diff --git a/src/commands/bar/bar-server-probe.ts b/src/commands/bar/bar-server-probe.ts
index 0ec13b42..036d85f0 100644
--- a/src/commands/bar/bar-server-probe.ts
+++ b/src/commands/bar/bar-server-probe.ts
@@ -12,12 +12,33 @@ import * as path from 'path';
 export interface DashboardInfo {
   port: number;
   baseUrl: string;
+  authRequired?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
  * Read the port recorded in an existing bar.json.
  * Returns null when the file is absent or malformed.
  */
+
+function ensureLoopbackNoProxy(): void {
+  const loopbackHosts = ['localhost', '127.0.0.1', '::1'];
+  const existing = process.env.NO_PROXY ?? process.env.no_proxy ?? '';
+  const parts = new Set(
+    existing
+      .split(',')
+      .map((part) => part.trim())
+      .filter(Boolean)
+  );
+
+  for (const host of loopbackHosts) {
+    parts.add(host);
+  }
+
+  const next = Array.from(parts).join(',');
+  process.env.NO_PROXY = next;
+  process.env.no_proxy = next;
+}
+
 export function resolveBarPort(ccsDir: string): number | null {
   const barJsonPath = path.join(ccsDir, 'bar.json');
   try {
@@ -37,37 +58,48 @@ export function resolveBarPort(ccsDir: string): number | null {
  * (one timeout) rather than N × 1.5 s sequentially. Results are awaited in
  * priority order so a lower-priority slow or streaming response cannot block
  * returning an already-known higher-priority hit.
+ *
+ * Each probe speaks raw HTTP/1.1 over a socket and resolves on the status line,
+ * which lets discovery distinguish a live-but-auth-protected server (401/403)
+ * from a healthy one (200) without depending on a higher-level HTTP client.
  */
 export async function defaultFindRunningServer(ccsDir: string): Promise<DashboardInfo | null> {
-  const { request } = await import('undici');
+  ensureLoopbackNoProxy();
 
-  async function probe(url: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean }> {
-    try {
-      const { statusCode, body } = await request(url, {
-        method: 'GET',
-        headersTimeout: 1500,
-        bodyTimeout: 1500,
+  async function probe(url: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean; authRequired: boolean }> {
+    const net = await import('net');
+    const parsed = new URL(url);
+    const port = Number(parsed.port);
+    const host = parsed.hostname.replace(/^\[|\]$/g, '');
+
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      let buffer = '';
+      let settled = false;
+      const finish = (statusCode = 0) => {
+        if (settled) return;
+        settled = true;
+        // Tear down the socket the moment the status line is known. The summary
+        // endpoint only needs the status code for liveness, so a non-CCS
+        // loopback service that streams forever cannot block discovery from
+        // returning a higher-priority hit.
+        socket.destroy();
+        const authRequired = statusCode === 401 || statusCode === 403;
+        resolve({ ok: statusCode === 200 || authRequired, authRequired });
+      };
+      const socket = net.connect({ host, port }, () => {
+        socket.write(
+          `GET ${parsed.pathname}${parsed.search} HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: ${parsed.host}\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n`
+        );
       });
-
-      // The summary endpoint only needs the status code for liveness. Do not
-      // buffer the response body: a non-CCS loopback service can stream forever
-      // and keep discovery from returning a higher-priority hit. Release the
-      // response as soon as headers arrive.
-      try {
-        if (typeof body.resume === 'function') {
-          body.resume();
-        } else if (typeof body.destroy === 'function') {
-          body.destroy();
-        }
-      } catch {
-        // Closing the response is a best-effort cleanup; liveness depends only
-        // on the status code already received.
-      }
-
-      return { ok: statusCode === 200 };
-    } catch {
-      return { ok: false };
-    }
+      socket.setTimeout(1500, () => finish());
+      socket.on('data', (chunk) => {
+        buffer += chunk.toString('utf8');
+        const match = buffer.match(/^HTTP\/\d(?:\.\d)?\s+(\d{3})/);
+        if (match) finish(Number(match[1]));
+      });
+      socket.on('error', () => finish());
+      socket.on('end', () => finish());
+    });
   }
 
   const barJsonPort = resolveBarPort(ccsDir);
@@ -83,9 +115,10 @@ export async function defaultFindRunningServer(ccsDir: string): Promise<Dashboar
   const probes = probeTargets.map((t) => probe(t.url));
 
