diff --git a/server/src/env.ts b/server/src/env.ts
index 6449730..35f7830 100644
--- a/server/src/env.ts
+++ b/server/src/env.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ export const env = {
   DATABASE_URL: process.env.DATABASE_URL!,
   PORT: parseInt(process.env.PORT || "8080"),
   CORS_ORIGIN: process.env.CORS_ORIGIN || "http://localhost:5173",
+  INTERNAL_SECRET: process.env.INTERNAL_SECRET || "",
 };
 
 if (!env.DATABASE_URL) {
diff --git a/server/src/middleware/auth.ts b/server/src/middleware/auth.ts
index 111a051..1c1a910 100644
--- a/server/src/middleware/auth.ts
+++ b/server/src/middleware/auth.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { db } from "../db.js";
 import { session as sessionTable, user as userTable } from "../schema.js";
 import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { getCookie } from "hono/cookie";
+import { env } from "../env.js";
 
 /** Hono Env type for routes protected by sessionMiddleware */
 export type AuthEnv = {
@@ -13,16 +14,35 @@ export type AuthEnv = {
 };
 
 export async function sessionMiddleware(c: Context, next: Next) {
-  // Extract session token from cookie (same approach as dashboard WS auth)
+  // ── Internal server-to-server auth (web app → server) ──
+  const internalSecret = c.req.header("x-internal-secret");
+  const internalUserId = c.req.header("x-internal-user-id");
+
+  if (internalSecret && internalUserId && env.INTERNAL_SECRET && internalSecret === env.INTERNAL_SECRET) {
+    const users = await db
+      .select({ id: userTable.id, name: userTable.name, email: userTable.email })
+      .from(userTable)
+      .where(eq(userTable.id, internalUserId))
+      .limit(1);
+
+    if (users.length === 0) {
+      return c.json({ error: "unauthorized" }, 401);
+    }
+
+    c.set("user", users[0]);
+    c.set("session", { id: "internal", userId: internalUserId });
+    await next();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // ── Cookie-based auth (browser → server) ──
   const rawCookie = getCookie(c, "better-auth.session_token");
   if (!rawCookie) {
-    console.log(`[SessionMiddleware] No session cookie. Headers: ${JSON.stringify(Object.fromEntries(c.req.raw.headers.entries())).slice(0, 200)}`);
     return c.json({ error: "unauthorized" }, 401);
   }
 
   // Token may have a signature appended after a dot — use only the token part
   const token = rawCookie.split(".")[0];
-  console.log(`[SessionMiddleware] cookie prefix: ${rawCookie.slice(0, 20)}... token prefix: ${token.slice(0, 20)}...`);
 
   // Direct DB lookup
   const rows = await db
diff --git a/server/src/ws/device.ts b/server/src/ws/device.ts
index f26fbf2..6016d90 100644
--- a/server/src/ws/device.ts
+++ b/server/src/ws/device.ts
@@ -92,12 +92,6 @@ export async function handleDeviceMessage(
     try {
       // Hash the incoming key and look it up directly in the DB
       const hashedKey = await hashApiKey(msg.apiKey);
-      console.log(`[Device Auth] key prefix: ${msg.apiKey.slice(0, 10)}... hash: ${hashedKey.slice(0, 16)}...`);
-
-      // Debug: list all keys in DB
-      const allKeys = await db.select({ id: apikey.id, keyPrefix: apikey.start, hash: apikey.key, enabled: apikey.enabled }).from(apikey);
-      console.log(`[Device Auth] DB has ${allKeys.length} keys:`, allKeys.map(k => `${k.keyPrefix ?? "?"} hash=${k.hash.slice(0, 16)}... enabled=${k.enabled}`));
-
       const rows = await db
         .select({ id: apikey.id, userId: apikey.userId, enabled: apikey.enabled, expiresAt: apikey.expiresAt })
         .from(apikey)
@@ -105,7 +99,6 @@ export async function handleDeviceMessage(
         .limit(1);
 
       if (rows.length === 0 || !rows[0].enabled) {
-        console.log(`[Device Auth] REJECTED: no matching key found (or disabled)`);
         ws.send(
           JSON.stringify({
             type: "auth_error",
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/devices.remote.ts b/web/src/lib/api/devices.remote.ts
index 06a7025..5092e1a 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/devices.remote.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/devices.remote.ts
@@ -161,15 +161,19 @@ export const listSessionSteps = query(
 // ─── Commands (write operations) ─────────────────────────────
 
 const SERVER_URL = () => env.SERVER_URL || 'http://localhost:8080';
+const INTERNAL_SECRET = () => env.INTERNAL_SECRET || '';
 
-/** Forward a request to the DroidClaw server with auth cookies */
+/** Forward a request to the DroidClaw server with internal auth */
 async function serverFetch(path: string, body: Record<string, unknown>) {
-	const { request } = getRequestEvent();
+	const { locals } = getRequestEvent();
+	if (!locals.user) throw new Error('unauthorized');
+
 	const res = await fetch(`${SERVER_URL()}${path}`, {
 		method: 'POST',
 		headers: {
 			'Content-Type': 'application/json',
-			cookie: request.headers.get('cookie') ?? ''
+			'x-internal-secret': INTERNAL_SECRET(),
+			'x-internal-user-id': locals.user.id
 		},
 		body: JSON.stringify(body)
 	});