diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.test.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.test.ts
index 27e3c330c2a..39de69aab93 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.test.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@ describe("probeGatewayStatus", () => {
     callGatewayMock.mockReset();
     probeGatewayMock.mockReset();
     callGatewayMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ status: "ok" });
+    probeGatewayMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: true,
+      auth: {
+        role: "operator",
+        scopes: ["operator.admin"],
+        capability: "admin_capable",
+      },
+    });
 
     const result = await probeGatewayStatus({
       url: "ws://127.0.0.1:19191",
@@ -77,10 +85,23 @@ describe("probeGatewayStatus", () => {
     expect(result).toEqual({
       ok: true,
       kind: "read",
-      capability: "read_only",
-      auth: undefined,
+      capability: "admin_capable",
+      auth: {
+        role: "operator",
+        scopes: ["operator.admin"],
+        capability: "admin_capable",
+      },
+    });
+    expect(probeGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:19191",
+      auth: {
+        token: "temp-token",
+        password: undefined,
+      },
+      tlsFingerprint: "abc123",
+      timeoutMs: 5_000,
+      includeDetails: false,
     });
-    expect(probeGatewayMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(callGatewayMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       url: "ws://127.0.0.1:19191",
       token: "temp-token",
@@ -92,6 +113,38 @@ describe("probeGatewayStatus", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("falls back to read-only when the status RPC succeeds but the auth probe is inconclusive", async () => {
+    callGatewayMock.mockReset();
+    probeGatewayMock.mockReset();
+    callGatewayMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ status: "ok" });
+    probeGatewayMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: true,
+      auth: {
+        role: null,
+        scopes: [],
+        capability: "unknown",
+      },
+    });
+
+    const result = await probeGatewayStatus({
+      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:19191",
+      token: "temp-token",
+      timeoutMs: 5_000,
+      requireRpc: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      ok: true,
+      kind: "read",
+      capability: "read_only",
+      auth: {
+        role: null,
+        scopes: [],
+        capability: "unknown",
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
   it("surfaces probe close details when the handshake fails", async () => {
     callGatewayMock.mockReset();
     probeGatewayMock.mockReset();
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.ts
index 8b092180862..09ef347efcb 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/probe.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,18 @@ export async function probeGatewayStatus(opts: {
             timeoutMs: opts.timeoutMs,
             ...(opts.configPath ? { configPath: opts.configPath } : {}),
           });
-          return { ok: true } as const;
+          const { probeGateway } = await import("../../gateway/probe.js");
+          const authProbe = await probeGateway({
+            url: opts.url,
+            auth: {
+              token: opts.token,
+              password: opts.password,
+            },
+            tlsFingerprint: opts.tlsFingerprint,
+            timeoutMs: opts.timeoutMs,
+            includeDetails: false,
+          }).catch(() => null);
+          return { ok: true as const, authProbe };
         }
         const { probeGateway } = await import("../../gateway/probe.js");
         return await probeGateway({
@@ -61,12 +72,20 @@ export async function probeGatewayStatus(opts: {
         });
       },
     );
-    const auth = "auth" in result ? result.auth : undefined;
+    const auth =
+      "auth" in result ? result.auth : "authProbe" in result ? result.authProbe?.auth : undefined;
     if (result.ok) {
       return {
         ok: true,
         kind,
-        capability: opts.requireRpc ? "read_only" : auth?.capability,
+        capability:
+          kind === "read"
+            ? auth?.capability && auth.capability !== "unknown"
+              ? auth.capability
+              : // The status RPC proves read access even when a follow-up hello probe
+                // cannot recover richer scope metadata.
+                "read_only"
+            : auth?.capability,
         auth,
       } as const;
     }
diff --git a/src/commands/gateway-status/output.test.ts b/src/commands/gateway-status/output.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..181b99ab6a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/commands/gateway-status/output.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { GatewayProbeResult } from "../../gateway/probe.js";
+import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../../runtime.js";
+import type { GatewayStatusProbedTarget } from "./probe-run.js";
+
+const writeRuntimeJson = vi.fn();
+
+vi.mock("../../runtime.js", () => ({
+  writeRuntimeJson: (...args: unknown[]) => writeRuntimeJson(...args),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../terminal/theme.js", async () => {
+  const actual =
+    await vi.importActual<typeof import("../../terminal/theme.js")>("../../terminal/theme.js");
