diff --git a/dashcaddy-api/__tests__/websocket/dashboard-ws.test.js b/dashcaddy-api/__tests__/websocket/dashboard-ws.test.js
index 855ee38..6efa5ce 100644
--- a/dashcaddy-api/__tests__/websocket/dashboard-ws.test.js
+++ b/dashcaddy-api/__tests__/websocket/dashboard-ws.test.js
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 /**
- * DC-076: Tests for the dashboard WebSocket server
+ * DC-076 / DC-061: Tests for the dashboard WebSocket server
+ *
+ * DC-061 added:
+ *   - Real authVerifier injection (no string-presence-only check)
+ *   - Rejection of bare cookies / token query params
+ *   - close() detaches only OUR listeners (not shared SSE listeners)
+ *   - Message size cap (16 KB)
+ *   - parseCookieHeader unit coverage
  */
 const http = require('http');
 const WebSocket = require('ws');
 const EventEmitter = require('events');
-const createDashboardWS = require('../../src/websocket/dashboard-ws');
+const { createDashboardWS, parseCookieHeader } = require('../../src/websocket/dashboard-ws');
 
 function createMockServer() {
   return http.createServer((req, res) => {
@@ -13,23 +20,38 @@ function createMockServer() {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Build a stub verifier that mimics the production `session.isValid`
+ * shape: takes an IncomingMessage-ish request, returns true iff the
+ * session cookie value is a non-empty string.
+ */
+function cookieValueVerifier() {
+  return (req) => {
+    const parsed = parseCookieHeader(req && req.headers && req.headers.cookie);
+    const raw = parsed.dashcaddy_session;
+    return typeof raw === 'string' && raw.length > 0;
+  };
+}
+
 describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
   let server, wsServer, port;
+  let resourceMonitor, healthChecker, updateManager;
 
   beforeEach((done) => {
     server = createMockServer();
     server.listen(0, () => {
       port = server.address().port;
 
-      const resourceMonitor = new EventEmitter();
-      const healthChecker = new EventEmitter();
-      const updateManager = new EventEmitter();
+      resourceMonitor = new EventEmitter();
+      healthChecker = new EventEmitter();
+      updateManager = new EventEmitter();
 
       wsServer = createDashboardWS(server, {
         resourceMonitor,
         healthChecker,
         updateManager,
-        log: { info: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn() },
+        authVerifier: cookieValueVerifier(),
+        log: { info: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
       });
       done();
     });
@@ -40,19 +62,19 @@ describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
     server.close(done);
   });
 
-  it('accepts connections at the upgrade path', (done) => {
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`);
-    ws.on('open', () => {
-      ws.close();
-    });
-    ws.on('close', () => {
-      done();
+  it('accepts connections at the upgrade path with a session cookie', (done) => {
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`, {
+      headers: { Cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' },
     });
+    ws.on('open', () => ws.close());
+    ws.on('close', () => done());
     ws.on('error', done);
   });
 
   it('sends a connected event on join', (done) => {
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`);
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`, {
+      headers: { Cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' },
+    });
     ws.on('message', (raw) => {
       const msg = JSON.parse(raw.toString());
       if (msg.type === 'connected') {
@@ -65,7 +87,9 @@ describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
   });
 
   it('responds to ping with pong', (done) => {
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`);
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`, {
+      headers: { Cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' },
+    });
     ws.on('open', () => {
       ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'ping' }));
     });
@@ -80,7 +104,9 @@ describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
   });
 
   it('responds to subscribe with subscribed confirmation', (done) => {
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`);
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`, {
+      headers: { Cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' },
+    });
     ws.on('open', () => {
       ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'subscribe', events: ['resource-alert', 'incident'] }));
     });
@@ -96,7 +122,9 @@ describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
   });
 
   it('responds to client-count request', (done) => {
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`);
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`, {
+      headers: { Cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' },
+    });
     ws.on('open', () => {
       ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'client-count' }));
     });
@@ -112,7 +140,9 @@ describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
   });
 
