diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index df03c7c..5fc1a6a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,29 @@ All notable changes to `cloverleaf-larry` / `larry-anywhere` are recorded here.
 Versioning is loose-semver; bumps trigger the in-process self-update on every
 running client via `LARRY_BASE_URL` + `MANIFEST`.
 
+## v0.9.8 — 2026-07-23
+
+Fix: stale broker default + stale "LAN + Tailscale only" messaging in the
+runtime client. Root cause of the Gundersen-box "can't reach the broker"
+reports — the public broker (`https://broker.bjnoela.com`, live and
+authenticated since 2026-07-09) was never the problem; the *client* was still
+defaulting to a dead Tailnet IP (`http://100.86.16.114:8181`) and telling
+users to bring Tailscale up, which was never going to fix it (Bryan-direct).
+
+- **`lib/broker.sh`** — default `LARRY_BROKER_URL` changed from the dead
+  Tailnet IP to `https://broker.bjnoela.com` (mirrors the already-correct
+  `install-larry.sh` one-arg self-enroll default). Comment blocks rewritten
+  to describe the public broker as the default, no Tailscale required.
+- **`larry.sh`** — same default-URL fix (two call sites: top-of-file env-var
+  doc block, and the broker-config block right before the var is set). The
+  two runtime error strings shown when the broker is unreachable
+  ("...LAN + Tailscale only... bring Tailscale up...") had the Tailscale
+  verbiage removed entirely and replaced with accurate guidance: the broker
+  is public, check the box's own outbound-HTTPS egress filtering first, or
+  set `LARRY_BROKER_URL` if a different ingress was provisioned.
+- No change to broker/auth logic, the fail-closed kill-switch path, or any
+  network/edge config — this is a client default + messaging fix only.
+
 ## v0.9.6 — 2026-06-08
 
 Hands-on ergonomics for Bryan's Gundersen testing (Clover). Three changes, all
diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index f465042..9fb4374 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -23,17 +23,17 @@
 # scripts/make-manifest.sh and bump VERSION.
 
 # Top-level scripts
-larry.sh	49cc8dcf8b1f5057aa816b28a07e718293f1d92a573268b65cdb288fc10ae71b
+larry.sh	d877bf37a65e685ea27ef2503bc2dcce82cfafb255419b5d16995cee397a8cdd
 larry-tunnel.sh	6b050e4eeab15669f4858eaf3b807f168f211ced07815db9521bc40a093f6aaa
 larry-auth.sh	a220cdf7878569dc3028951ee57fc8d5e706a8ca5c6aa45347b58facb386f831
 larry-rollback.sh	91b5e9aa6c79266bf306dcfba4ca791c07971bd6924d67a779037531648aa6d0
-install-larry.sh	daf2814a41052783cd8bf4252cec9276878860be8945a7fe678182c51d7eac05
+install-larry.sh	19f42e8f6e54eaffffe33e1464a8d245721260aed047270a75987c0b25c936c0
 uninstall-larry.sh	c53ad2d8354c7adeb243b541f027f3f481e4a8661eecfd7af14d7ca53cfcaad9
 
 # Metadata
-VERSION	6c38d2d8c19dec053f658ac7e8963ce25e98f2ab00fe058e62c07010c1988c6c
+VERSION	ff35aa972931add85900ecabdc1eb4659e398118d3c25601d762079b1ff97dcd
 MANUAL.md	5ff54d6d5fae826f8b3da1eb3be6476076bb15f9b1417a4de285e59ea37e1b1f
-CHANGELOG.md	8573fa4c1911f665f71f792d992ab331e5bb2aa5462ebd29c12994781588843e
+CHANGELOG.md	33705f676b4069da32b3600a43697a70bd48aea03af8b7d6b72db097a7a43a72
 
 # Agent personas (system-prompt overlays)
 agents/larry.md	0a1ef737e7fc133ab35be09f79c3a4df33de814e0404b69b950932d0c8a01be1
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ lib/oauth.sh	04a93376f88fe53cc1c86a5dbe577735c60375dadd4f2fda55b921ef3cddf22b
 # v0.9.0: broker client — the remote kill-switch (default rail). Enroll+mint a
 # short-lived token, route LLM calls through the broker, fail-closed heartbeat,
 # best-effort PHI wipe on disable.
-lib/broker.sh	8ec200439329ca0f93003d0976589f427de29450bbc8afab0fe32838e862bdce
+lib/broker.sh	081f8bf48df2f70e25c58a10fe125460975ef1f503096c6a47550bcbcd7d8767
 
