diff --git a/core/openwrt/src/opkg.rs b/core/openwrt/src/opkg.rs
index 84d889e0..296715ba 100644
--- a/core/openwrt/src/opkg.rs
+++ b/core/openwrt/src/opkg.rs
@@ -87,4 +87,31 @@ impl Router {
         self.run_ok(&format!("/usr/bin/opkg remove {}", package))?;
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    /// Install a standard OpenWrt package via whichever manager is active.
+    ///
+    /// Unlike `tollgate-module-basic-go` itself (which falls back to manual
+    /// `.ipk` extraction and therefore skips dependency resolution — see
+    /// `tollgate::install`), packages like `nodogsplash` are in every
+    /// upstream OpenWrt feed, so a plain `apk add` / `opkg install` works
+    /// even in `ApkNative` mode.
+    pub fn install_package(&self, pkg_mgr: PkgManager, package: &str) -> Result<()> {
+        match pkg_mgr {
+            PkgManager::Opkg => self.opkg_install(package),
+            PkgManager::ApkNative => self.apk_install(package),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// `apk add <package>`, skipping if already installed.
+    pub fn apk_install(&self, package: &str) -> Result<()> {
+        let (_, code) = self.run(&format!("apk info -e {} >/dev/null 2>&1", package))?;
+        if code == 0 {
+            info!("[{}] {} already installed", self.host, package);
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        info!("[{}] apk add {}", self.host, package);
+        self.run_ok(&format!("/usr/bin/apk add {}", package))?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/openwrt/src/router.rs b/core/openwrt/src/router.rs
index 088ec9c5..97b1a84c 100644
--- a/core/openwrt/src/router.rs
+++ b/core/openwrt/src/router.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use ssh2::Session;
-use std::io::Read;
+use std::io::{Read, Write};
 use std::net::TcpStream;
 use std::path::Path;
 use tracing::debug;
@@ -84,4 +84,22 @@ impl Router {
             .context("read /etc/openwrt_release — is this an OpenWrt device?")?;
         Ok(release)
     }
+
+    /// Upload file contents to the router over SCP, overwriting any existing
+    /// file at `remote_path`. Used for config files that aren't UCI-backed
+    /// (e.g. `/etc/tollgate/config.json`), where `uci_*` helpers don't apply.
+    pub fn upload_file(&self, remote_path: &str, contents: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        let mut channel = self
+            .session
+            .scp_send(Path::new(remote_path), 0o644, contents.len() as u64, None)
+            .with_context(|| format!("scp_send to {}", remote_path))?;
+        channel
+            .write_all(contents)
+            .with_context(|| format!("write contents to {}", remote_path))?;
+        channel.send_eof().context("scp send_eof")?;
+        channel.wait_eof().context("scp wait_eof")?;
+        channel.close().context("scp close")?;
+        channel.wait_close().context("scp wait_close")?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/config.rs b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/config.rs
index 005e2cae..d6761d54 100644
--- a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/config.rs
+++ b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/config.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use anyhow::Result;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use crate::Router;
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@ impl Default for TollGateConfig {
 
 /// Write TollGate UCI configuration and commit.
 ///
-/// Maps TIP-01 / TIP-02 fields onto UCI keys used by tollgate-module-basic-go.
+/// `tollgate-wrt` never reads UCI — see `apply_daemon_config` below for the
+/// config it actually consumes. These `tollgate.main.*` keys exist only for
+/// this project's own status display / detection probes (`uci get
+/// tollgate.main.enabled` etc.); changing pricing or the mint here has no
+/// effect on what the daemon advertises or accepts.
 pub fn apply(router: &Router, cfg: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
     router.uci_apply(
         "tollgate",
@@ -57,3 +61,39 @@ pub fn apply(router: &Router, cfg: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
     )?;
     Ok(())
 }
+
+/// Write the config `tollgate-wrt` actually reads: `/etc/tollgate/config.json`
+/// (schema `v0.0.6`/`v0.0.7`, see `config_manager` in the upstream Go source).
+///
+/// Merges into whatever config.json already exists (the daemon writes a
+/// default on first boot) rather than overwriting it wholesale — fields this
+/// project doesn't manage (`profit_share`, `upstream_detector`,
+/// `upstream_session_manager`/`chandler`, `relays`, ...) must survive
+/// re-provisioning.
+///
+/// Must run before the daemon is (re)started — it only reads this file at
+/// startup, it does not hot-reload.
+pub fn apply_daemon_config(router: &Router, cfg: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
+    let existing = router.run_ok("cat /etc/tollgate/config.json 2>/dev/null || echo '{}'")?;
+    let mut doc: serde_json::Value =
+        serde_json::from_str(existing.trim()).unwrap_or_else(|_| serde_json::json!({}));
+
+    doc["metric"] = serde_json::json!("milliseconds");
+    doc["step_size"] = serde_json::json!(cfg.step_size_ms);
+    doc["accepted_mints"] = serde_json::json!([{
+        "url": cfg.mint_url,
+        "min_balance": 64,
+        "balance_tolerance_percent": 10,
+        "payout_interval_seconds": 60,
+        "min_payout_amount": 128,
+        "price_per_step": cfg.price_sats,
+        "price_unit": "sats",
+        "purchase_min_steps": cfg.min_steps,
+    }]);
+
+    let json_str = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&doc).context("serialize config.json")?;
+    router
+        .upload_file("/etc/tollgate/config.json", json_str.as_bytes())
+        .context("upload /etc/tollgate/config.json")?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/mod.rs b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/mod.rs
index f694e97d..88d8db0a 100644
--- a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/mod.rs
+++ b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/mod.rs
@@ -1,21 +1,25 @@
 pub mod config;
 pub mod install;
+pub mod nodogsplash;
 pub mod wifi;
 
