Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into refactor/permissions-manager

client/cmd/capture.go

@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"os/signal"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"syscall"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/durationpb"
+
+	nberrors "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/errors"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util/capture"
+)
+
+var captureCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "capture",
+	Short: "Capture packets on the WireGuard interface",
+	Long: `Captures decrypted packets flowing through the WireGuard interface.
+
+Default output is human-readable text. Use --pcap or --output for pcap binary.
+Requires --enable-capture to be set at service install or reconfigure time.
+
+Examples:
+  netbird debug capture
+  netbird debug capture host 100.64.0.1 and port 443
+  netbird debug capture tcp
+  netbird debug capture icmp
+  netbird debug capture src host 10.0.0.1 and dst port 80
+  netbird debug capture -o capture.pcap
+  netbird debug capture --pcap | tshark -r -
+  netbird debug capture --pcap | tcpdump -r - -n`,
+	Args: cobra.ArbitraryArgs,
+	RunE: runCapture,
+}
+
+func init() {
+	debugCmd.AddCommand(captureCmd)
+
+	captureCmd.Flags().Bool("pcap", false, "Force pcap binary output (default when --output is set)")
+	captureCmd.Flags().BoolP("verbose", "v", false, "Show seq/ack, TTL, window, total length")
+	captureCmd.Flags().Bool("ascii", false, "Print payload as ASCII after each packet (useful for HTTP)")
+	captureCmd.Flags().Uint32("snap-len", 0, "Max bytes per packet (0 = full)")
+	captureCmd.Flags().DurationP("duration", "d", 0, "Capture duration (0 = until interrupted)")
+	captureCmd.Flags().StringP("output", "o", "", "Write pcap to file instead of stdout")
+}
+
+func runCapture(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	conn, err := getClient(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
+			cmd.PrintErrf(errCloseConnection, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+
+	req, err := buildCaptureRequest(cmd, args)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(cmd.Context(), syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	stream, err := client.StartCapture(ctx, req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return handleCaptureError(err)
+	}
+
+	// First Recv is the empty acceptance message from the server. If the
+	// device is unavailable (kernel WG, not connected, capture disabled),
+	// the server returns an error instead.
+	if _, err := stream.Recv(); err != nil {
+		return handleCaptureError(err)
+	}
+
+	out, cleanup, err := captureOutput(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if req.TextOutput {
+		cmd.PrintErrf("Capturing packets... Press Ctrl+C to stop.\n")
+	} else {
+		cmd.PrintErrf("Capturing packets (pcap)... Press Ctrl+C to stop.\n")
+	}
+
+	streamErr := streamCapture(ctx, cmd, stream, out)
+	cleanupErr := cleanup()
+	if streamErr != nil {
+		return streamErr
+	}
+	return cleanupErr
+}
+
+func buildCaptureRequest(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (*proto.StartCaptureRequest, error) {
+	req := &proto.StartCaptureRequest{}
+
+	if len(args) > 0 {
+		expr := strings.Join(args, " ")
+		if _, err := capture.ParseFilter(expr); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid filter: %w", err)
+		}
+		req.FilterExpr = expr
+	}
+
+	if snap, _ := cmd.Flags().GetUint32("snap-len"); snap > 0 {
+		req.SnapLen = snap
+	}
+	if d, _ := cmd.Flags().GetDuration("duration"); d != 0 {
+		if d < 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("duration must not be negative")
+		}
+		req.Duration = durationpb.New(d)
+	}
+	req.Verbose, _ = cmd.Flags().GetBool("verbose")
+	req.Ascii, _ = cmd.Flags().GetBool("ascii")
+
+	outPath, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("output")
+	forcePcap, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("pcap")
+	req.TextOutput = !forcePcap && outPath == ""
+
+	return req, nil
+}
+
+func streamCapture(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, stream proto.DaemonService_StartCaptureClient, out io.Writer) error {
+	for {
+		pkt, err := stream.Recv()
+		if err != nil {
+			if ctx.Err() != nil {
+				cmd.PrintErrf("\nCapture stopped.\n")
+				return nil //nolint:nilerr // user interrupted
+			}
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				cmd.PrintErrf("\nCapture finished.\n")
+				return nil
+			}
+			return handleCaptureError(err)
+		}
+		if _, err := out.Write(pkt.GetData()); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("write output: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// captureOutput returns the writer for capture data and a cleanup function
+// that finalizes the file. Errors from the cleanup must be propagated.
+func captureOutput(cmd *cobra.Command) (io.Writer, func() error, error) {
+	outPath, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("output")
+	if outPath == "" {
+		return os.Stdout, func() error { return nil }, nil
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.CreateTemp(filepath.Dir(outPath), filepath.Base(outPath)+".*.tmp")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("create output file: %w", err)
+	}
+	tmpPath := f.Name()
+	return f, func() error {
+		var merr *multierror.Error
+		if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+			merr = multierror.Append(merr, fmt.Errorf("close output file: %w", err))
+		}
+		fi, statErr := os.Stat(tmpPath)
+		if statErr != nil || fi.Size() == 0 {
+			if rmErr := os.Remove(tmpPath); rmErr != nil && !os.IsNotExist(rmErr) {
+				merr = multierror.Append(merr, fmt.Errorf("remove empty output file: %w", rmErr))
+			}
+			return nberrors.FormatErrorOrNil(merr)
+		}
+		if err := os.Rename(tmpPath, outPath); err != nil {
+			merr = multierror.Append(merr, fmt.Errorf("rename output file: %w", err))
+			return nberrors.FormatErrorOrNil(merr)
+		}
+		cmd.PrintErrf("Wrote %s\n", outPath)
+		return nberrors.FormatErrorOrNil(merr)
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func handleCaptureError(err error) error {
+	if s, ok := status.FromError(err); ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s", s.Message())
+	}
+	return err
+}

client/cmd/daemon_error.go

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/rpc/errdetails"
+	gstatus "google.golang.org/grpc/status"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+)
+
+// daemonCallError prepares a daemon error for display. A refusal the daemon
+// raised because the operation needs root/administrator is already guidance
+// written for the user, so it is surfaced on its own instead of buried under the
+// gRPC envelope and the name of the RPC that hit it. Anything else is wrapped
+// with context as usual.
+func daemonCallError(context string, err error) error {
+	if guidance, ok := privilegeGuidance(err); ok {
+		return errors.New(guidance)
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", context, err)
+}
+
+// privilegeGuidance renders the daemon's privilege refusal as a summary and the
+// command that performs the operation with the privileges it needs. It reports
+// false for any other error.
+func privilegeGuidance(err error) (string, bool) {
+	info, ok := privilegeErrorInfo(err)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	summary := info.GetMetadata()[ipcauth.ErrorMetaSummary]
+	command := info.GetMetadata()[ipcauth.ErrorMetaCommand]
+	if summary == "" {
+		// Detail without a summary: fall back to the status message, which
+		// carries the same text.
+		summary = strings.TrimSpace(gstatus.Convert(err).Message())
+	}
+	if command == "" {
+		return summary, true
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s\n\n    %s\n", summary, command), true
+}
+
+// privilegeErrorInfo returns the daemon's privilege-refusal detail, if the error
+// carries one.
+func privilegeErrorInfo(err error) (*errdetails.ErrorInfo, bool) {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	for _, detail := range gstatus.Convert(err).Details() {
+		info, ok := detail.(*errdetails.ErrorInfo)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		if info.GetReason() == ipcauth.ErrorReasonPrivilegeRequired && info.GetDomain() == ipcauth.ErrorDomain {
+			return info, true
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, false
+}

client/cmd/debug.go

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/durationpb"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/debug"
@@ -18,15 +20,17 @@ import (
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/server"
 	mgmProto "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/shared/management/proto"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/upload-server/types"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/version"
 )
 
 const errCloseConnection = "Failed to close connection: %v"
 
 var (
-	logFileCount        uint32
-	systemInfoFlag      bool
-	uploadBundleFlag    bool
-	uploadBundleURLFlag string
+	logFileCount             uint32
+	systemInfoFlag           bool
+	uploadBundleFlag         bool
+	uploadBundleURLFlag      string
+	uploadBundleInsecureFlag bool
 )
 
 var debugCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -83,7 +87,79 @@ var persistenceCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	RunE:    setSyncResponsePersistence,
 }
 
+var debugConfigCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:     "config",
+	Example: "  netbird debug config",
+	Short:   "Dump the effective configuration",
+	Long:    "Prints the daemon's resolved configuration (after applying defaults, file, env, CLI input, and MDM policy overrides) as JSON. Includes the list of MDM-managed fields.",
+	RunE:    debugConfigDump,
+}
+
+// debugConfigDump implements `netbird debug config`. It resolves the
+// active profile, queries the daemon for the effective configuration
+// via GetConfig, and prints the resulting GetConfigResponse as JSON
+// (via protojson with EmitUnpopulated=true so the output is stable
+// across runs and includes zero-valued fields).
+//
+// Useful for verifying MDM enforcement end-to-end: the response's
+// mDMManagedFields array is the single source of truth for "which
+// fields is the daemon currently enforcing from the MDM source", and
+// every config field side-by-side with that list confirms the merge
+// result. Secrets in the response (e.g. PreSharedKey) are already
+// redacted by the daemon-side handler.
+func debugConfigDump(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+	pm := profilemanager.NewProfileManager()
+	activeProf, err := pm.GetActiveProfile()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("get active profile: %v", err)
+	}
+	currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	conn, err := getClient(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
+			log.Errorf(errCloseConnection, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+	resp, err := client.GetConfig(cmd.Context(), &proto.GetConfigRequest{
+		ProfileName: string(activeProf.ID),
+		Username:    currUser.Username,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get config: %v", status.Convert(err).Message())
+	}
+
+	// Use protojson so well-known fields render correctly; emit defaults so
+	// the operator sees every field even when zero/empty.
+	m := protojson.MarshalOptions{Multiline: true, Indent: "  ", EmitUnpopulated: true}
+	out, err := m.Marshal(resp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshal config: %w", err)
+	}
+	cmd.Println(string(out))
+	return nil
+}
+
+// debugBundle requests the daemon to create a debug bundle and prints
+// the resulting local file path and, if uploaded, the uploaded file
+// key. It uses the package flags (anonymize, system info, log file
+// count, CLI version, optional upload URL) to configure the bundle
+// request. Returns an error if the RPC fails or if the daemon reports
+// an upload failure reason.
 func debugBundle(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+	anonymizeEnabled, anonymizeLevel, err := effectiveAnonymize()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	conn, err := getClient(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -96,16 +172,19 @@ func debugBundle(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 
 	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
 	request := &proto.DebugBundleRequest{
-		Anonymize:    anonymizeFlag,
-		SystemInfo:   systemInfoFlag,
-		LogFileCount: logFileCount,
+		Anonymize:      anonymizeEnabled,
+		AnonymizeLevel: anonymizeLevel.String(),
+		SystemInfo:     systemInfoFlag,
+		LogFileCount:   logFileCount,
+		CliVersion:     version.NetbirdVersion(),
 	}
 	if uploadBundleFlag {
 		request.UploadURL = uploadBundleURLFlag
+		request.UploadInsecure = uploadBundleInsecureFlag
 	}
 	resp, err := client.DebugBundle(cmd.Context(), request)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to bundle debug: %v", status.Convert(err).Message())
+		return daemonCallError("bundle debug", err)
 	}
 	cmd.Printf("Local file:\n%s\n", resp.GetPath())
 
@@ -155,6 +234,11 @@ func runForDuration(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid duration format: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	anonymizeEnabled, anonymizeLevel, err := effectiveAnonymize()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	conn, err := getClient(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -239,11 +323,50 @@ func runForDuration(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		}()
 	}
 
+	captureStarted := false
+	if wantCapture, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("capture"); wantCapture {
+		captureTimeout := duration + 30*time.Second
+		const maxBundleCapture = 10 * time.Minute
+		if captureTimeout > maxBundleCapture {
+			captureTimeout = maxBundleCapture
+		}
+		_, err := client.StartBundleCapture(cmd.Context(), &proto.StartBundleCaptureRequest{
+			Timeout: durationpb.New(captureTimeout),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			cmd.PrintErrf("Failed to start packet capture: %v\n", status.Convert(err).Message())
+		} else {
+			captureStarted = true
+			cmd.Println("Packet capture started.")
+			// Safety: always stop on exit, even if the normal stop below runs too.
+			defer func() {
+				if captureStarted {
+					stopCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+					defer cancel()
+					if _, err := client.StopBundleCapture(stopCtx, &proto.StopBundleCaptureRequest{}); err != nil {
+						cmd.PrintErrf("Failed to stop packet capture: %v\n", err)
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+		}
+	}
+
 	if waitErr := waitForDurationOrCancel(cmd.Context(), duration, cmd); waitErr != nil {
 		return waitErr
 	}
 	cmd.Println("\nDuration completed")
 
+	if captureStarted {
+		stopCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+		defer cancel()
+		if _, err := client.StopBundleCapture(stopCtx, &proto.StopBundleCaptureRequest{}); err != nil {
+			cmd.PrintErrf("Failed to stop packet capture: %v\n", err)
+		} else {
+			captureStarted = false
+			cmd.Println("Packet capture stopped.")
+		}
+	}
+
 	if cpuProfilingStarted {
 		if _, err := client.StopCPUProfile(cmd.Context(), &proto.StopCPUProfileRequest{}); err != nil {
 			cmd.PrintErrf("Failed to stop CPU profiling: %v\n", err)
@@ -255,16 +378,19 @@ func runForDuration(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	cmd.Println("Creating debug bundle...")
 
 	request := &proto.DebugBundleRequest{
-		Anonymize:    anonymizeFlag,
-		SystemInfo:   systemInfoFlag,
-		LogFileCount: logFileCount,
+		Anonymize:      anonymizeEnabled,
+		AnonymizeLevel: anonymizeLevel.String(),
+		SystemInfo:     systemInfoFlag,
+		LogFileCount:   logFileCount,
+		CliVersion:     version.NetbirdVersion(),
 	}
 	if uploadBundleFlag {
 		request.UploadURL = uploadBundleURLFlag
+		request.UploadInsecure = uploadBundleInsecureFlag
 	}
 	resp, err := client.DebugBundle(cmd.Context(), request)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to bundle debug: %v", status.Convert(err).Message())
+		return daemonCallError("bundle debug", err)
 	}
 
 	if needsRestoreUp {
@@ -392,6 +518,7 @@ func generateDebugBundle(config *profilemanager.Config, recorder *peer.Status, c
 			SyncResponse:   syncResponse,
 			LogPath:        logFilePath,
 			CPUProfile:     nil,
+			DaemonVersion:  version.NetbirdVersion(), // acting as daemon
 		},
 		debug.BundleConfig{
 			IncludeSystemInfo: true,
@@ -411,9 +538,12 @@ func init() {
 	debugBundleCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&systemInfoFlag, "system-info", "S", true, "Adds system information to the debug bundle")
 	debugBundleCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&uploadBundleFlag, "upload-bundle", "U", false, "Uploads the debug bundle to a server")
 	debugBundleCmd.Flags().StringVar(&uploadBundleURLFlag, "upload-bundle-url", types.DefaultBundleURL, "Service URL to get an URL to upload the debug bundle")
+	debugBundleCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&uploadBundleInsecureFlag, "upload-bundle-insecure", false, "Allow uploading to an http or untrusted-TLS upload server (self-hosted); requires root")
 
 	forCmd.Flags().Uint32VarP(&logFileCount, "log-file-count", "C", 1, "Number of rotated log files to include in debug bundle")
 	forCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&systemInfoFlag, "system-info", "S", true, "Adds system information to the debug bundle")
 	forCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&uploadBundleFlag, "upload-bundle", "U", false, "Uploads the debug bundle to a server")
 	forCmd.Flags().StringVar(&uploadBundleURLFlag, "upload-bundle-url", types.DefaultBundleURL, "Service URL to get an URL to upload the debug bundle")
+	forCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&uploadBundleInsecureFlag, "upload-bundle-insecure", false, "Allow uploading to an http or untrusted-TLS upload server (self-hosted); requires root")
+	forCmd.Flags().Bool("capture", false, "Capture packets during the debug duration and include in bundle")
 }

client/cmd/jobs.go

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package cmd
+
+// remoteJobsAllowedFlag opts this peer into running remote jobs (e.g. debug
+// bundles) requested by the management server. It defaults to false: remote
+// jobs are an explicit opt-in, and enabling it is a privileged change (see the
+// daemon gate in client/server), mirroring the SSH server opt-in.
+const remoteJobsAllowedFlag = "allow-remote-jobs"
+
+var remoteJobsAllowed bool
+
+func init() {
+	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&remoteJobsAllowed, remoteJobsAllowedFlag, false, "Allow the management server to run remote jobs (e.g. debug bundles) on this peer")
+}

