diff --git a/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/deployment.yaml b/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/deployment.yaml
index 745dbe35..e87f25c7 100644
--- a/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/deployment.yaml
+++ b/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/deployment.yaml
@@ -110,7 +110,46 @@ spec:
             capabilities:
               drop: ["ALL"]
               add: ["CHOWN", "DAC_OVERRIDE", "FOWNER", "SETGID", "SETUID"]
+        # PROOF-OF-CONCEPT: expose this pod DIRECTLY to the NetBird mesh.
+        # The sidecar shares this pod's network namespace, so it brings up
+        # wt0 here and the pod becomes its own mesh peer
+        # (audiobookshelf.nb.renner.uno). Mesh clients connect straight to
+        # the pod's mesh IP:80 — traffic is delivered locally inside this
+        # netns, so there is NO L3 forwarding and Cilium socket-LB is never
+        # in the path (the failure mode the standalone routing peer hit).
+        # NOT privileged; NET_ADMIN/SYS_ADMIN/SYS_RESOURCE is the minimum
+        # for the WireGuard interface. Reuses the existing reusable setup
+        # key; peer named via NB_HOSTNAME.
+        - name: netbird
+          image: netbirdio/netbird:0.73.2 # {"$imagepolicy": "flux-system:netbird-ingress"}
+          env:
+            - name: NB_SETUP_KEY
+              valueFrom:
+                secretKeyRef:
+                  name: netbird-sidecar-setup-key
+                  key: setup-key
+            - name: NB_MANAGEMENT_URL
+              value: "https://netbird.renner.uno"
+            - name: NB_HOSTNAME
+              value: "audiobookshelf"
+            - name: NB_LOG_LEVEL
+              value: "info"
+          securityContext:
+            runAsNonRoot: false
+            capabilities:
+              add: ["NET_ADMIN", "SYS_RESOURCE", "SYS_ADMIN"]
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              cpu: 50m
+              memory: 64Mi
+            limits:
+              memory: 256Mi
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: netbird-state
+              mountPath: /var/lib/netbird
       volumes:
+        - name: netbird-state
+          emptyDir: {}
         - name: config
           persistentVolumeClaim:
             claimName: audiobookshelf-config
diff --git a/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/kustomization.yaml b/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/kustomization.yaml
index ab78bd62..27fdc5d2 100644
--- a/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/kustomization.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 resources:
+  - netbird-secret.sops.yaml
   - deployment.yaml
   - ingress.yaml
diff --git a/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/netbird-secret.sops.yaml b/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/netbird-secret.sops.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c25eb41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kubernetes/apps/audiobookshelf/netbird-secret.sops.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+apiVersion: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:vqI=,iv:kN/dA9gt/tg51rdRW03mwhAubbaM6DtlH3+RUAUUONs=,tag:dLLfc+1OsvaWzy0o1z6aAw==,type:str]
+kind: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:Jr3WCGzm,iv:DB4vYFhn0n6vaKK2BbJvYN7USuDWDxyXq9vUesQHycg=,tag:zTMxG/UeZgT13ekUBPEpjA==,type:str]
+metadata:
+    name: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:L7xNmIbARsy82a4Vtm5Aez7u6+HtzfhnCw==,iv:VxxN8U53qarYotB7MJGdtLc7PcRGpkKJ6vl5v8w6H8I=,tag:/exbkZO1wwGyAIiGeAXITQ==,type:str]
+    namespace: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:ww+0DmtuT1rsZsgU/qk=,iv:Vm86ObK2Zuhpq/vfHGk9VNo7Q6/Q//fqBf4szoloFtk=,tag:ey6GrZQZ42j1+OEiaxaEYQ==,type:str]
+type: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:anWESb9n,iv:zPccE2572d/RSXND6PopwGGbhQ77NdhL2ANBkigMUSg=,tag:GXnENaRnwvDuCq9ZnrX9ww==,type:str]
+stringData:
+    setup-key: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:t4XfNeA97RBpB9gM82s00ZB8aSctfEWL985O9tNvt2kujDXL,iv:QOJGzOrF6C0aeBmBOdS6Egtw/rfHK6Nh9m14DA7FrqM=,tag:P9JmWpsxlpOx2GKVp85ZBg==,type:str]
+sops:
+    age:
+        - recipient: age1yqjvqkwwwxdj7mr546zfs5ckzuwndp69ya2n2drd4vypwns8w4ys04qfy3
+          enc: |
+            -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSA2RTdFTlV2NW0rZmxVQ2Fm
+            Q2U2VTgzU2RWQzRuOHAvbFM4RG1BK1g4WXh3CjIzbG5sTXdSR2FTVWNNa0Y1VEdP
+            MUZRWmkzeU1OWCtwNm11bEFjZlhJS0kKLS0tIEZPSW91bEVIRUJrWUpTRHRHRzYr
+            UGRZbFU1ZnVSSE5aRHN6T3BDOUl5NTQKHiiHyoMMHrSyDeVCY2Lw7q/GWNrok+PS
+            Yt3YVdGt2oaqPjSOPRsyLfzRljn9fVwVpiTLIH3ohHABKfm4FK/tPg==
+            -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+    lastmodified: "2026-06-26T04:41:35Z"
+    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:HeOfc8RshmFGZQThYfuM6nUBI1pWtzP4s48Wjjq5uY1aAtbIkxDeDR+wXNLHq7AdxtSO8vA+SloH0WcBTAu9yZ2pgPZoXnRo5x6a0QAuczXHaFsMp4mK619rr5qFyT9yytEk6+XQW5AhziryW01GzpcOV59tDze2o9BTtL+9Rvk=,iv:ejCqFz+3xOMENid9ZTkgexpFul6yqHRuBYGPSsTHnWY=,tag:a/x+4ox88DBYMdC5Py5vJQ==,type:str]
+    unencrypted_suffix: _unencrypted
+    version: 3.10.2