Add optional per-origin Ed25519 signing for gossip (Tier C federation)

Cargo.lock

@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ version = "0.22.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "72b3254f16251a8381aa12e40e3c4d2f0199f8c6508fbecb9d91f575e0fbb8c6"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "base64ct"
+version = "1.8.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2af50177e190e07a26ab74f8b1efbfe2ef87da2116221318cb1c2e82baf7de06"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bitflags"
 version = "2.13.0"
@@ -225,6 +231,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "cc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "const-oid"
+version = "0.9.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c2459377285ad874054d797f3ccebf984978aa39129f6eafde5cdc8315b612f8"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cpufeatures"
 version = "0.2.17"
@@ -244,6 +256,43 @@ dependencies = [
  "typenum",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "curve25519-dalek"
+version = "4.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "97fb8b7c4503de7d6ae7b42ab72a5a59857b4c937ec27a3d4539dba95b5ab2be"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "cpufeatures",
+ "curve25519-dalek-derive",
+ "digest",
+ "fiat-crypto",
+ "rustc_version",
+ "subtle",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "curve25519-dalek-derive"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f46882e17999c6cc590af592290432be3bce0428cb0d5f8b6715e4dc7b383eb3"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "der"
+version = "0.7.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e7c1832837b905bbfb5101e07cc24c8deddf52f93225eee6ead5f4d63d53ddcb"
+dependencies = [
+ "const-oid",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "digest"
 version = "0.10.7"
@@ -299,6 +348,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "echo-operserv",
  "echo-reportserv",
  "echo-statserv",
+ "ed25519-dalek",
  "hmac",
  "pbkdf2",
  "prost",
@@ -452,6 +502,31 @@ dependencies = [
  "echo-api",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ed25519"
+version = "2.2.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "115531babc129696a58c64a4fef0a8bf9e9698629fb97e9e40767d235cfbcd53"
+dependencies = [
+ "pkcs8",
+ "signature",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "ed25519-dalek"
+version = "2.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "70e796c081cee67dc755e1a36a0a172b897fab85fc3f6bc48307991f64e4eca9"
+dependencies = [
+ "curve25519-dalek",
+ "ed25519",
+ "rand_core",
+ "serde",
+ "sha2",
+ "subtle",
+ "zeroize",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "either"
 version = "1.16.0"
@@ -480,6 +555,12 @@ version = "2.4.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9f1f227452a390804cdb637b74a86990f2a7d7ba4b7d5693aac9b4dd6defd8d6"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "fiat-crypto"
+version = "0.2.9"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "28dea519a9695b9977216879a3ebfddf92f1c08c05d984f8996aecd6ecdc811d"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "find-msvc-tools"
 version = "0.1.9"
@@ -1029,6 +1110,16 @@ version = "0.2.17"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "a89322df9ebe1c1578d689c92318e070967d1042b512afbe49518723f4e6d5cd"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pkcs8"
+version = "0.10.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f950b2377845cebe5cf8b5165cb3cc1a5e0fa5cfa3e1f7f55707d8fd82e0a7b7"
+dependencies = [
+ "der",
+ "spki",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pkg-config"
 version = "0.3.33"
@@ -1276,6 +1367,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rustc_version"
+version = "0.4.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cfcb3a22ef46e85b45de6ee7e79d063319ebb6594faafcf1c225ea92ab6e9b92"
+dependencies = [
+ "semver",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "rustix"
 version = "1.1.4"
@@ -1347,6 +1447,12 @@ version = "1.0.23"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9774ba4a74de5f7b1c1451ed6cd5285a32eddb5cccb8cc655a4e50009e06477f"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "semver"
+version = "1.0.28"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8a7852d02fc848982e0c167ef163aaff9cd91dc640ba85e263cb1ce46fae51cd"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "serde"
 version = "1.0.228"
@@ -1458,6 +1564,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "signature"
+version = "2.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "77549399552de45a898a580c1b41d445bf730df867cc44e6c0233bbc4b8329de"
+dependencies = [
+ "rand_core",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "slab"
 version = "0.4.12"
@@ -1490,6 +1605,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "spki"
+version = "0.7.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d91ed6c858b01f942cd56b37a94b3e0a1798290327d1236e4d9cf4eaca44d29d"
+dependencies = [
+ "base64ct",
+ "der",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "stable_deref_trait"
 version = "1.2.1"

