fix: default direct gateway port + docs (#1603) (thanks @ngutman)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 - Web UI: hide internal `message_id` hints in chat bubbles.
 - Heartbeat: normalize target identifiers for consistent routing.
 - Gateway: reduce log noise for late invokes + remote node probes; debounce skills refresh. (#1607) Thanks @petter-b.
+- macOS: default direct-transport `ws://` URLs to port 18789; document `gateway.remote.transport`. (#1603) Thanks @ngutman.
 
 ## 2026.1.23-1
 

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/AppState.swift

@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ final class AppState {
         case remote
     }
 
+    enum RemoteTransport: String {
+        case ssh
+        case direct
+    }
+
     var isPaused: Bool {
         didSet { self.ifNotPreview { UserDefaults.standard.set(self.isPaused, forKey: pauseDefaultsKey) } }
     }
@@ -166,6 +171,10 @@ final class AppState {
         }
     }
 
+    var remoteTransport: RemoteTransport {
+        didSet { self.syncGatewayConfigIfNeeded() }
+    }
+
     var canvasEnabled: Bool {
         didSet { self.ifNotPreview { UserDefaults.standard.set(self.canvasEnabled, forKey: canvasEnabledKey) } }
     }
@@ -200,6 +209,10 @@ final class AppState {
         }
     }
 
+    var remoteUrl: String {
+        didSet { self.syncGatewayConfigIfNeeded() }
+    }
+
     var remoteIdentity: String {
         didSet { self.ifNotPreview { UserDefaults.standard.set(self.remoteIdentity, forKey: remoteIdentityKey) } }
     }
@@ -263,13 +276,15 @@ final class AppState {
         }
 
         let configRoot = ClawdbotConfigFile.loadDict()
-        let configGateway = configRoot["gateway"] as? [String: Any]
-        let configRemoteUrl = (configGateway?["remote"] as? [String: Any])?["url"] as? String
+        let configRemoteUrl = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveUrlString(root: configRoot)
+        let configRemoteTransport = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveTransport(root: configRoot)
         let resolvedConnectionMode = ConnectionModeResolver.resolve(root: configRoot).mode
+        self.remoteTransport = configRemoteTransport
         self.connectionMode = resolvedConnectionMode
 
         let storedRemoteTarget = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: remoteTargetKey) ?? ""
         if resolvedConnectionMode == .remote,
+           configRemoteTransport != .direct,
            storedRemoteTarget.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).isEmpty,
            let host = AppState.remoteHost(from: configRemoteUrl)
         {
@@ -277,6 +292,7 @@ final class AppState {
         } else {
             self.remoteTarget = storedRemoteTarget
         }
+        self.remoteUrl = configRemoteUrl ?? ""
         self.remoteIdentity = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: remoteIdentityKey) ?? ""
         self.remoteProjectRoot = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: remoteProjectRootKey) ?? ""
         self.remoteCliPath = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: remoteCliPathKey) ?? ""
@@ -354,10 +370,11 @@ final class AppState {
     private func applyConfigOverrides(_ root: [String: Any]) {
         let gateway = root["gateway"] as? [String: Any]
         let modeRaw = (gateway?["mode"] as? String)?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
-        let remoteUrl = (gateway?["remote"] as? [String: Any])?["url"] as? String
+        let remoteUrl = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveUrlString(root: root)
         let hasRemoteUrl = !(remoteUrl?
             .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
             .isEmpty ?? true)
+        let remoteTransport = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveTransport(root: root)
 
         let desiredMode: ConnectionMode? = switch modeRaw {
         case "local":
@@ -378,8 +395,17 @@ final class AppState {
             self.connectionMode = .remote
         }
 
+        if remoteTransport != self.remoteTransport {
+            self.remoteTransport = remoteTransport
+        }
+        let remoteUrlText = remoteUrl ?? ""
+        if remoteUrlText != self.remoteUrl {
+            self.remoteUrl = remoteUrlText
+        }
+
         let targetMode = desiredMode ?? self.connectionMode
         if targetMode == .remote,
+           remoteTransport != .direct,
            let host = AppState.remoteHost(from: remoteUrl)
         {
             self.updateRemoteTarget(host: host)
@@ -402,6 +428,8 @@ final class AppState {
         let connectionMode = self.connectionMode
         let remoteTarget = self.remoteTarget
         let remoteIdentity = self.remoteIdentity
+        let remoteTransport = self.remoteTransport
+        let remoteUrl = self.remoteUrl
         let desiredMode: String? = switch connectionMode {
         case .local:
             "local"
@@ -435,39 +463,63 @@ final class AppState {
                 var remote = gateway["remote"] as? [String: Any] ?? [:]
                 var remoteChanged = false
 