 pub use config::TollGateConfig;
 pub use install::install_tollgate;
 pub use wifi::provision_ssid;
 
-use anyhow::Result;
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use tracing::info;
 
 use crate::{opkg::PkgManager, Router};
 
 /// Full TollGate provisioning sequence:
 /// 1. Install tollgate-module-basic-go
-/// 2. Write TollGate UCI config (pricing, mint URL)
-/// 3. Create the pay-as-you-go WiFi SSID
-/// 4. Restart affected services
+/// 2. Install and configure NoDogSplash (client gating — tollgate-wrt has no
+///    firewall/enforcement code of its own; see `nodogsplash::provision`)
+/// 3. Write TollGate config: UCI (status/detection only) + the JSON file the
+///    daemon actually reads
+/// 4. Create the pay-as-you-go WiFi SSID and its dedicated bridge/network
+/// 5. Restart affected services
 pub async fn provision(router: &Router, config: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
     info!("[{}] Starting TollGate provisioning", router.host);
 
@@ -29,9 +33,25 @@ pub async fn provision(router: &Router, config: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
             install::install_tollgate_apk_native(router)?;
         }
     }
+
+    // NoDogSplash is a hard runtime dependency of tollgate-wrt (upstream's
+    // package declares `+nodogsplash`), but neither install path above pulls
+    // it in: the opkg fast path only resolves deps against a real feed, and
+    // the raw .ipk-extraction fallback (used whenever the package isn't in a
+    // feed, and always on ApkNative) skips dependency resolution entirely.
+    // Without it, tollgate-wrt runs and accepts payments but never actually
+    // blocks unpaid clients.
+    nodogsplash::provision(router, pkg_mgr, config)
+        .context("provision nodogsplash — tollgate-wrt cannot gate clients without it")?;
+
     config::apply(router, config)?;
     wifi::provision_ssid(router, config)?;
+    // Must come after provision_ssid (which creates br-tollgate) and before
+    // the daemon restart below — config.json is only read at startup.
+    config::apply_daemon_config(router, config)
+        .context("write /etc/tollgate/config.json — tollgate-wrt reads this, not UCI")?;
     restart_services(router, config.enabled)?;
+    nodogsplash::restart(router)?;
 
