diff --git a/docs/gateway/configuration.md b/docs/gateway/configuration.md
index fcc39560e..ab41221a7 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/configuration.md
@@ -1970,6 +1970,7 @@ Example (provider/model-specific allowlist):
 ```
 
 `tools.allow` / `tools.deny` configure a global tool allow/deny policy (deny wins).
+Matching is case-insensitive and supports `*` wildcards (`"*"` means all tools).
 This is applied even when the Docker sandbox is **off**.
 
 Example (disable browser/canvas everywhere):
diff --git a/docs/tools/index.md b/docs/tools/index.md
index 9731b4f7d..95372d109 100644
--- a/docs/tools/index.md
+++ b/docs/tools/index.md
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ You can globally allow/deny tools via `tools.allow` / `tools.deny` in `clawdbot.
 }
 ```
 
+Notes:
+- Matching is case-insensitive.
+- `*` wildcards are supported (`"*"` means all tools).
+
 ## Tool profiles (base allowlist)
 
 `tools.profile` sets a **base tool allowlist** before `tools.allow`/`tools.deny`.
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.test.ts b/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1405d2735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import type { AgentTool, AgentToolResult } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { filterToolsByPolicy, isToolAllowedByPolicyName } from "./pi-tools.policy.js";
+
+function createStubTool(name: string): AgentTool<unknown, unknown> {
+  return {
+    name,
+    label: name,
+    description: "",
+    parameters: {},
+    execute: async () => ({}) as AgentToolResult<unknown>,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("pi-tools.policy", () => {
+  it("treats * in allow as allow-all", () => {
+    const tools = [createStubTool("read"), createStubTool("exec")];
+    const filtered = filterToolsByPolicy(tools, { allow: ["*"] });
+    expect(filtered.map((tool) => tool.name)).toEqual(["read", "exec"]);
+  });
+
+  it("treats * in deny as deny-all", () => {
+    const tools = [createStubTool("read"), createStubTool("exec")];
+    const filtered = filterToolsByPolicy(tools, { deny: ["*"] });
+    expect(filtered).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("supports wildcard allow/deny patterns", () => {
+    expect(isToolAllowedByPolicyName("web_fetch", { allow: ["web_*"] })).toBe(true);
+    expect(isToolAllowedByPolicyName("web_search", { deny: ["web_*"] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps apply_patch when exec is allowlisted", () => {
+    expect(isToolAllowedByPolicyName("apply_patch", { allow: ["exec"] })).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.ts b/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.ts
index a25bd0c2b..ea4004ec9 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-tools.policy.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,52 @@ import type { AnyAgentTool } from "./pi-tools.types.js";
 import type { SandboxToolPolicy } from "./sandbox.js";
 import { expandToolGroups, normalizeToolName } from "./tool-policy.js";
 
+type CompiledPattern =
+  | { kind: "all" }
+  | { kind: "exact"; value: string }
+  | { kind: "regex"; value: RegExp };
+
+function compilePattern(pattern: string): CompiledPattern {
+  const normalized = normalizeToolName(pattern);
+  if (!normalized) return { kind: "exact", value: "" };
+  if (normalized === "*") return { kind: "all" };
+  if (!normalized.includes("*")) return { kind: "exact", value: normalized };
+  const escaped = normalized.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&");
+  return {
+    kind: "regex",
+    value: new RegExp(`^${escaped.replaceAll("\\*", ".*")}$`),
+  };
+}
+
+function compilePatterns(patterns?: string[]): CompiledPattern[] {
+  if (!Array.isArray(patterns)) return [];
+  return expandToolGroups(patterns)
+    .map(compilePattern)
+    .filter((pattern) => pattern.kind !== "exact" || pattern.value);
+}
+
+function matchesAny(name: string, patterns: CompiledPattern[]): boolean {
+  for (const pattern of patterns) {
+    if (pattern.kind === "all") return true;
+    if (pattern.kind === "exact" && name === pattern.value) return true;
+    if (pattern.kind === "regex" && pattern.value.test(name)) return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+function makeToolPolicyMatcher(policy: SandboxToolPolicy) {
+  const deny = compilePatterns(policy.deny);
+  const allow = compilePatterns(policy.allow);
+  return (name: string) => {
+    const normalized = normalizeToolName(name);
+    if (matchesAny(normalized, deny)) return false;
+    if (allow.length === 0) return true;
+    if (matchesAny(normalized, allow)) return true;
+    if (normalized === "apply_patch" && matchesAny("exec", allow)) return true;
+    return false;
+  };
+}
+
 const DEFAULT_SUBAGENT_TOOL_DENY = [
   // Session management - main agent orchestrates
   "sessions_list",
@@ -35,22 +81,13 @@ export function resolveSubagentToolPolicy(cfg?: ClawdbotConfig): SandboxToolPoli
 