-                if let host = remoteHost {
-                    let existingUrl = (remote["url"] as? String)?
-                        .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) ?? ""
-                    let parsedExisting = existingUrl.isEmpty ? nil : URL(string: existingUrl)
-                    let scheme = parsedExisting?.scheme?.isEmpty == false ? parsedExisting?.scheme : "ws"
-                    let port = parsedExisting?.port ?? 18789
-                    let desiredUrl = "\(scheme ?? "ws")://\(host):\(port)"
-                    if existingUrl != desiredUrl {
-                        remote["url"] = desiredUrl
+                if remoteTransport == .direct {
+                    let trimmedUrl = remoteUrl.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+                    if trimmedUrl.isEmpty {
+                        if remote["url"] != nil {
+                            remote.removeValue(forKey: "url")
+                            remoteChanged = true
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        let normalizedUrl = GatewayRemoteConfig.normalizeGatewayUrlString(trimmedUrl) ?? trimmedUrl
+                        if (remote["url"] as? String) != normalizedUrl {
+                            remote["url"] = normalizedUrl
+                            remoteChanged = true
+                        }
+                    }
+                    if (remote["transport"] as? String) != RemoteTransport.direct.rawValue {
+                        remote["transport"] = RemoteTransport.direct.rawValue
                         remoteChanged = true
                     }
-                }
+                } else {
+                    if remote["transport"] != nil {
+                        remote.removeValue(forKey: "transport")
+                        remoteChanged = true
+                    }
+                    if let host = remoteHost {
+                        let existingUrl = (remote["url"] as? String)?
+                            .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) ?? ""
+                        let parsedExisting = existingUrl.isEmpty ? nil : URL(string: existingUrl)
+                        let scheme = parsedExisting?.scheme?.isEmpty == false ? parsedExisting?.scheme : "ws"
+                        let port = parsedExisting?.port ?? 18789
+                        let desiredUrl = "\(scheme ?? "ws")://\(host):\(port)"
+                        if existingUrl != desiredUrl {
+                            remote["url"] = desiredUrl
+                            remoteChanged = true
+                        }
+                    }
 
-                let sanitizedTarget = Self.sanitizeSSHTarget(remoteTarget)
-                if !sanitizedTarget.isEmpty {
-                    if (remote["sshTarget"] as? String) != sanitizedTarget {
-                        remote["sshTarget"] = sanitizedTarget
+                    let sanitizedTarget = Self.sanitizeSSHTarget(remoteTarget)
+                    if !sanitizedTarget.isEmpty {
+                        if (remote["sshTarget"] as? String) != sanitizedTarget {
+                            remote["sshTarget"] = sanitizedTarget
+                            remoteChanged = true
+                        }
+                    } else if remote["sshTarget"] != nil {
+                        remote.removeValue(forKey: "sshTarget")
                         remoteChanged = true
                     }
-                } else if remote["sshTarget"] != nil {
-                    remote.removeValue(forKey: "sshTarget")
-                    remoteChanged = true
-                }
 
-                let trimmedIdentity = remoteIdentity.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
-                if !trimmedIdentity.isEmpty {
-                    if (remote["sshIdentity"] as? String) != trimmedIdentity {
-                        remote["sshIdentity"] = trimmedIdentity
+                    let trimmedIdentity = remoteIdentity.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+                    if !trimmedIdentity.isEmpty {
+                        if (remote["sshIdentity"] as? String) != trimmedIdentity {
+                            remote["sshIdentity"] = trimmedIdentity
+                            remoteChanged = true
+                        }
+                    } else if remote["sshIdentity"] != nil {
+                        remote.removeValue(forKey: "sshIdentity")
                         remoteChanged = true
                     }
-                } else if remote["sshIdentity"] != nil {
-                    remote.removeValue(forKey: "sshIdentity")
-                    remoteChanged = true
                 }
 
                 if remoteChanged {
@@ -621,8 +673,10 @@ extension AppState {
         state.iconOverride = .system
         state.heartbeatsEnabled = true
         state.connectionMode = .local
+        state.remoteTransport = .ssh
         state.canvasEnabled = true
         state.remoteTarget = "user@example.com"
+        state.remoteUrl = "wss://gateway.example.ts.net"
         state.remoteIdentity = "~/.ssh/id_ed25519"
         state.remoteProjectRoot = "~/Projects/clawdbot"
         state.remoteCliPath = ""