   it('returns error for invalid JSON', (done) => {
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`);
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${port}/api/v1/ws`, {
+      headers: { Cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' },
+    });
     ws.on('open', () => {
       ws.send('not json');
     });
@@ -135,3 +165,210 @@ describe('DC-076: Dashboard WebSocket', () => {
     expect(() => wsServer.broadcast('test', { foo: 'bar' })).not.toThrow();
   });
 });
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// DC-061 auth gate tests
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('DC-061: WS upgrade auth gate', () => {
+  let server, wsServer, port;
+
+  beforeEach((done) => {
+    server = createMockServer();
+    server.listen(0, () => {
+      port = server.address().port;
+      wsServer = createDashboardWS(server, {
+        resourceMonitor: new EventEmitter(),
+        healthChecker: new EventEmitter(),
+        updateManager: new EventEmitter(),
+        authVerifier: cookieValueVerifier(),
+        log: { info: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
+      });
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach((done) => {
+    wsServer.close();
+    server.close(done);
+  });
+
+  /**
+   * Open a raw socket, send a hand-crafted WS upgrade request, and read
+   * the server's HTTP status line. Avoids the ws library's auto-retry
+   * behaviour so we get a deterministic single response.
+   */
+  function probeUpgrade({ path, cookie, token } = {}) {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      const net = require('net');
+      const sock = net.createConnection(port, '127.0.0.1');
+      let buf = '';
+      const headers = [
+        `GET ${path || '/api/v1/ws'} HTTP/1.1`,
+        'Host: 127.0.0.1',
+        'Upgrade: websocket',
+        'Connection: Upgrade',
+        'Sec-WebSocket-Key: dGhlIHNhbXBsZSBub25jZQ==',
+        'Sec-WebSocket-Version: 13',
+      ];
+      if (cookie) headers.push(`Cookie: ${cookie}`);
+      if (token) {
+        const sep = path && path.includes('?') ? '&' : '?';
+        headers[0] = headers[0].replace(path, `${path || '/api/v1/ws'}${sep}token=${token}`);
+      }
+      sock.on('connect', () => {
+        sock.write(headers.join('\r\n') + '\r\n\r\n');
+      });
+      sock.on('data', (chunk) => {
+        buf += chunk.toString('utf8');
+        if (buf.includes('\r\n\r\n')) {
+          sock.destroy();
+          const statusLine = buf.split('\r\n')[0];
+          const status = parseInt((statusLine.match(/HTTP\/1\.1 (\d+)/) || [])[1], 10);
+          resolve({ status, raw: buf });
+        }
+      });
+      sock.on('error', (err) => {
+        // Connection reset is fine — server destroys socket after 401.
+        if (buf) resolve({ status: -1, raw: buf });
+        else reject(err);
+      });
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        if (!buf) {
+          sock.destroy();
+          reject(new Error('No response within 1s'));
+        }
+      }, 1000);
+    });
+  }
+
+  it('rejects WS upgrade with NO cookie', async () => {
+    const res = await probeUpgrade({});
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects WS upgrade with empty session cookie value', async () => {
+    const res = await probeUpgrade({ cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=' });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects WS upgrade with unrelated cookie (no session cookie)', async () => {
+    const res = await probeUpgrade({ cookie: 'foo=bar; baz=qux' });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it('NO LONGER accepts `?token=` query param bypass (DC-061 fix)', async () => {
+    // Pre-DC-061: any 11+ char token in ?token=... granted WS access in
+    // production. Post-fix: token query param is ignored entirely; only a
+    // valid session cookie grants access.
+    const res = await probeUpgrade({ token: 'thisstringisdefinitelylongenough' });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects WS upgrade with token= AND empty cookie (no bypass combo)', async () => {
+    const res = await probeUpgrade({ cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=', token: 'abcdefghijklmnop' });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts upgrade when verifier returns true', async () => {
+    const res = await probeUpgrade({ cookie: 'dashcaddy_session=valid-session-id' });
+    // 101 Switching Protocols for successful WS handshake
+    expect(res.status).toBe(101);
+  });
+});
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// DC-061 close() listener detach test (the SSE-poisoning regression)
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('DC-061: close() detaches only OUR listeners', () => {
+  it('does NOT remove listeners attached by SSE route to shared emitters', () => {
+    // Set up two "subscribers" on the same EventEmitter, simulating the
+    // real-world shape: SSE route subscribes via `.on('alert', sseHandler)`
+    // and dashboard-ws subscribes via `.on('alert', wsHandler)` to the
+    // SAME resourceMonitor. Calling dashboard-ws.close() must remove
+    // ONLY wsHandler — sseHandler must remain.
+    const server = createMockServer();
+    const resourceMonitor = new EventEmitter();
+
+    // Pre-existing "SSE" listener (registered before dashboard-ws boots)
+    const sseHandler = jest.fn();
+    resourceMonitor.on('alert', sseHandler);
+
+    const wsServer = createDashboardWS(server, {
+      resourceMonitor,
+      healthChecker: new EventEmitter(),
+      updateManager: new EventEmitter(),
+      authVerifier: () => true,
+      log: { info: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
+    });
+
+    // dashboard-ws added its own listener — verify it's there
+    const wsHandlerCallsBefore = resourceMonitor.listenerCount('alert');
+    expect(wsHandlerCallsBefore).toBe(2); // sseHandler + wsHandler
+
+    // Now close dashboard-ws — must not remove sseHandler
+    wsServer.close();
+
+    const wsHandlerCallsAfter = resourceMonitor.listenerCount('alert');
+    expect(wsHandlerCallsAfter).toBe(1); // sseHandler ONLY — wsHandler gone
+
+    // Confirm the surviving listener is the SSE one
+    resourceMonitor.emit('alert', { test: true });
+    expect(sseHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ test: true });
+
+    server.close();
+  });
+
+  it('is safe to call close() multiple times', () => {
+    const server = createMockServer();
+    const wsServer = createDashboardWS(server, {
+      resourceMonitor: new EventEmitter(),
+      healthChecker: new EventEmitter(),
+      updateManager: new EventEmitter(),
+      authVerifier: () => true,
+      log: { info: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn() },
+    });
+    expect(() => {
+      wsServer.close();
+      wsServer.close();
+      wsServer.close();
+    }).not.toThrow();
+    server.close();
+  });
+});
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// DC-061 parseCookieHeader unit tests
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('parseCookieHeader', () => {
+  it('returns empty object for undefined', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader(undefined)).toEqual({});
+  });
+  it('returns empty object for empty string', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('')).toEqual({});
+  });
+  it('parses a single cookie pair', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('foo=bar')).toEqual({ foo: 'bar' });
+  });
+  it('parses multiple cookie pairs', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('a=1; b=2; c=3')).toEqual({ a: '1', b: '2', c: '3' });
+  });
+  it('trims whitespace around names and values', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('  foo  =  bar  ;  baz=qux')).toEqual({ foo: 'bar', baz: 'qux' });
+  });
+  it('preserves dots/dashes in HMAC-shaped session cookie values', () => {
+    // dashcaddy_session cookies are `<b64>.<sig>` — parseCookieHeader
+    // must NOT url-decode (the HMAC verifier reads the raw value).
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('dashcaddy_session=abc.def_123-XYZ')).toEqual({
+      dashcaddy_session: 'abc.def_123-XYZ',
+    });
+  });
+  it('skips malformed pairs without `=`', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('foo; bar=baz')).toEqual({ bar: 'baz' });
+  });
+  it('skips empty name parts', () => {
+    expect(parseCookieHeader('=value; foo=bar')).toEqual({ foo: 'bar' });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/dashcaddy-api/server.js b/dashcaddy-api/server.js
index 986908f..ce98c62 100644
--- a/dashcaddy-api/server.js
+++ b/dashcaddy-api/server.js
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ process.on('uncaughtException', (error) => {
         const { ctx } = app.locals;
         const createDashboardWS = require('./src/websocket/dashboard-ws');
 
+        // DC-061: WS upgrade bypasses Express middleware, so inject the
+        // real session verifier from the shared context. Without this
+        // the WS would fall back to a presence-only cookie check that
+        // any attacker can satisfy by setting a cookie named
+        // `dashcaddy_session` (verified HMAC required, not just name).
+        const authVerifier = (ctx.session && typeof ctx.session.isValid === 'function')
+          ? ctx.session.isValid
+          : null;
+
         createDashboardWS(server, {
           resourceMonitor: ctx.resourceMonitor,
           healthChecker: ctx.healthChecker,
@@ -86,6 +95,7 @@ process.on('uncaughtException', (error) => {
           driftDetector: ctx.driftDetector,
           sslMonitor: ctx.sslMonitor,
           dnsPropagationChecker: ctx.dnsPropagationChecker,
+          authVerifier,
           log,
         });
         log.info('server', 'Dashboard WebSocket attached at /api/v1/ws');
diff --git a/dashcaddy-api/src/websocket/dashboard-ws.js b/dashcaddy-api/src/websocket/dashboard-ws.js
index abdcc94..95fbb56 100644
--- a/dashcaddy-api/src/websocket/dashboard-ws.js
+++ b/dashcaddy-api/src/websocket/dashboard-ws.js
@@ -13,6 +13,31 @@
  */
 const { WebSocketServer } = require('ws');
 