client/cmd/kubernetes.go

@@ -0,0 +1,301 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"crypto/tls"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
+)
+
+const (
+	KubernetesDNSSuffix = "netbird-kubeapi-proxy"
+)
+
+var kubernetesCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "kubernetes",
+	Short: "Kubernetes cluster commands.",
+	Long:  "Kubernetes cluster commands.",
+}
+
+var kubernetesListCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "list",
+	RunE:  kubernetesList,
+	Short: "List Kubernetes clusters.",
+	Long:  "List Kubernetes clusters by discovering NetBird peers running netbird-kubeapi-proxy.",
+}
+
+var kubernetesWriteKubeconfigCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "write-kubeconfig",
+	RunE:  kubernetesWriteKubeconfig,
+	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+	Short: "Write kubeconfig for a Kubernetes cluster.",
+	Long:  "Updates kubeconfig in place to allow token-less access to the Kubernetes cluster through NetBird.",
+}
+
+func init() {
+	kubernetesWriteKubeconfigCmd.Flags().String("kubeconfig", "", "path to kubeconfig file")
+}
+
+func kubernetesList(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+	conn, err := getClient(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+	statusResp, err := client.Status(cmd.Context(), &proto.StatusRequest{GetFullPeerStatus: true})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	kcs, err := getKubernetesClusters(cmd.Context(), statusResp.FullStatus.Peers, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(kcs) == 0 {
+		cmd.Println("No Kubernetes clusters available.")
+		return nil
+	}
+	cmd.Println("Available Kubernetes clusters:")
+	for _, k := range kcs {
+		cmd.Printf("\n  - Name: %s\n    FQDN: %s\n    Version: %s\n", k.name, k.url.Host, k.version)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func kubernetesWriteKubeconfig(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	kubeconfigPath, err := resolveKubeconfigPath(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	conn, err := getClient(cmd)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+	statusResp, err := client.Status(cmd.Context(), &proto.StatusRequest{GetFullPeerStatus: true})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	clusterName := args[0]
+	kcs, err := getKubernetesClusters(cmd.Context(), statusResp.FullStatus.Peers, clusterName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(kcs) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("kubernetes cluster named %s not found", clusterName)
+	}
+	if len(kcs) > 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("too many Kubernetes clusters returned")
+	}
+	err = writeKubeconfig(kubeconfigPath, kcs[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+type kubernetesCluster struct {
+	name    string
+	url     *url.URL
+	version string
+}
+
+func getKubernetesClusters(ctx context.Context, peers []*proto.PeerState, nameFilter string) ([]kubernetesCluster, error) {
+	transport := http.DefaultTransport.(*http.Transport).Clone()
+	transport.TLSClientConfig = &tls.Config{
+		InsecureSkipVerify: true,
+	}
+	httpClient := &http.Client{
+		Transport: transport,
+	}
+	resolver := net.Resolver{
+		// Required so both DNS records are returned.
+		// https://github.com/golang/go/issues/17093
+		PreferGo: true,
+	}
+
+	kcs := []kubernetesCluster{}
+	attempted := map[string]struct{}{}
+	for _, peer := range peers {
+		fqdns, err := resolver.LookupAddr(ctx, peer.IP)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		for _, fqdn := range fqdns {
+			if _, ok := attempted[fqdn]; ok {
+				continue
+			}
+			attempted[fqdn] = struct{}{}
+			comps := strings.Split(fqdn, ".")
+			if len(comps) < 2 {
+				continue
+			}
+			if comps[1] != KubernetesDNSSuffix {
+				continue
+			}
+			if nameFilter != "" && nameFilter != comps[0] {
+				continue
+			}
+			clusterURL, clusterVersion, err := fingerprintClusters(ctx, httpClient, fqdn)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Debugf("could not fingerprint Kubernetes cluster %s %q", fqdn, err)
+				continue
+			}
+			kc := kubernetesCluster{
+				name:    comps[0],
+				url:     clusterURL,
+				version: clusterVersion,
+			}
+			if nameFilter != "" {
+				return []kubernetesCluster{kc}, nil
+			}
+			kcs = append(kcs, kc)
+		}
+	}
+	return kcs, nil
+}
+
+func fingerprintClusters(ctx context.Context, httpClient *http.Client, fqdn string) (*url.URL, string, error) {
+	clusterURL, err := url.Parse("https://" + fqdn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", err
+	}
+	versionURL, err := clusterURL.Parse("/version")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", err
+	}
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, versionURL.String(), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", err
+	}
+	resp, err := httpClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("expected %d response but got %s", http.StatusOK, resp.Status)
+	}
+	b, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", err
+	}
+	versionData := map[string]string{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(b, &versionData)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", err
+	}
+	version, ok := versionData["gitVersion"]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, "", errors.New("no version found in response")
+	}
+	return clusterURL, version, nil
+}
+
+func resolveKubeconfigPath(cmd *cobra.Command) (string, error) {
+	if cmd.Flags().Changed("kubeconfig") {
+		path, err := cmd.Flags().GetString("kubeconfig")
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		return path, nil
+	}
+	if env := os.Getenv("KUBECONFIG"); env != "" {
+		return env, nil
+	}
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("could not determine home directory: %w", err)
+	}
+	return filepath.Join(home, ".kube", "config"), nil
+}
+
+func writeKubeconfig(kubeconfigPath string, kc kubernetesCluster) error {
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(kubeconfigPath)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		return err
+	}
+	var cfg map[string]any
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if cfg == nil {
+		cfg = map[string]any{
+			"apiVersion": "v1",
+			"kind":       "Config",
+		}
+	}
+
+	cfg["clusters"] = appendWithName(cfg["clusters"], map[string]any{
+		"name": kc.name,
+		"cluster": map[string]any{
+			"server":                   kc.url.String(),
+			"insecure-skip-tls-verify": true,
+		},
+	})
+	cfg["users"] = appendWithName(cfg["users"], map[string]any{
+		"name": "netbird",
+		"user": map[string]any{
+			"token": "none",
+		},
+	})
+	cfg["contexts"] = appendWithName(cfg["contexts"], map[string]any{
+		"name": kc.name,
+		"context": map[string]any{
+			"cluster":   kc.name,
+			"user":      "netbird",
+			"namespace": "default",
+		},
+	})
+	cfg["current-context"] = kc.name
+
+	out, err := yaml.Marshal(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(kubeconfigPath, out, 0o600); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func appendWithName(data any, add map[string]any) any {
+	if data == nil {
+		return []any{add}
+	}
+	v, ok := data.([]any)
+	if !ok {
+		return []any{add}
+	}
+	i := slices.IndexFunc(v, func(item any) bool {
+		m, ok := item.(map[string]any)
+		if !ok {
+			return false
+		}
+		return m["name"] == add["name"]
+	})
+	if i == -1 {
+		return append(v, add)
+	}
+	v[i] = add
+	return v
+}

client/cmd/kubernetes_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestFingerprintClusters(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	srv := httptest.NewTLSServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		//nolint: errcheck
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"gitVersion": "foobar"}`))
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	clusterURL, clusterVersion, err := fingerprintClusters(t.Context(), srv.Client(), srv.Listener.Addr().String())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, srv.URL, clusterURL.String())
+	require.Equal(t, "foobar", clusterVersion)
+}
+
+func TestResolveKubeconfigPath(t *testing.T) {
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("could not determine home directory: %v", err)
+	}
+	defaultPath := filepath.Join(home, ".kube", "config")
+	path, err := resolveKubeconfigPath(&cobra.Command{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, defaultPath, path)
+
+	flagPath := "flag-path"
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+	cmd.Flags().String("kubeconfig", "", "")
+	err = cmd.Flags().Set("kubeconfig", flagPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	path, err = resolveKubeconfigPath(cmd)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, flagPath, path)
+
+	envPath := "env-path"
+	t.Setenv("KUBECONFIG", envPath)
+	path, err = resolveKubeconfigPath(&cobra.Command{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, envPath, path)
+}
+
+func TestWriteKubeconfig(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		existing string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "empty file",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "existing content",
+			existing: `apiVersion: v1
+clusters:
+- cluster:
+    insecure-skip-tls-verify: true
+    server: https://foobar.com
+  name: foo
+current-context: test
+kind: Config
+users: []
+`,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			kubeconfigPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config")
+			err := os.WriteFile(kubeconfigPath, []byte(tt.existing), 0o644)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			kc := kubernetesCluster{
+				name: "foo",
+				url:  &url.URL{Scheme: "https", Host: "example.com"},
+			}
+			err = writeKubeconfig(kubeconfigPath, kc)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			b, err := os.ReadFile(kubeconfigPath)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			expected := `apiVersion: v1
+clusters:
+- cluster:
+    insecure-skip-tls-verify: true
+    server: https://example.com
+  name: foo
+contexts:
+- context:
+    cluster: foo
+    namespace: default
+    user: netbird
+  name: foo
+current-context: foo
+kind: Config
+users:
+- name: netbird
+  user:
+    token: none
+`
+			require.Equal(t, expected, string(b))
+		})
+	}
+
+}

client/cmd/login.go

@@ -4,27 +4,38 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"os/user"
-	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"golang.org/x/term"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	gstatus "google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/mdm"
+	nbnet "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/net"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/server"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/system"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
 )
 
+// extendSessionFlag drives the `netbird login --extend` flow: refresh the
+// SSO session expiry on the management server without tearing down the
+// tunnel. Mutually exclusive with setup-key login (a setup-key cannot
+// refresh an SSO-tracked peer — see auth.errSetupKeyOnSSOExpiredPeer).
+var extendSessionFlag bool
+
 func init() {
 	loginCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&noBrowser, noBrowserFlag, false, noBrowserDesc)
+	loginCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&showQR, showQRFlag, false, showQRDesc)
 	loginCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&profileName, profileNameFlag, "", profileNameDesc)
 	loginCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&configPath, "config", "c", "", "(DEPRECATED) Netbird config file location")
+	loginCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&extendSessionFlag, "extend", false,
+		"refresh the SSO session expiry without tearing down the tunnel (requires an active connection)")
 }
 
 var loginCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -42,7 +53,7 @@ var loginCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			// nolint
 			ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, system.DeviceNameCtxKey, hostName)
 		}
-		username, err := user.Current()
+		username, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -59,6 +70,16 @@ var loginCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 
+		if extendSessionFlag {
+			if providedSetupKey != "" {
+				return fmt.Errorf("--extend cannot be combined with a setup key; setup keys can only enrol new peers")
+			}
+			if err := doExtendSession(ctx, cmd, activeProf); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("extend session failed: %v", err)
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		// workaround to run without service
 		if util.FindFirstLogPath(logFiles) == "" {
 			if err := doForegroundLogin(ctx, cmd, providedSetupKey, activeProf); err != nil {
@@ -71,7 +92,7 @@ var loginCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return fmt.Errorf("daemon login failed: %v", err)
 		}
 
-		cmd.Println("Logging successfully")
+		cmd.Println("Login successful")
 
 		return nil
 	},
@@ -94,17 +115,19 @@ func doDaemonLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, providedSetupKey str
 		dnsLabelsReq = dnsLabelsValidated.ToSafeStringList()
 	}
 
+	handle := activeProf.ID.String()
+
 	loginRequest := proto.LoginRequest{
 		SetupKey:            providedSetupKey,
 		ManagementUrl:       managementURL,
-		IsUnixDesktopClient: isUnixRunningDesktop(),
+		IsUnixDesktopClient: util.HasGraphicalSession(),
 		Hostname:            hostName,
 		DnsLabels:           dnsLabelsReq,
-		ProfileName:         &activeProf.Name,
+		ProfileName:         &handle,
 		Username:            &username,
 	}
 
-	profileState, err := pm.GetProfileState(activeProf.Name)
+	profileState, err := pm.GetProfileState(activeProf.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("failed to get profile state for login hint: %v", err)
 	} else if profileState.Email != "" {
@@ -148,13 +171,73 @@ func doDaemonLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, providedSetupKey str
 	return nil
 }
 
+// doExtendSession drives the daemon's RequestExtendAuthSession /
+// WaitExtendAuthSession pair. The user is sent through a regular SSO flow
+// (browser + verification URL) and the resulting JWT is forwarded to the
+// management server's ExtendAuthSession RPC. The tunnel stays up
+// throughout — no Down/Up, no network-map resync.
+func doExtendSession(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, activeProf *profilemanager.Profile) error {
+	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(ctx, daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		//nolint
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to daemon error: %v\n"+
+			"If the daemon is not running please run: "+
+			"\nnetbird service install \nnetbird service start\n", err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+
+	// the CLI runs in the user's session, the daemon does not: tell it what we can see
+	req := &proto.RequestExtendAuthSessionRequest{HasGraphicalSession: util.HasGraphicalSession()}
+	// Pre-fill the IdP login hint from the resolved profile so the user
+	// doesn't have to retype their email. Best-effort: we still proceed
+	// without a hint if the lookup fails.
+	pm := profilemanager.NewProfileManager()
+	if profState, perr := pm.GetProfileState(activeProf.ID); perr == nil && profState.Email != "" {
+		req.Hint = &profState.Email
+	}
+
+	startResp, err := client.RequestExtendAuthSession(ctx, req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("start extend session: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	uri := startResp.GetVerificationURIComplete()
+	if uri == "" {
+		uri = startResp.GetVerificationURI()
+	}
+	openURL(cmd, uri, startResp.GetUserCode(), noBrowser, showQR)
+
+	waitResp, err := client.WaitExtendAuthSession(ctx, &proto.WaitExtendAuthSessionRequest{
+		DeviceCode: startResp.GetDeviceCode(),
+		UserCode:   startResp.GetUserCode(),
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("wait for extend session: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if ts := waitResp.GetSessionExpiresAt(); ts.IsValid() && !ts.AsTime().IsZero() {
+		deadline := ts.AsTime().Local()
+		cmd.Printf("Session extended. New expiry: %s\n", deadline.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05 MST"))
+	} else {
+		// Management reported the peer is not eligible (e.g. login
+		// expiration disabled on the account). Surface that fact
+		// instead of pretending the call succeeded.
+		cmd.Println("Session extension call completed, but the management server did not return a new deadline (peer may not be SSO-tracked or login expiration is disabled).")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func getActiveProfile(ctx context.Context, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManager, profileName string, username string) (*profilemanager.Profile, error) {
 	// switch profile if provided
 
 	if profileName != "" {
-		if err := switchProfileOnDaemon(ctx, pm, profileName, username); err != nil {
+		prof, err := switchProfileOnDaemon(ctx, pm, profileName, username)
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("switch profile: %v", err)
 		}
+		return prof, nil
 	}
 
 	activeProf, err := pm.GetActiveProfile()
@@ -168,21 +251,19 @@ func getActiveProfile(ctx context.Context, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManager, pr
 	return activeProf, nil
 }
 
-func switchProfileOnDaemon(ctx context.Context, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManager, profileName string, username string) error {
-	err := switchProfile(context.Background(), profileName, username)
+func switchProfileOnDaemon(ctx context.Context, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManager, handle string, username string) (*profilemanager.Profile, error) {
+	resolvedID, err := switchProfile(ctx, handle, username)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("switch profile on daemon: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("switch profile on daemon: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	err = pm.SwitchProfile(profileName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("switch profile: %v", err)
+	if err := pm.SwitchProfile(resolvedID); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("switch profile: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(ctx, daemonAddr)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("failed to connect to service CLI interface %v", err)
-		return err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("connect to service CLI interface: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
@@ -190,24 +271,28 @@ func switchProfileOnDaemon(ctx context.Context, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManage
 
 	status, err := client.Status(ctx, &proto.StatusRequest{})
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to get daemon status: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to get daemon status: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	if status.Status == string(internal.StatusConnected) {
 		if _, err := client.Down(ctx, &proto.DownRequest{}); err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("call service down method: %v", err)
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return &profilemanager.Profile{ID: resolvedID}, nil
 }
 
-func switchProfile(ctx context.Context, profileName string, username string) error {
+// switchProfile asks the daemon to switch to the profile identified by
+// handle (a name, ID, or unique ID prefix). Returns the resolved profile
+// ID so the caller can update the local active-profile state without
+// re-resolving the handle.
+func switchProfile(ctx context.Context, handle string, username string) (profilemanager.ID, error) {
 	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(ctx, daemonAddr)
 	if err != nil {
 		//nolint
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to daemon error: %v\n"+
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to daemon error: %v\n"+
 			"If the daemon is not running please run: "+
 			"\nnetbird service install \nnetbird service start\n", err)
 	}
@@ -215,15 +300,15 @@ func switchProfile(ctx context.Context, profileName string, username string) err
 
 	client := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
 
-	_, err = client.SwitchProfile(ctx, &proto.SwitchProfileRequest{
-		ProfileName: &profileName,
+	resp, err := client.SwitchProfile(ctx, &proto.SwitchProfileRequest{
+		ProfileName: &handle,
 		Username:    &username,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("switch profile failed: %v", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("switch profile failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return profilemanager.ID(resp.Id), nil
 }
 
 func doForegroundLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, setupKey string, activeProf *profilemanager.Profile) error {
@@ -246,17 +331,30 @@ func doForegroundLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, setupKey string,
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("read config file %s: %v", configFilePath, err)
 	}
+	// CLI standalone login: profilemanager no longer auto-applies MDM,
+	// so layer in the OS-native policy here. Desktop builds construct
+	// a Loader with no fetcher — the build-tagged loadPlatform reads
+	// the registry/plist directly.
+	config.ApplyMDMPolicy(mdm.NewLoader(nil).Load())
 
-	err = foregroundLogin(ctx, cmd, config, setupKey, activeProf.Name)
+	// Mirror runInForegroundMode: recover residual state (DNS, firewall,
+	// ssh config, legacy routing) from a previous unclean shutdown and
+	// enable advanced routing before dialing management.
+	if err := server.RestoreResidualState(ctx, profilemanager.NewServiceManager(configFilePath).GetStatePath()); err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("failed to restore residual state: %v", err)
+	}
+	nbnet.Init()
+
+	err = foregroundLogin(ctx, cmd, config, setupKey, activeProf.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("foreground login failed: %v", err)
 	}
-	cmd.Println("Logging successfully")
+	cmd.Println("Login successful")
 	return nil
 }
 
 func handleSSOLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, loginResp *proto.LoginResponse, client proto.DaemonServiceClient, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManager) error {
-	openURL(cmd, loginResp.VerificationURIComplete, loginResp.UserCode, noBrowser)
+	openURL(cmd, loginResp.VerificationURIComplete, loginResp.UserCode, noBrowser, showQR)
 
 	resp, err := client.WaitSSOLogin(ctx, &proto.WaitSSOLoginRequest{UserCode: loginResp.UserCode, Hostname: hostName})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -275,7 +373,7 @@ func handleSSOLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, loginResp *proto.Lo
 	return nil
 }
 
-func foregroundLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *profilemanager.Config, setupKey, profileName string) error {
+func foregroundLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *profilemanager.Config, setupKey string, profileID profilemanager.ID) error {
 	authClient, err := auth.NewAuth(ctx, config.PrivateKey, config.ManagementURL, config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create auth client: %v", err)
@@ -289,7 +387,7 @@ func foregroundLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *profileman
 
 	jwtToken := ""
 	if setupKey == "" && needsLogin {
-		tokenInfo, err := foregroundGetTokenInfo(ctx, cmd, config, profileName)
+		tokenInfo, err := foregroundGetTokenInfo(ctx, cmd, config, profileID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("interactive sso login failed: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -304,17 +402,17 @@ func foregroundLogin(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *profileman
 	return nil
 }
 