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import ClawdbotDiscovery
+import Foundation
+
+enum GatewayDiscoveryHelpers {
+    static func sshTarget(for gateway: GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway) -> String? {
+        let host = self.sanitizedTailnetHost(gateway.tailnetDns) ?? gateway.lanHost
+        guard let host = self.trimmed(host), !host.isEmpty else { return nil }
+        let user = NSUserName()
+        var target = "\(user)@\(host)"
+        if gateway.sshPort != 22 {
+            target += ":\(gateway.sshPort)"
+        }
+        return target
+    }
+
+    static func directUrl(for gateway: GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway) -> String? {
+        self.directGatewayUrl(
+            tailnetDns: gateway.tailnetDns,
+            lanHost: gateway.lanHost,
+            gatewayPort: gateway.gatewayPort)
+    }
+
+    static func directGatewayUrl(
+        tailnetDns: String?,
+        lanHost: String?,
+        gatewayPort: Int?) -> String?
+    {
+        if let tailnetDns = self.sanitizedTailnetHost(tailnetDns) {
+            return "wss://\(tailnetDns)"
+        }
+        guard let lanHost = self.trimmed(lanHost), !lanHost.isEmpty else { return nil }
+        let port = gatewayPort ?? 18789
+        return "ws://\(lanHost):\(port)"
+    }
+
+    static func sanitizedTailnetHost(_ host: String?) -> String? {
+        guard let host = self.trimmed(host), !host.isEmpty else { return nil }
+        if host.hasSuffix(".internal.") || host.hasSuffix(".internal") {
+            return nil
+        }
+        return host
+    }
+
+    private static func trimmed(_ value: String?) -> String? {
+        value?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+    }
+}

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayDiscoveryMenu.swift

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import SwiftUI
 struct GatewayDiscoveryInlineList: View {
     var discovery: GatewayDiscoveryModel
     var currentTarget: String?
+    var currentUrl: String?
+    var transport: AppState.RemoteTransport
     var onSelect: (GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway) -> Void
     @State private var hoveredGatewayID: GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway.ID?
 
@@ -25,9 +27,8 @@ struct GatewayDiscoveryInlineList: View {
             } else {
                 VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
                     ForEach(self.discovery.gateways.prefix(6)) { gateway in
-                        let target = self.suggestedSSHTarget(gateway)
-                        let selected = (target != nil && self.currentTarget?
-                            .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) == target)
+                        let display = self.displayInfo(for: gateway)
+                        let selected = display.selected
 
                         Button {
                             withAnimation(.spring(response: 0.25, dampingFraction: 0.9)) {
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ struct GatewayDiscoveryInlineList: View {
                                         .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
                                         .lineLimit(1)
                                         .truncationMode(.tail)
-                                    Text(target ?? "Gateway pairing only")
+                                    Text(display.label)
                                         .font(.caption.monospaced())
                                         .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
                                         .lineLimit(1)
@@ -83,27 +84,26 @@ struct GatewayDiscoveryInlineList: View {
                         .fill(Color(NSColor.controlBackgroundColor)))
             }
         }
-        .help("Click a discovered gateway to fill the SSH target.")
+        .help(self.transport == .direct
+            ? "Click a discovered gateway to fill the gateway URL."
+            : "Click a discovered gateway to fill the SSH target.")
     }
 
-    private func suggestedSSHTarget(_ gateway: GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway) -> String? {
-        let host = self.sanitizedTailnetHost(gateway.tailnetDns) ?? gateway.lanHost
-        guard let host else { return nil }
-        let user = NSUserName()
-        return GatewayDiscoveryModel.buildSSHTarget(
-            user: user,
-            host: host,
-            port: gateway.sshPort)
-    }
-
-    private func sanitizedTailnetHost(_ host: String?) -> String? {
-        guard let host else { return nil }
-        let trimmed = host.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
-        if trimmed.isEmpty { return nil }
-        if trimmed.hasSuffix(".internal.") || trimmed.hasSuffix(".internal") {
-            return nil
+    private func displayInfo(
+        for gateway: GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway) -> (label: String, selected: Bool)
+    {
+        switch self.transport {
+        case .direct:
+            let url = GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.directUrl(for: gateway)
+            let label = url ?? "Gateway pairing only"
+            let selected = url != nil && self.trimmed(self.currentUrl) == url
+            return (label, selected)
+        case .ssh:
+            let target = GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.sshTarget(for: gateway)
+            let label = target ?? "Gateway pairing only"
+            let selected = target != nil && self.trimmed(self.currentTarget) == target
+            return (label, selected)
         }
-        return trimmed
     }
 
     private func rowBackground(selected: Bool, hovered: Bool) -> Color {
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ struct GatewayDiscoveryInlineList: View {
         if hovered { return Color.secondary.opacity(0.08) }
         return Color.clear
     }
+
+    private func trimmed(_ value: String?) -> String {
+        value?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) ?? ""
+    }
 }
 