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    colorize: (_rich: boolean, _theme: unknown, text: string) => text,
+  };
+});
+
+const { writeGatewayStatusJson, writeGatewayStatusText } = await import("./output.js");
+
+function createRuntimeCapture(): RuntimeEnv {
+  return {
+    log: vi.fn(),
+    error: vi.fn(),
+    exit: vi.fn((code: number) => {
+      throw new Error(`__exit__:${code}`);
+    }),
+  } as unknown as RuntimeEnv;
+}
+
+function createProbe(
+  capability: GatewayProbeResult["auth"]["capability"],
+  params: {
+    ok: boolean;
+    connectLatencyMs: number | null;
+    error?: string | null;
+  },
+): GatewayProbeResult {
+  return {
+    ok: params.ok,
+    url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+    connectLatencyMs: params.connectLatencyMs,
+    error: params.error ?? null,
+    close: null,
+    auth: {
+      role: "operator",
+      scopes: capability === "admin_capable" ? ["operator.admin"] : ["operator.read"],
+      capability,
+    },
+    health: null,
+    status: null,
+    presence: null,
+    configSnapshot: null,
+  };
+}
+
+function createTarget(id: string, probe: GatewayProbeResult): GatewayStatusProbedTarget {
+  return {
+    target: {
+      id,
+      kind: "explicit",
+      url: probe.url,
+      active: true,
+    },
+    probe,
+    configSummary: null,
+    self: null,
+    authDiagnostics: [],
+  };
+}
+
+describe("gateway status output", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    writeRuntimeJson.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it("derives summary capability from reachable probes only in json output", () => {
+    const runtime = createRuntimeCapture();
+    writeGatewayStatusJson({
+      runtime,
+      startedAt: Date.now() - 50,
+      overallTimeoutMs: 5_000,
+      discoveryTimeoutMs: 500,
+      network: {
+        localLoopbackUrl: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+        localTailnetUrl: null,
+        tailnetIPv4: null,
+      },
+      discovery: [],
+      probed: [
+        createTarget(
+          "unreachable-admin",
+          createProbe("admin_capable", {
+            ok: false,
+            connectLatencyMs: 40,
+            error: "unknown method: status",
+          }),
+        ),
+        createTarget(
+          "reachable-read",
+          createProbe("read_only", {
+            ok: true,
+            connectLatencyMs: 20,
+          }),
+        ),
+      ],
+      warnings: [],
+      primaryTargetId: "reachable-read",
+    });
+
+    expect(writeRuntimeJson).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      runtime,
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        ok: true,
+        capability: "read_only",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("derives summary capability from reachable probes only in text output", () => {
+    const runtime = createRuntimeCapture();
+    writeGatewayStatusText({
+      runtime,
+      rich: false,
+      overallTimeoutMs: 5_000,
+      discovery: [],
+      probed: [
+        createTarget(
+          "unreachable-admin",
+          createProbe("admin_capable", {
+            ok: false,
+            connectLatencyMs: 40,
+            error: "unknown method: status",
+          }),
+        ),
+        createTarget(
+          "reachable-read",
+          createProbe("read_only", {
+            ok: false,
+            connectLatencyMs: 20,
+            error: "missing scope: operator.read",
+          }),
+        ),
+      ],
+      warnings: [],
+    });
+
+    expect(runtime.log).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Capability: read-only");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/commands/gateway-status/output.ts b/src/commands/gateway-status/output.ts
index 1b51603c5a4..8ce7d38aa88 100644
--- a/src/commands/gateway-status/output.ts
+++ b/src/commands/gateway-status/output.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export function writeGatewayStatusJson(params: {
 }) {
   const reachable = params.probed.filter((entry) => isProbeReachable(entry.probe));
   const degraded = params.probed.some((entry) => isScopeLimitedProbeFailure(entry.probe));
-  const capability = summarizeGatewayProbeCapability(params.probed.map((entry) => entry.probe));
+  const capability = summarizeGatewayProbeCapability(reachable.map((entry) => entry.probe));
   writeRuntimeJson(params.runtime, {
     ok: reachable.length > 0,
     degraded,
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ export function writeGatewayStatusText(params: {
 }) {
   const reachable = params.probed.filter((entry) => isProbeReachable(entry.probe));
   const ok = reachable.length > 0;
-  const capability = summarizeGatewayProbeCapability(params.probed.map((entry) => entry.probe));
+  const capability = summarizeGatewayProbeCapability(reachable.map((entry) => entry.probe));
   params.runtime.log(colorize(params.rich, theme.heading, "Gateway Status"));
   params.runtime.log(
     ok
diff --git a/src/gateway/probe.test.ts b/src/gateway/probe.test.ts
index edea954a156..4d4c80cb12f 100644
--- a/src/gateway/probe.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/probe.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const gatewayClientState = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   helloAuth: {
     role: "operator",
     scopes: ["operator.read"],
-  },
+  } as { role?: string; scopes?: string[] } | undefined,
 }));
 
