diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/tor/mod.rs b/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/tor/mod.rs
index f4affa5a..1dab358f 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/tor/mod.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/tor/mod.rs
@@ -184,9 +184,42 @@ async fn archy_net_gateway_and_subnet() -> Option<(String, String)> {
     if gateway.is_empty() || subnet.is_empty() {
         return None;
     }
+    // Podman REPORTING a gateway is not proof the host can bind it. Under
+    // rootless podman the bridge and its gateway live inside a network
+    // namespace, so the address never appears on a host interface — and Tor
+    // binds it at startup, not at config-check time (`--verify-config` passes
+    // happily). The result on austin-sapien, 2026-08-09:
+    //
+    //   [warn] Could not bind to 10.89.0.1:9050: Cannot assign requested address
+    //   [warn] Failed to parse/validate config: Failed to bind one of the listener ports.
+    //   [err]  Reading config failed--see warnings above.
+    //
+    // Tor then refuses to start AT ALL — loopback SOCKS and every hidden
+    // service go with it. Widening SOCKS must never be able to take the whole
+    // daemon down, so probe the address exactly the way Tor will and fall back
+    // to the loopback-only branch when it is not bindable.
+    if !host_can_bind(&gateway) {
+        tracing::warn!(
+            %gateway,
+            "archy-net gateway is not bindable on this host (rootless podman \
+             namespaces the bridge) — keeping Tor SOCKS loopback-only"
+        );
+        return None;
+    }
     Some((gateway, subnet))
 }
 
+/// Can this host actually bind `addr`? Binds an ephemeral port, the same
+/// operation Tor performs, so the answer matches Tor's own behaviour rather
+/// than inferring it from interface listings.
+fn host_can_bind(addr: &str) -> bool {
+    use std::net::{IpAddr, SocketAddr, TcpListener};
+    match addr.parse::<IpAddr>() {
+        Ok(ip) => TcpListener::bind(SocketAddr::new(ip, 0)).is_ok(),
+        Err(_) => false,
+    }
+}
+
 pub(in crate::api::rpc) async fn regenerate_torrc(config: &ServicesConfig) -> Result<()> {
     let base = detect_hidden_service_base();
     let mut lines = vec![