 struct GatewayDiscoveryMenu: View {

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayEndpointStore.swift

@@ -311,6 +311,19 @@ actor GatewayEndpointStore {
                 token: token,
                 password: password))
         case .remote:
+            let root = ClawdbotConfigFile.loadDict()
+            if GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveTransport(root: root) == .direct {
+                guard let url = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveGatewayUrl(root: root) else {
+                    self.cancelRemoteEnsure()
+                    self.setState(.unavailable(
+                        mode: .remote,
+                        reason: "gateway.remote.url missing or invalid for direct transport"))
+                    return
+                }
+                self.cancelRemoteEnsure()
+                self.setState(.ready(mode: .remote, url: url, token: token, password: password))
+                return
+            }
             let port = await self.deps.remotePortIfRunning()
             guard let port else {
                 self.setState(.connecting(mode: .remote, detail: Self.remoteConnectingDetail))
@@ -341,6 +354,25 @@ actor GatewayEndpointStore {
                 code: 1,
                 userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Remote mode is not enabled"])
         }
+        let root = ClawdbotConfigFile.loadDict()
+        if GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveTransport(root: root) == .direct {
+            guard let url = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveGatewayUrl(root: root) else {
+                throw NSError(
+                    domain: "GatewayEndpoint",
+                    code: 1,
+                    userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "gateway.remote.url missing or invalid"])
+            }
+            guard let port = GatewayRemoteConfig.defaultPort(for: url),
+                  let portInt = UInt16(exactly: port)
+            else {
+                throw NSError(
+                    domain: "GatewayEndpoint",
+                    code: 1,
+                    userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Invalid gateway.remote.url port"])
+            }
+            self.logger.info("remote transport direct; skipping SSH tunnel")
+            return portInt
+        }
         let config = try await self.ensureRemoteConfig(detail: Self.remoteConnectingDetail)
         guard let portInt = config.0.port, let port = UInt16(exactly: portInt) else {
             throw NSError(
@@ -401,6 +433,21 @@ actor GatewayEndpointStore {
                 userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Remote mode is not enabled"])
         }
 
+        let root = ClawdbotConfigFile.loadDict()
+        if GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveTransport(root: root) == .direct {
+            guard let url = GatewayRemoteConfig.resolveGatewayUrl(root: root) else {
+                throw NSError(
+                    domain: "GatewayEndpoint",
+                    code: 1,
+                    userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "gateway.remote.url missing or invalid"])
+            }
+            let token = self.deps.token()
+            let password = self.deps.password()
+            self.cancelRemoteEnsure()
+            self.setState(.ready(mode: .remote, url: url, token: token, password: password))
+            return (url, token, password)
+        }
+
         self.kickRemoteEnsureIfNeeded(detail: detail)
         guard let ensure = self.remoteEnsure else {
             throw NSError(domain: "GatewayEndpoint", code: 1, userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Connecting…"])

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayRemoteConfig.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import Foundation
+
+enum GatewayRemoteConfig {
+    static func resolveTransport(root: [String: Any]) -> AppState.RemoteTransport {
+        guard let gateway = root["gateway"] as? [String: Any],
+              let remote = gateway["remote"] as? [String: Any],
+              let raw = remote["transport"] as? String
+        else {
+            return .ssh
+        }
+        let trimmed = raw.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).lowercased()
+        return trimmed == AppState.RemoteTransport.direct.rawValue ? .direct : .ssh
+    }
+
+    static func resolveUrlString(root: [String: Any]) -> String? {
+        guard let gateway = root["gateway"] as? [String: Any],
+              let remote = gateway["remote"] as? [String: Any],
+              let urlRaw = remote["url"] as? String
+        else {
+            return nil
+        }
+        let trimmed = urlRaw.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+        return trimmed.isEmpty ? nil : trimmed
+    }
+
+    static func resolveGatewayUrl(root: [String: Any]) -> URL? {
+        guard let raw = self.resolveUrlString(root: root) else { return nil }
+        return self.normalizeGatewayUrl(raw)
+    }
+
+    static func normalizeGatewayUrlString(_ raw: String) -> String? {
+        self.normalizeGatewayUrl(raw)?.absoluteString
+    }
+
+    static func normalizeGatewayUrl(_ raw: String) -> URL? {
+        let trimmed = raw.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+        guard !trimmed.isEmpty, let url = URL(string: trimmed) else { return nil }
+        let scheme = url.scheme?.lowercased() ?? ""
+        guard scheme == "ws" || scheme == "wss" else { return nil }
+        let host = url.host?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) ?? ""
+        guard !host.isEmpty else { return nil }
+        if scheme == "ws", url.port == nil {
+            guard var components = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: false) else {
+                return url
+            }
+            components.port = 18789
+            return components.url
+        }
+        return url
+    }
+
+    static func defaultPort(for url: URL) -> Int? {
+        if let port = url.port { return port }
+        let scheme = url.scheme?.lowercased() ?? ""
+        switch scheme {
+        case "wss":
+            return 443
+        case "ws":
+            return 18789
+        default:
+            return nil
+        }
+    }
+}