     info!("[{}] TollGate provisioning complete", router.host);
     Ok(())
diff --git a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/nodogsplash.rs b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/nodogsplash.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5742cee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/nodogsplash.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+
+use crate::opkg::PkgManager;
+use crate::tollgate::TollGateConfig;
+use crate::Router;
+
+/// Install and configure NoDogSplash — the captive-portal engine that
+/// `tollgate-wrt` delegates all MAC authorization and gate open/close to via
+/// `ndsctl`. `tollgate-wrt` contains no firewall/netfilter code of its own
+/// (confirmed: its binary has no `nft`/`ipset`/`iptables` calls at all); the
+/// upstream package therefore hard-depends on `+nodogsplash` and its postinst
+/// restarts it. Without NoDogSplash actually running, nothing blocks
+/// unauthenticated clients from reaching the internet, regardless of what
+/// TollGate itself is configured to charge.
+///
+/// Gates the dedicated `br-tollgate` bridge (see `wifi::provision_network`),
+/// not `br-lan` — the paid SSID here lives on its own isolated network/subnet
+/// rather than the canonical upstream layout where it's bridged into `lan`.
+pub fn provision(router: &Router, pkg_mgr: PkgManager, cfg: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
+    router
+        .install_package(pkg_mgr, "nodogsplash")
+        .context("install nodogsplash — required by tollgate-wrt for client gating")?;
+
+    router.run_ok("touch /etc/config/nodogsplash")?;
+    router.uci_set("nodogsplash.main", "nodogsplash")?;
+    router.uci_set("nodogsplash.main.enabled", "1")?;
+    router.uci_set("nodogsplash.main.gatewayinterface", "br-tollgate")?;
+    router.uci_set("nodogsplash.main.gatewayname", &format!("{} Portal", cfg.ssid))?;
+    router.uci_set("nodogsplash.main.gatewaydomainname", "TollGate.lan")?;
+    router.uci_set("nodogsplash.main.gatewayport", "2050")?;
+
+    // Pre-auth "walled garden": unauthenticated clients must still be able to
+    // reach the TollGate payment endpoint (2121) and the splash portal itself
+    // (2050) — everything else is blocked by NoDogSplash until ndsctl
+    // authorizes their MAC. Rebuild the list each run rather than trying to
+    // dedupe, so repeated provisioning stays idempotent.
+    let _ = router.uci_delete("nodogsplash.main.users_to_router");
+    router.uci_add_list("nodogsplash.main.users_to_router", "allow tcp port 2121")?;
+    router.uci_add_list("nodogsplash.main.users_to_router", "allow tcp port 2050")?;
+
+    router.uci_commit(Some("nodogsplash"))?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// (Re)start the nodogsplash service so config changes and gate state take effect.
+pub fn restart(router: &Router) -> Result<()> {
+    router.run_ok("/etc/init.d/nodogsplash enable")?;
+    router.run_ok("/etc/init.d/nodogsplash restart || /etc/init.d/nodogsplash start")?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/wifi.rs b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/wifi.rs
index 03baea1d..5d3428bd 100644
--- a/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/wifi.rs
+++ b/core/openwrt/src/tollgate/wifi.rs
@@ -38,14 +38,29 @@ pub fn provision_ssid(router: &Router, cfg: &TollGateConfig) -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 /// Add a `tollgate` network interface (isolated LAN for TollGate clients).
+///
+/// Binds to a named bridge device (`br-tollgate`) rather than leaving the
+/// wifi-iface as the network's raw device — NoDogSplash's `gatewayinterface`
+/// needs a stable, known interface name to gate (see `nodogsplash::provision`),
+/// and the driver-assigned name of a bare wifi vif (e.g. `phy0-ap0`) isn't
+/// guaranteed across hardware.
 fn provision_network(router: &Router) -> Result<()> {
     router.uci_apply(
         "network",
         &[
+            ("network.tollgate_bridge", "device"),
+            ("network.tollgate_bridge.type", "bridge"),
+            ("network.tollgate_bridge.name", "br-tollgate"),
             ("network.tollgate", "interface"),
+            ("network.tollgate.device", "br-tollgate"),
             ("network.tollgate.proto", "static"),
             ("network.tollgate.ipaddr", "192.168.99.1"),
             ("network.tollgate.netmask", "255.255.255.0"),
+            // NoDogSplash only manages IPv4 iptables rules. If IPv6 RA/DHCPv6
+            // stays enabled, clients get routable IPv6 addresses and their OS
+            // validates connectivity (and browses freely) over IPv6, bypassing
+            // the portal entirely. See OpenTollGate/tollgate-module-basic-go#148.
+            ("network.tollgate.ip6assign", "0"),
         ],
     )?;
 
@@ -58,6 +73,8 @@ fn provision_network(router: &Router) -> Result<()> {
             ("dhcp.tollgate.start", "100"),
             ("dhcp.tollgate.limit", "150"),
             ("dhcp.tollgate.leasetime", "5m"),
+            ("dhcp.tollgate.ra", "disabled"),
+            ("dhcp.tollgate.dhcpv6", "disabled"),
         ],
     )?;
 
@@ -66,8 +83,11 @@ fn provision_network(router: &Router) -> Result<()> {
 
 /// Add firewall zone for the tollgate interface.
 ///
-/// TollGate itself gates forwarding via iptables; the firewall zone isolates
-/// tollgate clients from other LAN segments.
+/// This zone only isolates tollgate clients from other LAN segments and
+/// opens the payment port to the router. Per-client forwarding to WAN is
+/// actually gated by NoDogSplash's own iptables rules (via `ndsctl`), not by
+/// anything in this static firewall config — `tollgate-wrt` has no netfilter
+/// code of its own. See `nodogsplash::provision`.
 fn provision_firewall(router: &Router) -> Result<()> {
     // Zone
     router.uci_apply(