diff --git a/api/deps.py b/api/deps.py
index 9698c2f..a6a4825 100644
--- a/api/deps.py
+++ b/api/deps.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ API Dependencies — Shared dependency injection for all routes.
 
 import secrets
 
-from fastapi import Header, HTTPException, Request
+from fastapi import Header, HTTPException, Query, Request
 
 from config import get_settings
 from core.gateway import AIPSTNGateway
@@ -26,20 +26,27 @@ def get_routing_service(request: Request):
     return routing
 
 
-def require_token(authorization: str | None = Header(default=None)) -> None:
+def require_token(
+    authorization: str | None = Header(default=None),
+    token: str | None = Query(default=None),
+) -> None:
     """
     Enforce the static bearer token (API_TOKEN) on REST routes.
 
+    A `token` query parameter is accepted alongside the Authorization
+    header for clients that can't set headers — <audio>/<a> elements
+    fetching recordings — matching the WebSocket convention.
+
     An empty configured token disables auth; startup refuses that
     combination unless the server is bound to loopback.
     """
-    token = get_settings().api_token.get_secret_value()
-    if not token:
+    expected = get_settings().api_token.get_secret_value()
+    if not expected:
         return
-    supplied = ""
+    supplied = token or ""
     if authorization and authorization.lower().startswith("bearer "):
         supplied = authorization[7:]
-    if not secrets.compare_digest(supplied, token):
+    if not secrets.compare_digest(supplied, expected):
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=401,
             detail="Missing or invalid bearer token",
diff --git a/dashboard/src/lib/api.ts b/dashboard/src/lib/api.ts
index 342ca0a..4846e3b 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/dashboard/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -9,14 +9,50 @@ import type {
 	TranscriptRow,
 } from './types';
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------
+// Bearer token — one static API_TOKEN shared with REST/WS/MCP.
+// Kept in localStorage; a 401 prompts once and retries.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const TOKEN_KEY = 'hold-slayer-token';
+
+function getToken(): string {
+	return localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY) ?? '';
+}
+
+export function setToken(value: string): void {
+	localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_KEY, value);
+}
+
+function withAuth(init: RequestInit): RequestInit {
+	const token = getToken();
+	if (!token) return init;
+	return {
+		...init,
+		headers: { ...(init.headers ?? {}), Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
+	};
+}
+
+async function request(path: string, init: RequestInit = {}): Promise<Response> {
+	let res = await fetch(path, withAuth(init));
+	if (res.status === 401) {
+		const supplied = window.prompt('Hold Slayer API token (API_TOKEN in .env):');
+		if (supplied !== null && supplied.trim()) {
+			setToken(supplied.trim());
+			res = await fetch(path, withAuth(init));
+		}
+	}
+	return res;
+}
+
 async function get<T>(path: string): Promise<T> {
-	const res = await fetch(path);
+	const res = await request(path);
 	if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
 	return res.json() as Promise<T>;
 }
 
 export async function fetchGatewayStatus(): Promise<GatewayStatus> {
-	return get<GatewayStatus>('/');
+	return get<GatewayStatus>('/api/v1/status');
 }
 
 export async function fetchHealth(): Promise<HealthStatus> {
@@ -32,7 +68,7 @@ export async function fetchDevices(): Promise<DeviceStatus[]> {
 }
 
 export async function hangupCall(callId: string): Promise<void> {
-	const res = await fetch(`/api/v1/calls/${callId}/hangup`, { method: 'POST' });
+	const res = await request(`/api/v1/calls/${callId}/hangup`, { method: 'POST' });
 	if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
 }
 
@@ -53,7 +89,11 @@ export async function fetchTranscript(callId: string): Promise<TranscriptRow[]>
 }
 
 export function recordingUrl(callId: string): string {
-	return `/api/v1/calls/${callId}/recording`;
+	// <audio> can't send headers, so the token rides as a query param
+	// (accepted server-side alongside the Authorization header).
+	const token = getToken();
+	const suffix = token ? `?token=${encodeURIComponent(token)}` : '';
+	return `/api/v1/calls/${callId}/recording${suffix}`;
 }
 
 export async function fetchRoutingRules(): Promise<RoutingRule[]> {
@@ -61,7 +101,7 @@ export async function fetchRoutingRules(): Promise<RoutingRule[]> {
 }
 