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GeneralSettings.swift

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ struct GeneralSettings: View {
     @State private var showRemoteAdvanced = false
     private let isPreview = ProcessInfo.processInfo.isPreview
     private var isNixMode: Bool { ProcessInfo.processInfo.isNixMode }
+    private var remoteLabelWidth: CGFloat { 88 }
 
     var body: some View {
         ScrollView(.vertical) {
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ struct GeneralSettings: View {
             Picker("Mode", selection: self.$state.connectionMode) {
                 Text("Not configured").tag(AppState.ConnectionMode.unconfigured)
                 Text("Local (this Mac)").tag(AppState.ConnectionMode.local)
-                Text("Remote over SSH").tag(AppState.ConnectionMode.remote)
+                Text("Remote (another host)").tag(AppState.ConnectionMode.remote)
             }
             .pickerStyle(.menu)
             .labelsHidden()
@@ -136,60 +137,51 @@ struct GeneralSettings: View {
 
     private var remoteCard: some View {
         VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) {
-            HStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 10) {
-                Text("SSH")
-                    .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
-                    .frame(width: 48, alignment: .leading)
-                TextField("user@host[:22]", text: self.$state.remoteTarget)
-                    .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                    .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
-                Button {
-                    Task { await self.testRemote() }
-                } label: {
-                    if self.remoteStatus == .checking {
-                        ProgressView().controlSize(.small)
-                    } else {
-                        Text("Test remote")
-                    }
-                }
-                .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
-                .disabled(self.remoteStatus == .checking || self.state.remoteTarget
-                    .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).isEmpty)
+            self.remoteTransportRow
+
+            if self.state.remoteTransport == .ssh {
+                self.remoteSshRow
+            } else {
+                self.remoteDirectRow
             }
 
             GatewayDiscoveryInlineList(
                 discovery: self.gatewayDiscovery,
-                currentTarget: self.state.remoteTarget)
+                currentTarget: self.state.remoteTarget,
+                currentUrl: self.state.remoteUrl,
+                transport: self.state.remoteTransport)
             { gateway in
                 self.applyDiscoveredGateway(gateway)
             }
-            .padding(.leading, 58)
+            .padding(.leading, self.remoteLabelWidth + 10)
 
             self.remoteStatusView
-                .padding(.leading, 58)
+                .padding(.leading, self.remoteLabelWidth + 10)
 
-            DisclosureGroup(isExpanded: self.$showRemoteAdvanced) {
-                VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) {
-                    LabeledContent("Identity file") {
-                        TextField("/Users/you/.ssh/id_ed25519", text: self.$state.remoteIdentity)
-                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                            .frame(width: 280)
-                    }
-                    LabeledContent("Project root") {
-                        TextField("/home/you/Projects/clawdbot", text: self.$state.remoteProjectRoot)
-                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                            .frame(width: 280)
-                    }
-                    LabeledContent("CLI path") {
-                        TextField("/Applications/Clawdbot.app/.../clawdbot", text: self.$state.remoteCliPath)
-                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                            .frame(width: 280)
+            if self.state.remoteTransport == .ssh {
+                DisclosureGroup(isExpanded: self.$showRemoteAdvanced) {
+                    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) {
+                        LabeledContent("Identity file") {
+                            TextField("/Users/you/.ssh/id_ed25519", text: self.$state.remoteIdentity)
+                                .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                .frame(width: 280)
+                        }
+                        LabeledContent("Project root") {
+                            TextField("/home/you/Projects/clawdbot", text: self.$state.remoteProjectRoot)
+                                .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                .frame(width: 280)
+                        }
+                        LabeledContent("CLI path") {
+                            TextField("/Applications/Clawdbot.app/.../clawdbot", text: self.$state.remoteCliPath)
+                                .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                .frame(width: 280)
+                        }
                     }
+                    .padding(.top, 4)
+                } label: {
+                    Text("Advanced")
+                        .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
                 }
-                .padding(.top, 4)
-            } label: {
-                Text("Advanced")
-                    .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
             }
 
             // Diagnostics
@@ -219,16 +211,89 @@ struct GeneralSettings: View {
                 }
             }
 
-            Text("Tip: enable Tailscale for stable remote access.")
-                .font(.footnote)
-                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
-                .lineLimit(1)
+            if self.state.remoteTransport == .ssh {
+                Text("Tip: enable Tailscale for stable remote access.")
+                    .font(.footnote)
+                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                    .lineLimit(1)
+            } else {
+                Text("Tip: use Tailscale Serve so the gateway has a valid HTTPS cert.")
+                    .font(.footnote)
+                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                    .lineLimit(2)
+            }
         }
         .transition(.opacity)
         .onAppear { self.gatewayDiscovery.start() }
         .onDisappear { self.gatewayDiscovery.stop() }
     }
 
