diff --git a/services/platform-service/src/lib/api-key-auth.test.ts b/services/platform-service/src/lib/api-key-auth.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a46a735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/platform-service/src/lib/api-key-auth.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+import Fastify from 'fastify';
+import bcrypt from 'bcryptjs';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { MemoryDatastoreProvider } from '@bytelyst/datastore';
+import { setProvider } from './datastore.js';
+import { registerOptionalApiKeyContext, requireJwtOrApiKey } from './api-key-auth.js';
+
+const rawApiKey = `wai_${'a'.repeat(64)}`;
+
+async function seedApiKeyToken(scopes: string[] = ['jobs:read']) {
+  const provider = new MemoryDatastoreProvider();
+  setProvider(provider);
+  const collection = provider.getCollection('api_tokens', '/id');
+  await collection.create({
+    id: 'tok_api_1',
+    productId: 'lysnrai',
+    userId: 'svc_jobs',
+    userName: 'Jobs Service',
+    prefix: rawApiKey.slice(0, 12),
+    tokenHash: await bcrypt.hash(rawApiKey, 10),
+    status: 'active',
+    scopes,
+    expiresAt: '2099-01-01T00:00:00.000Z',
+    lastUsed: null,
+  });
+}
+
+describe('api key auth', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    delete process.env.API_KEY_RATE_LIMIT_CONFIG_JSON;
+  });
+
+  it('attaches apiKeyAuth from x-api-key', async () => {
+    await seedApiKeyToken();
+    const app = Fastify();
+    await registerOptionalApiKeyContext(app);
+
+    app.get('/probe', async req => {
+      const actor = requireJwtOrApiKey(req, {
+        apiKeyScopes: ['jobs:read'],
+        rateLimitKey: 'jobs:read',
+      });
+      return actor;
+    });
+
+    const res = await app.inject({
+      method: 'GET',
+      url: '/probe',
+      headers: {
+        'x-api-key': rawApiKey,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.body)).toMatchObject({
+      actorId: 'svc_jobs',
+      productId: 'lysnrai',
+      source: 'api_key',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('rejects api key without required scopes', async () => {
+    await seedApiKeyToken(['jobs:read']);
+    const app = Fastify();
+    await registerOptionalApiKeyContext(app);
+
+    app.get('/probe', async req => {
+      return requireJwtOrApiKey(req, {
+        apiKeyScopes: ['jobs:write'],
+      });
+    });
+
+    const res = await app.inject({
+      method: 'GET',
+      url: '/probe',
+      headers: {
+        'x-api-key': rawApiKey,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(403);
+  });
+
+  it('rate limits per api key and action key', async () => {
+    process.env.API_KEY_RATE_LIMIT_CONFIG_JSON = JSON.stringify({
+      'jobs:write': {
+        maxRequests: 1,
+        windowSeconds: 60,
+      },
+    });
+
+    await seedApiKeyToken(['jobs:write']);
+    const app = Fastify();
+    await registerOptionalApiKeyContext(app);
+
+    app.post('/probe', async req => {
+      return requireJwtOrApiKey(req, {
+        apiKeyScopes: ['jobs:write'],
+        rateLimitKey: 'jobs:write',
+      });
+    });
+
+    const first = await app.inject({
+      method: 'POST',
+      url: '/probe',
+      headers: { 'x-api-key': rawApiKey },
+    });
+    expect(first.statusCode).toBe(200);
+
+    const second = await app.inject({
+      method: 'POST',
+      url: '/probe',
+      headers: { 'x-api-key': rawApiKey },
+    });
+    expect(second.statusCode).toBe(429);
+  });
+
+  it('allows JWT callers when configured', async () => {
+    const app = Fastify();
+    await registerOptionalApiKeyContext(app);
+    app.addHook('onRequest', async req => {
+      req.jwtPayload = {
+        sub: 'admin_1',
+        role: 'admin',
+        productId: 'lysnrai',
+      };
+    });
+
+    app.get('/probe', async req => {
+      return requireJwtOrApiKey(req, {
+        jwtRoles: ['admin'],
+      });
+    });
+
+    const res = await app.inject({
+      method: 'GET',
+      url: '/probe',
+    });
+