-func foregroundGetTokenInfo(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *profilemanager.Config, profileName string) (*auth.TokenInfo, error) {
+func foregroundGetTokenInfo(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *profilemanager.Config, profileID profilemanager.ID) (*auth.TokenInfo, error) {
 	hint := ""
 	pm := profilemanager.NewProfileManager()
-	profileState, err := pm.GetProfileState(profileName)
+	profileState, err := pm.GetProfileState(profileID)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("failed to get profile state for login hint: %v", err)
 	} else if profileState.Email != "" {
 		hint = profileState.Email
 	}
 
-	oAuthFlow, err := auth.NewOAuthFlow(ctx, config, isUnixRunningDesktop(), false, hint)
+	oAuthFlow, err := auth.NewOAuthFlow(ctx, config, util.HasGraphicalSession(), false, hint)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -324,7 +422,7 @@ func foregroundGetTokenInfo(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *pro
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("getting a request OAuth flow info failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	openURL(cmd, flowInfo.VerificationURIComplete, flowInfo.UserCode, noBrowser)
+	openURL(cmd, flowInfo.VerificationURIComplete, flowInfo.UserCode, noBrowser, showQR)
 
 	tokenInfo, err := oAuthFlow.WaitToken(context.TODO(), flowInfo)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -334,7 +432,7 @@ func foregroundGetTokenInfo(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, config *pro
 	return &tokenInfo, nil
 }
 
-func openURL(cmd *cobra.Command, verificationURIComplete, userCode string, noBrowser bool) {
+func openURL(cmd *cobra.Command, verificationURIComplete, userCode string, noBrowser, showQR bool) {
 	var codeMsg string
 	if userCode != "" && !strings.Contains(verificationURIComplete, userCode) {
 		codeMsg = fmt.Sprintf("and enter the code %s to authenticate.", userCode)
@@ -348,6 +446,12 @@ func openURL(cmd *cobra.Command, verificationURIComplete, userCode string, noBro
 			verificationURIComplete + " " + codeMsg)
 	}
 
+	if showQR {
+		if f, ok := cmd.OutOrStdout().(*os.File); ok && term.IsTerminal(int(f.Fd())) {
+			printQRCode(f, verificationURIComplete)
+		}
+	}
+
 	cmd.Println("")
 
 	if !noBrowser {
@@ -358,14 +462,6 @@ func openURL(cmd *cobra.Command, verificationURIComplete, userCode string, noBro
 	}
 }
 
-// isUnixRunningDesktop checks if a Linux OS is running desktop environment
-func isUnixRunningDesktop() bool {
-	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" && runtime.GOOS != "freebsd" {
-		return false
-	}
-	return os.Getenv("DESKTOP_SESSION") != "" || os.Getenv("XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP") != ""
-}
-
 func setEnvAndFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	SetFlagsFromEnvVars(rootCmd)
 

client/cmd/login_test.go

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func TestLogin(t *testing.T) {
 	profilemanager.ActiveProfileStatePath = tempDir + "/active_profile.json"
 	sm := profilemanager.ServiceManager{}
 	err = sm.SetActiveProfileState(&profilemanager.ActiveProfileState{
-		Name:     "default",
+		ID:       "default",
 		Username: currUser.Username,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

client/cmd/logout.go

@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"os/user"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
 )
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ var logoutCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		if profileName != "" {
 			req.ProfileName = &profileName
 
-			currUser, err := user.Current()
+			currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %v", err)
 			}
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ var logoutCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		if _, err := daemonClient.Logout(ctx, req); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("deregister: %v", err)
+			return daemonCallError("deregister", err)
 		}
 
 		cmd.Println("Deregistered successfully")

client/cmd/profile.go

@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"os/user"
+	"strings"
+	"text/tabwriter"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
+	gstatus "google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
@@ -14,6 +18,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
 )
 
+var profileListShowID bool
+
 var profileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "profile",
 	Short: "Manage NetBird client profiles",
@@ -31,27 +37,40 @@ var profileListCmd = &cobra.Command{
 var profileAddCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "add <profile_name>",
 	Short: "Add a new profile",
-	Long:  `Add a new profile to the NetBird client. The profile name must be unique.`,
+	Long:  `Add a new profile. Profile name is free-form, a unique ID is generated for the on-disk config file.`,
 	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 	RunE:  addProfileFunc,
 }
 
+var profileRenameCmd = &cobra.Command{
+	Use:   "rename <profile> <new_profile_name>",
+	Short: "Renames an existing profile",
+	Long:  `Renames an existing profile (by a name, ID, or unique ID prefix). Profile name is free-form.`,
+	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(2),
+	RunE:  renameProfileFunc,
+}
+
 var profileRemoveCmd = &cobra.Command{
-	Use:   "remove <profile_name>",
-	Short: "Remove a profile",
-	Long:  `Remove a profile from the NetBird client. The profile must not be inactive.`,
-	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
-	RunE:  removeProfileFunc,
+	Use:     "remove <profile>",
+	Short:   "Remove a profile",
+	Long:    `Remove a profile by name, ID, or unique ID prefix.`,
+	Aliases: []string{"rm"},
+	Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+	RunE:    removeProfileFunc,
 }
 
 var profileSelectCmd = &cobra.Command{
-	Use:   "select <profile_name>",
+	Use:   "select <profile>",
 	Short: "Select a profile",
-	Long:  `Make the specified profile active. This will switch the client to use the selected profile's configuration.`,
+	Long:  `Make the specified profile active. Accepts a name, ID, or unique ID prefix.`,
 	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 	RunE:  selectProfileFunc,
 }
 
+func init() {
+	profileListCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&profileListShowID, "show-id", false, "show the profile ID column")
+}
+
 func setupCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	SetFlagsFromEnvVars(rootCmd)
 	SetFlagsFromEnvVars(cmd)
@@ -65,6 +84,7 @@ func setupCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
 func listProfilesFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	if err := setupCmd(cmd); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -76,32 +96,40 @@ func listProfilesFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
-	currUser, err := user.Current()
+	currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	daemonClient := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
 
-	profiles, err := daemonClient.ListProfiles(cmd.Context(), &proto.ListProfilesRequest{
+	resp, err := daemonClient.ListProfiles(cmd.Context(), &proto.ListProfilesRequest{
 		Username: currUser.Username,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// list profiles, add a tick if the profile is active
-	cmd.Println("Found", len(profiles.Profiles), "profiles:")
-	for _, profile := range profiles.Profiles {
-		// use a cross to indicate the passive profiles
-		activeMarker := "✗"
-		if profile.IsActive {
-			activeMarker = "✓"
-		}
-		cmd.Println(activeMarker, profile.Name)
+	tw := tabwriter.NewWriter(cmd.OutOrStdout(), 0, 0, 2, ' ', 0)
+	if profileListShowID {
+		fmt.Fprintln(tw, "ID\tNAME\tACTIVE")
+	} else {
+		fmt.Fprintln(tw, "NAME\tACTIVE")
 	}
-
-	return nil
+	for _, profile := range resp.Profiles {
+		marker := ""
+		if profile.IsActive {
+			marker = "✓"
+		}
+		name := profilemanager.StripCtrlChars(profile.Name)
+		id := profilemanager.ID(profile.Id)
+		if profileListShowID {
+			fmt.Fprintf(tw, "%s\t%s\t%s\n", id.ShortID(), name, marker)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprintf(tw, "%s\t%s\n", name, marker)
+		}
+	}
+	return tw.Flush()
 }
 
 func addProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -109,33 +137,90 @@ func addProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(cmd.Context(), daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("connect to service CLI interface: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	daemonClient := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+	profileName := args[0]
+
+	id, err := addProfileOnDaemon(cmd.Context(), daemonClient, profileName, currUser.Username)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	dupCount, _ := countProfilesWithName(cmd.Context(), daemonClient, currUser.Username, profileName)
+	if dupCount > 1 {
+		cmd.Printf("Warning: %d other profile(s) already use the name %q.\n", dupCount-1, profileName)
+		cmd.Println("Use `netbird profile list --show-id` to disambiguate later.")
+	}
+
+	cmd.Printf("Profile added: %s  %s\n", id.ShortID(), profilemanager.StripCtrlChars(profileName))
+	return nil
+
+}
+
+func renameProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	if err := setupCmd(cmd); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(cmd.Context(), daemonAddr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("connect to service CLI interface: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
-	currUser, err := user.Current()
+	currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	daemonClient := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+	handle := args[0]
+	newProfilename := args[1]
 
-	profileName := args[0]
-
-	_, err = daemonClient.AddProfile(cmd.Context(), &proto.AddProfileRequest{
-		ProfileName: profileName,
-		Username:    currUser.Username,
+	resp, err := daemonClient.RenameProfile(cmd.Context(), &proto.RenameProfileRequest{
+		Handle:         handle,
+		Username:       currUser.Username,
+		NewProfileName: newProfilename,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return wrapAmbiguityError(err, handle)
 	}
 
-	cmd.Println("Profile added successfully:", profileName)
+	dupCount, _ := countProfilesWithName(cmd.Context(), daemonClient, currUser.Username, newProfilename)
+	if dupCount > 1 {
+		cmd.Printf("Warning: %d other profile(s) already use the name %q.\n", dupCount-1, newProfilename)
+		cmd.Println("Use `netbird profile list --show-id` to disambiguate later.")
+	}
+
+	cmd.Printf("Profile renamed from %s to %s\n", profilemanager.StripCtrlChars(resp.OldProfileName), profilemanager.StripCtrlChars(newProfilename))
+
 	return nil
 }
 
+func countProfilesWithName(ctx context.Context, c proto.DaemonServiceClient, username, name string) (int, error) {
+	resp, err := c.ListProfiles(ctx, &proto.ListProfilesRequest{Username: username})
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	n := 0
+	for _, p := range resp.Profiles {
+		if p.Name == name {
+			n++
+		}
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
+
 func removeProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	if err := setupCmd(cmd); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -147,24 +232,23 @@ func removeProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
-	currUser, err := user.Current()
+	currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	daemonClient := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
+	handle := args[0]
 
-	profileName := args[0]
-
-	_, err = daemonClient.RemoveProfile(cmd.Context(), &proto.RemoveProfileRequest{
-		ProfileName: profileName,
+	resp, err := daemonClient.RemoveProfile(cmd.Context(), &proto.RemoveProfileRequest{
+		ProfileName: handle,
 		Username:    currUser.Username,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return wrapAmbiguityError(err, handle)
 	}
 
-	cmd.Println("Profile removed successfully:", profileName)
+	cmd.Printf("Profile removed: %s\n", resp.Id)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -174,9 +258,9 @@ func selectProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	profileManager := profilemanager.NewProfileManager()
-	profileName := args[0]
+	handle := args[0]
 
-	currUser, err := user.Current()
+	currUser, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -191,32 +275,15 @@ func selectProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	daemonClient := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn)
 
-	profiles, err := daemonClient.ListProfiles(ctx, &proto.ListProfilesRequest{
-		Username: currUser.Username,
+	switchResp, err := daemonClient.SwitchProfile(ctx, &proto.SwitchProfileRequest{
+		ProfileName: &handle,
+		Username:    &currUser.Username,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("list profiles: %w", err)
+		return wrapAmbiguityError(err, handle)
 	}
 
-	var profileExists bool
-
-	for _, profile := range profiles.Profiles {
-		if profile.Name == profileName {
-			profileExists = true
-			break
-		}
-	}
-
-	if !profileExists {
-		return fmt.Errorf("profile %s does not exist", profileName)
-	}
-
-	if err := switchProfile(cmd.Context(), profileName, currUser.Username); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	err = profileManager.SwitchProfile(profileName)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := profileManager.SwitchProfile(profilemanager.ID(switchResp.Id)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -231,6 +298,46 @@ func selectProfileFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	cmd.Println("Profile switched successfully to:", profileName)
+	id := profilemanager.ID(switchResp.Id)
+	cmd.Printf("Profile switched to: %s\n", id.ShortID())
 	return nil
 }
+
+// wrapAmbiguityError turns the daemon's gRPC InvalidArgument errors
+// (which carry the resolver's message verbatim) into CLI-friendly text
+// that points the user at --show-id.
+func wrapAmbiguityError(err error, handle string) error {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	st, ok := gstatus.FromError(err)
+	if !ok {
+		return err
+	}
+	switch st.Code() {
+	case codes.InvalidArgument:
+		msg := st.Message()
+		if strings.Contains(msg, "ambiguous") {
+			return errors.New(msg + "\nRun `netbird profile list --show-id` to see IDs, then select by ID prefix:\n  netbird profile select|remove <id-prefix>")
+		}
+	case codes.NotFound:
+		return fmt.Errorf("profile %q not found", handle)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// addProfileOnDaemon issues the AddProfile RPC on an existing daemon client
+// and returns the new profile's ID. It is the single entry point for profile
+// creation, shared by `netbird profile add` and the `netbird up --profile
+// <name>` auto-create path.
+func addProfileOnDaemon(ctx context.Context, client proto.DaemonServiceClient, profileName, username string) (profilemanager.ID, error) {
+	resp, err := client.AddProfile(ctx, &proto.AddProfileRequest{
+		ProfileName: profileName,
+		Username:    username,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("add profile failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return profilemanager.ID(resp.Id), nil
+}

client/cmd/qr.go

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/mdp/qrterminal/v3"
+)
+
+// printQRCode prints a QR code for the given URL to the writer.
+// Called only when the user explicitly requests QR output via --qr.
+func printQRCode(w io.Writer, url string) {
+	if url == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	qrterminal.GenerateWithConfig(url, qrterminal.Config{
+		Level:          qrterminal.M,
+		Writer:         w,
+		HalfBlocks:     true,
+		BlackChar:      qrterminal.BLACK_BLACK,
+		WhiteChar:      qrterminal.WHITE_WHITE,
+		BlackWhiteChar: qrterminal.BLACK_WHITE,
+		WhiteBlackChar: qrterminal.WHITE_BLACK,
+		QuietZone:      qrterminal.QUIET_ZONE,
+	})
+}

client/cmd/qr_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestPrintQRCode_EmptyURL(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+
+	printQRCode(&buf, "")
+
+	if buf.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Error("expected no output for empty URL")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPrintQRCode_WritesOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+
+	printQRCode(&buf, "https://example.com/auth")
+
+	if buf.Len() == 0 {
+		t.Error("expected QR code output for non-empty URL")
+	}
+}

client/cmd/root.go

@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
-	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/anonymize"
 	daddr "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/localmetrics"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
 )
 
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ const (
 	dnsResolverAddress       = "dns-resolver-address"
 	enableRosenpassFlag      = "enable-rosenpass"
 	rosenpassPermissiveFlag  = "rosenpass-permissive"
+	enableLocalMetricsFlag   = "enable-local-metrics"
+	localMetricsAddressFlag  = "local-metrics-address"
 	preSharedKeyFlag         = "preshared-key"
 	interfaceNameFlag        = "interface-name"
 	wireguardPortFlag        = "wireguard-port"
@@ -70,12 +73,18 @@ var (
 	autoConnectDisabled     bool
 	extraIFaceBlackList     []string
 	anonymizeFlag           bool
+	anonymizeLevelFlag      string
 	dnsRouteInterval        time.Duration
-	lazyConnEnabled         bool
-	mtu                     uint16
-	profilesDisabled        bool
-	updateSettingsDisabled  bool
-	networksDisabled        bool
+	// lazyConnEnabled is the parse target for the deprecated --enable-lazy-connection
+	// flag. The flag is inert; the value is no longer read (use NB_LAZY_CONN instead).
+	lazyConnEnabled        bool
+	mtu                    uint16
+	profilesDisabled       bool
+	updateSettingsDisabled bool
+	captureEnabled         bool
+	networksDisabled       bool
+	localMetricsEnabled    bool
+	localMetricsAddr       string
 
 	rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		Use:          "netbird",
@@ -88,13 +97,16 @@ var (
 			// Don't resolve for service commands — they create the socket, not connect to it.
 			if !isServiceCmd(cmd) {
 				daemonAddr = daddr.ResolveUnixDaemonAddr(daemonAddr)
+				daemonAddr = daddr.ResolveDaemonAddr(daemonAddr)
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
 )
 
-// Execute executes the root command.
+// Execute runs the appropriate Cobra command for the CLI.
+// If the process is the update binary it delegates to updateCmd; otherwise it runs the root command.
+// It returns any error produced during command execution.
 func Execute() error {
 	if isUpdateBinary() {
 		return updateCmd.Execute()
@@ -102,6 +114,16 @@ func Execute() error {
 	return rootCmd.Execute()
 }
 
+// init initialises package-level defaults and configures the root
+// Cobra command tree. Sets platform-specific config / log directory
+// paths (including legacy Wiretrustee fallbacks) and a default daemon
+// address; registers persistent CLI flags (daemon address,
+// management / admin URLs, logging, setup key (file and inline,
+// mutually exclusive), preshared key, hostname, anonymise, config
+// path); attaches top-level and nested subcommands to the root
+// command; and registers `up`-specific persistent flags (external IP
+// maps, custom DNS resolver address, Rosenpass options, auto-connect
+// disabling, lazy connection).
 func init() {
 	defaultConfigPathDir = "/etc/netbird/"
 	defaultLogFileDir = "/var/log/netbird/"
@@ -128,10 +150,10 @@ func init() {
 
 	defaultDaemonAddr := "unix:///var/run/netbird.sock"
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		defaultDaemonAddr = "tcp://127.0.0.1:41731"
+		defaultDaemonAddr = daddr.WindowsPipeAddr
 	}
 
