diff --git a/packages/client/src/daemon-client-relay-e2ee-transport.ts b/packages/client/src/daemon-client-relay-e2ee-transport.ts
index 343bdbd116..7049274519 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/daemon-client-relay-e2ee-transport.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/daemon-client-relay-e2ee-transport.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ export function createRelayE2eeTransportFactory(args: {
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Relay upgrades carry routing only. Daemon credentials and subprotocols must
+ * never reach the relay; they travel inside the encrypted hello.
+ */
+export function createRelayUpgradeTransportFactory(
+  baseFactory: DaemonTransportFactory,
+): DaemonTransportFactory {
+  return ({ url }) => baseFactory({ url });
+}
+
 export function createEncryptedTransport(
   base: DaemonTransport,
   daemonPublicKeyB64: string,
diff --git a/packages/client/src/daemon-client-transport.ts b/packages/client/src/daemon-client-transport.ts
index 05bd08bbc6..02a3360c52 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/daemon-client-transport.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/daemon-client-transport.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export {
 export {
   createEncryptedTransport,
   createRelayE2eeTransportFactory,
+  createRelayUpgradeTransportFactory,
 } from "./daemon-client-relay-e2ee-transport.js";
 export {
   bindWsHandler,
diff --git a/packages/client/src/daemon-client.test.ts b/packages/client/src/daemon-client.test.ts
index 6fef9fea40..c35f96da80 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/daemon-client.test.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/daemon-client.test.ts
@@ -919,6 +919,29 @@ test("keeps relay upgrade credentials out of the socket request", async () => {
   await expect(connecting).rejects.toThrow("Daemon client closed");
 });
 
+test("keeps relay upgrade credentials out of the socket request without E2EE", async () => {
+  const mock = createMockTransport();
+  const requests: Array<{ url: string; headers?: Record<string, string>; protocols?: string[] }> =
+    [];
+  const client = new DaemonClient({
+    url: "ws://relay.test/ws?role=client&serverId=srv_test&v=2",
+    clientId: "clsk_relay_header_test",
+    authHeader: "Bearer synthetic-review-token",
+    reconnect: { enabled: false },
+    transportFactory: (request) => {
+      requests.push(request);
+      return mock.transport;
+    },
+  });
+  clients.push(client);
+  const connecting = client.connect();
+  void connecting.catch(() => {});
+  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(requests).toHaveLength(1));
+  expect(requests[0]).toEqual({ url: "ws://relay.test/ws?role=client&serverId=srv_test&v=2" });
+  await client.close();
+  await expect(connecting).rejects.toThrow("Daemon client closed");
+});
+
 test("refuses relay password auth without an encrypted hello", async () => {
   const requests: unknown[] = [];
   const client = new DaemonClient({
diff --git a/packages/client/src/daemon-client.ts b/packages/client/src/daemon-client.ts
index 563d1ee151..31eed9e38b 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/daemon-client.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/daemon-client.ts
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ import {
 } from "@getpaseo/protocol/binary-frames/index";
 import {
   createRelayE2eeTransportFactory,
+  createRelayUpgradeTransportFactory,
   createWebSocketTransportFactory,
   decodeMessageData,
   defaultWebSocketFactory,
@@ -1449,8 +1450,11 @@ export class DaemonClient {
       const isRelayTransport = isRelayClientWebSocketUrl(this.config.url);
       this.assertEncryptedRelayAuth(selected.helloAuth, isRelayTransport);
 
+      // Relay upgrades are routing only: credentials never reach the relay socket.
+      let transportFactory = isRelayTransport
+        ? createRelayUpgradeTransportFactory(baseTransportFactory)
+        : baseTransportFactory;
       // Endpoint security is selected by configuration, never inferred from the URL.
-      let transportFactory = baseTransportFactory;
       if (this.config.e2ee?.enabled === true) {
         const daemonPublicKeyB64 = this.config.e2ee.daemonPublicKeyB64;
         if (!daemonPublicKeyB64) {