   for (let i = 0; i < probeTargets.length; i++) {
-    if ((await probes[i]).ok) {
+    const result = await probes[i];
+    if (result.ok) {
       const { port, baseUrl } = probeTargets[i];
-      return { port, baseUrl };
+      return { port, baseUrl, authRequired: result.authRequired };
     }
   }
   return null;
diff --git a/src/commands/bar/launch-subcommand.ts b/src/commands/bar/launch-subcommand.ts
index 5a449638..a8b12556 100644
--- a/src/commands/bar/launch-subcommand.ts
+++ b/src/commands/bar/launch-subcommand.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as os from 'os';
 import * as path from 'path';
+import type { ChildProcess } from 'child_process';
 import { getCcsDir } from '../../config/config-loader-facade';
 import {
   getBarDir,
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ export interface LaunchDeps {
    * Spawn the `ccs bar serve --port N` process detached and return immediately.
    * The spawned process must be unref()ed so the launcher can exit.
    */
-  spawnDetachedServer: (port: number, logPath: string) => void;
+  spawnDetachedServer: (port: number, logPath: string) => ChildProcess | void;
   /**
    * Poll GET {baseUrl}/api/bar/summary until HTTP 200 or timeout.
    * Returns the live baseUrl on success, throws on timeout.
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ async function defaultGetPort(opts: { port: number[]; host: string }): Promise<n
  * stdio is redirected to serve.log so server output is preserved for
  * debugging without a terminal.  unref() lets the launcher exit immediately.
  */
-function defaultSpawnDetachedServer(port: number, logPath: string): void {
+function defaultSpawnDetachedServer(port: number, logPath: string): ChildProcess {
   const { spawn } = require('child_process') as typeof import('child_process');
 
   // Open (or create) the log file for appending.
@@ -118,30 +119,68 @@ function defaultSpawnDetachedServer(port: number, logPath: string): void {
   child.unref();
   // Close our copy of the fd — the child has its own reference.
   fs.closeSync(logFd);
+  return child;
 }
 
 /**
  * Poll GET {baseUrl}/api/bar/summary every 250 ms until HTTP 200 or ~10 s.
  * Resolves when the server is live. Rejects on timeout.
  */
+export class BarServerAuthRequiredError extends Error {
+  constructor(baseUrl: string, statusCode: number) {
+    super(`CCS Bar server at ${baseUrl} requires dashboard authentication (HTTP ${statusCode})`);
+    this.name = 'BarServerAuthRequiredError';
+  }
+}
+
+function isAuthRequiredStatus(statusCode: number): boolean {
+  return statusCode === 401 || statusCode === 403;
+}
+
 async function defaultWaitForServerLive(baseUrl: string): Promise<void> {
-  const { request } = await import('undici');
+  const net = await import('net');
   const INTERVAL_MS = 250;
   const TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
   const deadline = Date.now() + TIMEOUT_MS;
 
-  while (Date.now() < deadline) {
-    try {
-      const { statusCode, body } = await request(`${baseUrl}/api/bar/summary`, {
-        method: 'GET',
-        headersTimeout: 1500,
-        bodyTimeout: 1500,
+  async function probe(): Promise<number | null> {
+    const url = new URL(`${baseUrl}/api/bar/summary`);
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      let buffer = '';
+      let settled = false;
+      const finish = (statusCode: number | null = null) => {
+        if (settled) return;
+        settled = true;
+        socket.destroy();
+        resolve(statusCode);
+      };
+      const socket = net.connect(
+        { host: url.hostname.replace(/^\[|\]$/g, ''), port: Number(url.port) },
+        () => {
+          socket.write(
+            `GET ${url.pathname}${url.search} HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: ${url.host}\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n`
+          );
+        }
+      );
+      socket.setTimeout(1500, () => finish());
+      socket.on('data', (chunk) => {
+        buffer += chunk.toString('utf8');
+        const match = buffer.match(/^HTTP\/\d(?:\.\d)?\s+(\d{3})/);
+        if (match) finish(Number(match[1]));
       });
-      await body.text();
-      if (statusCode === 200) return;
-    } catch {
-      /* not yet live — keep polling */
+      socket.on('error', () => finish());
+      socket.on('end', () => finish());
+    });
+  }
+
+  while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+    const statusCode = await probe();
+
+    if (statusCode === 200) return;
+    if (statusCode !== null && isAuthRequiredStatus(statusCode)) {
+      throw new BarServerAuthRequiredError(baseUrl, statusCode);
     }
+
     await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, INTERVAL_MS));
   }
 
