diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b3be2f1ce..38dfb57db 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 - Gateway: preserve restart wake routing + thread replies across restarts. (#1337) — thanks @John-Rood.
 - Gateway: reschedule per-agent heartbeats on config hot reload without restarting the runner.
 - Config: log invalid config issues once per run and keep invalid-config errors stackless.
+- Exec: default gateway/node exec security to allowlist when unset (sandbox stays deny).
 - UI: keep config form enums typed, preserve empty strings, protect sensitive defaults, and deepen config search. (#1315) — thanks @MaudeBot.
 - UI: preserve ordered list numbering in chat markdown. (#1341) — thanks @bradleypriest.
 - UI: allow Control UI to read gatewayUrl from URL params for remote WebSocket targets. (#1342) — thanks @ameno-.
diff --git a/docs/tools/exec.md b/docs/tools/exec.md
index 02865060f..759f0fe30 100644
--- a/docs/tools/exec.md
+++ b/docs/tools/exec.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Notes:
 
 - `tools.exec.notifyOnExit` (default: true): when true, backgrounded exec sessions enqueue a system event and request a heartbeat on exit.
 - `tools.exec.host` (default: `sandbox`)
-- `tools.exec.security` (default: `deny`)
+- `tools.exec.security` (default: `deny` for sandbox, `allowlist` for gateway + node when unset)
 - `tools.exec.ask` (default: `on-miss`)
 - `tools.exec.node` (default: unset)
 - `tools.exec.pathPrepend`: list of directories to prepend to `PATH` for exec runs.
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts
index dc2865ccc..98496a842 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.exec.ts
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ export function createExecTool(
         host = "gateway";
       }
 
-      const configuredSecurity = defaults?.security ?? "deny";
+      const configuredSecurity = defaults?.security ?? (host === "sandbox" ? "deny" : "allowlist");
       const requestedSecurity = normalizeExecSecurity(params.security);
       let security = minSecurity(configuredSecurity, requestedSecurity ?? configuredSecurity);
       if (elevatedRequested) {
@@ -447,7 +447,10 @@ export function createExecTool(
       applyPathPrepend(env, defaultPathPrepend);
 
       if (host === "node") {
-        const approvals = resolveExecApprovals(defaults?.agentId);
+        const approvals = resolveExecApprovals(
+          defaults?.agentId,
+          host === "node" ? { security: "allowlist" } : undefined,
+        );
         const hostSecurity = minSecurity(security, approvals.agent.security);
         const hostAsk = maxAsk(ask, approvals.agent.ask);
         const askFallback = approvals.agent.askFallback;
@@ -616,7 +619,7 @@ export function createExecTool(
       }
 
       if (host === "gateway") {
-        const approvals = resolveExecApprovals(defaults?.agentId);
+        const approvals = resolveExecApprovals(defaults?.agentId, { security: "allowlist" });
         const hostSecurity = minSecurity(security, approvals.agent.security);
         const hostAsk = maxAsk(ask, approvals.agent.ask);
         const askFallback = approvals.agent.askFallback;
diff --git a/src/infra/exec-approvals.ts b/src/infra/exec-approvals.ts
index eb51d369a..cedbab2e7 100644
--- a/src/infra/exec-approvals.ts
+++ b/src/infra/exec-approvals.ts
@@ -188,31 +188,54 @@ export function ensureExecApprovals(): ExecApprovalsFile {
   return updated;
 }
 
-function normalizeSecurity(value?: ExecSecurity): ExecSecurity {
+function normalizeSecurity(value: ExecSecurity | undefined, fallback: ExecSecurity): ExecSecurity {
   if (value === "allowlist" || value === "full" || value === "deny") return value;
-  return DEFAULT_SECURITY;
+  return fallback;
 }
 
-function normalizeAsk(value?: ExecAsk): ExecAsk {
+function normalizeAsk(value: ExecAsk | undefined, fallback: ExecAsk): ExecAsk {
   if (value === "always" || value === "off" || value === "on-miss") return value;
-  return DEFAULT_ASK;
+  return fallback;
 }
 
-export function resolveExecApprovals(agentId?: string): ExecApprovalsResolved {
+export type ExecApprovalsDefaultOverrides = {
+  security?: ExecSecurity;
+  ask?: ExecAsk;
+  askFallback?: ExecSecurity;
+  autoAllowSkills?: boolean;
+};
+
+export function resolveExecApprovals(
+  agentId?: string,
+  overrides?: ExecApprovalsDefaultOverrides,
+): ExecApprovalsResolved {
   const file = ensureExecApprovals();
   const defaults = file.defaults ?? {};
   const agentKey = agentId ?? "default";
   const agent = file.agents?.[agentKey] ?? {};
+  const fallbackSecurity = overrides?.security ?? DEFAULT_SECURITY;
+  const fallbackAsk = overrides?.ask ?? DEFAULT_ASK;
+  const fallbackAskFallback = overrides?.askFallback ?? DEFAULT_ASK_FALLBACK;
+  const fallbackAutoAllowSkills = overrides?.autoAllowSkills ?? DEFAULT_AUTO_ALLOW_SKILLS;
   const resolvedDefaults: Required<ExecApprovalsDefaults> = {
-    security: normalizeSecurity(defaults.security),
-    ask: normalizeAsk(defaults.ask),
-    askFallback: normalizeSecurity(defaults.askFallback ?? DEFAULT_ASK_FALLBACK),
-    autoAllowSkills: Boolean(defaults.autoAllowSkills ?? DEFAULT_AUTO_ALLOW_SKILLS),
+    security: normalizeSecurity(defaults.security, fallbackSecurity),
+    ask: normalizeAsk(defaults.ask, fallbackAsk),
+    askFallback: normalizeSecurity(
+      defaults.askFallback ?? fallbackAskFallback,
+      fallbackAskFallback,
+    ),
+    autoAllowSkills: Boolean(defaults.autoAllowSkills ?? fallbackAutoAllowSkills),
   };
   const resolvedAgent: Required<ExecApprovalsDefaults> = {
-    security: normalizeSecurity(agent.security ?? resolvedDefaults.security),
-    ask: normalizeAsk(agent.ask ?? resolvedDefaults.ask),
-    askFallback: normalizeSecurity(agent.askFallback ?? resolvedDefaults.askFallback),
+    security: normalizeSecurity(
+      agent.security ?? resolvedDefaults.security,
+      resolvedDefaults.security,
+    ),
+    ask: normalizeAsk(agent.ask ?? resolvedDefaults.ask, resolvedDefaults.ask),
+    askFallback: normalizeSecurity(
+      agent.askFallback ?? resolvedDefaults.askFallback,
+      resolvedDefaults.askFallback,
+    ),
     autoAllowSkills: Boolean(agent.autoAllowSkills ?? resolvedDefaults.autoAllowSkills),
   };
   const allowlist = Array.isArray(agent.allowlist) ? agent.allowlist : [];
diff --git a/src/node-host/runner.ts b/src/node-host/runner.ts
index fd8dad184..6093beb77 100644
--- a/src/node-host/runner.ts
+++ b/src/node-host/runner.ts
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ async function handleInvoke(
   const rawCommand = typeof params.rawCommand === "string" ? params.rawCommand.trim() : "";
   const cmdText = rawCommand || formatCommand(argv);
   const agentId = params.agentId?.trim() || undefined;
-  const approvals = resolveExecApprovals(agentId);
+  const approvals = resolveExecApprovals(agentId, { security: "allowlist" });
   const security = approvals.agent.security;
   const ask = approvals.agent.ask;
   const autoAllowSkills = approvals.agent.autoAllowSkills;