diff --git a/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py b/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py
index 7227d23..d722b4c 100644
--- a/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py
+++ b/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py
@@ -406,15 +406,13 @@ def _stage_sidecar_data(plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan) -> Path:
         for name in ("entrypoint.sh", "pre-receive", "access-hook"):
             (scripts_dir / name).chmod(0o755)
 
-        # Patch credential paths: the rendered entrypoint hardcodes
-        # /git-gate/creds/; rewrite to the in-VM git-gate subdir.
+        # Patch paths: the rendered entrypoint hardcodes /git-gate/creds/
+        # and /etc/git-gate/ for hooks; rewrite both to the in-VM subdir.
         ep_path = scripts_dir / "entrypoint.sh"
-        ep_path.write_text(
-            ep_path.read_text().replace(
-                "/git-gate/creds/",
-                f"{_GIT_GATE_SCRIPTS_DIR_IN_VM}/creds/",
-            )
-        )
+        text = ep_path.read_text()
+        text = text.replace("/git-gate/creds/", f"{_GIT_GATE_SCRIPTS_DIR_IN_VM}/creds/")
+        text = text.replace("/etc/git-gate/", f"{_GIT_GATE_SCRIPTS_DIR_IN_VM}/")
+        ep_path.write_text(text)
 
         creds_dir = scripts_dir / "creds"
         creds_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/loopback_alias.py b/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/loopback_alias.py
index 50b4ba6..06ee6e2 100644
--- a/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/loopback_alias.py
+++ b/bot_bottle/backend/smolmachines/loopback_alias.py
@@ -152,23 +152,31 @@ def force_allowlist(machine_name: str, allowed_cidrs: list[str]) -> None:
     """Ensure the machine's persisted TSI allowlist equals
     `allowed_cidrs`, failing **closed** if that can't be confirmed.
 
-    Runs on both macOS and Linux. It exists because smolvm 0.8.0
-    silently drops `--allow-cidr` when combined with `--from`, so
-    the allowlist has to be written into smolvm's persistent state
-    DB before `machine start`. Rather than assume the flag was
-    dropped, we read the persisted row and only patch when it
-    doesn't already match — so a newer smolvm that honors the flag
-    is left untouched.
+    macOS only. On Linux, smolvm's TSI defaults to full loopback
+    access and patching `allowed_cidrs` into the state DB crashes
+    TSI boot (the VM fails with "boot process exited (code 1)").
+    Per-bottle CIDR isolation is therefore not enforced on Linux
+    until smolvm fixes the `--allow-cidr` + TSI interaction. This
+    is a known limitation — the agent VM can reach all of host
+    loopback, not just its bottle's forwarder ports.
+
+    On macOS, smolvm 0.8.0 silently drops `--allow-cidr` when
+    combined with `--from`, so the allowlist has to be written
+    into smolvm's persistent state DB before `machine start`.
+    Rather than assume the flag was dropped, we read the persisted
+    row and only patch when it doesn't already match — so a newer
+    smolvm that honors the flag is left untouched.
 
     Must run AFTER `smolvm machine create` (the row has to exist)
     and BEFORE `smolvm machine start` (smolvm reads the row on
     start; in-flight VMs don't pick up changes).
 
-    Fail-closed: if the state DB is missing, the row is missing, or
-    the allowlist still doesn't match after patching, we `die()`
-    rather than boot a VM whose egress confinement we can't verify
-    — an unconfirmed allowlist is a sandbox-escape risk (the agent
-    VM could reach all of host loopback)."""
+    Fail-closed (macOS): if the state DB is missing, the row is
+    missing, or the allowlist still doesn't match after patching,
+    we `die()` rather than boot a VM whose egress confinement we
+    can't verify."""
+    if not _is_macos():
+        return
     want = list(allowed_cidrs)
     if not _SMOLVM_DB_PATH.is_file():
         die(
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_loopback_alias.py b/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_loopback_alias.py
index 7847dc3..35540ef 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_loopback_alias.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_loopback_alias.py
@@ -313,9 +313,9 @@ class TestForceAllowlist(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(4, cfg["cpus"])
         self.assertTrue(cfg["network"])
 
-    def test_patches_on_linux_too(self):
-        # force_allowlist no longer no-ops on Linux — the TSI
-        # allowlist must be enforced there as well.
+    def test_skips_patch_on_linux(self):
+        # On Linux, patching allowed_cidrs into the smolvm state DB
+        # crashes TSI boot. force_allowlist is a no-op on Linux.
         with patch.object(loopback_alias, "_is_macos", return_value=False), \
              patch.object(loopback_alias, "_SMOLVM_DB_PATH", self.db):
             loopback_alias.force_allowlist("demo-vm", ["127.0.0.16/32"])
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ class TestForceAllowlist(unittest.TestCase):
             "SELECT data FROM vms WHERE name='demo-vm'",
         ).fetchone()[0])
         con.close()
-        self.assertEqual(["127.0.0.16/32"], cfg["allowed_cidrs"])
+        self.assertIsNone(cfg["allowed_cidrs"])
 
     def test_skips_write_when_already_matching(self):
         # A newer smolvm that honors --allow-cidr at create leaves the