diff --git a/src/app/api/status/route.ts b/src/app/api/status/route.ts
index 869545c..0ca1fb0 100644
--- a/src/app/api/status/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/status/route.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ import { isHermesInstalled, scanHermesSessions } from '@/lib/hermes-sessions'
 import { registerMcAsDashboard } from '@/lib/gateway-runtime'
 
 export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
+  // Docker/Kubernetes health probes must work without auth/cookies.
+  const preAction = new URL(request.url).searchParams.get('action') || 'overview'
+  if (preAction === 'health') {
+    const health = await performHealthCheck()
+    return NextResponse.json(health)
+  }
+
   const auth = requireRole(request, 'viewer')
   if ('error' in auth) return NextResponse.json({ error: auth.error }, { status: auth.status })
 
diff --git a/src/proxy.test.ts b/src/proxy.test.ts
index cd2f7d7..abdcd6c 100644
--- a/src/proxy.test.ts
+++ b/src/proxy.test.ts
@@ -50,4 +50,62 @@ describe('proxy host matching', () => {
     const response = proxy(request)
     expect(response.status).toBe(403)
   })
+
+  it('allows unauthenticated health probe for /api/status?action=health', async () => {
+    vi.resetModules()
+    vi.doMock('node:os', () => ({
+      default: { hostname: () => 'hetzner-jarv' },
+      hostname: () => 'hetzner-jarv',
+    }))
+
+    const { proxy } = await import('./proxy')
+    const request = {
+      headers: new Headers({ host: 'localhost:3000' }),
+      nextUrl: {
+        host: 'localhost:3000',
+        hostname: 'localhost',
+        pathname: '/api/status',
+        searchParams: new URLSearchParams('action=health'),
+        clone: () => ({ pathname: '/api/status' }),
+      },
+      method: 'GET',
+      cookies: { get: () => undefined },
+    } as any
+
+    setNodeEnv('production')
+    process.env.MC_ALLOWED_HOSTS = 'localhost,127.0.0.1'
+    delete process.env.MC_ALLOW_ANY_HOST
+
+    const response = proxy(request)
+    expect(response.status).not.toBe(401)
+  })
+
+  it('still blocks unauthenticated non-health status API calls', async () => {
+    vi.resetModules()
+    vi.doMock('node:os', () => ({
+      default: { hostname: () => 'hetzner-jarv' },
+      hostname: () => 'hetzner-jarv',
+    }))
+
+    const { proxy } = await import('./proxy')
+    const request = {
+      headers: new Headers({ host: 'localhost:3000' }),
+      nextUrl: {
+        host: 'localhost:3000',
+        hostname: 'localhost',
+        pathname: '/api/status',
+        searchParams: new URLSearchParams('action=overview'),
+        clone: () => ({ pathname: '/api/status' }),
+      },
+      method: 'GET',
+      cookies: { get: () => undefined },
+    } as any
+
+    setNodeEnv('production')
+    process.env.MC_ALLOWED_HOSTS = 'localhost,127.0.0.1'
+    delete process.env.MC_ALLOW_ANY_HOST
+
+    const response = proxy(request)
+    expect(response.status).toBe(401)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/proxy.ts b/src/proxy.ts
index 8be932b..84fbc27 100644
--- a/src/proxy.ts
+++ b/src/proxy.ts
@@ -181,8 +181,9 @@ export function proxy(request: NextRequest) {
     }
   }
 
-  // Allow login page, auth API, and docs without session
-  if (pathname === '/login' || pathname.startsWith('/api/auth/') || pathname === '/api/docs' || pathname === '/docs') {
+  // Allow login page, auth API, docs, and container health probe without session
+  const isPublicHealthProbe = pathname === '/api/status' && request.nextUrl.searchParams.get('action') === 'health'
+  if (pathname === '/login' || pathname.startsWith('/api/auth/') || pathname === '/api/docs' || pathname === '/docs' || isPublicHealthProbe) {
     const { response, nonce } = nextResponseWithNonce(request)
     return addSecurityHeaders(response, request, nonce)
   }