diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f593e26e..4dd7a93b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1727,6 +1727,7 @@ Example config:
     }
   },
   "gateway": {
+    "host": "127.0.0.1",
     "port": 18790
   }
 }
@@ -1739,6 +1740,14 @@ nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json
 nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-discord/config.json
 ```
 
+Each gateway instance also exposes a lightweight HTTP health endpoint on
+`gateway.host:gateway.port`. By default, the gateway binds to `127.0.0.1`,
+so the endpoint stays local unless you explicitly set `gateway.host` to a
+public or LAN-facing address.
+
+- `GET /health` returns `{"status":"ok"}`
+- Other paths return `404`
+
 Override workspace for one-off runs when needed:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/nanobot/cli/commands.py b/nanobot/cli/commands.py
index 48400bbd..953e8b1f 100644
--- a/nanobot/cli/commands.py
+++ b/nanobot/cli/commands.py
@@ -821,6 +821,48 @@ def gateway(
 
     console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Heartbeat: every {hb_cfg.interval_s}s")
 
+    async def _health_server(host: str, health_port: int):
+        """Lightweight HTTP health endpoint on the gateway port."""
+        import json as _json
+
+        async def handle(reader, writer):
+            try:
+                data = await asyncio.wait_for(reader.read(4096), timeout=5)
+            except (asyncio.TimeoutError, ConnectionError):
+                writer.close()
+                return
+
+            request_line = data.split(b"\r\n", 1)[0].decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
+            method, path = "", ""
+            parts = request_line.split(" ")
+            if len(parts) >= 2:
+                method, path = parts[0], parts[1]
+
+            if method == "GET" and path == "/health":
+                body = _json.dumps({"status": "ok"})
+                resp = (
+                    f"HTTP/1.0 200 OK\r\n"
+                    f"Content-Type: application/json\r\n"
+                    f"Content-Length: {len(body)}\r\n"
+                    f"\r\n{body}"
+                )
+            else:
+                body = "Not Found"
+                resp = (
+                    f"HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found\r\n"
+                    f"Content-Type: text/plain\r\n"
+                    f"Content-Length: {len(body)}\r\n"
+                    f"\r\n{body}"
+                )
+
+            writer.write(resp.encode())
+            await writer.drain()
+            writer.close()
+
+        server = await asyncio.start_server(handle, host, health_port)
+        console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Health endpoint: http://{host}:{health_port}/health")
+        async with server:
+            await server.serve_forever()
     # Register Dream system job (always-on, idempotent on restart)
     dream_cfg = config.agents.defaults.dream
     if dream_cfg.model_override:
@@ -843,6 +885,7 @@ def gateway(
             await asyncio.gather(
                 agent.run(),
                 channels.start_all(),
+                _health_server(config.gateway.host, port),
             )
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             console.print("\nShutting down...")
diff --git a/nanobot/config/schema.py b/nanobot/config/schema.py
index aa5ab993..fd73e080 100644
--- a/nanobot/config/schema.py
+++ b/nanobot/config/schema.py
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class ApiConfig(Base):
 class GatewayConfig(Base):
     """Gateway/server configuration."""
 
-    host: str = "0.0.0.0"
+    host: str = "127.0.0.1"  # Safer default: local-only bind.
     port: int = 18790
     heartbeat: HeartbeatConfig = Field(default_factory=HeartbeatConfig)
 
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_commands.py b/tests/cli/test_commands.py
index 3a1e7145..e4edfaf8 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_commands.py
@@ -1126,6 +1126,153 @@ def test_gateway_cli_port_overrides_configured_port(monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path)
     assert "port 18792" in result.stdout
 
 
+def test_gateway_health_endpoint_binds_and_serves_expected_responses(
+    monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path
+) -> None:
+    config_file = _write_instance_config(tmp_path)
+    config = Config()
+    config.gateway.port = 18791
+    captured: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+    class _FakeDream:
+        model = None
+        max_batch_size = 0
+        max_iterations = 0
+
+        async def run(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+    class _FakeAgentLoop:
+        def __init__(self, **_kwargs) -> None:
+            self.model = "test-model"
+            self.dream = _FakeDream()
+
+        async def run(self) -> None:
+            await asyncio.Event().wait()
+
+        async def close_mcp(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+        def stop(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+    class _FakeChannelManager:
+        def __init__(self, _config, _bus) -> None:
+            self.enabled_channels = ["telegram", "discord"]
+
+        async def start_all(self) -> None:
+            await asyncio.Event().wait()
+
+        async def stop_all(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+    class _FakeCronService:
+        def __init__(self, _store_path: Path) -> None:
+            self.on_job = None
+
+        async def start(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+        def stop(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+        def status(self) -> dict[str, int]:
+            return {"jobs": 0}
+
+        def register_system_job(self, _job) -> None:
+            return None
+
+    class _FakeHeartbeatService:
+        def __init__(self, **_kwargs) -> None:
+            return None
+
+        async def start(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+        def stop(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+    class _FakeServer:
+        async def __aenter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb) -> bool:
+            return False
+
+        async def serve_forever(self) -> None:
+            raise _StopGatewayError("stop")
+
+    async def _fake_start_server(handler, host: str, port: int):
+        captured["handler"] = handler
+        captured["host"] = host
+        captured["port"] = port
+        return _FakeServer()
+
+    class _FakeReader:
+        def __init__(self, payload: bytes) -> None:
+            self.payload = payload
+
+        async def read(self, _size: int) -> bytes:
+            return self.payload
+
+    class _FakeWriter:
+        def __init__(self) -> None:
+            self.output = b""
+            self.closed = False
+
+        def write(self, data: bytes) -> None:
+            self.output += data
+
+        async def drain(self) -> None:
+            return None
+
+        def close(self) -> None:
+            self.closed = True
+
+    _patch_cli_command_runtime(
+        monkeypatch,
+        config,
+        message_bus=lambda: object(),
+        session_manager=lambda _workspace: object(),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("nanobot.agent.loop.AgentLoop", _FakeAgentLoop)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("nanobot.channels.manager.ChannelManager", _FakeChannelManager)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("nanobot.cron.service.CronService", _FakeCronService)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("nanobot.heartbeat.service.HeartbeatService", _FakeHeartbeatService)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("asyncio.start_server", _fake_start_server)
+
+    result = runner.invoke(app, ["gateway", "--config", str(config_file)])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert captured["host"] == "127.0.0.1"
+    assert captured["port"] == 18791
+    assert "Health endpoint: http://127.0.0.1:18791/health" in result.stdout
+
+    def _call_handler(path: str) -> tuple[str, _FakeWriter]:
+        request = f"GET {path} HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: localhost\r\n\r\n".encode()
+        writer = _FakeWriter()
+        handler = captured["handler"]
+        assert callable(handler)
+        asyncio.run(handler(_FakeReader(request), writer))
+        return writer.output.decode(), writer
+
+    root_response, root_writer = _call_handler("/")
+    assert root_writer.closed is True
+    assert "HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found" in root_response
+    assert root_response.endswith("\r\n\r\nNot Found")
+
+    health_response, health_writer = _call_handler("/health")
+    assert health_writer.closed is True
+    assert "HTTP/1.0 200 OK" in health_response
+    health_body = json.loads(health_response.split("\r\n\r\n", 1)[1])
+    assert health_body == {"status": "ok"}
+
+    missing_response, missing_writer = _call_handler("/missing")
+    assert missing_writer.closed is True
+    assert "HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found" in missing_response
+    assert missing_response.endswith("\r\n\r\nNot Found")
+
+
 def test_serve_uses_api_config_defaults_and_workspace_override(
     monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path
 ) -> None: