diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0da33f3..65927a9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -82,3 +82,4 @@ logs/
 .cache/
 tmp/
 *.tmp
+validate_live_report.json
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index 53f0a50..08d305a 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -184,9 +184,41 @@ class PrySettings(BaseSettings):
     rate_limit_per_ip: int = 60
 
     def model_post_init(self, __context: Any) -> None:
-        """Load runtime overrides from the JSON config file after env parsing."""
+        """Post-init: pull sensitive fields from secrets_backend, then config file."""
+        self._apply_secrets_backend()
         self._load_config_file()
 
+    def _apply_secrets_backend(self) -> None:
+        """Override sensitive fields with values from secrets_backend if present.
+
+        Priority per field:
+          1. secrets_backend.get_secret(name)        # gopass/env/file/auto
+          2. PRY_<NAME> env var (handled by BaseSettings)
+          3. field default
+
+        Sensitive fields: api_key, *_api_key, webhook_secret, jwt_secret,
+        database_url, x402_wallet, x402_facilitator. We only override if
+        the field is currently empty (i.e. nothing was provided via env or
+        the field default is empty).
+        """
+        sensitive = (
+            "api_key", "openrouter_api_key", "openai_api_key",
+            "anthropic_api_key", "cohere_api_key", "webhook_secret",
+            # x402_wallet/x402_facilitator live in x402.py; jwt_secret/database_url have their own wiring,
+        )
+        try:
+            from secrets_backend import get_secret
+        except ImportError:
+            return
+        for fname in sensitive:
+            current = getattr(self, fname, None)
+            if current:
+                # Already populated from env or default — respect it
+                continue
+            value = get_secret(fname)
+            if value:
+                setattr(self, fname, value)
+
     def _load_config_file(self) -> None:
         path = self.config_file
         if not path.exists():
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 14f7f8c..47b01f5 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -112,3 +112,38 @@ def _make_lenient_logrecord() -> None:
 
 # Install the lenient LogRecord at conftest import time
 _make_lenient_logrecord()
+
+
+# ── Test isolation: disable gopass + clear auth in settings ─────
+# PrySettings now pulls api_key from secrets_backend (gopass on Talos has
+# a real pry/api_key secret). Tests must not depend on that real secret.
+# Solution: set PRY_SECRET_BACKEND=env at session scope (inherited by
+# subprocess-based tests like the SSE server test) and zero the
+# settings singleton at test scope.
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope="session")
+def _pry_disable_secrets_gopass() -> None:
+    import os
+    os.environ["PRY_SECRET_BACKEND"] = "env"
+    os.environ.setdefault("PRY_API_KEY", "")
+    os.environ.setdefault("PRY_OPENROUTER_API_KEY", "")
+    os.environ.setdefault("PRY_OPENAI_API_KEY", "")
+    os.environ.setdefault("PRY_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "")
+    os.environ.setdefault("PRY_COHERE_API_KEY", "")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def pry_test_auth(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    import settings as _settings_mod
+    original = _settings_mod.settings.api_key
+    _settings_mod.settings.api_key = ""
+    yield
+    _settings_mod.settings.api_key = original
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def client() -> "fastapi.testclient.TestClient":  # noqa: F821
+    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+    from api import app
+
+    return TestClient(app)
diff --git a/tests/test_secrets_backend_integration.py b/tests/test_secrets_backend_integration.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..77a3d84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_secrets_backend_integration.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+# Copyright (c) 2026 Rug Munch Media LLC
+#
+# Part of Pry - https://git.rugmunch.io/RugMunchMedia/pryscraper
+# Licensed under MIT. See LICENSE.
+"""Verify x402 and settings use secrets_backend.get_secret() for sensitive values."""
+import os
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+
+def test_settings_pulls_from_secrets_backend() -> None:
+    """PrySettings should populate sensitive fields from secrets_backend.get_secret
+    when env vars are not set."""
+    from pydantic import PydanticUserError
+
+    # Force a known value from secrets_backend
+    fake_secret = "fake-secret-from-gopass"
+
+    def fake_get_secret(name: str, default: str = "") -> str:
+        if name == "openrouter_api_key":
+            return fake_secret
+        return default
+
+    # Clear env so the test is deterministic
+    env = {k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if not k.startswith("PRY_")}
+    env["PRY_OPENROUTER_API_KEY"] = ""  # explicitly empty
+
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, env, clear=True):
+        with patch("secrets_backend.get_secret", side_effect=fake_get_secret):
+            # Re-import fresh
+            import importlib
+            from settings import PrySettings
+
+            s = PrySettings()
+            # Sensitive field was empty in env, secrets_backend provided it
+            assert s.openrouter_api_key == fake_secret, (
+                f"Expected {fake_secret!r}, got {s.openrouter_api_key!r}"
+            )
+
+
+def test_x402_constants_come_from_secrets_backend() -> None:
+    """x402.py X402_WALLET and X402_FACILITATOR_URL should be settable
+    via secrets_backend.get_secret()."""
+    fake_wallet = "0xABCDEF1234567890"
+    fake_facilitator = "https://my-facilitator.example.com"
+
+    def fake_get_secret(name: str, default: str = "") -> str:
+        if name == "x402_wallet":
+            return fake_wallet
+        if name == "x402_facilitator":
+            return fake_facilitator
+        return default
+
+    env = {k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if not k.startswith("PRY_X402_")}
+
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, env, clear=True):
+        with patch("secrets_backend.get_secret", side_effect=fake_get_secret):
+            # Force re-import of x402 constants
+            import importlib
+            import x402
+
+            importlib.reload(x402)
+            assert x402.X402_WALLET == fake_wallet
+            assert x402.X402_FACILITATOR_URL == fake_facilitator
+
+
+def test_settings_does_not_override_set_env() -> None:
+    """If the env var is already set, secrets_backend must NOT override it."""
+    fake_secret = "from-gopass"
+    from_env = "from-env"
+
+    def fake_get_secret(name: str, default: str = "") -> str:
+        if name == "openrouter_api_key":
+            return fake_secret
+        return default
+
+    env = {k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if k != "PRY_OPENROUTER_API_KEY"}
+    env["PRY_OPENROUTER_API_KEY"] = from_env
+
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, env, clear=True):
+        with patch("secrets_backend.get_secret", side_effect=fake_get_secret):
+            from settings import PrySettings
+
+            s = PrySettings()
+            # Env wins over secrets_backend
+            assert s.openrouter_api_key == from_env