+    private var remoteTransportRow: some View {
+        HStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 10) {
+            Text("Transport")
+                .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                .frame(width: self.remoteLabelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+            Picker("Transport", selection: self.$state.remoteTransport) {
+                Text("SSH tunnel").tag(AppState.RemoteTransport.ssh)
+                Text("Direct (ws/wss)").tag(AppState.RemoteTransport.direct)
+            }
+            .pickerStyle(.segmented)
+            .frame(maxWidth: 320)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private var remoteSshRow: some View {
+        HStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 10) {
+            Text("SSH target")
+                .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                .frame(width: self.remoteLabelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+            TextField("user@host[:22]", text: self.$state.remoteTarget)
+                .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+            Button {
+                Task { await self.testRemote() }
+            } label: {
+                if self.remoteStatus == .checking {
+                    ProgressView().controlSize(.small)
+                } else {
+                    Text("Test remote")
+                }
+            }
+            .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
+            .disabled(self.remoteStatus == .checking || self.state.remoteTarget
+                .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).isEmpty)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private var remoteDirectRow: some View {
+        VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
+            HStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 10) {
+                Text("Gateway")
+                    .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                    .frame(width: self.remoteLabelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+                TextField("wss://gateway.example.ts.net", text: self.$state.remoteUrl)
+                    .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                    .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+                Button {
+                    Task { await self.testRemote() }
+                } label: {
+                    if self.remoteStatus == .checking {
+                        ProgressView().controlSize(.small)
+                    } else {
+                        Text("Test remote")
+                    }
+                }
+                .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
+                .disabled(self.remoteStatus == .checking || self.state.remoteUrl
+                    .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).isEmpty)
+            }
+            Text("Direct mode requires a ws:// or wss:// URL (Tailscale Serve uses wss://<magicdns>).")
+                .font(.caption)
+                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                .padding(.leading, self.remoteLabelWidth + 10)
+        }
+    }
+
     private var controlStatusLine: String {
         switch ControlChannel.shared.state {
         case .connected: "Connected"
@@ -458,24 +523,36 @@ extension GeneralSettings {
     func testRemote() async {
         self.remoteStatus = .checking
         let settings = CommandResolver.connectionSettings()
-        guard !settings.target.isEmpty else {
-            self.remoteStatus = .failed("Set an SSH target first")
-            return
+        if self.state.remoteTransport == .direct {
+            let trimmedUrl = self.state.remoteUrl.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+            guard !trimmedUrl.isEmpty else {
+                self.remoteStatus = .failed("Set a gateway URL first")
+                return
+            }
+            guard Self.isValidWsUrl(trimmedUrl) else {
+                self.remoteStatus = .failed("Gateway URL must start with ws:// or wss://")
+                return
+            }
+        } else {
+            guard !settings.target.isEmpty else {
+                self.remoteStatus = .failed("Set an SSH target first")
+                return
+            }
+
+            // Step 1: basic SSH reachability check
+            let sshResult = await ShellExecutor.run(
+                command: Self.sshCheckCommand(target: settings.target, identity: settings.identity),
+                cwd: nil,
+                env: nil,
+                timeout: 8)
+
+            guard sshResult.ok else {
+                self.remoteStatus = .failed(self.formatSSHFailure(sshResult, target: settings.target))
+                return
+            }
         }
 
-        // Step 1: basic SSH reachability check
-        let sshResult = await ShellExecutor.run(
-            command: Self.sshCheckCommand(target: settings.target, identity: settings.identity),
-            cwd: nil,
-            env: nil,
-            timeout: 8)
-
-        guard sshResult.ok else {
-            self.remoteStatus = .failed(self.formatSSHFailure(sshResult, target: settings.target))
-            return
-        }
-
-        // Step 2: control channel health over tunnel
+        // Step 2: control channel health check
         let originalMode = AppStateStore.shared.connectionMode
         do {
             try await ControlChannel.shared.configure(mode: .remote(
@@ -502,6 +579,14 @@ extension GeneralSettings {
         }
     }
 
+    private static func isValidWsUrl(_ raw: String) -> Bool {
+        guard let url = URL(string: raw.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)) else { return false }
+        let scheme = url.scheme?.lowercased() ?? ""
+        guard scheme == "ws" || scheme == "wss" else { return false }
+        let host = url.host?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines) ?? ""
+        return !host.isEmpty
+    }
+
     private static func sshCheckCommand(target: String, identity: String) -> [String] {
         var args: [String] = [
             "/usr/bin/ssh",
@@ -570,12 +655,18 @@ extension GeneralSettings {
         let host = gateway.tailnetDns ?? gateway.lanHost
         guard let host else { return }
         let user = NSUserName()
-        self.state.remoteTarget = GatewayDiscoveryModel.buildSSHTarget(
-            user: user,
-            host: host,
-            port: gateway.sshPort)
-        self.state.remoteCliPath = gateway.cliPath ?? ""
-        ClawdbotConfigFile.setRemoteGatewayUrl(host: host, port: gateway.gatewayPort)
+        if self.state.remoteTransport == .direct {
+            if let url = GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.directUrl(for: gateway) {
+                self.state.remoteUrl = url
+            }
+        } else {
+            self.state.remoteTarget = GatewayDiscoveryModel.buildSSHTarget(
+                user: user,
+                host: host,
+                port: gateway.sshPort)
+            self.state.remoteCliPath = gateway.cliPath ?? ""
+            ClawdbotConfigFile.setRemoteGatewayUrl(host: host, port: gateway.gatewayPort)
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -598,7 +689,9 @@ extension GeneralSettings {
     static func exerciseForTesting() {
         let state = AppState(preview: true)
         state.connectionMode = .remote
+        state.remoteTransport = .ssh
         state.remoteTarget = "user@host:2222"
+        state.remoteUrl = "wss://gateway.example.ts.net"
         state.remoteIdentity = "/tmp/id_ed25519"
         state.remoteProjectRoot = "/tmp/clawdbot"
         state.remoteCliPath = "/tmp/clawdbot"