 export function isToolAllowedByPolicyName(name: string, policy?: SandboxToolPolicy): boolean {
   if (!policy) return true;
-  const deny = new Set(expandToolGroups(policy.deny));
-  const allowRaw = expandToolGroups(policy.allow);
-  const allow = allowRaw.length > 0 ? new Set(allowRaw) : null;
-  const normalized = normalizeToolName(name);
-  if (deny.has(normalized)) return false;
-  if (allow) {
-    if (allow.has(normalized)) return true;
-    if (normalized === "apply_patch" && allow.has("exec")) return true;
-    return false;
-  }
-  return true;
+  return makeToolPolicyMatcher(policy)(name);
 }
 
 export function filterToolsByPolicy(tools: AnyAgentTool[], policy?: SandboxToolPolicy) {
   if (!policy) return tools;
-  return tools.filter((tool) => isToolAllowedByPolicyName(tool.name, policy));
+  const matcher = makeToolPolicyMatcher(policy);
+  return tools.filter((tool) => matcher(tool.name));
 }
 
 type ToolPolicyConfig = {
diff --git a/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.test.ts b/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..319a84a97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { SandboxToolPolicy } from "./types.js";
+import { isToolAllowed } from "./tool-policy.js";
+
+describe("sandbox tool policy", () => {
+  it("allows all tools with * allow", () => {
+    const policy: SandboxToolPolicy = { allow: ["*"], deny: [] };
+    expect(isToolAllowed(policy, "browser")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("denies all tools with * deny", () => {
+    const policy: SandboxToolPolicy = { allow: [], deny: ["*"] };
+    expect(isToolAllowed(policy, "read")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("supports wildcard patterns", () => {
+    const policy: SandboxToolPolicy = { allow: ["web_*"] };
+    expect(isToolAllowed(policy, "web_fetch")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isToolAllowed(policy, "read")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.ts b/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.ts
index 09fcba9b8..130734c71 100644
--- a/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.ts
+++ b/src/agents/sandbox/tool-policy.ts
@@ -8,12 +8,46 @@ import type {
   SandboxToolPolicySource,
 } from "./types.js";
 
+type CompiledPattern =
+  | { kind: "all" }
+  | { kind: "exact"; value: string }
+  | { kind: "regex"; value: RegExp };
+
+function compilePattern(pattern: string): CompiledPattern {
+  const normalized = pattern.trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (!normalized) return { kind: "exact", value: "" };
+  if (normalized === "*") return { kind: "all" };
+  if (!normalized.includes("*")) return { kind: "exact", value: normalized };
+  const escaped = normalized.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&");
+  return {
+    kind: "regex",
+    value: new RegExp(`^${escaped.replaceAll("\\*", ".*")}$`),
+  };
+}
+
+function compilePatterns(patterns?: string[]): CompiledPattern[] {
+  if (!Array.isArray(patterns)) return [];
+  return expandToolGroups(patterns)
+    .map(compilePattern)
+    .filter((pattern) => pattern.kind !== "exact" || pattern.value);
+}
+
+function matchesAny(name: string, patterns: CompiledPattern[]): boolean {
+  for (const pattern of patterns) {
+    if (pattern.kind === "all") return true;
+    if (pattern.kind === "exact" && name === pattern.value) return true;
+    if (pattern.kind === "regex" && pattern.value.test(name)) return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 export function isToolAllowed(policy: SandboxToolPolicy, name: string) {
-  const deny = new Set(expandToolGroups(policy.deny));
-  if (deny.has(name.toLowerCase())) return false;
-  const allow = expandToolGroups(policy.allow);
+  const normalized = name.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const deny = compilePatterns(policy.deny);
+  if (matchesAny(normalized, deny)) return false;
+  const allow = compilePatterns(policy.allow);
   if (allow.length === 0) return true;
-  return allow.includes(name.toLowerCase());
+  return matchesAny(normalized, allow);
 }
 
 export function resolveSandboxToolPolicyForAgent(