@@ -198,6 +237,16 @@ export async function handleBarLaunch(
   }
 
   if (running !== null) {
+    if (running.authRequired) {
+      console.error(
+        `[X] CCS Bar cannot launch while dashboard authentication protects ${running.baseUrl}.`
+      );
+      console.error(
+        '[i] Disable dashboard authentication for CCS Bar or start the dashboard manually.'
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     // Reuse the live server — write bar.json and open the app.
     const barJson: BarDiscoveryJson = {
       baseUrl: running.baseUrl,
@@ -249,9 +298,10 @@ export async function handleBarLaunch(
   // 2c. Spawn the detached server.
   const serveLogPath = getServeLogPath(ccsDir);
   const baseUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${port}`;
+  let spawnedChild: ChildProcess | void;
   try {
     fs.mkdirSync(getBarDir(ccsDir), { recursive: true });
-    spawnDetachedServer(port, serveLogPath);
+    spawnedChild = spawnDetachedServer(port, serveLogPath);
   } catch (err) {
     const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
     console.error(`[X] Could not start CCS web-server: ${msg}`);
@@ -265,6 +315,16 @@ export async function handleBarLaunch(
   try {
     await waitForServerLive(baseUrl);
   } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof BarServerAuthRequiredError) {
+      spawnedChild?.kill();
+      console.error(
+        `[X] CCS Bar cannot launch while dashboard authentication protects ${baseUrl}.`
+      );
+      console.error(
+        '[i] Disable dashboard authentication for CCS Bar or start the dashboard manually.'
+      );
+      return;
+    }
     const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
     console.error(`[X] Could not connect to CCS web-server: ${msg}`);
     console.error(`[i] Check logs at ${serveLogPath}`);
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/bar-command.test.ts b/tests/unit/commands/bar-command.test.ts
index bccee39c..1451a617 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/bar-command.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/bar-command.test.ts
@@ -274,10 +274,18 @@ function makeDetachedDeps(ccsDir: string, port = 4242) {
   return {
     findRunningServer: async () => null,
     getPort: async () => port,
-    spawnDetachedServer: (_p: number, _log: string) => { /* noop */ },
-    waitForServerLive: async (_url: string) => { /* live immediately */ },
-    writeLaunchDescriptor: () => { /* noop */ },
-    openApp: async (_appPath: string) => { /* noop */ },
+    spawnDetachedServer: (_p: number, _log: string) => {
+      /* noop */
+    },
+    waitForServerLive: async (_url: string) => {
+      /* live immediately */
+    },
+    writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+      /* noop */
+    },
+    openApp: async (_appPath: string) => {
+      /* noop */
+    },
     getCcsDir: () => ccsDir,
     appInstallPath: path.join(tempHome, 'Applications', 'CCS Bar.app'),
   };
@@ -501,7 +509,7 @@ describe('bar install subcommand', () => {
         downloadAndExtract: fakeExtract(appsDir),
         verifyCompat: async () => ({ compatible: false, reason: 'no-bar-api' }),
         readAppBundleVersion: (_appPath: string) => FAKE_VERSION,
-          isBarRunning: async () => false,
+        isBarRunning: async () => false,
         promptLaunch: async () => false,
         getCcsDir: () => path.join(tempHome, '.ccs'),
         getAppsDir: () => appsDir,
@@ -848,7 +856,7 @@ describe('bar install: compat capability handshake', () => {
           throw new Error('network explosion');
         },
         readAppBundleVersion: (_appPath: string) => '1.4.0',
-          isBarRunning: async () => false,
+        isBarRunning: async () => false,
         promptLaunch: async () => false,
         getCcsDir: () => path.join(tempHome, '.ccs'),
         getAppsDir: () => appsDir,
@@ -1597,10 +1605,18 @@ describe('launch: findRunningServer reuse-first (GH-1500)', () => {
     await handleBarLaunch([], {
       findRunningServer: async () => ({ port: 3000, baseUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000' }),
       getPort: async () => 9999,
-      spawnDetachedServer: () => { spawnCalled = true; },
-      waitForServerLive: async () => { /* noop */ },
-      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => { /* noop */ },
-      openApp: async () => { /* noop */ },
+      spawnDetachedServer: () => {
+        spawnCalled = true;
+      },
+      waitForServerLive: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      openApp: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
       getCcsDir: () => ccsDir,
       appInstallPath: path.join(tempHome, 'Applications', 'CCS Bar.app'),
     });
@@ -1628,10 +1644,18 @@ describe('launch: findRunningServer reuse-first (GH-1500)', () => {
     await handleBarLaunch([], {
       findRunningServer: async () => null,
       getPort: async () => 4242,
-      spawnDetachedServer: () => { spawnCalled = true; },
-      waitForServerLive: async () => { /* live */ },
-      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => { /* noop */ },
-      openApp: async () => { /* noop */ },
+      spawnDetachedServer: () => {
+        spawnCalled = true;
+      },
+      waitForServerLive: async () => {
+        /* live */
+      },
+      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      openApp: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
       getCcsDir: () => ccsDir,
       appInstallPath: path.join(tempHome, 'Applications', 'CCS Bar.app'),
     });
@@ -1651,10 +1675,18 @@ describe('launch: findRunningServer reuse-first (GH-1500)', () => {
         throw new Error('probe exploded');
       },
       getPort: async () => 4242,
-      spawnDetachedServer: () => { spawnCalled = true; },
-      waitForServerLive: async () => { /* live */ },
-      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => { /* noop */ },
-      openApp: async () => { /* noop */ },
+      spawnDetachedServer: () => {
+        spawnCalled = true;
+      },
+      waitForServerLive: async () => {
+        /* live */
+      },
+      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      openApp: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
       getCcsDir: () => ccsDir,
       appInstallPath: path.join(tempHome, 'Applications', 'CCS Bar.app'),
     });
@@ -1680,9 +1712,15 @@ describe('launch: bar.json contract (deterministic — GH-1500 null probe)', ()
     await handleBarLaunch([], {
       findRunningServer: async () => null,
       getPort: async () => 4242,
-      spawnDetachedServer: () => { /* noop */ },
-      waitForServerLive: async () => { /* live */ },
-      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => { /* noop */ },
+      spawnDetachedServer: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      waitForServerLive: async () => {
+        /* live */
+      },
+      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
       openApp: async (_appPath: string) => {
         calls.push(`open:${_appPath}`);
       },
@@ -2899,33 +2937,54 @@ describe('defaultFindRunningServer: streaming lower-priority probes', () => {
       JSON.stringify({ port: 41235, baseUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:41235', authMode: 'loopback' })
     );
 