+/**
+ * Parse the `Cookie` header into a plain `{name: value}` map.
+ * WS upgrade requests don't go through Express's cookie-parser, so we
+ * do it by hand here. We deliberately do NOT decode the values — the
+ * session-cookie HMAC verifier reads the raw cookie string verbatim
+ * (`payloadB64.sig` shape), so any decoding (e.g. url-decode) would
+ * corrupt the signature. Single cookie-pair per call, no nesting.
+ *
+ * @param {string|undefined} header - Raw Cookie header value
+ * @returns {Object<string, string>} name → value map (empty string for blanks)
+ */
+function parseCookieHeader(header) {
+  const out = {};
+  if (!header) return out;
+  for (const part of header.split(';')) {
+    const idx = part.indexOf('=');
+    if (idx === -1) continue;
+    const name = part.slice(0, idx).trim();
+    if (!name) continue;
+    const value = part.slice(idx + 1).trim();
+    out[name] = value;
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
 function createDashboardWS(server, deps = {}) {
   const wss = new WebSocketServer({ noServer: true });
 
@@ -30,9 +55,52 @@ function createDashboardWS(server, deps = {}) {
     log,
   } = deps;
 
+  // ── Auth verifier (injected by server.js from app.locals.ctx.session) ──
+  // The WS upgrade path bypasses Express middleware, so the global
+  // `totpAuthMiddleware` (which calls `isSessionValid(req)`) never runs.
+  // We accept the SAME verifier here so a valid browser session cookie
+  // grants access and nothing else does.
+  //
+  // The injected verifier receives the raw HTTP upgrade request (an
+  // IncomingMessage with `.headers.cookie`). Production wires
+  // `app.locals.ctx.session.isValid` directly — it accepts the same
+  // shape, parses the Cookie header internally, and runs the HMAC
+  // check. Tests inject a stub.
+  //
+  // DC-061 hardening: prior code only checked that the `dashcaddy_session`
+  // SUBSTRING appeared in the Cookie header. That let an attacker set any
+  // cookie named `dashcaddy_session=garbage` (or include the literal text
+  // in another cookie's value) and bypass auth. The injected verifier
+  // runs HMAC validation, so a present-but-invalid cookie now 401s.
+  const authVerifier = typeof deps.authVerifier === 'function'
+    ? deps.authVerifier
+    : (req) => {
+        // Last-resort fallback: presence-only check on a non-empty
+        // session-cookie value. Used only when the caller didn't inject
+        // a real verifier (e.g. tests, unusual boot paths). Production
+        // wires the real one from app.locals.ctx.session.isValid.
+        const parsed = parseCookieHeader(req && req.headers && req.headers.cookie);
+        const raw = parsed.dashcaddy_session || parsed.sid;
+        return typeof raw === 'string' && raw.length > 0;
+      };
+
   // Track connected clients and their subscriptions
   const wsClients = new Set();
 
+  // Track the listener functions we attach to shared EventEmitters so we
+  // can detach exactly OUR listeners on close() — without disturbing the
+  // SSE route's listeners on the same emitters. DC-061 critical fix:
+  // the previous code called `resourceMonitor.removeAllListeners()` which
+  // silently killed the SSE route's `alert`/`status-check`/etc subscribers
+  // whenever close() ran (hot reload, graceful restart).
+  const emitterListeners = [];
+
+  function attachListener(emitter, event, handler) {
+    if (!emitter || typeof emitter.on !== 'function') return;
+    emitter.on(event, handler);
+    emitterListeners.push({ emitter, event, handler });
+  }
+
   function broadcast(event, data) {
     const msg = JSON.stringify({ type: 'event', event, data });
     for (const client of wsClients) {
@@ -49,62 +117,46 @@ function createDashboardWS(server, deps = {}) {
 