Cargo.toml

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ base64 = "0.22"
 sha2 = "0.10"
 hmac = "0.12"
 pbkdf2 = { version = "0.12", default-features = false, features = ["hmac"] }
+ed25519-dalek = { version = "2", features = ["rand_core"] }
 subtle = "2"
 regex = "1"
 anyhow = "1"

src/config.rs

@@ -325,6 +325,18 @@ pub struct Gossip {
     // Mutual-TLS for the peer link. Absent = plaintext.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub tls: Option<Tls>,
+    // Tier C per-origin signing (see docs/federation.md). Absent = flat trust.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub signing: Option<Signing>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Clone)]
+pub struct Signing {
+    // This node's base64 Ed25519 secret key (from `echo --gen-gossip-key`).
+    pub key: String,
+    // origin SID -> its base64 Ed25519 public key. Include your own SID plus each peer's.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub trust: std::collections::HashMap<String, String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Clone)]

src/engine/db/mod.rs

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ mod account;
 mod channel;
 mod event;
 mod network;
+pub mod sign;
 mod store;
 
 pub use event::Event;
@@ -747,6 +748,12 @@ pub struct LogEntry {
     seq: u64,
     #[serde(default)]
     lamport: u64,
+    // Optional Ed25519 signature (base64) over the entry, for Tier C federation. When
+    // signing is off it's None and `skip_serializing_if` omits it entirely, so the log
+    // format is byte-identical to an unsigned deployment. Must precede the flattened
+    // event so serde extracts it as a named field before the event captures the rest.
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    sig: Option<String>,
     #[serde(flatten)]
     event: Event,
 }
@@ -754,7 +761,7 @@ pub struct LogEntry {
 #[cfg(test)]
 impl LogEntry {
     pub(crate) fn for_test(origin: &str, seq: u64, lamport: u64, event: Event) -> Self {
-        LogEntry { origin: origin.to_string(), seq, lamport, event }
+        LogEntry { origin: origin.to_string(), seq, lamport, sig: None, event }
     }
 }
 
@@ -796,11 +803,14 @@ pub struct EventLog {
     // event (~20% of the append cost on real disk). Reset to None after compact()
     // replaces the file, since the old handle would point at a discarded inode.
     file: Option<std::fs::File>,
+    // Tier C federation: when set, Global entries this node authors are signed and
+    // ingested Global entries must carry a signature from a trusted origin key.
+    signing: Option<sign::Signing>,
 }
 
 impl EventLog {
     fn open(path: PathBuf, origin: String) -> (Self, Vec<Event>) {
-        let mut log = Self { path, origin, lamport: 0, versions: HashMap::new(), entries: Vec::new(), outbound: None, readonly: false, file: None };
+        let mut log = Self { path, origin, lamport: 0, versions: HashMap::new(), entries: Vec::new(), outbound: None, readonly: false, file: None, signing: None };
         if let Ok(data) = std::fs::read_to_string(&log.path) {
             for line in data.lines().filter(|l| !l.trim().is_empty()) {
                 match serde_json::from_str::<LogEntry>(line) {
@@ -842,9 +852,11 @@ impl EventLog {
         let global = event.scope() == Scope::Global;
         let entry = if global {
             self.lamport = self.lamport.saturating_add(1);
-            LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq: self.next_seq(), lamport: self.lamport, event }
+            let seq = self.next_seq();
+            let sig = self.signing.as_ref().map(|s| s.sign(&self.origin, seq, self.lamport, &event));
+            LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq, lamport: self.lamport, sig, event }
         } else {
-            LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq: 0, lamport: 0, event }
+            LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq: 0, lamport: 0, sig: None, event }
         };
         if let Err(e) = self.persist(&entry) {
             // Surface the real cause (disk full, permissions, ...) here at the
@@ -874,6 +886,14 @@ impl EventLog {
         if entry.event.scope() != Scope::Global {
             return Ok(None);
         }
+        // Tier C: when signing is configured, a Global entry must carry a valid
+        // signature from a trusted origin key, or it's rejected before it can touch
+        // the version vector. Inert when signing is off (flat-trust / Tier B).
+        if let Some(s) = &self.signing {
+            if !s.verify(&entry.origin, entry.seq, entry.lamport, &entry.event, entry.sig.as_deref()) {
+                return Ok(None);
+            }
+        }
         // Apply strictly in per-origin sequence. The FIRST entry ever seen from an
         // origin sets the baseline — a peer syncing from a COMPACTED node starts
         // mid-stream (its seqs restart at next_seq(), not 0), so we can't demand 0.
@@ -910,6 +930,10 @@ impl EventLog {
         self.outbound = Some(tx);
     }
 