-    let highPriorityBodyDestroyed = false;
+    let highPrioritySocketDestroyed = false;
     let lowerPriorityProbeStarted = false;
 
-    mock.module('undici', () => ({
-      request: (url: string) => {
-        if (url === 'http://127.0.0.1:41235/api/bar/summary') {
-          return Promise.resolve({
-            statusCode: 200,
-            body: {
-              destroy: () => {
-                highPriorityBodyDestroyed = true;
-              },
-            },
-          });
-        }
+    // The probe speaks raw HTTP/1.1 over a `net` socket and resolves on the
+    // status line, so mock `net.connect` rather than a higher-level client.
+    // The high-priority port (41235) answers HTTP 200 immediately; the
+    // lower-priority port (3000) connects but never sends a status line,
+    // emulating a non-CCS service that streams forever.
+    mock.module('net', () => ({
+      connect: (opts: { host: string; port: number }, onConnect: () => void): unknown => {
+        // net.connect is called synchronously for every probe target, so the
+        // lower-priority probe is observably "started" the moment discovery
+        // fires it — even though it never receives a status line.
+        if (opts.port === 3000) lowerPriorityProbeStarted = true;
+        const listeners: Record<string, Array<(arg?: unknown) => void>> = {};
+        const socket = {
+          on(event: string, cb: (arg?: unknown) => void) {
+            (listeners[event] ??= []).push(cb);
+            return socket;
+          },
+          setTimeout() {
+            return socket;
+          },
+          write() {
+            return true;
+          },
+          destroy() {
+            if (opts.port === 41235) highPrioritySocketDestroyed = true;
+            return socket;
+          },
+        };
 
-        if (url === 'http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/bar/summary') {
-          lowerPriorityProbeStarted = true;
-          return new Promise(() => {
-            // Simulate a lower-priority service that never finishes responding.
-          });
-        }
-
-        return Promise.resolve({
-          statusCode: 404,
-          body: { destroy: () => {} },
+        // Fire the connect callback asynchronously, mirroring net.connect.
+        setImmediate(() => {
+          onConnect();
+          if (opts.port === 41235) {
+            const data = listeners.data ?? [];
+            for (const cb of data) {
+              cb(Buffer.from('HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\n\r\n', 'utf8'));
+            }
+          }
+          // Port 3000 never emits a status line: simulate an endlessly
+          // streaming service that must not block the higher-priority hit.
+          // Any other port stays silent and is settled by the 1.5s timeout,
+          // which the Promise.race below short-circuits.
         });
+
+        return socket;
       },
     }));
 
