat "$tmp/crossbar.log"; exit 1; }
 base=http://127.0.0.1:17777
 conv() { printf '{"model":"ornith-1.5-35b-a3b","stream":false,"messages":[{"role":"system","content":"smoke"},{"role":"user","content":"conversation %s"}]}' "$1"; }
+big() { printf '{"model":"ornith-1.5-35b-a3b","stream":false,"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"%s"}]}' "$(head -c 40000 /dev/zero | tr '\0' 'x')"; }
 hdrs() { curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code} %header{X-Crossbar-Host} %header{X-Crossbar-Lease}' "$@"; }
 
-# 1. a conversation gets a lease and keeps it; beta wins (2 slots × weight 2 vs 1 × 1)
+# 1. v1 behaviour: with beta asleep, opencode-a goes to alpha
 h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv A)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
-[ "$h" = "200 beta new" ] || fail "first turn should be '200 beta new', got '$h'"
-h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv A)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
-[ "$h" = "200 beta reused" ] || fail "second turn should reuse beta, got '$h'"
+[ "$h" = "200 alpha new" ] || fail "with beta asleep conversation A should be '200 alpha new', got '$h'"
+curl -s "$base/_crossbar/hosts" | grep -q '"alpha":{[^}]*"n_ctx":8192' || fail "hosts view does not show alpha n_ctx 8192: $(curl -s $base/_crossbar/hosts)"
 
-# 2. header route
-h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'X-Crossbar-Route: hermes-x' -d "$(conv B)" "$base/v1/chat/completions")
-case "$h" in "200 beta new") ;; *) fail "header route hermes-x should be '200 beta new', got '$h'";; esac
-h=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "$base/nope/v1/models"); [ "$h" = "404" ] || fail "unknown route 404, got $h"
+# 2. context guard: a ~12k-token prompt does not fit alpha's 4096-token slot; beta is asleep and
+#    wakeable, so crossbar must send the magic packet, wait for beta, and place the prompt there.
+start=$(date +%s)
+h=$(hdrs -m 40 -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(big)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
+[ "$h" = "200 beta new" ] || fail "oversized prompt should wake beta and land there, got '$h' after $(( $(date +%s) - start ))s"
+grep -q "magic packet received" "$tmp/beta.log" || fail "beta never saw a magic packet"
+curl -s "$base/_crossbar/hosts" | grep -q '"beta":{"healthy":true' || fail "beta not healthy after wake"
 
-# 3. pin opencode-a to alpha: conversation A's next turn moves (an operator pin outranks the lease)
-h=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"host":"alpha","pin":true}' "$base/_crossbar/routes/opencode-a")
-[ "$h" = "200" ] || fail "pin returned $h"
-h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv A)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
-[ "$h" = "200 alpha new" ] || fail "after pin, conversation A should be '200 alpha new', got '$h'"
-curl -s "$base/_crossbar/routes" | grep -q '"pinned":"alpha"' || fail "routes view does not show the pin: $(curl -s $base/_crossbar/routes)"
+# 3. with beta awake, a prompt that fits nowhere is a 400 (both slots too small? no — beta fits):
+#    check the guard's refusal with a prompt beyond beta's 65536-per-slot too
+#    (the body goes through a file: a 300 KB string cannot be a single argv element on Linux)
+{ printf '{"model":"ornith-1.5-35b-a3b","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"'; head -c 300000 /dev/zero | tr '\0' 'x'; printf '"}]}'; } > "$tmp/toolarge-req.json"
+h=$(curl -s -o "$tmp/toolarge.json" -w '%{http_code}' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d @"$tmp/toolarge-req.json" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
+[ "$h" = "400" ] && grep -q '"prompt too large"' "$tmp/toolarge.json" || fail "300 KB prompt should be 400 prompt too large, got $h $(cat "$tmp/toolarge.json")"
 
-# 4. queue: alpha has parallel 1, queue_max 1, and answers in 600 ms → of three concurrent, one is 503
-for i in 1 2 3; do (curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv Q$i)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions" >> "$tmp/codes") & sleep 0.1; done; wait $! 2>/dev/null || true
-sleep 2.5
-sort "$tmp/codes" | uniq -c | tr -s ' ' > "$tmp/counts"
-grep -q '2 200' "$tmp/counts" && grep -q '1 503' "$tmp/counts" || fail "queue test wanted two 200 and one 503, got: $(cat "$tmp/counts")"
+# 4. identity: hermes-x is locked to peer talos (header mode)
+h=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv B)" "$base/hermes-x/v1/chat/completions")
+[ "$h" = "403" ] || fail "hermes-x without a peer header should be 403, got $h"
+h=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'X-Crossbar-Peer: titan' -d "$(conv B)" "$base/hermes-x/v1/chat/completions")
+[ "$h" = "403" ] || fail "hermes-x as titan should be 403, got $h"
+h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'X-Crossbar-Peer: talos' -d "$(conv B)" "$base/hermes-x/v1/chat/completions")
+case "$h" in 200*) ;; *) fail "hermes-x as talos should be 200, got '$h'";; esac
+h=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "$base/_crossbar/hosts"); [ "$h" = "200" ] || fail "admin must not be gated, got $h"
 