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(200);
+    expect(JSON.parse(res.body)).toMatchObject({
+      actorId: 'admin_1',
+      source: 'jwt',
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/services/platform-service/src/lib/api-key-auth.ts b/services/platform-service/src/lib/api-key-auth.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4c832980
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/platform-service/src/lib/api-key-auth.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+import bcrypt from 'bcryptjs';
+import type { FastifyInstance, FastifyRequest } from 'fastify';
+import { ForbiddenError, TooManyRequestsError, UnauthorizedError } from './errors.js';
+import { getCollection } from './datastore.js';
+import * as rateLimitStore from '../modules/ratelimit/store.js';
+import type { RateLimitRule } from '../modules/ratelimit/types.js';
+
+interface ApiTokenLookupDoc {
+  id: string;
+  productId: string;
+  userId: string;
+  userName: string;
+  prefix: string;
+  tokenHash: string;
+  status: 'active' | 'revoked' | 'expired';
+  scopes: string[];
+  expiresAt: string;
+  lastUsed: string | null;
+}
+
+export interface ApiKeyAuthPayload {
+  tokenId: string;
+  productId: string;
+  userId: string;
+  userName: string;
+  scopes: string[];
+  prefix: string;
+}
+
+interface AccessOptions {
+  allowJwt?: boolean;
+  jwtRoles?: string[];
+  apiKeyScopes?: string[];
+  rateLimitKey?: string;
+}
+
+interface AccessActor {
+  actorId: string;
+  productId: string;
+  source: 'jwt' | 'api_key';
+}
+
+interface ApiKeyRateLimitConfig {
+  [key: string]: RateLimitRule;
+}
+
+declare module 'fastify' {
+  interface FastifyRequest {
+    apiKeyAuth?: ApiKeyAuthPayload;
+  }
+}
+
+function tokenCollection() {
+  return getCollection<ApiTokenLookupDoc>('api_tokens', '/id');
+}
+
+function extractApiKey(req: FastifyRequest): string | null {
+  const header = req.headers['x-api-key'];
+  if (typeof header === 'string' && header.trim().length > 0) {
+    return header.trim();
+  }
+
+  const auth = req.headers.authorization;
+  if (!auth) return null;
+
+  if (auth.startsWith('ApiKey ')) {
+    return auth.slice('ApiKey '.length).trim();
+  }
+
+  if (auth.startsWith('Bearer wai_')) {
+    return auth.slice('Bearer '.length).trim();
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+function loadApiKeyRateLimitConfig(): ApiKeyRateLimitConfig {
+  const defaults: ApiKeyRateLimitConfig = {
+    'jobs:read': { maxRequests: 60, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'jobs:write': { maxRequests: 15, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'exports:read': { maxRequests: 30, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'exports:write': { maxRequests: 10, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'maintenance:read': { maxRequests: 30, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'maintenance:write': { maxRequests: 10, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'ip-rules:read': { maxRequests: 30, windowSeconds: 60 },
+    'ip-rules:write': { maxRequests: 10, windowSeconds: 60 },
+  };
+
+  const raw = process.env.API_KEY_RATE_LIMIT_CONFIG_JSON;
+  if (!raw) return defaults;
+
+  try {
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as ApiKeyRateLimitConfig;
+    return { ...defaults, ...parsed };
+  } catch {
+    return defaults;
+  }
+}
+
+function tokenHasScope(grantedScopes: string[], requiredScope: string): boolean {
+  if (grantedScopes.includes('*')) return true;
+
+  return grantedScopes.some(scope => {
+    if (scope === requiredScope) return true;
+    if (scope.endsWith('*')) {
+      const prefix = scope.slice(0, -1);
+      return requiredScope.startsWith(prefix);
+    }
+    return false;
+  });
+}
+
+function ensureApiKeyScopes(req: FastifyRequest, requiredScopes: string[] = []): ApiKeyAuthPayload {
+  const apiKey = req.apiKeyAuth;
+  if (!apiKey) {
+    throw new UnauthorizedError('API key required');
+  }
+
+  if (
+    requiredScopes.length > 0 &&
