diff --git a/hermes_cli/dashboard_auth/routes.py b/hermes_cli/dashboard_auth/routes.py
index 568a11957be4..5da0049ebfdf 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/dashboard_auth/routes.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/dashboard_auth/routes.py
@@ -193,6 +193,18 @@ async def auth_login(request: Request, provider: str, next: str = ""):
             detail=f"Provider does not support interactive login: {provider!r}",
         )
 
+    if getattr(p, "supports_password", False):
+        # Password-only providers do not have an OAuth redirect flow. Some
+        # native clients still open /auth/login?provider=basic as their generic
+        # "sign in" entrypoint; send them to the password login page instead of
+        # calling start_login() and returning a 500.
+        from urllib.parse import quote
+
+        safe_next = _validate_post_login_target(next)
+        prefix = _prefix(request)
+        suffix = f"?next={quote(safe_next, safe='')}" if safe_next else ""
+        return RedirectResponse(url=f"{prefix}/login{suffix}", status_code=302)
+
     try:
         ls = p.start_login(redirect_uri=_redirect_uri(request))
     except ProviderError as e:
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_password_login.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_password_login.py
index b9508c34e491..9dcf09d4527d 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_password_login.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_auth_password_login.py
@@ -215,6 +215,41 @@ def test_oauth_provider_reports_false(self):
             web_server.app.state.auth_required = prev
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# /auth/login with password provider — native-client compatibility shim
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestPasswordProviderAuthLoginRedirect:
+    def test_auth_login_redirects_password_provider_to_login_page(self, gated_app):
+        resp = gated_app.get(
+            "/auth/login?provider=testpw&next=/sessions",
+            follow_redirects=False,
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 302
+        assert resp.headers["location"] == "/login?next=%2Fsessions"
+
+    def test_auth_login_redirect_honours_forwarded_prefix(self, gated_app):
+        resp = gated_app.get(
+            "/auth/login?provider=testpw&next=/sessions",
+            headers={"x-forwarded-prefix": "/hermes"},
+            follow_redirects=False,
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 302
+        assert resp.headers["location"] == "/hermes/login?next=%2Fsessions"
+
+    def test_auth_login_redirect_drops_open_redirect_next(self, gated_app):
+        resp = gated_app.get(
+            "/auth/login?provider=testpw&next=https://evil.example/phish",
+            follow_redirects=False,
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 302
+        assert resp.headers["location"] == "/login"
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # /auth/password-login — end-to-end through the real middleware
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/usePet.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/usePet.ts
index 01196821fc42..6fb2ff76b490 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/usePet.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/usePet.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useStdout } from '@hermes/ink'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
 import type { PetGrid } from '../components/petSprite.js'
+import { asRpcResult } from '../lib/rpc.js'
 
 import { useGateway } from './gatewayContext.js'
 import { $overlayState, getOverlayState } from './overlayStore.js'
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ interface KittyView {
   placeholder: string[]
 }
 
-interface PetCellsResult {
+interface PetCellsResult extends Record<string, unknown> {
   color?: string
   enabled?: boolean
   frameMs?: number
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ export interface PetRender {
  * live. The frame cache is keyed by `slug:state` so a switch re-pulls cleanly.
  */
 export function usePet(): PetRender {
-  const { rpc } = useGateway()
+  const { gw } = useGateway()
   const { write } = useStdout()
   const [enabled, setEnabled] = useState(false)
   const [grid, setGrid] = useState<PetGrid | null>(null)
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ export function usePet(): PetRender {
   const sync = useCallback(
     async (state: PetState) => {
       try {
-        const res = (await rpc('pet.cells', { graphics: IS_TTY, state })) as PetCellsResult | null
+        const res = asRpcResult<PetCellsResult>(await gw.request<PetCellsResult>('pet.cells', { graphics: IS_TTY, state }))
 
         if (!res) {
           return
@@ -247,7 +248,7 @@ export function usePet(): PetRender {
         // cosmetic — ignore RPC failures
       }
     },
-    [rpc, releaseKitty]
+    [gw, releaseKitty]
   )
 
   // Pull frames whenever the state changes (if not already cached for the