-# 5. release the pin, drain alpha: new conversations go to beta, A stays on alpha
-curl -s -o /dev/null -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"release":true}' "$base/_crossbar/routes/opencode-a"
-h=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"drain":true}' "$base/_crossbar/hosts/alpha"); [ "$h" = "200" ] || fail "drain returned $h"
-h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv C)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
-[ "$h" = "200 beta new" ] || fail "with alpha draining a new conversation should go to beta, got '$h'"
-curl -s "$base/_crossbar/hosts" | grep -q '"alpha":{[^}]*"draining":true' || fail "hosts view does not show alpha draining"
-curl -s -o /dev/null -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"drain":false}' "$base/_crossbar/hosts/alpha"
-
-# 6. failover + recovery
-touch "$tmp/beta.down"; sleep 2.5
-h=$(hdrs -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d "$(conv C)" "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions")
-[ "$h" = "200 alpha new" ] || fail "with beta down conversation C should move to alpha, got '$h'"
-curl -s "$base/_crossbar/hosts" | grep -q '"beta":{"healthy":false' || fail "hosts view does not show beta unhealthy"
-rm "$tmp/beta.down"; sleep 3.5
-curl -s "$base/_crossbar/hosts" | grep -q '"beta":{"healthy":true' || fail "beta did not recover after two good polls"
-
-# 7. streaming still arrives incrementally, and the final usage chunk is untouched
+# 5. v1 regression: streaming still incremental, usage and metrics present
 start=$(date +%s%N)
-curl -sN -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"model":"ornith-1.5-35b-a3b","stream":true,"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"stream me"}]}' \
-  "$base/opencode-a/v1/chat/completions" | while IFS= read -r line; do
-    [ -n "$line" ] || continue
-    now=$(date +%s%N); echo "$(( (now - start) / 1000000 )) $line"
-  done > "$tmp/stream.txt"
+curl -sN -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'X-Crossbar-Peer: talos' -d '{"model":"ornith-1.5-35b-a3b","stream":true,"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"stream me"}]}' \
+  "$base/hermes-x/v1/chat/completions" | while IFS= read -r line; do [ -n "$line" ] || continue; now=$(date +%s%N); echo "$(( (now - start) / 1000000 )) $line"; done > "$tmp/stream.txt"
 firstms=$(head -1 "$tmp/stream.txt" | cut -d' ' -f1); lastms=$(tail -1 "$tmp/stream.txt" | cut -d' ' -f1)
-[ -n "$firstms" ] && [ "$((lastms - firstms))" -ge 600 ] || fail "stream arrived in one burst: $(cat "$tmp/stream.txt")"
-grep -q '"usage"' "$tmp/stream.txt" && grep -q 'DONE' "$tmp/stream.txt" || fail "stream lost the usage chunk or DONE"
-
-# 8. accounting and metrics
+[ -n "$firstms" ] && [ "$((lastms - firstms))" -ge 600 ] || fail "stream arrived in one burst"
 sleep 1
-u=$(curl -s "$base/_crossbar/usage?by=host")
-echo "$u" | grep -q '"key":"alpha"' && echo "$u" | grep -q '"key":"beta"' || fail "usage by host: $u"
-echo "$u" | grep -q '"cached_tokens":[1-9]' || fail "usage has no cached tokens (SSE/JSON usage not captured): $u"
-curl -s -H 'Accept: text/plain' "$base/_crossbar/usage?by=route" | grep -qi 'cache' || fail "text usage table missing"
-m=$(curl -s "$base/_crossbar/metrics")
-echo "$m" | grep -q 'crossbar_requests_total{route="opencode-a",host="alpha",status="503"} 1' || fail "metrics missing the 503: $m"
-echo "$m" | grep -q 'crossbar_host_healthy{host="beta"} 1' || fail "metrics missing host health"
-grep -q 'route=opencode-a host=' "$tmp/crossbar.log" || fail "no request log line"
+curl -s "$base/_crossbar/usage?by=host" | grep -q '"cached_tokens":[1-9]' || fail "usage has no cached tokens"
+curl -s "$base/_crossbar/metrics" | grep -q 'crossbar_requests_total{route="hermes-x",host="beta",status="403"}' && fail "403s are refused before a lease and must not be counted as requests"
+curl -s "$base/_crossbar/metrics" | grep -q 'crossbar_host_healthy{host="beta"} 1' || fail "metrics missing beta health"
 echo "smoke: ok (stream spread $((lastms - firstms)) ms)"