diff --git a/modules/nzbget/client.ts b/modules/nzbget/client.ts
index f4d82f4..0708793 100644
--- a/modules/nzbget/client.ts
+++ b/modules/nzbget/client.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,20 @@ function meshConfig(file?: string): Record<string, string> {
   catch { return {}; }
 }
 
+/** One key of nzbget's own nzbget.conf, from the config directory the mesh mounts read-only
+ *  (MESH_NZBGET_CONFIG_DIR). The software's file is the truth about who may log in, so the tools
+ *  ask it rather than a setting that could disagree. Absent, unreadable or unset yields undefined. */
+function confValue(dir: string | undefined, key: string): string | undefined {
+  if (!dir) return undefined;
+  try {
+    const line = readFileSync(`${dir.replace(/\/$/, "")}/nzbget.conf`, "utf8")
+      .split("\n")
+      .find((l) => l.startsWith(`${key}=`));
+    const value = line?.slice(key.length + 1).trim();
+    return value ? value : undefined;
+  } catch { return undefined; }
+}
+
 /** Read a secret the mesh mounted at a file path (an own-secret delivered by `secret accept`);
  *  absent or unreadable yields undefined so callers fall back rather than crash. */
 function readSecret(file?: string): string | undefined {
@@ -69,7 +83,9 @@ export class NzbgetClient {
    * Build from the module's resolved environment. URL and password are read from MESH_NZBGET_URL
    * and MESH_NZBGET_PASSWORD; both must be present — an unconfigured NZBGet throws rather than
    * pretend to be reachable, so the tools/events simply do not load (the harness treats the throw
-   * as "exposes nothing"). The control username defaults to "nzbget", NZBGet's own default.
+   * as "exposes nothing"). The password file is the same own-secret the server container is started
+   * with (FILE__NZBGET_PASS), so the two cannot disagree. The control username is read from
+   * nzbget.conf, falling back to "nzbget", NZBGet's own default.
    */
   static fromEnv(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): NzbgetClient {
     const cfg = meshConfig(env.MESH_NZBGET_CONFIG_FILE);
@@ -78,7 +94,9 @@ export class NzbgetClient {
     if (!url || !password) {
       throw new Error("NZBGet not configured — set MESH_NZBGET_URL and MESH_NZBGET_PASSWORD");
     }
-    const user = cfg.user ?? env.MESH_NZBGET_USER ?? "nzbget";
+    // The control username: a setting or the environment if one says so, else whatever
+    // nzbget.conf holds (an adopted machine keeps its own, e.g. not "nzbget"), else NZBGet's default.
+    const user = cfg.user ?? env.MESH_NZBGET_USER ?? confValue(env.MESH_NZBGET_CONFIG_DIR, "ControlUsername") ?? "nzbget";
     return new NzbgetClient(url, user, password);
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/nzbget/module.json b/modules/nzbget/module.json
index ce3c33d..3fd5d0c 100644
--- a/modules/nzbget/module.json
+++ b/modules/nzbget/module.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
       "port": 6789,
       "protocol": "tcp",
       "from": "mesh",
-      "why": "the download client's pages"
+      "why": "the download client's pages, and the JSON-RPC API its consumers and its own tools call"
     }
   ],
   "accesses": [
@@ -35,10 +35,15 @@
       "path": "/var/lib/mesh/nzbget",
       "mode": "0700"
     },
+    {
+      "id": "state",
+      "type": "directory",
+      "mode": "0700",
+      "place": "."
+    },
     {
       "id": "config",
       "type": "directory",
-      "path": "/services/nzbget/config",
       "mode": "0700",
       "owner": "1000:1000"
     },
@@ -46,24 +51,29 @@
       "id": "server",
       "type": "container",
       "name": "nzbget",
-      "image": "lscr.io/linuxserver/nzbget@sha256:5f3d3fa71029004156eff2cbf4ef4455ce4ce59517cf13fa7d1d7c8a4cd2c8a4",
+      "image": "lscr.io/linuxserver/nzbget@sha256:ec3ef0ae7dc410084086a7fdd447deda4747531154aa1cc5c7c48ac60794e277",
       "env": {
         "PUID": "1000",
         "PGID": "1000",
-        "TZ": "Etc/UTC"
+        "TZ": "Etc/UTC",
+        "FILE__NZBGET_PASS": "/run/secrets/password"
       },
       "ports": [
         "6789"
       ],
       "volumes": [
-        "/services/nzbget/config:/config",
-        "/services/media/downloads:/downloads"
+        "${dir:config}:/config",
+        "/services/media/downloads:/downloads",
+        "/var/lib/mesh/nzbget/password:/run/secrets/password:ro"
+      ],
+      "restart-on": [
+        "needs-password"
       ]
     },
     {
       "id": "runtime-config",
       "type": "file",
-      "path": "/var/lib/mesh/nzbget/config.json",
+      "path": "${dir:state}/config.json",
       "mode": "0600",
       "content": "{}\n",
       "merge": "json"
@@ -76,22 +86,46 @@
       "volumes": [
         "/var/lib/mesh/nzbget/broker:/run/secrets/broker:ro",
         "/var/lib/mesh/nzbget/password:/run/secrets/password:ro",
-        "/var/lib/mesh/nzbget/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
-        "/services/nzbget/config:/var/lib/nzbget/config:ro"
+        "${dir:state}/config.json:/run/config/config.json:ro",
+        "${dir:config}:/var/lib/nzbget/config:ro"
       ],
       "env": {
         "MESH_BROKER_FILE": "/run/secrets/broker",
-        "MESH_NZBGET_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:6789",
+        "MESH_NZBGET_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:${port:6789}",
         "MESH_NZBGET_PASSWORD_FILE": "/run/secrets/password",
         "MESH_NZBGET_CONFIG_FILE": "/run/config/config.json",
         "MESH_NZBGET_CONFIG_DIR": "/var/lib/nzbget/config"
       },
       "restart-on": [
-        "runtime-config"
+        "runtime-config",
+        "needs-password"
       ],
       "artifact": "runtime"
     }
   ],
+  "provides": [
+    "nzbget-api"
+  ],
+  "serves": {
+    "nzbget-api": {
+      "scheme": "http",
+      "port": 6789,
+      "url-base": "",
+      "username": "nzbget"
+    }
+  },
+  "requires": [
+    "route"
+  ],
+  "contributes": {
+    "route": {
+      "label": "nzbget",
+      "endpoint": "web"
+    }
+  },
+  "binds": {
+    "route": "${dir:state}/route.json"
+  },
   "build": {
     "on": [
       {