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&daemonAddr, "daemon-addr", defaultDaemonAddr, "Daemon service address to serve CLI requests [unix|tcp]://[path|host:port]")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&daemonAddr, "daemon-addr", defaultDaemonAddr, "Daemon service address to serve CLI requests [unix|tcp|npipe]://[path|host:port|name]")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&managementURL, "management-url", "m", "", fmt.Sprintf("Management Service URL [http|https]://[host]:[port] (default \"%s\")", profilemanager.DefaultManagementURL))
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&adminURL, "admin-url", "", fmt.Sprintf("Admin Panel URL [http|https]://[host]:[port] (default \"%s\")", profilemanager.DefaultAdminURL))
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&logLevel, "log-level", "l", "info", "sets NetBird log level")
@@ -141,8 +163,9 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive("setup-key", "setup-key-file")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&preSharedKey, preSharedKeyFlag, "", "Sets WireGuard PreSharedKey property. If set, then only peers that have the same key can communicate.")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&hostName, "hostname", "n", "", "Sets a custom hostname for the device")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&anonymizeFlag, "anonymize", "A", false, "anonymize IP addresses and non-netbird.io domains in logs and status output")
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&configPath, "config", "c", defaultConfigPath, "Overrides the default profile file location")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&anonymizeFlag, "anonymize", "A", false, "anonymize public IP addresses, MAC addresses, and non-netbird.io domains in logs and status output; private, CGNAT, and link-local IP ranges are kept (see --anonymize-level strict)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&anonymizeLevelFlag, "anonymize-level", "", "anonymization level: \"default\" or \"strict\"; strict also anonymizes private, CGNAT, and link-local IP ranges, peer names, and WireGuard public keys. Setting this flag implies --anonymize")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&configPath, "config", "c", profilemanager.DefaultConfigPath, "Overrides the default profile file location")
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(upCmd)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(downCmd)
@@ -167,10 +190,17 @@ func init() {
 	logCmd.AddCommand(logLevelCmd)
 	debugCmd.AddCommand(forCmd)
 	debugCmd.AddCommand(persistenceCmd)
+	debugCmd.AddCommand(debugConfigCmd)
+
+	// kubernetes commands
+	rootCmd.AddCommand(kubernetesCmd)
+	kubernetesCmd.AddCommand(kubernetesListCmd)
+	kubernetesCmd.AddCommand(kubernetesWriteKubeconfigCmd)
 
 	// profile commands
 	profileCmd.AddCommand(profileListCmd)
 	profileCmd.AddCommand(profileAddCmd)
+	profileCmd.AddCommand(profileRenameCmd)
 	profileCmd.AddCommand(profileRemoveCmd)
 	profileCmd.AddCommand(profileSelectCmd)
 
@@ -190,7 +220,10 @@ func init() {
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&rosenpassEnabled, enableRosenpassFlag, false, "[Experimental] Enable Rosenpass feature. If enabled, the connection will be post-quantum secured via Rosenpass.")
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&rosenpassPermissive, rosenpassPermissiveFlag, false, "[Experimental] Enable Rosenpass in permissive mode to allow this peer to accept WireGuard connections without requiring Rosenpass functionality from peers that do not have Rosenpass enabled.")
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&autoConnectDisabled, disableAutoConnectFlag, false, "Disables auto-connect feature. If enabled, then the client won't connect automatically when the service starts.")
-	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&lazyConnEnabled, enableLazyConnectionFlag, false, "[Experimental] Enable the lazy connection feature. If enabled, the client will establish connections on-demand. Note: this setting may be overridden by management configuration.")
+	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&localMetricsEnabled, enableLocalMetricsFlag, false, "Enables a local Prometheus /metrics endpoint exposing connection state (peers, latency, P2P vs relay).")
+	upCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&localMetricsAddr, localMetricsAddressFlag, localmetrics.DefaultListenAddress, "Listen address of the local Prometheus /metrics endpoint.")
+	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&lazyConnEnabled, enableLazyConnectionFlag, false, "Deprecated: no longer used. Lazy connections are controlled by the server and the NB_LAZY_CONN environment variable.")
+	_ = upCmd.PersistentFlags().MarkDeprecated(enableLazyConnectionFlag, "no longer used; lazy connections are controlled by the server and the NB_LAZY_CONN environment variable")
 
 }
 
@@ -246,12 +279,10 @@ func DialClientGRPCServer(ctx context.Context, addr string) (*grpc.ClientConn, e
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*10)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	return grpc.DialContext(
-		ctx,
-		strings.TrimPrefix(addr, "tcp://"),
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()),
-		grpc.WithBlock(),
-	)
+	target, opts := daddr.DialTarget(addr)
+	opts = append(opts, grpc.WithBlock())
+
+	return grpc.DialContext(ctx, target, opts...)
 }
 
 // WithBackOff execute function in backoff cycle.
@@ -272,6 +303,19 @@ var CLIBackOffSettings = &backoff.ExponentialBackOff{
 	Clock:               backoff.SystemClock,
 }
 
+// effectiveAnonymize resolves the --anonymize and --anonymize-level flags:
+// setting a level implies anonymization, and an invalid level is rejected.
+func effectiveAnonymize() (bool, anonymize.Level, error) {
+	if anonymizeLevelFlag == "" {
+		return anonymizeFlag, anonymize.LevelDefault, nil
+	}
+	level := anonymize.ParseLevel(anonymizeLevelFlag)
+	if !strings.EqualFold(anonymizeLevelFlag, level.String()) {
+		return false, anonymize.LevelDefault, fmt.Errorf("invalid anonymize level %q: use %q or %q", anonymizeLevelFlag, anonymize.LevelDefault.String(), anonymize.LevelStrict.String())
+	}
+	return true, level, nil
+}
+
 func getSetupKey() (string, error) {
 	if setupKeyPath != "" && setupKey == "" {
 		return getSetupKeyFromFile(setupKeyPath)

client/cmd/service.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -22,15 +23,26 @@ var serviceCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Short: "Manage the NetBird daemon service",
 }
 
+const defaultJSONSocket = "unix:///var/run/netbird-http.sock"
+
 var (
-	serviceName    string
-	serviceEnvVars []string
+	serviceName      string
+	serviceEnvVars   []string
+	jsonSocket       string
+	enableJSONSocket bool
 )
 
 type program struct {
-	ctx              context.Context
-	cancel           context.CancelFunc
-	serv             *grpc.Server
+	ctx      context.Context
+	cancel   context.CancelFunc
+	serv     *grpc.Server
+	jsonServ *http.Server
+	// jsonClient is the gateway's own connection to the daemon. It is held so
+	// shutting the gateway down also closes it: nothing else references it once
+	// the handlers are registered, so its transport goroutines would otherwise
+	// outlive the server.
+	jsonClient       *grpc.ClientConn
+	jsonServMu       sync.Mutex
 	serverInstance   *server.Server
 	serverInstanceMu sync.Mutex
 }
@@ -44,7 +56,10 @@ func init() {
 	serviceCmd.AddCommand(runCmd, startCmd, stopCmd, restartCmd, svcStatusCmd, installCmd, uninstallCmd, reconfigureCmd, resetParamsCmd)
 	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&profilesDisabled, "disable-profiles", false, "Disables profiles feature. If enabled, the client will not be able to change or edit any profile. To persist this setting, use: netbird service install --disable-profiles")
 	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&updateSettingsDisabled, "disable-update-settings", false, "Disables update settings feature. If enabled, the client will not be able to change or edit any settings. To persist this setting, use: netbird service install --disable-update-settings")
+	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&captureEnabled, "enable-capture", false, "Enables packet capture via 'netbird debug capture'. To persist, use: netbird service install --enable-capture")
 	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&networksDisabled, "disable-networks", false, "Disables network selection. If enabled, the client will not allow listing, selecting, or deselecting networks. To persist, use: netbird service install --disable-networks")
+	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&enableJSONSocket, "enable-json-socket", false, "Enables the HTTP/JSON API socket served by grpc-gateway. To persist, use: netbird service install --enable-json-socket")
+	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&jsonSocket, "json-socket", defaultJSONSocket, "HTTP/JSON API socket address [unix|tcp]://[path|host:port]. Requires --enable-json-socket to serve. To persist, use: netbird service install --enable-json-socket --json-socket")
 
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&serviceName, "service", "s", defaultServiceName, "Netbird system service name")
 	serviceEnvDesc := `Sets extra environment variables for the service. ` +

client/cmd/service_controller.go

@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"net"
-	"os"
-	"strings"
+	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/kardianos/service"
@@ -16,69 +14,159 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/server"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/system"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
 )
 
+func validateJSONSocketFlags() error {
+	if serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("json-socket") && !enableJSONSocket {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--json-socket requires --enable-json-socket to configure the daemon JSON gateway")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// daemonServerOptions installs the transport credentials that expose each
+// caller's kernel-authenticated identity to the handlers, which is what lets
+// the daemon require root/administrator for privileged operations.
+//
+// The handshake exchanges no bytes, so older CLI and UI binaries still
+// interoperate. Callers on a TCP socket carry no identity at all: the daemon
+// keeps serving them, and the privileged operations deny them, so a warning is
+// logged to make the loss of functionality visible.
+func daemonServerOptions(network string) []grpc.ServerOption {
+	if network == "tcp" {
+		log.Warnf("daemon is listening on TCP (%s): callers carry no verifiable identity over TCP, "+
+			"so privileged operations (SSH root login, SSH auth, enabling the SSH server, management URL changes, "+
+			"deregistration) will be denied, and the SSH JWT cache is neither filled nor served. "+
+			"Use a unix socket, or npipe:// on Windows", daemonAddr)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	creds := ipcauth.NewTransportCredentials() //nolint:staticcheck
+	if creds == nil {                          //nolint:staticcheck // nil only on platforms without a peer-identity primitive
+		log.Warnf("daemon IPC has no peer-identity primitive on %s: privileged operations will be denied "+
+			"and the SSH JWT cache is neither filled nor served", runtime.GOOS)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return []grpc.ServerOption{grpc.Creds(creds)}
+}
+
 func (p *program) Start(svc service.Service) error {
 	// Start should not block. Do the actual work async.
 	log.Info("starting NetBird service") //nolint
 
+	if err := validateJSONSocketFlags(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Collect static system and platform information
 	system.UpdateStaticInfoAsync()
 
-	// in any case, even if configuration does not exists we run daemon to serve CLI gRPC API.
-	p.serv = grpc.NewServer()
-
-	split := strings.Split(daemonAddr, "://")
-	switch split[0] {
-	case "unix":
-		// cleanup failed close
-		stat, err := os.Stat(split[1])
-		if err == nil && !stat.IsDir() {
-			if err := os.Remove(split[1]); err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("remove socket file: %v", err)
-			}
-		}
-	case "tcp":
-	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported daemon address protocol: %v", split[0])
+	// A daemon installed before named-pipe support has the loopback TCP address
+	// persisted. Move it to the named pipe so an upgraded daemon can identify
+	// its callers instead of silently serving an unauthenticated socket.
+	if migrated, ok := daemonaddr.MigrateLegacy(daemonAddr); ok {
+		log.Infof("daemon address %q predates named-pipe support, listening on %q so callers can be identified", daemonAddr, migrated)
+		daemonAddr = migrated
 	}
 
-	listen, err := net.Listen(split[0], split[1])
+	network, _, err := parseListenAddress(daemonAddr)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listen daemon interface: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("parse daemon address: %w", err)
 	}
+
+	// in any case, even if configuration does not exists we run daemon to serve CLI gRPC API.
+	p.serv = grpc.NewServer(daemonServerOptions(network)...)
+
+	daemonListener, jsonListener, err := listenDaemonSockets()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	go func() {
-		defer listen.Close()
-
-		if split[0] == "unix" {
-			if err := os.Chmod(split[1], 0666); err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("failed setting daemon permissions: %v", split[1])
-				return
-			}
-		}
-
-		serverInstance := server.New(p.ctx, util.FindFirstLogPath(logFiles), configPath, profilesDisabled, updateSettingsDisabled, networksDisabled)
-		if err := serverInstance.Start(); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("failed to start daemon: %v", err)
-		}
-		proto.RegisterDaemonServiceServer(p.serv, serverInstance)
-
-		p.serverInstanceMu.Lock()
-		p.serverInstance = serverInstance
-		p.serverInstanceMu.Unlock()
-
-		log.Printf("started daemon server: %v", split[1])
-		if err := p.serv.Serve(listen); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("failed to serve daemon requests: %v", err)
+		// Fatal here rather than inside serve, so serve's deferred listener
+		// closes run before the process exits.
+		if err := p.serve(daemonListener, jsonListener); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("failed to %v", err)
 		}
 	}()
 	return nil
 }
 
+// listenDaemonSockets opens the daemon control socket and, when it is enabled, the
+// JSON gateway socket. The control socket is closed again if the second one fails,
+// so a failed start leaves nothing listening. The returned JSON listener is nil
+// when the socket is disabled.
+func listenDaemonSockets() (*socketListener, *socketListener, error) {
+	daemonListener, err := listenOnAddress(daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("listen daemon interface: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !enableJSONSocket {
+		removeStaleUnixSocketForAddress(jsonSocket)
+		return daemonListener, nil, nil
+	}
+
+	jsonListener, err := listenOnAddress(jsonSocket)
+	if err != nil {
+		if cerr := daemonListener.Close(); cerr != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close daemon listener: %v", cerr)
+		}
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("listen daemon JSON interface: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return daemonListener, jsonListener, nil
+}
+
+// serve brings up the daemon server on an already-open control socket and blocks
+// until it stops. jsonListener is nil when the JSON socket is disabled. A returned
+// error means the daemon cannot run at all and the caller is expected to exit; the
+// failures it recovers from on its own are logged here.
+func (p *program) serve(daemonListener, jsonListener *socketListener) error {
+	defer daemonListener.Close()
+	if jsonListener != nil {
+		defer jsonListener.Close()
+	}
+
+	// chmodUnixSocket is a no-op for a nil listener and for a non-unix one.
+	if err := daemonListener.chmodUnixSocket("daemon"); err != nil {
+		log.Error(err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := jsonListener.chmodUnixSocket("daemon JSON"); err != nil {
+		log.Error(err)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	serverInstance := server.New(p.ctx, util.FindFirstLogPath(logFiles), configPath, profilesDisabled, updateSettingsDisabled, captureEnabled, networksDisabled)
+	if err := serverInstance.Start(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("start daemon: %w", err)
+	}
+	proto.RegisterDaemonServiceServer(p.serv, serverInstance)
+
+	p.serverInstanceMu.Lock()
+	p.serverInstance = serverInstance
+	p.serverInstanceMu.Unlock()
+
+	if jsonListener == nil {
+		log.Debug("daemon JSON socket disabled")
+	} else if err := p.startJSONGateway(jsonListener, daemonAddr); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("start daemon JSON server: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("started daemon server: %v", daemonListener.address)
+	if err := p.serv.Serve(daemonListener.Listener); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("failed to serve daemon requests: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (p *program) Stop(srv service.Service) error {
 	p.serverInstanceMu.Lock()
 	if p.serverInstance != nil {
@@ -92,6 +180,25 @@ func (p *program) Stop(srv service.Service) error {
 
 	p.cancel()
 
+	p.jsonServMu.Lock()
+	jsonServ, jsonClient := p.jsonServ, p.jsonClient
+	p.jsonServMu.Unlock()
+	if jsonClient != nil {
+		if err := jsonClient.Close(); err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close daemon JSON gateway client: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	if jsonServ != nil {
+		shutdownCtx, shutdownCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
+		if err := jsonServ.Shutdown(shutdownCtx); err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("failed to stop daemon JSON server gracefully: %v", err)
+			if err := jsonServ.Close(); err != nil {
+				log.Errorf("failed to close daemon JSON server: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+		shutdownCancel()
+	}
+
 	if p.serv != nil {
 		p.serv.Stop()
 	}
@@ -102,7 +209,7 @@ func (p *program) Stop(srv service.Service) error {
 }
 
 // Common setup for service control commands
-func setupServiceControlCommand(cmd *cobra.Command, ctx context.Context, cancel context.CancelFunc) (service.Service, error) {
+func setupServiceControlCommand(cmd *cobra.Command, ctx context.Context, cancel context.CancelFunc, consoleLog bool) (service.Service, error) {
 	// rootCmd env vars are already applied by PersistentPreRunE.
 	SetFlagsFromEnvVars(serviceCmd)
 
@@ -112,8 +219,14 @@ func setupServiceControlCommand(cmd *cobra.Command, ctx context.Context, cancel
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err := util.InitLog(logLevel, logFiles...); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("init log: %w", err)
+	if consoleLog {
+		if err := util.InitLog(logLevel, util.LogConsole); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("init log: %w", err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if err := util.InitLog(logLevel, logFiles...); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("init log: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
@@ -138,10 +251,13 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		SetupCloseHandler(ctx, cancel)
 		SetupDebugHandler(ctx, nil, nil, nil, util.FindFirstLogPath(logFiles))
 
-		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel)
+		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if err := validateJSONSocketFlags(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		return s.Run()
 	},
@@ -152,10 +268,13 @@ var startCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Short: "starts NetBird service",
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(cmd.Context())
-		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel)
+		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if err := validateJSONSocketFlags(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		if err := s.Start(); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("start service: %w", err)
@@ -170,7 +289,7 @@ var stopCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Short: "stops NetBird service",
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(cmd.Context())
-		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel)
+		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -188,10 +307,13 @@ var restartCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Short: "restarts NetBird service",
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(cmd.Context())
-		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel)
+		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if err := validateJSONSocketFlags(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		if err := s.Restart(); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("restart service: %w", err)
@@ -206,7 +328,7 @@ var svcStatusCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Short: "shows NetBird service status",
 	RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(cmd.Context())
-		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel)
+		s, err := setupServiceControlCommand(cmd, ctx, cancel, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}

client/cmd/service_installer.go

@@ -59,10 +59,18 @@ func buildServiceArguments() []string {
 		args = append(args, "--disable-update-settings")
 	}
 
+	if captureEnabled {
+		args = append(args, "--enable-capture")
+	}
+
 	if networksDisabled {
 		args = append(args, "--disable-networks")
 	}
 
+	if enableJSONSocket {
+		args = append(args, "--enable-json-socket", "--json-socket", jsonSocket)
+	}
+
 	return args
 }
 
@@ -102,6 +110,10 @@ func configurePlatformSpecificSettings(svcConfig *service.Config) error {
 
 // Create fully configured service config for install/reconfigure
 func createServiceConfigForInstall() (*service.Config, error) {
+	if err := validateJSONSocketFlags(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	svcConfig, err := newSVCConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("create service config: %w", err)

client/cmd/service_json_gateway.go

@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+//go:build !ios && !android
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/v2/runtime"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
+)
+
+// jsonPeerIdentity is the context key under which the connecting HTTP client's
+// identity is stashed for the lifetime of its connection.
+type jsonPeerIdentity struct{}
+
+// jsonPeerIdentityValue pairs the identity with whether it could be read at
+// all, so an unreadable identity is forwarded as "unknown" rather than omitted.
+type jsonPeerIdentityValue struct {
+	id    ipcauth.Identity
+	known bool
+}
+
+// jsonConnContext reads the identity of the client connecting to the JSON
+// socket and stashes it on the connection's context. The gateway re-dials the
+// daemon in-process, so the daemon would otherwise see every JSON request as
+// coming from the daemon itself.
+func jsonConnContext(ctx context.Context, c net.Conn) context.Context {
+	value := jsonPeerIdentityValue{}
+	id, err := ipcauth.ConnIdentity(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("json gateway: cannot read HTTP client identity, privileged operations will be denied for this connection: %v", err)
+	} else {
+		value.id = id
+		value.known = true
+	}
+	return context.WithValue(ctx, jsonPeerIdentity{}, value)
+}
+
+// forwardIdentity stamps the HTTP client's identity onto every call the gateway
+// makes to the daemon.
+//
+// It is an interceptor on the gateway's client connection rather than a
+// runtime.WithMetadata annotator because grpc-gateway skips annotators when no
+// request header maps to metadata, which an HTTP/1.0 request with no Host header
+// over a unix socket achieves. The daemon would then receive no marker, see its own
+// identity as the transport peer, and authorize the request as the daemon itself.
+// An interceptor runs for every RPC whatever the request looked like.
+func forwardIdentity(ctx context.Context) context.Context {
+	value, ok := ctx.Value(jsonPeerIdentity{}).(jsonPeerIdentityValue)
+	if !ok {
+		// No ConnContext ran for this request, so forward an unknown identity:
+		// the daemon must not mistake its own identity for the client's.
+		return ipcauth.WithForwardedIdentity(ctx, ipcauth.Identity{}, false)
+	}
+	return ipcauth.WithForwardedIdentity(ctx, value.id, value.known)
+}
+
+func forwardIdentityUnary(ctx context.Context, method string, req, reply any, cc *grpc.ClientConn, invoker grpc.UnaryInvoker, opts ...grpc.CallOption) error {
+	return invoker(forwardIdentity(ctx), method, req, reply, cc, opts...)
+}
+
+func forwardIdentityStream(ctx context.Context, desc *grpc.StreamDesc, cc *grpc.ClientConn, method string, streamer grpc.Streamer, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (grpc.ClientStream, error) {
+	return streamer(forwardIdentity(ctx), desc, cc, method, opts...)
+}
+
+// reservedHeaderWarning limits the dropped-header warning to the first occurrence.
+var reservedHeaderWarning sync.Once
+
+// jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher keeps an HTTP client from supplying the metadata the
+// gateway uses to forward its identity. grpc-gateway turns "Grpc-Metadata-<key>"
+// headers into gRPC metadata and joins them ahead of what its annotators add, so
+// without this filter a JSON client could send its own x-netbird-fwd-uid and the
+// daemon would authorize that instead of the client's real identity.
+func jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher(key string) (string, bool) {
+	mapped, ok := runtime.DefaultHeaderMatcher(key)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	if ipcauth.IsReservedForwardKey(mapped) {
+		// Warn once: any client can send these on every request, so warning each
+		// time hands it a way to fill the log. The rest are debug-level.
+		reservedHeaderWarning.Do(func() {
+			log.Warnf("json gateway: dropping reserved header %q from a request: only the gateway may set the caller's identity", key)
+		})
+		log.Debugf("json gateway: dropping reserved header %q", key)
+		return "", false
+	}
+	return mapped, true
+}
+
+func (p *program) startJSONGateway(jsonListener *socketListener, daemonEndpoint string) error {
+	if jsonListener.network == "tcp" {
+		log.Warnf("daemon JSON socket is listening on TCP (%s): callers carry no verifiable identity over TCP, "+
+			"so privileged operations will be denied for JSON clients", jsonListener.address)
+	}
+
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+
+	// grpc.NewClient does not connect until the first request, so registering
+	// the handler here cannot block daemon startup.
+	target, opts := daemonaddr.DialTarget(daemonEndpoint)
+	opts = append(opts,
+		grpc.WithChainUnaryInterceptor(forwardIdentityUnary),
+		grpc.WithChainStreamInterceptor(forwardIdentityStream),
+	)
+	conn, err := grpc.NewClient(target, opts...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create daemon client for JSON gateway: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := proto.RegisterDaemonServiceHandler(p.ctx, mux, conn); err != nil {
+		if cerr := conn.Close(); cerr != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close daemon client after failed JSON gateway registration: %v", cerr)
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+
+	jsonServer := &http.Server{
+		Handler:           mux,
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
+		BaseContext: func(net.Listener) context.Context {
+			return p.ctx
+		},
+		ConnContext: jsonConnContext,
+	}
+
+	p.jsonServMu.Lock()
+	p.jsonServ = jsonServer
+	p.jsonClient = conn
+	p.jsonServMu.Unlock()
+
+	go func() {
+		log.Printf("started daemon JSON server: %v", jsonListener.address)
+		if err := jsonServer.Serve(jsonListener.Listener); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
+			log.Errorf("failed to serve daemon JSON requests: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}

client/cmd/service_json_gateway_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,261 @@
+//go:build !windows && !ios && !android
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/grpc-gateway/v2/runtime"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/metadata"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/peer"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+)
+
+// The JSON gateway runs inside the daemon and re-dials it locally, so every JSON
+// request reaches a handler with the daemon's own identity as the transport peer.
+// The gateway therefore forwards its HTTP client's identity as metadata, and the
+// daemon authorizes that instead of itself. These tests drive the real wiring
+// (jsonConnContext, forwardIdentity, jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher) and check the
+// identity a handler would end up authorizing.
+
+// daemonSideCtx is what a handler sees for a gateway-relayed call. The transport
+// peer must be this process's own identity: the gateway is the daemon, so the two
+// cannot differ, and hardcoding root here instead would describe a state that
+// never occurs.
+func daemonSideCtx(t *testing.T, md metadata.MD) context.Context {
+	t.Helper()
+	self, err := ipcauth.CurrentProcessIdentity()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("cannot read this process's identity: %v", err)
+	}
+	ctx := peer.NewContext(context.Background(), &peer.Peer{
+		AuthInfo: ipcauth.AuthInfo{
+			CommonAuthInfo: credentials.CommonAuthInfo{SecurityLevel: credentials.NoSecurity},
+			Identity:       self,
+		},
+	})
+	return metadata.NewIncomingContext(ctx, md)
+}
+
+// gatewayMetadata reproduces what the daemon receives for a JSON request: the
+// mux annotates the context from the request's headers, then the interceptor on the
+// gateway's client connection stamps the caller's identity. The order matters,
+// since the interceptor must win over anything a header put there.
+func gatewayMetadata(t *testing.T, req *http.Request, ctx context.Context) metadata.MD {
+	t.Helper()
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+	annotated, err := runtime.AnnotateContext(ctx, mux, req,
+		"/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig",
+		runtime.WithHTTPPathPattern("/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("annotate: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	md, ok := metadata.FromOutgoingContext(forwardIdentity(annotated))
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the interceptor produced no metadata")
+	}
+	return md
+}
+
+// clientCtx is the connection context jsonConnContext would have produced for an
+// HTTP client whose identity the gateway could read.
+func clientCtx(id ipcauth.Identity, known bool) context.Context {
+	return context.WithValue(context.Background(), jsonPeerIdentity{},
+		jsonPeerIdentityValue{id: id, known: known})
+}
+
+// An HTTP client must not be able to name its own identity. grpc-gateway turns
+// Grpc-Metadata-<key> headers into gRPC metadata, so without the header filter and
+// the interceptor overwriting the reserved keys, this request would authorize as
+// uid 0.
+func TestJSONGateway_ForgedIdentityHeaderIsDropped(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Uid", "0")
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Gid", "0")
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd", "1")
+	req.Header.Set("Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Sid", "S-1-5-18")
+
+	caller := ipcauth.Identity{UID: 31000, GID: 31000}
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, clientCtx(caller, true))
+
+	id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md))
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the forwarded identity should be usable")
+	}
+	if id.IsPrivileged() {
+		t.Errorf("forged header was believed: authorized as %v", id)
+	}
+	if id.UID != caller.UID {
+		t.Errorf("authorized as uid %d, want the real client %d", id.UID, caller.UID)
+	}
+}
+
+// A request with no headers at all (HTTP/1.0 needs no Host, and a unix socket
+// yields no host:port) makes grpc-gateway produce no metadata whatsoever and skip
+// its annotators: "if len(pairs) == 0 { return ctx, nil, nil }" in
+// runtime/context.go. That is why the identity is stamped by an interceptor
+// instead. This is the case that previously reached the gate as the daemon itself.
+func TestJSONGateway_HeaderlessRequestIsStillMarkedForwarded(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req.Header = http.Header{}
+	req.Host = ""
+
+	caller := ipcauth.Identity{UID: 31000, GID: 31000}
+	ctx := clientCtx(caller, true)
+
+	// Pin the skip path itself: if grpc-gateway ever produced a pair here, this
+	// test would still pass below while no longer covering what it was written for.
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+	annotated, err := runtime.AnnotateContext(ctx, mux, req,
+		"/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig",
+		runtime.WithHTTPPathPattern("/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("annotate: %v", err)
+	}
+	if md, ok := metadata.FromOutgoingContext(annotated); ok {
+		t.Fatalf("grpc-gateway produced metadata %v for a headerless request; "+
+			"this test no longer covers the annotator-skip path", md)
+	}
+
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, ctx)
+
+	id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md))
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the forwarded identity should be usable")
+	}
+	if id.UID != caller.UID || id.IsPrivileged() {
+		t.Errorf("authorized as %v, want the real client uid %d", id, caller.UID)
+	}
+}
+
+// When the gateway cannot read its client's identity (a TCP JSON socket, say) it
+// forwards the marker alone. The daemon must then report "unidentified" so the
+// privileged operations refuse, rather than falling back to the gateway's own
+// identity.
+func TestJSONGateway_UnreadableClientIdentityIsUnidentified(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, clientCtx(ipcauth.Identity{}, false))
+
+	if id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md)); ok {
+		t.Errorf("a request with no client identity was authorized as %v", id)
+	}
+}
+
+// A request that never passed through jsonConnContext (no stashed identity) must
+// also come out unidentified rather than as the daemon.
+func TestJSONGateway_MissingConnContextIsUnidentified(t *testing.T) {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "http://localhost/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	md := gatewayMetadata(t, req, context.Background())
+
+	if id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, md)); ok {
+		t.Errorf("a request with no connection context was authorized as %v", id)
+	}
+}
+
+// End to end over a real unix socket: the gateway reads the connecting client's
+// identity from the socket itself, so a client cannot present anything else.
+func TestJSONGateway_IdentityComesFromTheSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	mux := runtime.NewServeMux(runtime.WithIncomingHeaderMatcher(jsonIncomingHeaderMatcher))
+
+	type observed struct {
+		md metadata.MD
+	}
+	seen := make(chan observed, 1)
+
+	srv := &http.Server{
+		Handler: http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			ctx, err := runtime.AnnotateContext(r.Context(), mux, r,
+				"/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig",
+				runtime.WithHTTPPathPattern("/daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("annotate: %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			md, _ := metadata.FromOutgoingContext(forwardIdentity(ctx))
+			seen <- observed{md: md}
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		}),
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
+		ConnContext:       jsonConnContext,
+	}
+
+	sock := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "http.sock")
+	ln, err := net.Listen("unix", sock)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := srv.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Logf("close server: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+	go func() {
+		if err := srv.Serve(ln); err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
+			t.Logf("serve: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	conn, err := net.Dial("unix", sock)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Logf("close conn: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// Forge the identity headers on the wire as well.
+	request := "POST /daemon.DaemonService/SetConfig HTTP/1.1\r\n" +
+		"Host: localhost\r\n" +
+		"Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd: 1\r\n" +
+		"Grpc-Metadata-X-Netbird-Fwd-Uid: 0\r\n" +
+		"Content-Length: 0\r\n\r\n"
+	if _, err := conn.Write([]byte(request)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case got := <-seen:
+		self, err := ipcauth.CurrentProcessIdentity()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Skipf("cannot read this process's identity: %v", err)
+		}
+		// The socket peer is this test process, so that is the identity the
+		// gateway must forward, not the uid 0 the request asked for.
+		if uids := got.md.Get("x-netbird-fwd-uid"); len(uids) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("x-netbird-fwd-uid = %v, want exactly the gateway's own value", uids)
+		}
+		id, ok := ipcauth.CallerIdentity(daemonSideCtx(t, got.md))
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("the forwarded identity should be usable")
+		}
+		if id.UID != self.UID {
+			t.Errorf("authorized as uid %d, want the socket peer %d", id.UID, self.UID)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("the gateway never handled the request")
+	}
+}

client/cmd/service_json_socket_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+//go:build !ios && !android
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func preserveJSONSocketTestState(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	origJSONSocket := jsonSocket
+	origEnableJSONSocket := enableJSONSocket
+	origChanged := map[string]bool{}
+	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(flag *pflag.Flag) {
+		origChanged[flag.Name] = flag.Changed
+	})
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		jsonSocket = origJSONSocket
+		enableJSONSocket = origEnableJSONSocket
+		serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(flag *pflag.Flag) {
+			flag.Changed = origChanged[flag.Name]
+		})
+	})
+}
+
+func TestJSONSocketFlagsArePositiveEnableOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.NotNil(t, serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("enable-json-socket"))
+	assert.NotNil(t, serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("json-socket"))
+	assert.Nil(t, serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("disable-json-socket"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "false", serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("enable-json-socket").DefValue)
+}
+
+func TestBuildServiceArgumentsDefaultDisablesJSONSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	preserveJSONSocketTestState(t)
+
+	enableJSONSocket = false
+	jsonSocket = "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080"
+
+	args := buildServiceArguments()
+
+	assert.NotContains(t, args, "--enable-json-socket")
+	assert.NotContains(t, args, "--json-socket")
+}
+
+func TestBuildServiceArgumentsIncludesJSONSocketWhenEnabled(t *testing.T) {
+	preserveJSONSocketTestState(t)
+
+	enableJSONSocket = true
+	jsonSocket = "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080"
+
+	args := buildServiceArguments()
+
+	enableIndex := indexOfArg(args, "--enable-json-socket")
+	jsonIndex := indexOfArg(args, "--json-socket")
+	require.NotEqual(t, -1, enableIndex)
+	require.NotEqual(t, -1, jsonIndex)
+	require.Less(t, enableIndex, jsonIndex)
+	require.Less(t, jsonIndex+1, len(args))
+	assert.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080", args[jsonIndex+1])
+}
+
+func TestJSONSocketWithoutEnableValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	preserveJSONSocketTestState(t)
+
+	enableJSONSocket = false
+	require.NoError(t, serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Set("json-socket", "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080"))
+
+	err := validateJSONSocketFlags()
+
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--enable-json-socket")
+}
+
+func TestJSONSocketWithEnableValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	preserveJSONSocketTestState(t)
+
+	require.NoError(t, serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Set("enable-json-socket", "true"))
+	require.NoError(t, serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Set("json-socket", "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080"))
+
+	assert.NoError(t, validateJSONSocketFlags())
+}
+
+func TestJSONSocketServiceParamsPersistEnableAndAddress(t *testing.T) {
+	preserveJSONSocketTestState(t)
+	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(flag *pflag.Flag) {
+		flag.Changed = false
+	})
+
+	enableJSONSocket = true
+	jsonSocket = "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080"
+
+	params := currentServiceParams()
+	require.True(t, params.EnableJSONSocket)
+	require.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080", params.JSONSocket)
+
+	enableJSONSocket = false
+	jsonSocket = defaultJSONSocket
+	applyServiceParams(testServiceEnvCommand(), params)
+
+	assert.True(t, enableJSONSocket)
+	assert.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080", jsonSocket)
+}
+
+func TestRemoveStaleUnixSocketDoesNotRemoveRegularFile(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "netbird-http.sock")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte("not a socket"), 0600))
+
+	removeStaleUnixSocket(path)
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, []byte("not a socket"), data)
+}
+
+func TestRemoveStaleUnixSocketRemovesSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("unix sockets are not available on Windows")
+	}
+
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "netbird-http.sock")
+	addr := &net.UnixAddr{Name: path, Net: "unix"}
+	listener, err := net.ListenUnix("unix", addr)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	listener.SetUnlinkOnClose(false)
+	require.NoError(t, listener.Close())
+
+	_, err = os.Lstat(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "test setup must leave a stale Unix socket path")
+
+	removeStaleUnixSocket(path)
+
+	_, err = os.Lstat(path)
+	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err), "expected stale Unix socket to be removed, got %v", err)
+}
+
+func TestRemoveStaleUnixSocketDoesNotRemoveLiveSocket(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("unix sockets are not available on Windows")
+	}
+
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "netbird-http.sock")
+	listener, err := net.Listen("unix", path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer listener.Close()
+
+	removeStaleUnixSocket(path)
+
+	_, err = os.Lstat(path)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "expected live Unix socket to be preserved")
+}
+
+func testServiceEnvCommand() *cobra.Command {
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+	cmd.Flags().StringSlice("service-env", nil, "")
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func indexOfArg(args []string, arg string) int {
+	for i, candidate := range args {
+		if candidate == arg {
+			return i
+		}
+	}
+	return -1
+}

client/cmd/service_params.go

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/configs"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
 )
 
@@ -23,12 +24,15 @@ const serviceParamsFile = "service.json"
 type serviceParams struct {
 	LogLevel              string            `json:"log_level"`
 	DaemonAddr            string            `json:"daemon_addr"`
+	JSONSocket            string            `json:"json_socket"`
 	ManagementURL         string            `json:"management_url,omitempty"`
 	ConfigPath            string            `json:"config_path,omitempty"`
 	LogFiles              []string          `json:"log_files,omitempty"`
 	DisableProfiles       bool              `json:"disable_profiles,omitempty"`
 	DisableUpdateSettings bool              `json:"disable_update_settings,omitempty"`
+	EnableCapture         bool              `json:"enable_capture,omitempty"`
 	DisableNetworks       bool              `json:"disable_networks,omitempty"`
+	EnableJSONSocket      bool              `json:"enable_json_socket,omitempty"`
 	ServiceEnvVars        map[string]string `json:"service_env_vars,omitempty"`
 }
 
@@ -74,12 +78,15 @@ func currentServiceParams() *serviceParams {
 	params := &serviceParams{
 		LogLevel:              logLevel,
 		DaemonAddr:            daemonAddr,
+		JSONSocket:            jsonSocket,
 		ManagementURL:         managementURL,
 		ConfigPath:            configPath,
 		LogFiles:              logFiles,
 		DisableProfiles:       profilesDisabled,
 		DisableUpdateSettings: updateSettingsDisabled,
+		EnableCapture:         captureEnabled,
 		DisableNetworks:       networksDisabled,
+		EnableJSONSocket:      enableJSONSocket,
 	}
 
 	if len(serviceEnvVars) > 0 {
@@ -111,15 +118,29 @@ func applyServiceParams(cmd *cobra.Command, params *serviceParams) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// For fields with non-empty defaults (log-level, daemon-addr), keep the
-	// != "" guard so that an older service.json missing the field doesn't
-	// clobber the default with an empty string.
+	// For fields with non-empty defaults, keep the != "" guard so that an older
+	// service.json missing the field doesn't clobber the default with an empty string.
 	if !rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("log-level") && params.LogLevel != "" {
 		logLevel = params.LogLevel
 	}
 
 	if !rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("daemon-addr") && params.DaemonAddr != "" {
 		daemonAddr = params.DaemonAddr
+		// An install that predates named-pipe support has the loopback TCP
+		// address saved. Callers carry no identity over TCP, so move it to the
+		// pipe instead of restoring a socket the daemon cannot authorize on.
+		if migrated, ok := daemonaddr.MigrateLegacy(daemonAddr); ok {
+			cmd.Printf("Moving the saved daemon address from %s to %s so the daemon can identify its callers\n", daemonAddr, migrated)
+			daemonAddr = migrated
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("json-socket") && params.JSONSocket != "" {
+		jsonSocket = params.JSONSocket
+	}
+
+	if !serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("enable-json-socket") {
+		enableJSONSocket = params.EnableJSONSocket
 	}
 
 	// For optional fields where empty means "use default", always apply so
@@ -144,6 +165,10 @@ func applyServiceParams(cmd *cobra.Command, params *serviceParams) {
 		updateSettingsDisabled = params.DisableUpdateSettings
 	}
 
+	if !serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("enable-capture") {
+		captureEnabled = params.EnableCapture
+	}
+
 	if !serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().Changed("disable-networks") {
 		networksDisabled = params.DisableNetworks
 	}

client/cmd/service_params_test.go

@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ func TestSaveAndLoadServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 	params := &serviceParams{
 		LogLevel:              "debug",
 		DaemonAddr:            "unix:///var/run/netbird.sock",
+		JSONSocket:            "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080",
+		EnableJSONSocket:      true,
 		ManagementURL:         "https://my.server.com",
 		ConfigPath:            "/etc/netbird/config.json",
 		LogFiles:              []string{"/var/log/netbird/client.log", "console"},
@@ -63,6 +65,8 @@ func TestSaveAndLoadServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, params.LogLevel, loaded.LogLevel)
 	assert.Equal(t, params.DaemonAddr, loaded.DaemonAddr)
+	assert.Equal(t, params.JSONSocket, loaded.JSONSocket)
+	assert.Equal(t, params.EnableJSONSocket, loaded.EnableJSONSocket)
 	assert.Equal(t, params.ManagementURL, loaded.ManagementURL)
 	assert.Equal(t, params.ConfigPath, loaded.ConfigPath)
 	assert.Equal(t, params.LogFiles, loaded.LogFiles)
@@ -101,6 +105,8 @@ func TestLoadServiceParams_InvalidJSON(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCurrentServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 	origLogLevel := logLevel
 	origDaemonAddr := daemonAddr
+	origJSONSocket := jsonSocket
+	origEnableJSONSocket := enableJSONSocket
 	origManagementURL := managementURL
 	origConfigPath := configPath
 	origLogFiles := logFiles
@@ -110,6 +116,8 @@ func TestCurrentServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		logLevel = origLogLevel
 		daemonAddr = origDaemonAddr
+		jsonSocket = origJSONSocket
+		enableJSONSocket = origEnableJSONSocket
 		managementURL = origManagementURL
 		configPath = origConfigPath
 		logFiles = origLogFiles
@@ -120,6 +128,8 @@ func TestCurrentServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 
 	logLevel = "trace"
 	daemonAddr = "tcp://127.0.0.1:9999"
+	jsonSocket = "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080"
+	enableJSONSocket = true
 	managementURL = "https://mgmt.example.com"
 	configPath = "/tmp/test-config.json"
 	logFiles = []string{"/tmp/test.log"}
@@ -131,6 +141,8 @@ func TestCurrentServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, "trace", params.LogLevel)
 	assert.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:9999", params.DaemonAddr)
+	assert.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080", params.JSONSocket)
+	assert.True(t, params.EnableJSONSocket)
 	assert.Equal(t, "https://mgmt.example.com", params.ManagementURL)
 	assert.Equal(t, "/tmp/test-config.json", params.ConfigPath)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"/tmp/test.log"}, params.LogFiles)
@@ -142,6 +154,8 @@ func TestCurrentServiceParams(t *testing.T) {
 func TestApplyServiceParams_OnlyUnchangedFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	origLogLevel := logLevel
 	origDaemonAddr := daemonAddr
+	origJSONSocket := jsonSocket
+	origEnableJSONSocket := enableJSONSocket
 	origManagementURL := managementURL
 	origConfigPath := configPath
 	origLogFiles := logFiles
@@ -151,6 +165,8 @@ func TestApplyServiceParams_OnlyUnchangedFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		logLevel = origLogLevel
 		daemonAddr = origDaemonAddr
+		jsonSocket = origJSONSocket
+		enableJSONSocket = origEnableJSONSocket
 		managementURL = origManagementURL
 		configPath = origConfigPath
 		logFiles = origLogFiles
@@ -162,6 +178,8 @@ func TestApplyServiceParams_OnlyUnchangedFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	// Reset all flags to defaults.
 	logLevel = "info"
 	daemonAddr = "unix:///var/run/netbird.sock"
+	jsonSocket = defaultJSONSocket
+	enableJSONSocket = false
 	managementURL = ""
 	configPath = "/etc/netbird/config.json"
 	logFiles = []string{"/var/log/netbird/client.log"}
@@ -184,6 +202,8 @@ func TestApplyServiceParams_OnlyUnchangedFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	saved := &serviceParams{
 		LogLevel:              "debug",
 		DaemonAddr:            "tcp://127.0.0.1:5555",
+		JSONSocket:            "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080",
+		EnableJSONSocket:      true,
 		ManagementURL:         "https://saved.example.com",
 		ConfigPath:            "/saved/config.json",
 		LogFiles:              []string{"/saved/client.log"},
@@ -201,6 +221,8 @@ func TestApplyServiceParams_OnlyUnchangedFlags(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// All other fields were not Changed, so they should use saved values.
 	assert.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:5555", daemonAddr)
+	assert.Equal(t, "tcp://127.0.0.1:8080", jsonSocket)
+	assert.True(t, enableJSONSocket)
 	assert.Equal(t, "https://saved.example.com", managementURL)
 	assert.Equal(t, "/saved/config.json", configPath)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"/saved/client.log"}, logFiles)
@@ -212,14 +234,17 @@ func TestApplyServiceParams_OnlyUnchangedFlags(t *testing.T) {
 func TestApplyServiceParams_BooleanRevertToFalse(t *testing.T) {
 	origProfilesDisabled := profilesDisabled
 	origUpdateSettingsDisabled := updateSettingsDisabled
+	origEnableJSONSocket := enableJSONSocket
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		profilesDisabled = origProfilesDisabled
 		updateSettingsDisabled = origUpdateSettingsDisabled
+		enableJSONSocket = origEnableJSONSocket
 	})
 
 	// Simulate current state where booleans are true (e.g. set by previous install).
 	profilesDisabled = true
 	updateSettingsDisabled = true
+	enableJSONSocket = true
 
 	// Reset Changed state so flags appear unset.
 	serviceCmd.PersistentFlags().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
@@ -238,6 +263,7 @@ func TestApplyServiceParams_BooleanRevertToFalse(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.False(t, profilesDisabled, "saved false should override current true")
 	assert.False(t, updateSettingsDisabled, "saved false should override current true")
+	assert.False(t, enableJSONSocket, "saved false should override current true")
 }
 
 func TestApplyServiceParams_ClearManagementURL(t *testing.T) {
@@ -530,12 +556,15 @@ func fieldToGlobalVar(field string) string {
 	m := map[string]string{
 		"LogLevel":              "logLevel",
 		"DaemonAddr":            "daemonAddr",
+		"JSONSocket":            "jsonSocket",
 		"ManagementURL":         "managementURL",
 		"ConfigPath":            "configPath",
 		"LogFiles":              "logFiles",
 		"DisableProfiles":       "profilesDisabled",
 		"DisableUpdateSettings": "updateSettingsDisabled",
+		"EnableCapture":         "captureEnabled",
 		"DisableNetworks":       "networksDisabled",
+		"EnableJSONSocket":      "enableJSONSocket",
 		"ServiceEnvVars":        "serviceEnvVars",
 	}
 	if v, ok := m[field]; ok {

client/cmd/service_pipe_other.go

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+)
+
+// listenNamedPipe is Windows-only: no other platform serves the daemon on a
+// named pipe.
+func listenNamedPipe(string) (net.Listener, string, error) {
+	return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("named pipes are only supported on Windows")
+}

client/cmd/service_pipe_windows.go

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+
+	"github.com/Microsoft/go-winio"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/daemonaddr"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/ipcauth"
+)
+
+// listenNamedPipe creates the daemon control pipe and reports the path it ended
+// up on. The security descriptor lets any local caller connect, as a Unix socket
+// at 0666 does, and the privileged operations are authorized separately from the
+// caller's token.
+//
+// The protected name comes first so that an unprivileged process cannot take the
+// name before the service does. Creating it requires being an administrator or
+// LocalSystem, so a daemon an ordinary user runs themselves, as in netstack mode,
+// falls back to the plain name; clients try both and check who serves them.
+func listenNamedPipe(name string) (net.Listener, string, error) {
+	var errs []error
+	for _, path := range daemonaddr.PipePaths(name) {
+		listener, err := winio.ListenPipe(path, &winio.PipeConfig{
+			SecurityDescriptor: ipcauth.DefaultPipeSDDL(),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Debugf("not serving the daemon on %s: %v", path, err)
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", path, err))
+			continue
+		}
+		return listener, path, nil
+	}
+
+	return nil, "", errors.Join(errs...)
+}

client/cmd/service_privileged_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+//go:build privileged
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/kardianos/service"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+const (
+	serviceStartTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+	serviceStopTimeout  = 5 * time.Second
+	statusPollInterval  = 500 * time.Millisecond
+)
+
+// waitForServiceStatus waits for service to reach expected status with timeout
+func waitForServiceStatus(expectedStatus service.Status, timeout time.Duration) (bool, error) {
+	cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	ctx, timeoutCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+	defer timeoutCancel()
+
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(statusPollInterval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("timeout waiting for service status %v", expectedStatus)
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			status, err := s.Status()
+			if err != nil {
+				// Continue polling on transient errors
+				continue
+			}
+			if status == expectedStatus {
+				return true, nil
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestServiceLifecycle tests the complete service lifecycle
+func TestServiceLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
+	// TODO: Add support for Windows and macOS
+	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" && runtime.GOOS != "freebsd" {
+		t.Skipf("Skipping service lifecycle test on unsupported OS: %s", runtime.GOOS)
+	}
+
+	if os.Getenv("CONTAINER") == "true" {
+		t.Skip("Skipping service lifecycle test in container environment")
+	}
+
+	originalServiceName := serviceName
+	serviceName = "netbirdtest" + fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Unix())
+	defer func() {
+		serviceName = originalServiceName
+	}()
+
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath = fmt.Sprintf("%s/netbird-test-config.json", tempDir)
+	logLevel = "info"
+	daemonAddr = fmt.Sprintf("unix://%s/netbird-test.sock", tempDir)
+
+	// Ensure cleanup even if a subtest fails and Stop/Uninstall subtests don't run.
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("cleanup: create service config: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+		ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+		s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("cleanup: create service: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+
+		// If the subtests already cleaned up, there's nothing to do.
+		if _, err := s.Status(); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+
+		if err := s.Stop(); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("cleanup: stop service: %v", err)
+		}
+		if err := s.Uninstall(); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("cleanup: uninstall service: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	t.Run("Install", func(t *testing.T) {
+		installCmd.SetContext(ctx)
+		err := installCmd.RunE(installCmd, []string{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		status, err := s.Status()
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.NotEqual(t, service.StatusUnknown, status)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Start", func(t *testing.T) {
+		startCmd.SetContext(ctx)
+		err := startCmd.RunE(startCmd, []string{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		running, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusRunning, serviceStartTimeout)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, running)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Restart", func(t *testing.T) {
+		restartCmd.SetContext(ctx)
+		err := restartCmd.RunE(restartCmd, []string{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		running, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusRunning, serviceStartTimeout)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, running)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Reconfigure", func(t *testing.T) {
+		originalLogLevel := logLevel
+		logLevel = "debug"
+		defer func() {
+			logLevel = originalLogLevel
+		}()
+
+		reconfigureCmd.SetContext(ctx)
+		err := reconfigureCmd.RunE(reconfigureCmd, []string{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		running, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusRunning, serviceStartTimeout)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, running)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Stop", func(t *testing.T) {
+		stopCmd.SetContext(ctx)
+		err := stopCmd.RunE(stopCmd, []string{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		stopped, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusStopped, serviceStopTimeout)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, stopped)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Uninstall", func(t *testing.T) {
+		uninstallCmd.SetContext(ctx)
+		err := uninstallCmd.RunE(uninstallCmd, []string{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		defer cancel()
+
+		s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		_, err = s.Status()
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+	})
+}

client/cmd/service_socket.go

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+//go:build !ios && !android
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+	"syscall"
+	"time"
+
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+type socketListener struct {
+	net.Listener
+	network string
+	address string
+}
+
+func listenOnAddress(addr string) (*socketListener, error) {
+	network, address, err := parseListenAddress(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if network == "npipe" {
+		listener, path, err := listenNamedPipe(address) //nolint:staticcheck
+		if err != nil {                                 //nolint:staticcheck // always errors on non-Windows builds
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return &socketListener{Listener: listener, network: network, address: path}, nil
+	}
+
+	if network == "unix" {
+		removeStaleUnixSocket(address)
+	}
+
+	listener, err := net.Listen(network, address)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &socketListener{Listener: listener, network: network, address: address}, nil
+}
+
+func parseListenAddress(addr string) (string, string, error) {
+	network, address, ok := strings.Cut(addr, "://")
+	if !ok || network == "" || address == "" {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("address must be in [unix|tcp|npipe]://[path|host:port|name] format: %q", addr)
+	}
+
+	switch network {
+	case "unix", "tcp", "npipe":
+		return network, address, nil
+	default:
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("unsupported daemon address protocol: %v", network)
+	}
+}
+
+func removeStaleUnixSocket(path string) {
+	stat, err := os.Lstat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			log.Debugf("stat socket file: %v", err)
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	if stat.Mode()&os.ModeSocket == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if !isStaleUnixSocket(path) {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Remove(path); err != nil {
+		log.Debugf("remove socket file: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func isStaleUnixSocket(path string) bool {
+	conn, err := net.DialTimeout("unix", path, 100*time.Millisecond)
+	if err == nil {
+		if closeErr := conn.Close(); closeErr != nil {
+			log.Debugf("close unix socket probe: %v", closeErr)
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) || os.IsPermission(err) || os.IsTimeout(err) {
+		log.Debugf("not removing unix socket %s after probe error: %v", path, err)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return errors.Is(err, syscall.ECONNREFUSED)
+}
+
+func removeStaleUnixSocketForAddress(addr string) {
+	network, address, err := parseListenAddress(addr)
+	if err != nil || network != "unix" {
+		return
+	}
+	removeStaleUnixSocket(address)
+}
+
+func (l *socketListener) chmodUnixSocket(description string) error {
+	if l == nil || l.network != "unix" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if err := os.Chmod(l.address, 0666); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed setting %s permissions for %s: %w", description, l.address, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}

client/cmd/service_test.go

@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"runtime"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
-	"github.com/kardianos/service"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -31,186 +27,6 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }
 