 # Secure SSH with ControlMaster (password hidden from Larry-the-LLM)
 lib/ssh-helper.sh	18df1f1f1936c930ba0197c0e0b4bd89c027500de99b56067b620ca9144f6e9e
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index c81aa44..e3e1807 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.9.7
+0.9.8
diff --git a/larry.sh b/larry.sh
index 9626f3d..a9b9850 100755
--- a/larry.sh
+++ b/larry.sh
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@
 #                        per-client x-api-key rail (baked key, no kill-switch).
 #                        "oauth" opts INTO subscription OAuth — discouraged (it
 #                        impersonates Claude Code, flags your Max account).
-#   LARRY_BROKER_URL     broker base URL (default tailnet http://100.86.16.114:8181;
-#                        LAN http://192.168.20.135:8181). Broker is LAN+Tailscale
-#                        only — an egress-restricted box reaches it over Tailscale.
+#   LARRY_BROKER_URL     broker base URL. Default = the public broker
+#                        (https://broker.bjnoela.com), authenticated at the
+#                        edge — works from any box with normal outbound
+#                        HTTPS, no VPN/Tailscale/LAN required.
 #   LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID  this deployment's id in the broker registry.
 #   LARRY_ENROLL_SECRET  the per-deployment enrollment secret (or stored 0600 at
 #                        $LARRY_HOME/.enroll-secret). Baked at install, never logged.
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Config
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-LARRY_VERSION="0.9.7"
+LARRY_VERSION="0.9.8"
 LARRY_HOME="${LARRY_HOME:-$HOME/.larry}"
 