 export async function createRoutingRule(rule: Partial<RoutingRule>): Promise<RoutingRule> {
-	const res = await fetch('/api/v1/routing/rules', {
+	const res = await request('/api/v1/routing/rules', {
 		method: 'POST',
 		headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
 		body: JSON.stringify(rule),
@@ -74,7 +114,7 @@ export async function updateRoutingRule(
 	ruleId: string,
 	patch: Partial<RoutingRule>,
 ): Promise<RoutingRule> {
-	const res = await fetch(`/api/v1/routing/rules/${ruleId}`, {
+	const res = await request(`/api/v1/routing/rules/${ruleId}`, {
 		method: 'PUT',
 		headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
 		body: JSON.stringify(patch),
@@ -84,12 +124,12 @@ export async function updateRoutingRule(
 }
 
 export async function deleteRoutingRule(ruleId: string): Promise<void> {
-	const res = await fetch(`/api/v1/routing/rules/${ruleId}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
+	const res = await request(`/api/v1/routing/rules/${ruleId}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
 	if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
 }
 
 export async function setDeviceDnd(deviceId: string, enabled: boolean): Promise<void> {
-	const res = await fetch(`/api/v1/routing/devices/${deviceId}/dnd`, {
+	const res = await request(`/api/v1/routing/devices/${deviceId}/dnd`, {
 		method: 'PATCH',
 		headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
 		body: JSON.stringify({ enabled }),
@@ -102,7 +142,9 @@ export function connectEventStream(
 	onClose: () => void,
 ): () => void {
 	const proto = location.protocol === 'https:' ? 'wss:' : 'ws:';
-	const ws = new WebSocket(`${proto}//${location.host}/ws/events`);
+	const token = getToken();
+	const suffix = token ? `?token=${encodeURIComponent(token)}` : '';
+	const ws = new WebSocket(`${proto}//${location.host}/ws/events${suffix}`);
 
 	ws.onmessage = (msg) => {
 		try {
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index efac496..1b85326 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -261,9 +261,13 @@ app = FastAPI(
 # call_history must register before calls: both live under /api/v1/calls and
 # calls' GET /{call_id} would otherwise capture the literal path "history".
 _auth = [Depends(require_token)]
-app.include_router(call_history.router, prefix="/api/v1/calls", tags=["Call History"], dependencies=_auth)
+app.include_router(
+    call_history.router, prefix="/api/v1/calls", tags=["Call History"], dependencies=_auth
+)
 app.include_router(calls.router, prefix="/api/v1/calls", tags=["Calls"], dependencies=_auth)
-app.include_router(call_flows.router, prefix="/api/v1/call-flows", tags=["Call Flows"], dependencies=_auth)
+app.include_router(
+    call_flows.router, prefix="/api/v1/call-flows", tags=["Call Flows"], dependencies=_auth
+)
 app.include_router(devices.router, prefix="/api/v1/devices", tags=["Devices"], dependencies=_auth)
 app.include_router(routing.router, prefix="/api/v1/routing", tags=["Routing"], dependencies=_auth)
 # WebSocket endpoints check the token themselves (query param or header)
@@ -273,6 +277,27 @@ app.include_router(websocket.router, prefix="/ws", tags=["WebSocket"])
 app.mount("/mcp", mcp_http_app)
 
 
+@app.get("/api/v1/status", tags=["System"], dependencies=_auth)
+async def api_status():
+    """Gateway status summary for the dashboard header."""
+    gateway = getattr(app.state, "gateway", None)
+    if gateway:
+        status = await gateway.status()
+        return {
+            "name": "Hold Slayer Gateway",
+            "version": "0.1.0",
+            "status": "running",
+            "uptime": status["uptime"],
+            "active_calls": status["active_calls"],
+            "trunk": status["trunk"],
+        }
+    return {
+        "name": "Hold Slayer Gateway",
+        "version": "0.1.0",
+        "status": "starting",
+    }
+
+
 @app.get("/health", tags=["System"])
 async def health():
     """
diff --git a/tests/test_api_security.py b/tests/test_api_security.py
index 07983a7..181b3c2 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_security.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_security.py
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ class TestBearerToken:
         resp = await client.get("/api/v1/calls/active")
         assert resp.status_code == 503
 
+    async def test_query_param_token_accepted(self, token_enabled, client):
+        """<audio>/<a> elements can't set headers — ?token= must work."""
+        resp = await client.get(f"/api/v1/calls/active?token={TOKEN}")
+        assert resp.status_code == 503  # auth accepted, handler 503s (no lifespan)
+
+    async def test_wrong_query_param_token_rejected(self, token_enabled, client):
+        resp = await client.get("/api/v1/calls/active?token=wrong")
+        assert resp.status_code == 401
+
     async def test_all_api_routers_protected(self, token_enabled, client):
         for path in ("/api/v1/calls/active", "/api/v1/call-flows/", "/api/v1/devices/",
                      "/api/v1/routing/rules", "/api/v1/calls/history"):