+    fn set_signing(&mut self, signing: sign::Signing) {
+        self.signing = Some(signing);
+    }
+
     // The events appended at or after `mark`, cloned. Used by the audit feed to
     // see exactly what a just-run command changed (the log only ever grows during
     // a command, so `[mark..]` is that command's footprint).
@@ -973,12 +997,14 @@ impl EventLog {
         for event in events {
             let entry = if event.scope() == Scope::Global {
                 self.lamport = self.lamport.saturating_add(1);
-                let e = LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq, lamport: self.lamport, event };
+                // Compaction re-seqs entries, so any signature must be recomputed.
+                let sig = self.signing.as_ref().map(|s| s.sign(&self.origin, seq, self.lamport, &event));
+                let e = LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq, lamport: self.lamport, sig, event };
                 last_global = Some(seq);
                 seq += 1;
                 e
             } else {
-                LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq: 0, lamport: 0, event }
+                LogEntry { origin: self.origin.clone(), seq: 0, lamport: 0, sig: None, event }
             };
             snapshot.push(entry);
         }
@@ -1409,6 +1435,12 @@ impl Db {
         self.log.set_outbound(tx);
     }
 
+    /// Enable Tier C gossip signing: sign Global entries we author, and verify
+    /// ingested Global entries against the trusted per-origin keys.
+    pub fn set_gossip_signing(&mut self, signing: sign::Signing) {
+        self.log.set_signing(signing);
+    }
+
     /// The number of entries in the log, a mark to later diff against.
     pub fn log_len(&self) -> usize {
         self.log.len()