@@ -2933,7 +2992,9 @@ describe('defaultFindRunningServer: streaming lower-priority probes', () => {
     const { defaultFindRunningServer } = (await import(
       `../../../src/commands/bar/bar-server-probe?test=${Date.now()}-${moduleSeq}`
     )) as {
-      defaultFindRunningServer: (ccsDir: string) => Promise<{ port: number; baseUrl: string } | null>;
+      defaultFindRunningServer: (
+        ccsDir: string
+      ) => Promise<{ port: number; baseUrl: string; authRequired?: boolean } | null>;
     };
 
     const result = await Promise.race([
@@ -2941,8 +3002,12 @@ describe('defaultFindRunningServer: streaming lower-priority probes', () => {
       new Promise<'timeout'>((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve('timeout'), 250)),
     ]);
 
-    expect(result).toEqual({ port: 41235, baseUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:41235' });
-    expect(highPriorityBodyDestroyed).toBe(true);
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      port: 41235,
+      baseUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:41235',
+      authRequired: false,
+    });
+    expect(highPrioritySocketDestroyed).toBe(true);
     expect(lowerPriorityProbeStarted).toBe(true);
   });
 });
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/bar-lifecycle-subcommands.test.ts b/tests/unit/commands/bar-lifecycle-subcommands.test.ts
index 97abd5e1..89ac7747 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/bar-lifecycle-subcommands.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/bar-lifecycle-subcommands.test.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ async function loadLaunchSubcommand() {
   );
   return mod as {
     handleBarLaunch: (args: string[], deps?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<void>;
+    BarServerAuthRequiredError: new (baseUrl: string, statusCode: number) => Error;
   };
 }
 
@@ -611,6 +612,75 @@ describe('launch: detached-spawn model', () => {
     expect(allOutput()).toMatch(/timeout|connect|server/i);
   });
 
+  it('stops the spawned child when the bar API is protected by dashboard auth', async () => {
+    const ccsDir = path.join(tempHome, '.ccs');
+    fs.mkdirSync(ccsDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    let killCalled = false;
+    const { handleBarLaunch, BarServerAuthRequiredError } = await loadLaunchSubcommand();
+
+    await handleBarLaunch([], {
+      getCcsDir: () => ccsDir,
+      findRunningServer: async () => null,
+      getPort: async () => 3000,
+      spawnDetachedServer: () => ({
+        kill: () => {
+          killCalled = true;
+          return true;
+        },
+      }),
+      waitForServerLive: async () => {
+        throw new BarServerAuthRequiredError('http://127.0.0.1:3000', 401);
+      },
+      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      openApp: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      appInstallPath: path.join(tempHome, 'Applications', 'CCS Bar.app'),
+    });
+
+    expect(killCalled).toBe(true);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(ccsDir, 'bar.json'))).toBe(false);
+    expect(allOutput()).toMatch(/authentication/i);
+  });
+
+  it('does not spawn a new server when an existing server is protected by dashboard auth', async () => {
+    const ccsDir = path.join(tempHome, '.ccs');
+    fs.mkdirSync(ccsDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    let spawnCalled = false;
+    const { handleBarLaunch } = await loadLaunchSubcommand();
+
+    await handleBarLaunch([], {
+      getCcsDir: () => ccsDir,
+      findRunningServer: async () => ({
+        port: 3000,
+        baseUrl: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000',
+        authRequired: true,
+      }),
+      getPort: async () => 3001,
+      spawnDetachedServer: () => {
+        spawnCalled = true;
+      },
+      waitForServerLive: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      writeLaunchDescriptor: () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      openApp: async () => {
+        /* noop */
+      },
+      appInstallPath: path.join(tempHome, 'Applications', 'CCS Bar.app'),
+    });
+
+    expect(spawnCalled).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(ccsDir, 'bar.json'))).toBe(false);
+    expect(allOutput()).toMatch(/authentication/i);
+  });
+
   it('writes launch.json via writeLaunchDescriptor on the start path', async () => {
     const ccsDir = path.join(tempHome, '.ccs');
     fs.mkdirSync(ccsDir, { recursive: true });