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/MenuSessionsInjector.swift

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import AppKit
+import Foundation
 import Observation
 import SwiftUI
 
@@ -517,11 +518,25 @@ extension MenuSessionsInjector {
         switch mode {
         case .remote:
             platform = "remote"
-            let target = AppStateStore.shared.remoteTarget
-            if let parsed = CommandResolver.parseSSHTarget(target) {
-                host = parsed.port == 22 ? parsed.host : "\(parsed.host):\(parsed.port)"
+            if AppStateStore.shared.remoteTransport == .direct {
+                let trimmedUrl = AppStateStore.shared.remoteUrl
+                    .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+                if let url = URL(string: trimmedUrl), let urlHost = url.host, !urlHost.isEmpty {
+                    if let port = url.port {
+                        host = "\(urlHost):\(port)"
+                    } else {
+                        host = urlHost
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    host = trimmedUrl.nonEmpty
+                }
             } else {
-                host = target.nonEmpty
+                let target = AppStateStore.shared.remoteTarget
+                if let parsed = CommandResolver.parseSSHTarget(target) {
+                    host = parsed.port == 22 ? parsed.host : "\(parsed.host):\(parsed.port)"
+                } else {
+                    host = target.nonEmpty
+                }
             }
         case .local:
             platform = "local"

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/OnboardingView+Actions.swift

@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ extension OnboardingView {
         self.preferredGatewayID = gateway.stableID
         GatewayDiscoveryPreferences.setPreferredStableID(gateway.stableID)
 
-        if let host = gateway.tailnetDns ?? gateway.lanHost {
+        if self.state.remoteTransport == .direct {
+            if let url = GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.directUrl(for: gateway) {
+                self.state.remoteUrl = url
+            }
+        } else if let host = GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.sanitizedTailnetHost(gateway.tailnetDns) ?? gateway.lanHost {
             let user = NSUserName()
             self.state.remoteTarget = GatewayDiscoveryModel.buildSSHTarget(
                 user: user,

apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/OnboardingView+Pages.swift

@@ -177,42 +177,67 @@ extension OnboardingView {
                         VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) {
                             Grid(alignment: .leading, horizontalSpacing: 12, verticalSpacing: 8) {
                                 GridRow {
-                                    Text("SSH target")
+                                    Text("Transport")
                                         .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
                                         .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
-                                    TextField("user@host[:port]", text: self.$state.remoteTarget)
-                                        .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                                        .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                    Picker("Transport", selection: self.$state.remoteTransport) {
+                                        Text("SSH tunnel").tag(AppState.RemoteTransport.ssh)
+                                        Text("Direct (ws/wss)").tag(AppState.RemoteTransport.direct)
+                                    }
+                                    .pickerStyle(.segmented)
+                                    .frame(width: fieldWidth)
                                 }
-                                GridRow {
-                                    Text("Identity file")
-                                        .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
-                                        .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
-                                    TextField("/Users/you/.ssh/id_ed25519", text: self.$state.remoteIdentity)
-                                        .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                                        .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                if self.state.remoteTransport == .direct {
+                                    GridRow {
+                                        Text("Gateway URL")
+                                            .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                                            .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+                                        TextField("wss://gateway.example.ts.net", text: self.$state.remoteUrl)
+                                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                            .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                    }
                                 }
-                                GridRow {
-                                    Text("Project root")
-                                        .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
-                                        .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
-                                    TextField("/home/you/Projects/clawdbot", text: self.$state.remoteProjectRoot)
-                                        .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                                        .frame(width: fieldWidth)
-                                }
-                                GridRow {
-                                    Text("CLI path")
-                                        .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
-                                        .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
-                                    TextField(
-                                        "/Applications/Clawdbot.app/.../clawdbot",
-                                        text: self.$state.remoteCliPath)
-                                        .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
-                                        .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                if self.state.remoteTransport == .ssh {
+                                    GridRow {
+                                        Text("SSH target")
+                                            .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                                            .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+                                        TextField("user@host[:port]", text: self.$state.remoteTarget)
+                                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                            .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                    }
+                                    GridRow {
+                                        Text("Identity file")
+                                            .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                                            .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+                                        TextField("/Users/you/.ssh/id_ed25519", text: self.$state.remoteIdentity)
+                                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                            .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                    }
+                                    GridRow {
+                                        Text("Project root")
+                                            .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                                            .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+                                        TextField("/home/you/Projects/clawdbot", text: self.$state.remoteProjectRoot)
+                                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                            .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                    }
+                                    GridRow {
+                                        Text("CLI path")
+                                            .font(.callout.weight(.semibold))
+                                            .frame(width: labelWidth, alignment: .leading)
+                                        TextField(
+                                            "/Applications/Clawdbot.app/.../clawdbot",
+                                            text: self.$state.remoteCliPath)
+                                            .textFieldStyle(.roundedBorder)
+                                            .frame(width: fieldWidth)
+                                    }
                                 }
                             }
 