src/engine/db/sign.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+// Per-origin Ed25519 signatures for gossiped (Global) log entries — the Tier C
+// federation trust model (see docs/federation.md). Each node signs the entries it
+// authors; peers verify against the author origin's public key, so a peer can only
+// assert records for an origin whose private key it holds. Entirely optional: with
+// no `[gossip.signing]` configured, entries are unsigned and this is inert.
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD as B64;
+use base64::Engine as _;
+use ed25519_dalek::{Signature, Signer, SigningKey, VerifyingKey};
+
+use super::Event;
+
+// The bytes a signature covers: everything that fixes the entry's identity and
+// content. `serde_json` is deterministic for the Global event set (all `Vec`/scalar
+// fields — no unordered maps), so sender and receiver derive the same bytes.
+fn payload(origin: &str, seq: u64, lamport: u64, event: &Event) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let mut v = Vec::new();
+    v.extend_from_slice(origin.as_bytes());
+    v.push(0);
+    v.extend_from_slice(&seq.to_le_bytes());
+    v.extend_from_slice(&lamport.to_le_bytes());
+    v.push(0);
+    v.extend_from_slice(serde_json::to_string(event).unwrap_or_default().as_bytes());
+    v
+}
+
+// A node's signing configuration: its own key (to sign what it authors) plus the
+// public keys it trusts, keyed by origin SID (to verify what it ingests).
+pub struct Signing {
+    signer: SigningKey,
+    trust: HashMap<String, VerifyingKey>,
+}
+
+impl Signing {
+    // Build from base64 config: this node's 32-byte secret key, and a map of
+    // origin -> its 32-byte public key. Errors describe the offending field.
+    pub fn new(secret_b64: &str, trust_b64: &HashMap<String, String>) -> Result<Self, String> {
+        let secret = B64.decode(secret_b64.trim()).map_err(|_| "gossip.signing.key is not valid base64".to_string())?;
+        let bytes: [u8; 32] = secret.as_slice().try_into().map_err(|_| "gossip.signing.key must be 32 bytes".to_string())?;
+        let signer = SigningKey::from_bytes(&bytes);
+        let mut trust = HashMap::new();
+        for (origin, pk_b64) in trust_b64 {
+            let raw = B64.decode(pk_b64.trim()).map_err(|_| format!("gossip.signing.trust key for {origin} is not valid base64"))?;
+            let arr: [u8; 32] = raw.as_slice().try_into().map_err(|_| format!("gossip.signing.trust key for {origin} must be 32 bytes"))?;
+            let vk = VerifyingKey::from_bytes(&arr).map_err(|_| format!("gossip.signing.trust key for {origin} is not a valid ed25519 public key"))?;
+            trust.insert(origin.clone(), vk);
+        }
+        Ok(Signing { signer, trust })
+    }
+
+    // Sign an entry we're authoring; base64 of the 64-byte signature.
+    pub fn sign(&self, origin: &str, seq: u64, lamport: u64, event: &Event) -> String {
+        B64.encode(self.signer.sign(&payload(origin, seq, lamport, event)).to_bytes())
+    }
+
+    // True if `sig` is a valid signature over the entry by the trusted key for its
+    // origin. False if the origin isn't trusted, the signature is missing, or it
+    // doesn't verify (`verify_strict` also rejects malleable/degenerate signatures).
+    pub fn verify(&self, origin: &str, seq: u64, lamport: u64, event: &Event, sig: Option<&str>) -> bool {
+        let Some(vk) = self.trust.get(origin) else { return false };
+        let Some(sig) = sig else { return false };
+        let Ok(raw) = B64.decode(sig.trim()) else { return false };
+        let Ok(bytes) = <[u8; 64]>::try_from(raw.as_slice()) else { return false };
+        vk.verify_strict(&payload(origin, seq, lamport, event), &Signature::from_bytes(&bytes)).is_ok()
+    }
+}
+
+// A fresh keypair as (secret_b64, public_b64), for the `--gen-gossip-key` CLI.
+pub fn generate() -> (String, String) {
+    let signer = SigningKey::generate(&mut rand_core::OsRng);
+    (B64.encode(signer.to_bytes()), B64.encode(signer.verifying_key().to_bytes()))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::engine::db::Event;
+
+    fn ev() -> Event {
+        Event::AccountDropped { account: "alice".into() }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn sign_then_verify_roundtrips_and_rejects_tampering() {
+        let (sec, pubk) = generate();
+        let trust = HashMap::from([("A".to_string(), pubk)]);
+        let s = Signing::new(&sec, &trust).unwrap();
+
+        let sig = s.sign("A", 3, 4, &ev());
+        assert!(s.verify("A", 3, 4, &ev(), Some(&sig)), "a genuine signature verifies");
+        // Any change to the covered fields invalidates it.
+        assert!(!s.verify("A", 4, 4, &ev(), Some(&sig)), "a different seq is rejected");
+        assert!(!s.verify("A", 3, 4, &Event::AccountDropped { account: "bob".into() }, Some(&sig)), "a different event is rejected");
+        assert!(!s.verify("A", 3, 4, &ev(), None), "a missing signature is rejected");
+        assert!(!s.verify("B", 3, 4, &ev(), Some(&sig)), "an untrusted origin is rejected");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_forged_key_does_not_verify() {
+        let (sec_a, pub_a) = generate();
+        let (sec_b, _pub_b) = generate();
+        // We trust A's key; B tries to forge an entry claiming origin A.
+        let s = Signing::new(&sec_a, &HashMap::from([("A".to_string(), pub_a)])).unwrap();
+        let forger = Signing::new(&sec_b, &HashMap::new()).unwrap();
+        let forged = forger.sign("A", 1, 1, &ev());
+        assert!(!s.verify("A", 1, 1, &ev(), Some(&forged)), "a signature from the wrong key is rejected");
+    }
+}

src/engine/db/tests.rs

@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@
     #[test]
     fn ingest_is_idempotent() {
         let (mut log, _) = EventLog::open(tmp("ingest"), "local".into());
-        let entry = LogEntry { origin: "peer".into(), seq: 0, lamport: 5, event: cert("x", "f") };
+        let entry = LogEntry { origin: "peer".into(), seq: 0, lamport: 5, sig: None, event: cert("x", "f") };
         assert!(log.ingest(entry.clone()).unwrap().is_some(), "first ingest applies");
         assert_eq!(log.versions.get("peer"), Some(&0));
         assert_eq!(log.lamport, 6, "receive rule: max(local, remote) + 1");
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@
             name: "bob".into(), email: None,
             ts: 0, home: "peer".into(), scram256: None, scram512: None, certfps: vec![], verified: true, ajoin: vec![], suspension: None, memos: vec![], memo_ignore: vec![], memo_notify: true, memo_limit: None, greet: String::new(), no_autoop: false, no_protect: false, hide_status: false, snotice: false, vhost: None, vhost_request: None, last_seen: 0, noexpire: false, expiry_warned: false, oper_note: None,
         };
-        let entry = LogEntry { origin: "peer".into(), seq: 0, lamport: 1, event: Event::AccountRegistered(Box::new(bob)) };
+        let entry = LogEntry { origin: "peer".into(), seq: 0, lamport: 1, sig: None, event: Event::AccountRegistered(Box::new(bob)) };
         db.ingest(entry).unwrap();
         assert!(db.exists("bob"), "peer's account is present locally");
         assert!(db.exists("alice"), "local account still there");
@@ -582,6 +582,50 @@
         assert_eq!(b.certfps("alice"), &[fp][..], "certs arrive folded into the snapshot");
     }
 