+    !requiredScopes.every(scope => tokenHasScope(apiKey.scopes, scope))
+  ) {
+    throw new ForbiddenError('API key missing required scopes');
+  }
+
+  return apiKey;
+}
+
+function enforceApiKeyRateLimit(req: FastifyRequest, rateLimitKey?: string): void {
+  if (!rateLimitKey || !req.apiKeyAuth) return;
+
+  const apiKeyRateLimitConfig = loadApiKeyRateLimitConfig();
+  const rule = apiKeyRateLimitConfig[rateLimitKey];
+  if (!rule) return;
+
+  const compositeKey = `api-key:${req.apiKeyAuth.productId}:${req.apiKeyAuth.tokenId}:${rateLimitKey}`;
+  const result = rateLimitStore.checkAndRecord(compositeKey, rule);
+  if (!result.allowed) {
+    throw new TooManyRequestsError('API key rate limit exceeded', {
+      retryAfter: Math.ceil((result.retryAfterMs ?? 0) / 1000),
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+export function requireJwtOrApiKey(
+  req: FastifyRequest,
+  { allowJwt = false, jwtRoles, apiKeyScopes, rateLimitKey }: AccessOptions = {}
+): AccessActor {
+  const jwt = req.jwtPayload;
+  if (jwt?.sub) {
+    if (jwtRoles && jwtRoles.length > 0) {
+      if (!jwt.role || !jwtRoles.includes(jwt.role)) {
+        throw new ForbiddenError('Admin access required');
+      }
+    } else if (!allowJwt) {
+      throw new ForbiddenError('JWT access is not permitted for this route');
+    }
+
+    return {
+      actorId: jwt.sub,
+      productId: jwt.productId ?? process.env.DEFAULT_PRODUCT_ID ?? 'lysnrai',
+      source: 'jwt',
+    };
+  }
+
+  const apiKey = ensureApiKeyScopes(req, apiKeyScopes);
+  enforceApiKeyRateLimit(req, rateLimitKey);
+
+  return {
+    actorId: apiKey.userId,
+    productId: apiKey.productId,
+    source: 'api_key',
+  };
+}
+
+export async function registerOptionalApiKeyContext(app: FastifyInstance): Promise<void> {
+  app.addHook('onRequest', async req => {
+    const rawKey = extractApiKey(req);
+    if (!rawKey) return;
+
+    const prefix = rawKey.slice(0, 12);
+    const productIdHeader = req.headers['x-product-id'];
+    const filter: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      prefix,
+      status: 'active',
+      expiresAt: { $gte: new Date().toISOString() },
+    };
+
+    if (typeof productIdHeader === 'string' && productIdHeader.length > 0) {
+      filter.productId = productIdHeader;
+    }
+
+    const candidates = await tokenCollection().findMany({
+      filter,
+      limit: 10,
+    });
+
+    for (const candidate of candidates) {
+      const ok = await bcrypt.compare(rawKey, candidate.tokenHash);
+      if (!ok) continue;
+
+      req.apiKeyAuth = {
+        tokenId: candidate.id,
+        productId: candidate.productId,
+        userId: candidate.userId,
+        userName: candidate.userName,
+        scopes: candidate.scopes,
+        prefix: candidate.prefix,
+      };
+
+      tokenCollection()
+        .update(candidate.id, candidate.id, { lastUsed: new Date().toISOString() })
+        .catch(() => {});
+      return;
+    }
+  });
+}
diff --git a/services/platform-service/src/server.ts b/services/platform-service/src/server.ts
index e4c6a2d4..7bb36aec 100644
--- a/services/platform-service/src/server.ts
+++ b/services/platform-service/src/server.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ import { runPendingMigrations } from './migrations/runner.js';
 import { registerDiagnosticsSubscribers } from './modules/diagnostics/subscribers.js';
 import { registerDeliverySubscribers } from './modules/delivery/subscribers.js';
 import { verifyToken } from './modules/auth/jwt.js';
+import { registerOptionalApiKeyContext } from './lib/api-key-auth.js';
 
 await initCosmosIfNeeded();
 await loadProductCache();
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ const app = await createServiceApp({
 await registerOptionalJwtContext(app, {
   verifyToken: async token => (await verifyToken(token)) as JwtPayload,
 });
+await registerOptionalApiKeyContext(app);
 
 // Register route modules
 await app.register(productRoutes, { prefix: '/api' });