diff --git a/gateway/internal/config/config.go b/gateway/internal/config/config.go
index 7d0f70a..128e400 100644
--- a/gateway/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/gateway/internal/config/config.go
@@ -101,6 +101,16 @@ const (
 	// the authenticated gRPC listener address.
 	authenticatedGRPCAddrEnvVar = "GATEWAY_AUTHENTICATED_GRPC_ADDR"
 
+	// authenticatedGRPCCORSAllowedOriginsEnvVar names the environment
+	// variable that configures the comma-separated list of browser
+	// origins permitted to call the authenticated Connect-Web surface.
+	// An empty value disables CORS entirely; the listener then refuses
+	// to send Access-Control-* headers and browsers block cross-origin
+	// fetches. Set this in any deployment that fronts the gateway
+	// behind a different hostname than the SvelteKit bundle (e.g.
+	// `https://www.galaxy.lan` calling `https://api.galaxy.lan`).
+	authenticatedGRPCCORSAllowedOriginsEnvVar = "GATEWAY_AUTHENTICATED_GRPC_CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS"
+
 	// authenticatedGRPCConnectionTimeoutEnvVar names the environment variable
 	// that configures the inbound connection handshake timeout for the
 	// authenticated gRPC listener.
@@ -542,6 +552,13 @@ type AuthenticatedGRPCConfig struct {
 	// AntiAbuse configures the authenticated gRPC rate limits enforced after
 	// the request passes the transport authenticity checks.
 	AntiAbuse AuthenticatedGRPCAntiAbuseConfig
+
+	// CORSAllowedOrigins is the exact-match list of browser origins
+	// permitted to call the authenticated Connect-Web surface. Empty
+	// disables CORS — requests without an Access-Control-Allow-Origin
+	// response will be blocked by the browser, which is the production
+	// posture when the UI and the gateway share a single hostname.
+	CORSAllowedOrigins []string
 }
 
 // SessionCacheConfig describes the bounds of the gateway's in-memory
@@ -836,6 +853,16 @@ func LoadFromEnv() (Config, error) {
 		cfg.PublicHTTP.CORSAllowedOrigins = origins
 	}
 
+	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv(authenticatedGRPCCORSAllowedOriginsEnvVar); ok {
+		origins := make([]string, 0)
+		for part := range strings.SplitSeq(v, ",") {
+			if trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(part); trimmed != "" {
+				origins = append(origins, trimmed)
+			}
+		}
+		cfg.AuthenticatedGRPC.CORSAllowedOrigins = origins
+	}
+
 	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv(backendHTTPURLEnvVar); ok {
 		cfg.Backend.HTTPBaseURL = v
 	}
diff --git a/gateway/internal/grpcapi/cors.go b/gateway/internal/grpcapi/cors.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea23557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gateway/internal/grpcapi/cors.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package grpcapi
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+)
+
+// withCORS wraps next so that CORS preflight (OPTIONS) requests with an
+// allow-listed Origin receive 204 plus the `Access-Control-Allow-*`
+// headers Connect-Web needs, and actual requests get the matching
+// `Access-Control-Allow-Origin` header echoed back. Origins are
+// compared exactly: scheme, host, and port must match. An empty
+// allow-list passes through untouched — the production posture when
+// the UI and the gateway share one hostname.
+//
+// The wrapper mirrors `restapi.withCORS` but speaks plain `net/http`
+// because the Connect handler is mounted on a `http.ServeMux`, not a
+// gin engine. Connect-Web POSTs use `Content-Type: application/connect+json`
+// which triggers a browser preflight; without these headers the
+// browser surfaces "Load failed" before the Connect handler even sees
+// the request.
+func withCORS(allowedOrigins []string, next http.Handler) http.Handler {
+	allowed := make(map[string]struct{}, len(allowedOrigins))
+	for _, origin := range allowedOrigins {
+		allowed[origin] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	if len(allowed) == 0 {
+		return next
+	}
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		origin := r.Header.Get("Origin")
+		if origin == "" {
+			next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		if _, ok := allowed[origin]; !ok {
+			next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", origin)
+		w.Header().Add("Vary", "Origin")
+		w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", "true")
+		if r.Method == http.MethodOptions {
+			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Methods", "POST, OPTIONS")
+			if reqHeaders := r.Header.Get("Access-Control-Request-Headers"); reqHeaders != "" {
+				w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Headers", reqHeaders)
+			} else {
+				// Defaults cover the Connect-Web preflight set: protocol
+				// version, content type, timeout, and the signed-request
+				// metadata the gateway interceptor expects.
+				w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Headers",
+					"Content-Type, Connect-Protocol-Version, Connect-Timeout-Ms, Authorization")
+			}
+			// Expose the response headers Connect-Web needs to read on
+			// the client (e.g. trailers folded into headers for unary).
+			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Expose-Headers", "Connect-Protocol-Version, Grpc-Status, Grpc-Message")
+			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Max-Age", "3600")
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+			return
+		}
+		// Expose the same response headers on the actual call.
+		w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Expose-Headers", "Connect-Protocol-Version, Grpc-Status, Grpc-Message")
+		next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/gateway/internal/grpcapi/server.go b/gateway/internal/grpcapi/server.go
index e101b58..93cf13e 100644
--- a/gateway/internal/grpcapi/server.go
+++ b/gateway/internal/grpcapi/server.go
@@ -169,7 +169,10 @@ func (s *Server) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	)
 	mux.Handle(path, handler)
 
-	tracedHandler := otelhttp.NewHandler(mux, "authenticated_edge")
+	// CORS runs OUTSIDE the otelhttp wrapper so preflight OPTIONS calls
+	// answer with 204 immediately and never enter the trace path.
+	corsMux := withCORS(s.cfg.CORSAllowedOrigins, mux)
+	tracedHandler := otelhttp.NewHandler(corsMux, "authenticated_edge")
 	http2Server := &http2.Server{IdleTimeout: s.cfg.ConnectionTimeout}
 	httpServer := &http.Server{
 		Handler:           h2c.NewHandler(tracedHandler, http2Server),
diff --git a/tools/dev-deploy/docker-compose.yml b/tools/dev-deploy/docker-compose.yml
index 3deb385..0962b3e 100644
--- a/tools/dev-deploy/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tools/dev-deploy/docker-compose.yml
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ services:
       # https://api.galaxy.lan. Browsers therefore issue cross-origin
       # requests to the gateway and need an explicit allow-list.
       GATEWAY_PUBLIC_HTTP_CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS: "https://www.galaxy.lan"
+      GATEWAY_AUTHENTICATED_GRPC_CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS: "https://www.galaxy.lan"
       # Anti-abuse defaults are looser than production: the dev
       # environment is shared by a handful of trusted testers who
       # frequently hammer the same identity to reproduce flows.