+    // Tier C: a node accepts a signed entry from a trusted origin, and rejects one
+    // from an origin it doesn't trust — even if that origin signed it validly.
+    #[test]
+    fn gossip_signing_accepts_trusted_and_rejects_untrusted() {
+        use super::sign::{self, Signing};
+        use std::collections::HashMap;
+        let (a_sec, a_pub) = sign::generate();
+        let (b_sec, _) = sign::generate();
+        let (c_sec, _) = sign::generate();
+
+        let mut a = Db::open(tmp("signA"), "AAA");
+        a.scram_iterations = 4096;
+        a.set_gossip_signing(Signing::new(&a_sec, &HashMap::new()).unwrap());
+        a.register("alice", "pw", None).unwrap();
+
+        // B trusts A's public key (and its own, though unused here).
+        let mut b = Db::open(tmp("signB"), "BBB");
+        b.scram_iterations = 4096;
+        b.set_gossip_signing(Signing::new(&b_sec, &HashMap::from([("AAA".to_string(), a_pub)])).unwrap());
+        for entry in a.missing_for(&b.version_vector()) {
+            b.ingest(entry).unwrap();
+        }
+        assert!(b.exists("alice"), "a signed entry from a trusted origin is accepted");
+
+        // C signs validly with its own key, but B doesn't trust origin CCC.
+        let mut c = Db::open(tmp("signC"), "CCC");
+        c.scram_iterations = 4096;
+        c.set_gossip_signing(Signing::new(&c_sec, &HashMap::new()).unwrap());
+        c.register("mallory", "pw", None).unwrap();
+        for entry in c.missing_for(&b.version_vector()) {
+            b.ingest(entry).unwrap();
+        }
+        assert!(!b.exists("mallory"), "an entry from an untrusted origin is rejected");
+    }
+
+    // With signing off, the serialized log carries no `sig` field — byte-identical
+    // to a pre-signing deployment (the compatibility guarantee).
+    #[test]
+    fn unsigned_entries_omit_the_sig_field() {
+        let entry = LogEntry::for_test("A", 0, 1, Event::AccountDropped { account: "x".into() });
+        let json = serde_json::to_string(&entry).unwrap();
+        assert!(!json.contains("\"sig\""), "no sig field when unsigned: {json}");
+    }
+
     // Channels register (case-insensitively unique), persist, and drop.
     #[test]
     fn channels_register_drop_and_persist() {

src/main.rs

@@ -75,6 +75,15 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         return Ok(());
     }
 
+    // `echo --gen-gossip-key` prints a fresh Ed25519 keypair for Tier C federation.
+    if matches!(argv.get(1).map(String::as_str), Some("--gen-gossip-key") | Some("gen-gossip-key")) {
+        let (secret, public) = engine::db::sign::generate();
+        println!("# gossip signing keypair — keep `key` secret; publish `public` to your peers");
+        println!("key    = \"{secret}\"");
+        println!("public = \"{public}\"");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     let path = std::env::args().nth(1).unwrap_or_else(|| "config.toml".to_string());
     let cfg = config::Config::load(&path)?;
     let ts = SystemTime::now().duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)?.as_secs();
@@ -185,6 +194,18 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let mut db = engine::db::Db::open("echo.db.jsonl", &cfg.server.sid);
     db.scram_iterations = cfg.server.scram_iterations;
     db.set_outbound(gossip_tx.clone());
+    if let Some(sig) = cfg.gossip.as_ref().and_then(|g| g.signing.as_ref()) {
+        match engine::db::sign::Signing::new(&sig.key, &sig.trust) {
+            Ok(s) => {
+                db.set_gossip_signing(s);
+                tracing::info!(trusted = sig.trust.len(), "gossip signing enabled (Tier C per-origin signatures)");
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                tracing::error!(%e, "invalid [gossip.signing] config");
+                std::process::exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+    }
     db.set_email_enabled(cfg.email.is_some());
     db.set_external_accounts(cfg.auth.as_ref().is_some_and(|a| a.external));
     db.set_confusable_check(cfg.register.confusable_check);