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -249,13 +250,14 @@ LARRY_API_KEY_FILE="${LARRY_API_KEY_FILE:-$LARRY_HOME/.api-key}"
 # with no PHI and no broker reachability). PHI deployments must stay on broker.
 #
 # Broker config (resolved/loaded by lib/broker.sh):
-#   LARRY_BROKER_URL       broker base (default tailnet http://100.86.16.114:8181
-#                            so an off-LAN client works; LAN is :8181 on .20.135).
+#   LARRY_BROKER_URL       broker base. Default = the public broker
+#                            (https://broker.bjnoela.com); works out of the
+#                            box on any network with normal outbound HTTPS.
 #   LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID    this box's id in the broker registry.
 #   LARRY_ENROLL_SECRET    the enrollment secret (or $LARRY_HOME/.enroll-secret).
 #   LARRY_PROFILE          "default" | "phi"  (phi => wipe local PHI on disable).
 #   LARRY_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL / LARRY_HEARTBEAT_MAX_MISS  (default 60s / 3 misses).
-LARRY_BROKER_URL="${LARRY_BROKER_URL:-http://100.86.16.114:8181}"
+LARRY_BROKER_URL="${LARRY_BROKER_URL:-https://broker.bjnoela.com}"
 LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID="${LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID:-}"
 LARRY_PROFILE="${LARRY_PROFILE:-default}"
 LARRY_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL="${LARRY_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL:-60}"
@@ -1767,8 +1769,11 @@ if [ "$LARRY_AUTH_MODE" = "broker" ] && [ "$LARRY_NO_API" != "1" ]; then
           [ "${_BROKER_LAST_PROFILE:-$LARRY_PROFILE}" = "phi" ] && _broker_on_disabled
         else
           err "broker unreachable while minting a token — fail-closed, refusing to run."
-          err "  Reachability: the broker is LAN + Tailscale only. On an egress-restricted box,"
-          err "  ensure Tailscale is up and LARRY_BROKER_URL points at the tailnet ($LARRY_BROKER_URL)."
+          err "  Reachability: the broker is public at https://broker.bjnoela.com and should be"
+          err "  reachable from any network with normal outbound HTTPS. If this box can't reach it,"
+          err "  the likely cause is this box's own outbound-HTTPS egress filtering — check that"
+          err "  first, or set LARRY_BROKER_URL if Bryan has provisioned a different broker ingress."
+          err "  Currently configured: $LARRY_BROKER_URL"
         fi
         exit 1
       fi
@@ -1787,9 +1792,11 @@ if [ "$LARRY_AUTH_MODE" = "broker" ] && [ "$LARRY_NO_API" != "1" ]; then
     *)
       # Unreachable past the budget. This is the documented reachability failure.
       err "refusing to run: cannot reach the broker at $LARRY_BROKER_URL to confirm authorization (fail-closed)."
-      err "  The broker is LAN + Tailscale only (no public route). If this box is on a restricted"
-      err "  network, bring Tailscale up so it can reach the tailnet broker, or have Bryan provision"
-      err "  a reachable broker ingress. (Escape hatch, NO kill-switch: relaunch LARRY_AUTH_MODE=apikey.)"
+      err "  The broker is public at https://broker.bjnoela.com and should be reachable from any"
+      err "  network with normal outbound HTTPS. If unreachable, this box's own outbound-HTTPS"
+      err "  egress filtering (corporate proxy / SNI block) is the likely cause — check that, or"
+      err "  set LARRY_BROKER_URL if Bryan has provisioned a different broker ingress."
+      err "  (Escape hatch, NO kill-switch: relaunch LARRY_AUTH_MODE=apikey.)"
       exit 1
       ;;
   esac
diff --git a/lib/broker.sh b/lib/broker.sh
index a690c4f..3a01d75 100644
--- a/lib/broker.sh
+++ b/lib/broker.sh
@@ -26,22 +26,24 @@
 # treated as "not authorized" — never as "assume OK and keep running".
 #
 # REACHABILITY (the critical design tension, flagged for Bryan): broker-mode
-# means the client MUST reach the broker to function. The broker is LAN +
-# Tailscale only (no public route). On an egress-restricted box (the Gundersen
-# Cloudflare block that 28'd git.bjnoela.com), the client reaches the broker over
-# TAILSCALE (LARRY_BROKER_URL=http://100.86.16.114:8181). If neither LAN nor
-# Tailscale can reach the broker, broker-mode fail-closes = the agent will not
-# run. That is a correct KILL state but a useless WORKING state, so a deployment
-# on a locked-down network MUST have Tailscale (or a future hardened public
-# broker ingress). See the README "Reachability" section.
+# means the client MUST reach the broker to function. The broker is PUBLIC at
+# https://broker.bjnoela.com (authenticated at the edge — CF admin-block,
+# Traefik deny-all, app-level token checks; /token and /v1/messages both 401
+# without credentials). That public URL is the default and works from any
+# network with normal outbound HTTPS — no Tailscale, VPN, or LAN needed. If
+# a box still can't reach it, the most likely cause is that box's own
+# outbound-HTTPS egress filtering (corporate proxy / SNI block), not a
+# broker-side gap. See the README "Reachability" section.
 #
 # SOURCING NOTE: pure function defs; no set -e/-u/-o pipefail changes (the caller
 # owns those). Listed in MANIFEST so it propagates + stays auditable.
 
 # ── Config (caller sets these before sourcing; sane defaults here) ───────────
-# LARRY_BROKER_URL       broker base URL (LAN: http://192.168.20.135:8181 ;
-#                        Tailscale: http://100.86.16.114:8181). Default = tailnet
-#                        so an off-LAN client works out of the box.
+# LARRY_BROKER_URL       broker base URL. Default = the public broker
+#                        (https://broker.bjnoela.com), authenticated at the
+#                        edge, so any client with normal outbound HTTPS works
+#                        out of the box. Override only if Bryan provisions a
+#                        different broker ingress for your deployment.
 # LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID    this deployment's id in the broker registry.
 # LARRY_ENROLL_SECRET    the per-deployment enrollment secret (or in
 #                        $LARRY_HOME/.enroll-secret, mode 0600).
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@
 #                            (default 3). misses are unreachable broker; an
 #                            explicit authorized:false fails closed IMMEDIATELY.
 
-LARRY_BROKER_URL="${LARRY_BROKER_URL:-http://100.86.16.114:8181}"
+LARRY_BROKER_URL="${LARRY_BROKER_URL:-https://broker.bjnoela.com}"
 LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID="${LARRY_DEPLOYMENT_ID:-}"
 LARRY_ENROLL_SECRET="${LARRY_ENROLL_SECRET:-}"
 LARRY_PROFILE="${LARRY_PROFILE:-default}"