   // ── Wire up EventEmitter listeners (same events as SSE) ──
 
-  if (resourceMonitor) {
-    resourceMonitor.on('alert', (data) => broadcast('resource-alert', data));
-    resourceMonitor.on('auto-restart', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(resourceMonitor, 'alert', (data) => broadcast('resource-alert', data));
+  attachListener(resourceMonitor, 'auto-restart', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart', data));
 
-  if (healthChecker) {
-    healthChecker.on('status-check', (data) => {
-      broadcast('status-change', {
-        serviceId: data.serviceId,
-        name: data.name,
-        status: data.status,
-        responseTime: data.responseTime,
-        timestamp: data.timestamp,
-      });
+  attachListener(healthChecker, 'status-check', (data) => {
+    broadcast('status-change', {
+      serviceId: data.serviceId,
+      name: data.name,
+      status: data.status,
+      responseTime: data.responseTime,
+      timestamp: data.timestamp,
     });
-    healthChecker.on('incident-created', (data) => broadcast('incident', { type: 'created', ...data }));
-    healthChecker.on('incident-resolved', (data) => broadcast('incident', { type: 'resolved', ...data }));
-  }
+  });
+  attachListener(healthChecker, 'incident-created', (data) => broadcast('incident', { type: 'created', ...data }));
+  attachListener(healthChecker, 'incident-resolved', (data) => broadcast('incident', { type: 'resolved', ...data }));
 
-  if (updateManager) {
-    updateManager.on('update-available', (data) => broadcast('update-available', data));
-    updateManager.on('update-start', (data) => broadcast('update-start', data));
-    updateManager.on('update-complete', (data) => broadcast('update-complete', data));
-    updateManager.on('update-failed', (data) => broadcast('update-failed', data));
-    updateManager.on('auto-update-start', (data) => broadcast('auto-update-start', data));
-    updateManager.on('auto-update-complete', (data) => broadcast('auto-update-complete', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(updateManager, 'update-available', (data) => broadcast('update-available', data));
+  attachListener(updateManager, 'update-start', (data) => broadcast('update-start', data));
+  attachListener(updateManager, 'update-complete', (data) => broadcast('update-complete', data));
+  attachListener(updateManager, 'update-failed', (data) => broadcast('update-failed', data));
+  attachListener(updateManager, 'auto-update-start', (data) => broadcast('auto-update-start', data));
+  attachListener(updateManager, 'auto-update-complete', (data) => broadcast('auto-update-complete', data));
 
-  if (dependencyManager) {
-    dependencyManager.on('dependency-restart-start', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-start', data));
-    dependencyManager.on('dependency-restart-progress', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-progress', data));
-    dependencyManager.on('dependency-restart-complete', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-complete', data));
-    dependencyManager.on('dependency-restart-failed', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-failed', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(dependencyManager, 'dependency-restart-start', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-start', data));
+  attachListener(dependencyManager, 'dependency-restart-progress', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-progress', data));
+  attachListener(dependencyManager, 'dependency-restart-complete', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-complete', data));
+  attachListener(dependencyManager, 'dependency-restart-failed', (data) => broadcast('dependency-restart-failed', data));
 
-  if (autoRestartManager) {
-    autoRestartManager.on('auto-restart-attempt', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-attempt', data));
-    autoRestartManager.on('auto-restart-success', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-success', data));
-    autoRestartManager.on('auto-restart-failed', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-failed', data));
-    autoRestartManager.on('auto-restart-max-reached', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-max-reached', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(autoRestartManager, 'auto-restart-attempt', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-attempt', data));
+  attachListener(autoRestartManager, 'auto-restart-success', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-success', data));
+  attachListener(autoRestartManager, 'auto-restart-failed', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-failed', data));
+  attachListener(autoRestartManager, 'auto-restart-max-reached', (data) => broadcast('auto-restart-max-reached', data));
 
-  if (driftDetector) {
-    driftDetector.on('drift-detected', (data) => broadcast('drift-detected', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(driftDetector, 'drift-detected', (data) => broadcast('drift-detected', data));
 
-  if (sslMonitor) {
-    sslMonitor.on('cert-expiring', (data) => broadcast('cert-expiring', data));
-    sslMonitor.on('cert-critical', (data) => broadcast('cert-critical', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(sslMonitor, 'cert-expiring', (data) => broadcast('cert-expiring', data));
+  attachListener(sslMonitor, 'cert-critical', (data) => broadcast('cert-critical', data));
 