 const deviceIdentityState = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -237,4 +237,38 @@ describe("probeGateway", () => {
       capability: "write_capable",
     });
   });
+
+  it("keeps capability unknown when hello-ok omits auth metadata", async () => {
+    gatewayClientState.helloAuth = undefined;
+
+    const result = await probeGateway({
+      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+      auth: { token: "secret" },
+      timeoutMs: 1_000,
+      includeDetails: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.auth).toMatchObject({
+      role: null,
+      scopes: [],
+      capability: "unknown",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("reports connect-only only when hello-ok explicitly includes empty auth metadata", async () => {
+    gatewayClientState.helloAuth = {};
+
+    const result = await probeGateway({
+      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+      auth: { token: "secret" },
+      timeoutMs: 1_000,
+      includeDetails: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.auth).toMatchObject({
+      role: null,
+      scopes: [],
+      capability: "connected_no_operator_scope",
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/gateway/probe.ts b/src/gateway/probe.ts
index d832e156bdc..9704da78d1a 100644
--- a/src/gateway/probe.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/probe.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ function emptyProbeAuth(): GatewayProbeAuthSummary {
 function resolveProbeAuthSummary(params: {
   role?: string | null;
   scopes?: string[];
+  authMetadataPresent?: boolean;
   error?: string | null;
   close?: GatewayProbeClose | null;
   verifiedRead?: boolean;
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ function resolveProbeAuthSummary(params: {
     scopes,
     capability: resolveGatewayProbeCapability({
       auth: { scopes },
+      authMetadataPresent: params.authMetadataPresent,
       error: params.error,
       close: params.close,
       verifiedRead: params.verifiedRead,
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ export function isPairingPendingProbeFailure(params: {
 
 export function resolveGatewayProbeCapability(params: {
   auth?: Pick<GatewayProbeAuthSummary, "scopes"> | null;
+  authMetadataPresent?: boolean;
   error?: string | null;
   close?: GatewayProbeClose | null;
   verifiedRead?: boolean;
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@ export function resolveGatewayProbeCapability(params: {
   if (scopes.includes(OPERATOR_READ_SCOPE) || params.verifiedRead === true) {
     return "read_only";
   }
-  if (params.connectLatencyMs != null) {
+  if (params.connectLatencyMs != null && params.authMetadataPresent === true) {
     return "connected_no_operator_scope";
   }
   return "unknown";
@@ -136,6 +139,7 @@ export async function probeGateway(opts: {
   let connectError: string | null = null;
   let close: GatewayProbeClose | null = null;
   let auth = emptyProbeAuth();
+  let authMetadataPresent = false;
 
   const detailLevel = opts.includeDetails === false ? "none" : (opts.detailLevel ?? "full");
 
@@ -200,6 +204,7 @@ export async function probeGateway(opts: {
         auth: resolveProbeAuthSummary({
           role: auth.role,
           scopes: auth.scopes,
+          authMetadataPresent,
           error: params.error,
           close,
           verifiedRead: params.verifiedRead,
@@ -241,11 +246,13 @@ export async function probeGateway(opts: {
       },
       onHelloOk: async (hello) => {
         connectLatencyMs = Date.now() - startedAt;
+        authMetadataPresent = typeof hello?.auth === "object" && hello.auth !== null;
         auth = resolveProbeAuthSummary({
           role: typeof hello?.auth?.role === "string" ? hello.auth.role : null,
           scopes: Array.isArray(hello?.auth?.scopes)
             ? hello.auth.scopes.filter((scope): scope is string => typeof scope === "string")
             : [],
+          authMetadataPresent,
         });
         if (detailLevel === "none") {
           settleProbe({