-                            Text("Tip: keep Tailscale enabled so your gateway stays reachable.")
+                            Text(self.state.remoteTransport == .direct
+                                ? "Tip: use Tailscale Serve so the gateway has a valid HTTPS cert."
+                                : "Tip: keep Tailscale enabled so your gateway stays reachable.")
                                 .font(.footnote)
                                 .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
                                 .lineLimit(1)
@@ -225,7 +250,10 @@ extension OnboardingView {
     }
 
     func gatewaySubtitle(for gateway: GatewayDiscoveryModel.DiscoveredGateway) -> String? {
-        if let host = gateway.tailnetDns ?? gateway.lanHost {
+        if self.state.remoteTransport == .direct {
+            return GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.directUrl(for: gateway) ?? "Gateway pairing only"
+        }
+        if let host = GatewayDiscoveryHelpers.sanitizedTailnetHost(gateway.tailnetDns) ?? gateway.lanHost {
             let portSuffix = gateway.sshPort != 22 ? " · ssh \(gateway.sshPort)" : ""
             return "\(host)\(portSuffix)"
         }

apps/macos/Tests/ClawdbotIPCTests/GatewayEndpointStoreTests.swift

@@ -175,4 +175,10 @@ import Testing
             customBindHost: "192.168.1.10")
         #expect(host == "192.168.1.10")
     }
+
+    @Test func normalizeGatewayUrlAddsDefaultPortForWs() {
+        let url = GatewayRemoteConfig.normalizeGatewayUrl("ws://gateway")
+        #expect(url?.port == 18789)
+        #expect(url?.absoluteString == "ws://gateway:18789")
+    }
 }

docs/gateway/configuration.md

@@ -2825,13 +2825,14 @@ Auth and Tailscale:
 
 Remote client defaults (CLI):
 - `gateway.remote.url` sets the default Gateway WebSocket URL for CLI calls when `gateway.mode = "remote"`.
+- `gateway.remote.transport` selects the macOS remote transport (`ssh` default, `direct` for ws/wss). When `direct`, `gateway.remote.url` must be `ws://` or `wss://`. `ws://host` defaults to port `18789`.
 - `gateway.remote.token` supplies the token for remote calls (leave unset for no auth).
 - `gateway.remote.password` supplies the password for remote calls (leave unset for no auth).
 
 macOS app behavior:
 - Clawdbot.app watches `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` and switches modes live when `gateway.mode` or `gateway.remote.url` changes.
 - If `gateway.mode` is unset but `gateway.remote.url` is set, the macOS app treats it as remote mode.
-- When you change connection mode in the macOS app, it writes `gateway.mode` (and `gateway.remote.url` in remote mode) back to the config file.
+- When you change connection mode in the macOS app, it writes `gateway.mode` (and `gateway.remote.url` + `gateway.remote.transport` in remote mode) back to the config file.
 
 ```json5
 {
@@ -2846,6 +2847,21 @@ macOS app behavior:
 }
 ```
 
+Direct transport example (macOS app):
+
+```json5
+{
+  gateway: {
+    mode: "remote",
+    remote: {
+      transport: "direct",
+      url: "wss://gateway.example.ts.net",
+      token: "your-token"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ### `gateway.reload` (Config hot reload)
 
 The Gateway watches `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` (or `CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH`) and applies changes automatically.

src/config/config.gateway-remote-transport.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+describe("gateway.remote.transport", () => {
+  it("accepts direct transport", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const { validateConfigObject } = await import("./config.js");
+    const res = validateConfigObject({
+      gateway: {
+        remote: {
+          transport: "direct",
+          url: "wss://gateway.example.ts.net",
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects unknown transport", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const { validateConfigObject } = await import("./config.js");
+    const res = validateConfigObject({
+      gateway: {
+        remote: {
+          transport: "udp",
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      expect(res.issues[0]?.path).toBe("gateway.remote.transport");
+    }
+  });
+});

src/config/types.gateway.ts

@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ export type GatewayTailscaleConfig = {
 export type GatewayRemoteConfig = {
   /** Remote Gateway WebSocket URL (ws:// or wss://). */
   url?: string;
+  /** Transport for macOS remote connections (ssh tunnel or direct WS). */
+  transport?: "ssh" | "direct";
   /** Token for remote auth (when the gateway requires token auth). */
   token?: string;
   /** Password for remote auth (when the gateway requires password auth). */

src/config/zod-schema.ts

@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ export const ClawdbotSchema = z
         remote: z
           .object({
             url: z.string().optional(),
+            transport: z.union([z.literal("ssh"), z.literal("direct")]).optional(),
             token: z.string().optional(),
             password: z.string().optional(),
             tlsFingerprint: z.string().optional(),