-const (
-	serviceStartTimeout = 10 * time.Second
-	serviceStopTimeout  = 5 * time.Second
-	statusPollInterval  = 500 * time.Millisecond
-)
-
-// waitForServiceStatus waits for service to reach expected status with timeout
-func waitForServiceStatus(expectedStatus service.Status, timeout time.Duration) (bool, error) {
-	cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-
-	ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	defer cancel()
-
-	s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-
-	ctx, timeoutCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
-	defer timeoutCancel()
-
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(statusPollInterval)
-	defer ticker.Stop()
-
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("timeout waiting for service status %v", expectedStatus)
-		case <-ticker.C:
-			status, err := s.Status()
-			if err != nil {
-				// Continue polling on transient errors
-				continue
-			}
-			if status == expectedStatus {
-				return true, nil
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-// TestServiceLifecycle tests the complete service lifecycle
-func TestServiceLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
-	// TODO: Add support for Windows and macOS
-	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" && runtime.GOOS != "freebsd" {
-		t.Skipf("Skipping service lifecycle test on unsupported OS: %s", runtime.GOOS)
-	}
-
-	if os.Getenv("CONTAINER") == "true" {
-		t.Skip("Skipping service lifecycle test in container environment")
-	}
-
-	originalServiceName := serviceName
-	serviceName = "netbirdtest" + fmt.Sprintf("%d", time.Now().Unix())
-	defer func() {
-		serviceName = originalServiceName
-	}()
-
-	tempDir := t.TempDir()
-	configPath = fmt.Sprintf("%s/netbird-test-config.json", tempDir)
-	logLevel = "info"
-	daemonAddr = fmt.Sprintf("unix://%s/netbird-test.sock", tempDir)
-
-	// Ensure cleanup even if a subtest fails and Stop/Uninstall subtests don't run.
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("cleanup: create service config: %v", err)
-			return
-		}
-		ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-		defer cancel()
-		s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("cleanup: create service: %v", err)
-			return
-		}
-
-		// If the subtests already cleaned up, there's nothing to do.
-		if _, err := s.Status(); err != nil {
-			return
-		}
-
-		if err := s.Stop(); err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("cleanup: stop service: %v", err)
-		}
-		if err := s.Uninstall(); err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("cleanup: uninstall service: %v", err)
-		}
-	})
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	t.Run("Install", func(t *testing.T) {
-		installCmd.SetContext(ctx)
-		err := installCmd.RunE(installCmd, []string{})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-		defer cancel()
-
-		s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		status, err := s.Status()
-		assert.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.NotEqual(t, service.StatusUnknown, status)
-	})
-
-	t.Run("Start", func(t *testing.T) {
-		startCmd.SetContext(ctx)
-		err := startCmd.RunE(startCmd, []string{})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		running, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusRunning, serviceStartTimeout)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.True(t, running)
-	})
-
-	t.Run("Restart", func(t *testing.T) {
-		restartCmd.SetContext(ctx)
-		err := restartCmd.RunE(restartCmd, []string{})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		running, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusRunning, serviceStartTimeout)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.True(t, running)
-	})
-
-	t.Run("Reconfigure", func(t *testing.T) {
-		originalLogLevel := logLevel
-		logLevel = "debug"
-		defer func() {
-			logLevel = originalLogLevel
-		}()
-
-		reconfigureCmd.SetContext(ctx)
-		err := reconfigureCmd.RunE(reconfigureCmd, []string{})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		running, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusRunning, serviceStartTimeout)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.True(t, running)
-	})
-
-	t.Run("Stop", func(t *testing.T) {
-		stopCmd.SetContext(ctx)
-		err := stopCmd.RunE(stopCmd, []string{})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		stopped, err := waitForServiceStatus(service.StatusStopped, serviceStopTimeout)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.True(t, stopped)
-	})
-
-	t.Run("Uninstall", func(t *testing.T) {
-		uninstallCmd.SetContext(ctx)
-		err := uninstallCmd.RunE(uninstallCmd, []string{})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		cfg, err := newSVCConfig()
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		ctxSvc, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-		defer cancel()
-
-		s, err := newSVC(newProgram(ctxSvc, cancel), cfg)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		_, err = s.Status()
-		assert.Error(t, err)
-	})
-}
-
 // TestServiceEnvVars tests environment variable parsing
 func TestServiceEnvVars(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {

client/cmd/ssh.go

@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ func parseHostnameAndCommand(args []string) error {
 }
 
 func runSSH(ctx context.Context, addr string, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
-	target := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port)
+	target := net.JoinHostPort(strings.Trim(addr, "[]"), strconv.Itoa(port))
 	c, err := sshclient.Dial(ctx, target, username, sshclient.DialOptions{
 		KnownHostsFile:     knownHostsFile,
 		IdentityFile:       identityFile,
@@ -787,10 +787,10 @@ func isUnixSocket(path string) bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(path, "/") || strings.HasPrefix(path, "./")
 }
 
-// normalizeLocalHost converts "*" to "0.0.0.0" for binding to all interfaces.
+// normalizeLocalHost converts "*" to "" for binding to all interfaces (dual-stack).
 func normalizeLocalHost(host string) string {
 	if host == "*" {
-		return "0.0.0.0"
+		return ""
 	}
 	return host
 }

client/cmd/ssh_test.go

@@ -527,10 +527,10 @@ func TestParsePortForward(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:           "wildcard bind all interfaces",
 			spec:           "*:8080:localhost:80",
-			expectedLocal:  "0.0.0.0:8080",
+			expectedLocal:  ":8080",
 			expectedRemote: "localhost:80",
 			expectError:    false,
-			description:    "Wildcard * should bind to all interfaces (0.0.0.0)",
+			description:    "Wildcard * should bind to all interfaces (dual-stack)",
 		},
 		{
 			name:           "wildcard for port only",

client/cmd/status.go

@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/netip"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
-	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
 	nbstatus "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/status"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	detailFlag           bool
 	ipv4Flag             bool
+	ipv6Flag             bool
 	jsonFlag             bool
 	yamlFlag             bool
 	ipsFilter            []string
@@ -42,15 +43,16 @@ func init() {
 	ipsFilterMap = make(map[string]struct{})
 	prefixNamesFilterMap = make(map[string]struct{})
 	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&detailFlag, "detail", "d", false, "display detailed status information in human-readable format")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&jsonFlag, "json", false, "display detailed status information in json format")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&yamlFlag, "yaml", false, "display detailed status information in yaml format")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&ipv4Flag, "ipv4", false, "display only NetBird IPv4 of this peer, e.g., --ipv4 will output 100.64.0.33")
-	statusCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive("detail", "json", "yaml", "ipv4")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceVar(&ipsFilter, "filter-by-ips", []string{}, "filters the detailed output by a list of one or more IPs, e.g., --filter-by-ips 100.64.0.100,100.64.0.200")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceVar(&prefixNamesFilter, "filter-by-names", []string{}, "filters the detailed output by a list of one or more peer FQDN or hostnames, e.g., --filter-by-names peer-a,peer-b.netbird.cloud")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&statusFilter, "filter-by-status", "", "filters the detailed output by connection status(idle|connecting|connected), e.g., --filter-by-status connected")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&connectionTypeFilter, "filter-by-connection-type", "", "filters the detailed output by connection type (P2P|Relayed), e.g., --filter-by-connection-type P2P")
-	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&checkFlag, "check", "", "run a health check and exit with code 0 on success, 1 on failure (live|ready|startup)")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&jsonFlag, "json", "j", false, "display detailed status information in json format")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&yamlFlag, "yaml", "y", false, "display detailed status information in yaml format")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&ipv4Flag, "ipv4", "4", false, "display only NetBird IPv4 of this peer, e.g., --ipv4 will output 100.64.0.33")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&ipv6Flag, "ipv6", "6", false, "display only NetBird IPv6 of this peer")
+	statusCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive("detail", "json", "yaml", "ipv4", "ipv6")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceVarP(&ipsFilter, "filter-by-ips", "I", []string{}, "filters the detailed output by a list of one or more IPs (v4 or v6), e.g., --filter-by-ips 100.64.0.100,fd00::1")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceVarP(&prefixNamesFilter, "filter-by-names", "N", []string{}, "filters the detailed output by a list of one or more peer FQDN or hostnames, e.g., --filter-by-names peer-a,peer-b.netbird.cloud")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&statusFilter, "filter-by-status", "S", "", "filters the detailed output by connection status(idle|connecting|connected), e.g., --filter-by-status connected")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&connectionTypeFilter, "filter-by-connection-type", "T", "", "filters the detailed output by connection type (P2P|Relayed), e.g., --filter-by-connection-type P2P")
+	statusCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&checkFlag, "check", "C", "", "run a health check and exit with code 0 on success, 1 on failure (live|ready|startup)")
 }
 
 func statusFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -101,14 +103,32 @@ func statusFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	pm := profilemanager.NewProfileManager()
-	var profName string
-	if activeProf, err := pm.GetActiveProfile(); err == nil {
-		profName = activeProf.Name
+	if ipv6Flag {
+		ipv6 := resp.GetFullStatus().GetLocalPeerState().GetIpv6()
+		if ipv6 != "" {
+			cmd.Print(parseInterfaceIP(ipv6))
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Resolve the active profile's display name via the daemon, which runs
+	// as root and can read the per-user profile files. The local profile
+	// manager only knows the active profile ID, not its display name.
+	profName := getActiveProfileName(ctx)
+
+	var sessionExpiresAt time.Time
+	if ts := resp.GetSessionExpiresAt(); ts.IsValid() {
+		sessionExpiresAt = ts.AsTime().UTC()
+	}
+
+	anonymizeEnabled, anonymizeLevel, err := effectiveAnonymize()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	var outputInformationHolder = nbstatus.ConvertToStatusOutputOverview(resp.GetFullStatus(), nbstatus.ConvertOptions{
-		Anonymize:            anonymizeFlag,
+		Anonymize:            anonymizeEnabled,
+		AnonymizeLevel:       anonymizeLevel,
 		DaemonVersion:        resp.GetDaemonVersion(),
 		DaemonStatus:         nbstatus.ParseDaemonStatus(status),
 		StatusFilter:         statusFilter,
@@ -117,6 +137,7 @@ func statusFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		IPsFilter:            ipsFilterMap,
 		ConnectionTypeFilter: connectionTypeFilter,
 		ProfileName:          profName,
+		SessionExpiresAt:     sessionExpiresAt,
 	})
 	var statusOutputString string
 	switch {
@@ -157,6 +178,25 @@ func getStatus(ctx context.Context, fullPeerStatus bool, shouldRunProbes bool) (
 	return resp, nil
 }
 
+// getActiveProfileName asks the daemon for the active profile's display
+// name. The daemon runs as root and can read the per-user profile files to
+// resolve the ID to its human-readable name. Returns an empty string on any
+// error so status output degrades gracefully.
+func getActiveProfileName(ctx context.Context) string {
+	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(ctx, daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	resp, err := proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn).GetActiveProfile(ctx, &proto.GetActiveProfileRequest{})
+	if err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	return resp.GetProfileName()
+}
+
 func parseFilters() error {
 	switch strings.ToLower(statusFilter) {
 	case "", "idle", "connecting", "connected":

client/cmd/system.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const (
 	disableFirewallFlag     = "disable-firewall"
 	blockLANAccessFlag      = "block-lan-access"
 	blockInboundFlag        = "block-inbound"
+	disableIPv6Flag         = "disable-ipv6"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ var (
 	disableFirewall     bool
 	blockLANAccess      bool
 	blockInbound        bool
+	disableIPv6         bool
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -39,4 +41,7 @@ func init() {
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&blockInbound, blockInboundFlag, false,
 		"Block inbound connections. If enabled, the client will not allow any inbound connections to the local machine nor routed networks.\n"+
 			"This overrides any policies received from the management service.")
+
+	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&disableIPv6, disableIPv6Flag, false,
+		"Disable IPv6 overlay. If enabled, the client won't request or use an IPv6 overlay address.")
 }

client/cmd/testutil_test.go

@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
+	"go.uber.org/mock/gomock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 
-	"github.com/netbirdio/management-integrations/integrations"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/management/server/integrations/integrated_validator/validator"
 
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/management/internals/modules/permissions"
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func startManagement(t *testing.T, config *config.Config, testFile string) (*grp
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	iv, _ := integrations.NewIntegratedValidator(ctx, peersmanager, settingsManagerMock, eventStore, cacheStore)
+	iv, _ := validator.NewIntegratedValidator(ctx, peersmanager, settingsManagerMock, eventStore, cacheStore)
 
 	metrics, err := telemetry.NewDefaultAppMetrics(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func startManagement(t *testing.T, config *config.Config, testFile string) (*grp
 
 	updateManager := update_channel.NewPeersUpdateManager(metrics)
 	requestBuffer := mgmt.NewAccountRequestBuffer(ctx, store)
-	networkMapController := controller.NewController(ctx, store, metrics, updateManager, requestBuffer, mgmt.MockIntegratedValidator{}, settingsMockManager, "netbird.cloud", port_forwarding.NewControllerMock(), manager.NewEphemeralManager(store, peersmanager), config)
+	networkMapController := controller.NewController(ctx, store, metrics, updateManager, requestBuffer, mgmt.MockIntegratedValidator{}, settingsMockManager, "netbird.cloud", port_forwarding.NewControllerMock(), manager.NewEphemeralManager(store, peersmanager), config, nil)
 
 	accountManager, err := mgmt.BuildManager(ctx, config, store, networkMapController, jobManager, nil, "", eventStore, nil, false, iv, metrics, port_forwarding.NewControllerMock(), settingsMockManager, permissionsManagerMock, false, cacheStore)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func startManagement(t *testing.T, config *config.Config, testFile string) (*grp
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	mgmtServer, err := nbgrpc.NewServer(config, accountManager, settingsMockManager, jobManager, secretsManager, nil, nil, &mgmt.MockIntegratedValidator{}, networkMapController, nil)
+	mgmtServer, err := nbgrpc.NewServer(config, accountManager, settingsMockManager, jobManager, secretsManager, nil, nil, &mgmt.MockIntegratedValidator{}, networkMapController, nil, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func startClientDaemon(
 	s := grpc.NewServer()
 
 	server := client.New(ctx,
-		"", "", false, false, false)
+		"", "", false, false, false, false)
 	if err := server.Start(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}

client/cmd/up.go

@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/netip"
-	"os/user"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/peer"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/mdm"
+	nbnet "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/net"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/server"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/system"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/shared/management/domain"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
@@ -39,15 +42,21 @@ const (
 	noBrowserFlag = "no-browser"
 	noBrowserDesc = "do not open the browser for SSO login"
 
+	showQRFlag = "qr"
+	showQRDesc = "show QR code for the SSO login URL (useful for headless machines without browser access)"
+
 	profileNameFlag = "profile"
 	profileNameDesc = "profile name to use for the login. If not specified, the last used profile will be used."
 )
 
+var errDaemonActiveProfileUnsupported = errors.New("daemon does not support active profile lookup")
+
 var (
 	foregroundMode     bool
 	dnsLabels          []string
 	dnsLabelsValidated domain.List
 	noBrowser          bool
+	showQR             bool
 	profileName        string
 	configPath         string
 
@@ -80,6 +89,7 @@ func init() {
 	)
 
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&noBrowser, noBrowserFlag, false, noBrowserDesc)
+	upCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&showQR, showQRFlag, false, showQRDesc)
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&profileName, profileNameFlag, "", profileNameDesc)
 	upCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&configPath, "config", "c", "", "(DEPRECATED) NetBird config file location. ")
 
@@ -115,30 +125,25 @@ func upFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	pm := profilemanager.NewProfileManager()
 
-	username, err := user.Current()
+	username, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	var activeProf *profilemanager.Profile
 	var profileSwitched bool
 	// switch profile if provided
 	if profileName != "" {
-		err = switchProfile(cmd.Context(), profileName, username.Username)
+		activeProf, err = switchOrCreateProfile(cmd.Context(), pm, profileName, username.Username)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("switch profile: %v", err)
 		}
-
-		err = pm.SwitchProfile(profileName)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("switch profile: %v", err)
-		}
-
 		profileSwitched = true
-	}
-
-	activeProf, err := pm.GetActiveProfile()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("get active profile: %v", err)
+	} else {
+		activeProf, err = pm.GetActiveProfile()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("get active profile: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if foregroundMode {
@@ -147,6 +152,54 @@ func upFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return runInDaemonMode(ctx, cmd, pm, activeProf, profileSwitched)
 }
 
+// switchOrCreateProfile switches the active profile to the one identified by
+// handle, creating it first when it does not exist yet. This restores the
+// pre-0.73 behaviour where `netbird up --profile <name>` auto-creates a
+// missing profile instead of failing. Returns the daemon-resolved profile so
+// callers act on it directly instead of re-reading the local state, which is
+// not updated under sudo.
+func switchOrCreateProfile(ctx context.Context, pm *profilemanager.ProfileManager, handle, username string) (*profilemanager.Profile, error) {
+	resolvedID, err := switchProfile(ctx, handle, username)
+	if err != nil {
+		st, ok := gstatus.FromError(err)
+		if !ok || st.Code() != codes.NotFound {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		// Don't fail immediately on a create error: a concurrent run may
+		// have created the profile between the NotFound above and this
+		// call, in which case the retried switch still succeeds. Only
+		// surface the create error if the switch also fails.
+		_, createErr := createProfile(ctx, handle, username)
+		if resolvedID, err = switchProfile(ctx, handle, username); err != nil {
+			if createErr != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("create profile: %w", createErr)
+			}
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err := pm.SwitchProfile(resolvedID); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &profilemanager.Profile{ID: resolvedID}, nil
+}
+
+// createProfile dials the daemon and creates a new profile with the given
+// display name, returning its generated ID. Use addProfileOnDaemon directly
+// when a daemon client is already available to reuse the connection.
+func createProfile(ctx context.Context, profileName, username string) (profilemanager.ID, error) {
+	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(ctx, daemonAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		//nolint
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to daemon error: %v\n"+
+			"If the daemon is not running please run: "+
+			"\nnetbird service install \nnetbird service start\n", err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	return addProfileOnDaemon(ctx, proto.NewDaemonServiceClient(conn), profileName, username)
+}
+
 func runInForegroundMode(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, activeProf *profilemanager.Profile) error {
 	// override the default profile filepath if provided
 	if configPath != "" {
@@ -182,10 +235,32 @@ func runInForegroundMode(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, activeProf *pr
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get config file: %v", err)
 	}
+	// CLI foreground path runs without the daemon Server: layer in the
+	// active MDM policy explicitly so a forced ManagementURL / PSK /
+	// other managed key actually takes effect on this run.
+	config.ApplyMDMPolicy(mdm.NewLoader(nil).Load())
 
 	_, _ = profilemanager.UpdateOldManagementURL(ctx, config, configFilePath)
 