-  if (dnsPropagationChecker) {
-    dnsPropagationChecker.on('propagation-check', (data) => broadcast('dns-propagation-check', data));
-    dnsPropagationChecker.on('propagation-complete', (data) => broadcast('dns-propagation-complete', data));
-    dnsPropagationChecker.on('propagation-timeout', (data) => broadcast('dns-propagation-timeout', data));
-  }
+  attachListener(dnsPropagationChecker, 'propagation-check', (data) => broadcast('dns-propagation-check', data));
+  attachListener(dnsPropagationChecker, 'propagation-complete', (data) => broadcast('dns-propagation-complete', data));
+  attachListener(dnsPropagationChecker, 'propagation-timeout', (data) => broadcast('dns-propagation-timeout', data));
 
   // ── Handle upgrade requests at /api/v1/ws ──
 
@@ -116,16 +168,21 @@ function createDashboardWS(server, deps = {}) {
       return; // Let other upgrade handlers deal with it
     }
 
-    // DC-076: Auth check — extract session/token from query params or cookies
-    // The SSE endpoint is behind auth middleware; WS needs the same gate.
-    // We validate the session cookie or API token before accepting the upgrade.
-    const cookies = (request.headers.cookie || '');
-    const hasSession = cookies.includes('dashcaddy_session') || cookies.includes('sid');
-    const token = url.searchParams.get('token');
-    const hasToken = token && token.length > 10;
+    // DC-061 auth gate: WS upgrade bypasses Express middleware, so we
+    // must validate the session here. We accept ONLY a valid signed
+    // session cookie (no `token` query-param bypass — that was the
+    // previous footgun, which granted access to any random 11+ char
+    // string in production). The verifier is injected from
+    // app.locals.ctx.session.isValid in production.
+    const ok = authVerifier(request);
 
-    if (!hasSession && !hasToken && process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
-      socket.write('HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized\r\n\r\n');
+    if (!ok) {
+      const ip = (request.socket && request.socket.remoteAddress) || 'unknown';
+      if (log && log.warn) {
+        log.warn('websocket', 'WS upgrade rejected — no valid session', { ip, path: url.pathname });
+      }
+      // 401 + Connection: close so the client doesn't retry.
+      socket.write('HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n');
       socket.destroy();
       return;
     }
@@ -170,6 +227,17 @@ function createDashboardWS(server, deps = {}) {
     ws.on('pong', () => { ws.isAlive = true; });
 
     ws.on('message', (raw) => {
+      // Cap message size at 16 KB — defense-in-depth against a malicious
+      // peer that exploits ws's message framing to flood our parser.
+      // The `ws` library already enforces this via its constructor option,
+      // but a second guard at the handler level catches any future
+      // regressions (e.g. someone passing `maxPayload` differently).
+      if (raw.length > 16 * 1024) {
+        ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'error', error: 'Message too large' }));
+        try { ws.close(1009, 'Message too large'); } catch { /* already closed */ }
+        return;
+      }
+
       let msg;
       try {
         msg = JSON.parse(raw.toString());
@@ -248,12 +316,19 @@ function createDashboardWS(server, deps = {}) {
       }
       wsClients.clear();
       wss.close();
-      // Remove all listeners from the event emitters to prevent leaks on restart
-      if (resourceMonitor) resourceMonitor.removeAllListeners();
-      if (healthChecker) healthChecker.removeAllListeners();
-      if (updateManager) updateManager.removeAllListeners();
+      // DC-061: detach ONLY the listeners we attached. Previously the
+      // module called `resourceMonitor.removeAllListeners()` (and same
+      // for healthChecker / updateManager), which silently wiped the
+      // SSE route's listeners on the same shared emitters — the SSE
+      // stream went dead the moment close() ran (hot reload, restart).
+      for (const { emitter, event, handler } of emitterListeners) {
+        if (emitter && typeof emitter.removeListener === 'function') {
+          emitter.removeListener(event, handler);
+        }
+      }
+      emitterListeners.length = 0;
     },
   };
 }
 
-module.exports = createDashboardWS;
+module.exports = { createDashboardWS, parseCookieHeader };