-	err = foregroundLogin(ctx, cmd, config, providedSetupKey, activeProf.Name)
+	// Restore residual state left by a previous run that did not shut down
+	// cleanly, mirroring what the daemon does before connecting: it recovers
+	// DNS config (a stale resolv.conf takeover can make the management
+	// hostname unresolvable), firewall rules, ssh config and legacy routing.
+	// Route cleanup itself happens at engine start; nbnet.Init() below lets
+	// the management dial bypass a leftover fwmark rule until then.
+	// Foreground mode is particularly exposed in containers: a crashed
+	// container restarts inside the same (pod) network namespace, so stale
+	// state survives while the process does not.
+	if err := server.RestoreResidualState(ctx, profilemanager.NewServiceManager(configPath).GetStatePath()); err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("failed to restore residual state: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Enable advanced routing (as the daemon does on startup) so the
+	// management dial bypasses a leftover fwmark rule instead of being
+	// shunted into a stale routing table.
+	nbnet.Init()
+
+	err = foregroundLogin(ctx, cmd, config, providedSetupKey, activeProf.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("foreground login failed: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -238,6 +313,30 @@ func runInDaemonMode(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, pm *profilemanager
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to get daemon status: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// Under sudo the invoking user's local active-profile mirror is never
+	// written (the SwitchProfile write is a no-op), and plain root has no
+	// invoking user at all — so the mirror read into activeProf above is stale
+	// or defaulted and must not drive the daemon. With no --profile to make the
+	// choice explicit, take the profile the daemon already holds for this user
+	// instead: it stays on the user's current profile rather than silently
+	// switching to the mirror's default, and refuses when the daemon is on
+	// another user's profile.
+	if profileName == "" && !profilemanager.MirrorIsAuthoritative() {
+		u, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %v", err)
+		}
+		resolved, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(ctx, client, u.Username)
+		switch {
+		case errors.Is(err, errDaemonActiveProfileUnsupported):
+			log.Warnf("keeping the locally resolved profile: %v", err)
+		case err != nil:
+			return err
+		default:
+			activeProf = resolved
+		}
+	}
+
 	if status.Status == string(internal.StatusConnected) {
 		if !profileSwitched {
 			cmd.Println("Already connected")
@@ -250,18 +349,18 @@ func runInDaemonMode(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, pm *profilemanager
 		}
 	}
 
-	username, err := user.Current()
+	username, err := profilemanager.InvokingUser()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get current user: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	// set the new config
-	req := setupSetConfigReq(customDNSAddressConverted, cmd, activeProf.Name, username.Username)
+	req := setupSetConfigReq(customDNSAddressConverted, cmd, activeProf.ID.String(), username.Username)
 	if _, err := client.SetConfig(ctx, req); err != nil {
 		if st, ok := gstatus.FromError(err); ok && st.Code() == codes.Unavailable {
-			log.Warnf("setConfig method is not available in the daemon")
+			log.Warnf("setConfig method is not available in the daemon: %s", st.Message())
 		} else {
-			return fmt.Errorf("call service setConfig method: %v", err)
+			return daemonCallError("call service setConfig method", err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -284,10 +383,11 @@ func doDaemonUp(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, client proto.DaemonServ
 		return fmt.Errorf("setup login request: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	loginRequest.ProfileName = &activeProf.Name
+	profileID := activeProf.ID.String()
+	loginRequest.ProfileName = &profileID
 	loginRequest.Username = &username
 
-	profileState, err := pm.GetProfileState(activeProf.Name)
+	profileState, err := pm.GetProfileState(activeProf.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("failed to get profile state for login hint: %v", err)
 	} else if profileState.Email != "" {
@@ -314,7 +414,7 @@ func doDaemonUp(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, client proto.DaemonServ
 	}
 
 	if loginErr != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("login failed: %v", loginErr)
+		return daemonCallError("login failed", loginErr)
 	}
 
 	if loginResp.NeedsSSOLogin {
@@ -324,35 +424,30 @@ func doDaemonUp(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, client proto.DaemonServ
 	}
 
 	if _, err := client.Up(ctx, &proto.UpRequest{
-		ProfileName: &activeProf.Name,
+		ProfileName: &profileID,
 		Username:    &username,
 	}); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("call service up method: %v", err)
+		return daemonCallError("call service up method", err)
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-func setupSetConfigReq(customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command, profileName, username string) *proto.SetConfigRequest {
-	var req proto.SetConfigRequest
-	req.ProfileName = profileName
-	req.Username = username
-
-	req.ManagementUrl = managementURL
-	req.AdminURL = adminURL
-	req.NatExternalIPs = natExternalIPs
-	req.CustomDNSAddress = customDNSAddressConverted
-	req.ExtraIFaceBlacklist = extraIFaceBlackList
-	req.DnsLabels = dnsLabelsValidated.ToPunycodeList()
-	req.CleanDNSLabels = dnsLabels != nil && len(dnsLabels) == 0
-	req.CleanNATExternalIPs = natExternalIPs != nil && len(natExternalIPs) == 0
-
-	if cmd.Flag(enableRosenpassFlag).Changed {
-		req.RosenpassEnabled = &rosenpassEnabled
-	}
-	if cmd.Flag(rosenpassPermissiveFlag).Changed {
-		req.RosenpassPermissive = &rosenpassPermissive
+// setBoolPtrIfChanged points dst at a copy of val when the named bool flag was
+// explicitly set on cmd. It collapses the repeated
+// "if cmd.Flag(x).Changed { field = &val }" pattern in the request builders into
+// a single call, keeping their cognitive complexity within bounds.
+func setBoolPtrIfChanged(cmd *cobra.Command, name string, dst **bool, val bool) {
+	if cmd.Flag(name).Changed {
+		dst2 := val
+		*dst = &dst2
 	}
+}
+
+// setSSHSetConfigFields copies the SSH server flags the user actually
+// passed into req, leaving the rest unset so the daemon keeps the
+// persisted values.
+func setSSHSetConfigFields(req *proto.SetConfigRequest, cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	if cmd.Flag(serverSSHAllowedFlag).Changed {
 		req.ServerSSHAllowed = &serverSSHAllowed
 	}
@@ -375,6 +470,31 @@ func setupSetConfigReq(customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command, pro
 		sshJWTCacheTTL32 := int32(sshJWTCacheTTL)
 		req.SshJWTCacheTTL = &sshJWTCacheTTL32
 	}
+}
+
+func setupSetConfigReq(customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command, profileName, username string) *proto.SetConfigRequest {
+	var req proto.SetConfigRequest
+	req.ProfileName = profileName
+	req.Username = username
+
+	req.ManagementUrl = managementURL
+	req.AdminURL = adminURL
+	req.NatExternalIPs = natExternalIPs
+	req.CustomDNSAddress = customDNSAddressConverted
+	req.ExtraIFaceBlacklist = extraIFaceBlackList
+	req.DnsLabels = dnsLabelsValidated.ToPunycodeList()
+	req.CleanDNSLabels = dnsLabels != nil && len(dnsLabels) == 0
+	req.CleanNATExternalIPs = natExternalIPs != nil && len(natExternalIPs) == 0
+
+	if cmd.Flag(enableRosenpassFlag).Changed {
+		req.RosenpassEnabled = &rosenpassEnabled
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(rosenpassPermissiveFlag).Changed {
+		req.RosenpassPermissive = &rosenpassPermissive
+	}
+	setSSHSetConfigFields(&req, cmd)
+	setBoolPtrIfChanged(cmd, remoteJobsAllowedFlag, &req.RemoteJobsAllowed, remoteJobsAllowed)
+
 	if cmd.Flag(interfaceNameFlag).Changed {
 		if err := parseInterfaceName(interfaceName); err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("parse interface name: %v", err)
@@ -430,8 +550,15 @@ func setupSetConfigReq(customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command, pro
 		req.BlockInbound = &blockInbound
 	}
 
-	if cmd.Flag(enableLazyConnectionFlag).Changed {
-		req.LazyConnectionEnabled = &lazyConnEnabled
+	if cmd.Flag(disableIPv6Flag).Changed {
+		req.DisableIpv6 = &disableIPv6
+	}
+
+	if cmd.Flag(enableLocalMetricsFlag).Changed {
+		req.EnableLocalMetrics = &localMetricsEnabled
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(localMetricsAddressFlag).Changed {
+		req.LocalMetricsAddress = &localMetricsAddr
 	}
 
 	return &req
@@ -458,6 +585,7 @@ func setupConfig(customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command, configFil
 	if cmd.Flag(serverSSHAllowedFlag).Changed {
 		ic.ServerSSHAllowed = &serverSSHAllowed
 	}
+	setBoolPtrIfChanged(cmd, remoteJobsAllowedFlag, &ic.RemoteJobsAllowed, remoteJobsAllowed)
 
 	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHRootFlag).Changed {
 		ic.EnableSSHRoot = &enableSSHRoot
@@ -547,12 +675,49 @@ func setupConfig(customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command, configFil
 		ic.BlockInbound = &blockInbound
 	}
 
-	if cmd.Flag(enableLazyConnectionFlag).Changed {
-		ic.LazyConnectionEnabled = &lazyConnEnabled
+	if cmd.Flag(disableIPv6Flag).Changed {
+		ic.DisableIPv6 = &disableIPv6
 	}
+
+	if cmd.Flag(enableLocalMetricsFlag).Changed {
+		ic.LocalMetricsEnabled = &localMetricsEnabled
+	}
+
+	if cmd.Flag(localMetricsAddressFlag).Changed {
+		ic.LocalMetricsAddress = &localMetricsAddr
+	}
+
 	return &ic, nil
 }
 
+// setSSHLoginFields copies the SSH server flags the user actually passed
+// into req, leaving the rest unset so the daemon keeps the persisted
+// values.
+func setSSHLoginFields(req *proto.LoginRequest, cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	if cmd.Flag(serverSSHAllowedFlag).Changed {
+		req.ServerSSHAllowed = &serverSSHAllowed
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHRootFlag).Changed {
+		req.EnableSSHRoot = &enableSSHRoot
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHSFTPFlag).Changed {
+		req.EnableSSHSFTP = &enableSSHSFTP
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHLocalPortForwardFlag).Changed {
+		req.EnableSSHLocalPortForwarding = &enableSSHLocalPortForward
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHRemotePortForwardFlag).Changed {
+		req.EnableSSHRemotePortForwarding = &enableSSHRemotePortForward
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(disableSSHAuthFlag).Changed {
+		req.DisableSSHAuth = &disableSSHAuth
+	}
+	if cmd.Flag(sshJWTCacheTTLFlag).Changed {
+		sshJWTCacheTTL32 := int32(sshJWTCacheTTL)
+		req.SshJWTCacheTTL = &sshJWTCacheTTL32
+	}
+}
+
 func setupLoginRequest(providedSetupKey string, customDNSAddressConverted []byte, cmd *cobra.Command) (*proto.LoginRequest, error) {
 	loginRequest := proto.LoginRequest{
 		SetupKey:            providedSetupKey,
@@ -560,7 +725,7 @@ func setupLoginRequest(providedSetupKey string, customDNSAddressConverted []byte
 		NatExternalIPs:      natExternalIPs,
 		CleanNATExternalIPs: natExternalIPs != nil && len(natExternalIPs) == 0,
 		CustomDNSAddress:    customDNSAddressConverted,
-		IsUnixDesktopClient: isUnixRunningDesktop(),
+		IsUnixDesktopClient: util.HasGraphicalSession(),
 		Hostname:            hostName,
 		ExtraIFaceBlacklist: extraIFaceBlackList,
 		DnsLabels:           dnsLabels,
@@ -579,39 +744,21 @@ func setupLoginRequest(providedSetupKey string, customDNSAddressConverted []byte
 		loginRequest.RosenpassPermissive = &rosenpassPermissive
 	}
 
-	if cmd.Flag(serverSSHAllowedFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.ServerSSHAllowed = &serverSSHAllowed
-	}
-
-	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHRootFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.EnableSSHRoot = &enableSSHRoot
-	}
-
-	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHSFTPFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.EnableSSHSFTP = &enableSSHSFTP
-	}
-
-	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHLocalPortForwardFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.EnableSSHLocalPortForwarding = &enableSSHLocalPortForward
-	}
-
-	if cmd.Flag(enableSSHRemotePortForwardFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.EnableSSHRemotePortForwarding = &enableSSHRemotePortForward
-	}
-
-	if cmd.Flag(disableSSHAuthFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.DisableSSHAuth = &disableSSHAuth
-	}
-
-	if cmd.Flag(sshJWTCacheTTLFlag).Changed {
-		sshJWTCacheTTL32 := int32(sshJWTCacheTTL)
-		loginRequest.SshJWTCacheTTL = &sshJWTCacheTTL32
-	}
+	setSSHLoginFields(&loginRequest, cmd)
+	setBoolPtrIfChanged(cmd, remoteJobsAllowedFlag, &loginRequest.RemoteJobsAllowed, remoteJobsAllowed)
 
 	if cmd.Flag(disableAutoConnectFlag).Changed {
 		loginRequest.DisableAutoConnect = &autoConnectDisabled
 	}
 
+	if cmd.Flag(enableLocalMetricsFlag).Changed {
+		loginRequest.EnableLocalMetrics = &localMetricsEnabled
+	}
+
+	if cmd.Flag(localMetricsAddressFlag).Changed {
+		loginRequest.LocalMetricsAddress = &localMetricsAddr
+	}
+
 	if cmd.Flag(interfaceNameFlag).Changed {
 		if err := parseInterfaceName(interfaceName); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -661,9 +808,10 @@ func setupLoginRequest(providedSetupKey string, customDNSAddressConverted []byte
 		loginRequest.BlockInbound = &blockInbound
 	}
 
-	if cmd.Flag(enableLazyConnectionFlag).Changed {
-		loginRequest.LazyConnectionEnabled = &lazyConnEnabled
+	if cmd.Flag(disableIPv6Flag).Changed {
+		loginRequest.DisableIpv6 = &disableIPv6
 	}
+
 	return &loginRequest, nil
 }
 
@@ -782,3 +930,31 @@ func isValidAddrPort(input string) bool {
 	_, err := netip.ParseAddrPort(input)
 	return err == nil
 }
+
+// daemonActiveProfileForUser returns the profile the daemon currently holds for
+// username, for the no --profile case where the local mirror is not
+// authoritative (sudo or plain root). It returns that profile when the daemon
+// owns it for this user or when the profile is unowned (empty username, as on a
+// fresh install), so the caller acts on the daemon's real state instead of the
+// stale mirror. It denies with a --profile hint when the daemon is on another
+// user's profile, when the lookup fails, or when the daemon reports no active
+// profile. Returns errDaemonActiveProfileUnsupported when the daemon predates
+// the RPC; the caller keeps the mirror-derived profile in that case.
+func daemonActiveProfileForUser(ctx context.Context, client proto.DaemonServiceClient, username string) (*profilemanager.Profile, error) {
+	active, err := client.GetActiveProfile(ctx, &proto.GetActiveProfileRequest{})
+	if err != nil {
+		if st, ok := gstatus.FromError(err); ok && st.Code() == codes.Unimplemented {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", errDaemonActiveProfileUnsupported, err)
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("pass --profile to choose the profile explicitly: the daemon's active profile could not be verified: %v", err)
+	}
+	if active.GetId() == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("pass --profile to choose the profile explicitly: the daemon reported no active profile")
+	}
+	if active.GetUsername() != "" && active.GetUsername() != username {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"pass --profile to choose the profile explicitly: the daemon's active profile is %q (user %q) but this invocation runs for %q",
+			active.GetProfileName(), active.GetUsername(), username)
+	}
+	return &profilemanager.Profile{ID: profilemanager.ID(active.GetId())}, nil
+}

client/cmd/up_daemon_test.go

@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@ func TestUpDaemon(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	sm := profilemanager.ServiceManager{}
-	err = sm.AddProfile("test1", currUser.Username)
+	created, err := sm.AddProfile("test1", currUser.Username)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to add profile: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
 
 	err = sm.SetActiveProfileState(&profilemanager.ActiveProfileState{
-		Name:     "test1",
+		ID:       created.ID,
 		Username: currUser.Username,
 	})
 	if err != nil {

client/cmd/up_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
+	gstatus "google.golang.org/grpc/status"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/profilemanager"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
+)
+
+type fakeActiveProfileClient struct {
+	proto.DaemonServiceClient
+	resp *proto.GetActiveProfileResponse
+	err  error
+}
+
+func (f *fakeActiveProfileClient) GetActiveProfile(_ context.Context, _ *proto.GetActiveProfileRequest, _ ...grpc.CallOption) (*proto.GetActiveProfileResponse, error) {
+	return f.resp, f.err
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserReturnsOwnProfile(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{resp: &proto.GetActiveProfileResponse{Id: "default", ProfileName: "default", Username: "root"}}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, prof)
+	assert.Equal(t, profilemanager.ID("default"), prof.ID)
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserReturnsUnownedProfile(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{resp: &proto.GetActiveProfileResponse{Id: "default", ProfileName: "default", Username: ""}}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, prof)
+	assert.Equal(t, profilemanager.ID("default"), prof.ID)
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserKeepsDaemonProfileOverStaleMirror(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{resp: &proto.GetActiveProfileResponse{Id: "ab12", ProfileName: "work", Username: "misha"}}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "misha")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, prof)
+	assert.Equal(t, profilemanager.ID("ab12"), prof.ID)
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserRejectsOtherUsersProfile(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{resp: &proto.GetActiveProfileResponse{Id: "ab12", ProfileName: "work", Username: "misha"}}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, prof)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--profile")
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserRejectsOtherUsersDefaultProfile(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{resp: &proto.GetActiveProfileResponse{Id: "default", ProfileName: "default", Username: "misha"}}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, prof)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--profile")
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserRejectsLookupError(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{err: gstatus.Error(codes.Internal, "boom")}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, prof)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--profile")
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserRejectsEmptyResponse(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{resp: &proto.GetActiveProfileResponse{}}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, prof)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--profile")
+}
+
+func TestDaemonActiveProfileForUserKeepsMirrorWhenDaemonWithoutRPC(t *testing.T) {
+	client := &fakeActiveProfileClient{err: gstatus.Error(codes.Unimplemented, "unknown method")}
+	prof, err := daemonActiveProfileForUser(context.Background(), client, "root")
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errDaemonActiveProfileUnsupported)
+	assert.Nil(t, prof)
+}

client/cmd/version.go

@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ var (
 		Short: "Print the NetBird's client application version",
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			cmd.SetOut(cmd.OutOrStdout())
-			cmd.Println(version.NetbirdVersion())
+			out := version.NetbirdVersion()
+			if version.IsDevelopmentVersion(out) {
+				if commit := version.NetbirdCommit(); commit != "" {
+					out += "-" + commit
+				}
+			}
+			cmd.Println(out)
 		},
 	}
 )