diff --git a/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py b/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py
index 410e37c50e..88ac154f9c 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py
@@ -333,11 +333,19 @@ def _present_in_terminal(challenge: BrowserChallenge) -> None:
 
 
 def present(challenge: BrowserChallenge) -> None:
-    """Get the URL in front of something that can load it. Seam for tests (``_presenter``)."""
+    """Get the URL in front of something that can load it. Seam for tests (``_presenter``).
+
+    The desktop backend hands every challenge to its hidden window. The stdio TUI gateway (whose
+    stderr the TUI keeps as a log, never shows) hands its client a required one a foreground caller
+    is waiting on: a background read there must not pop a browser any more than in a terminal."""
     if client_surface() == "desktop" and _announce(challenge):
         return
-    if challenge.required and not _background.get():
-        _present_in_terminal(challenge)
+    if not challenge.required or _background.get():
+        return
+    server = sys.modules.get("tui_gateway.server")
+    if server is not None and server._stdio_is_rpc_channel and _announce(challenge):
+        return
+    _present_in_terminal(challenge)
 
 
 _presenter: Callable[[BrowserChallenge], None] = present
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_anon_challenge.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_anon_challenge.py
index c1cff32a81..0543823743 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_anon_challenge.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_anon_challenge.py
@@ -402,6 +402,23 @@ class TestPresenting:
         anon_challenge.present(challenge)
         assert announced == [challenge] and opened == []
 
+    def test_the_stdio_tui_gateway_hands_the_link_to_its_client(self, monkeypatch, capsys):
+        """The TUI keeps its gateway's stderr as a log the user never sees: the challenge goes to the
+        client over the JSON-RPC channel instead of being printed there."""
+        import sys
+        import types
+        sent = []
+        server = types.SimpleNamespace(_stdio_is_rpc_channel=True,
+                                       _broadcast_global_event=lambda event, payload: sent.append((event, payload)))
+        monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "tui_gateway.server", server)
+        challenge = anon_challenge.BrowserChallenge(f"{PORTAL}/challenge?code=t", True, 600, 2, "m")
+        with anon_challenge.background_caller():
+            anon_challenge.present(challenge)
+        assert sent == []                                  # a keepalive tick never pops a browser
+        anon_challenge.present(challenge)
+        assert sent == [(anon_challenge.CHALLENGE_EVENT, challenge.as_payload())]
+        assert capsys.readouterr().err == ""
+
     def test_a_terminal_opens_one_tab_per_ticket_however_many_attempts_resume_it(self, monkeypatch, capsys):
         import webbrowser
         from hermes_cli import auth_device_flow
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
index 3761d45999..ccc0c777ae 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createGatewayEventHandler.test.ts
@@ -2247,6 +2247,34 @@ describe('createGatewayEventHandler', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('free_tier.challenge', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      openExternalUrlMock.mockClear()
+    })
+
+    it('shows the link and opens one tab per ticket; an optional check opens nothing', () => {
+      const ctx = buildCtx([])
+      const onEvent = createGatewayEventHandler(ctx)
+      const url = 'https://portal.example/challenge?code=t'
+
+      const event = (required: boolean) =>
+        ({
+          payload: { attempt: 0, expires_in: 600, message: 'A quick check first.', required, type: 'browser', url },
+          type: 'free_tier.challenge'
+        }) as any
+
+      onEvent(event(false))
+      expect(openExternalUrlMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+      onEvent(event(true))
+      onEvent(event(true))
+
+      const printed = (ctx.system.sys as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mock.calls.map(c => c[0]).join('\n')
+      expect(printed).toContain(url)
+      expect(openExternalUrlMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('session.usage', () => {
     it('merges a live usage tick into uiState (payload.usage shape, see tui_gateway _start_usage_ticker)', () => {
       patchUiState({ sid: 'sess-1' })
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
index 41c6008daa..f24ecce092 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts
@@ -464,6 +464,8 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
   // an abandoned-prompt record, so the tool.complete and message.complete
   // paths can't both persist the same prompt twice.
   const persistedAbandonedClarify = new Set<string>()
+  // One browser tab per free-tier challenge ticket, however many attempts resume it.
+  const openedChallengeUrls = new Set<string>()
 
   // When a clarify prompt is dismissed without an answer (the backend request
   // timed out and returned no answer), the live ClarifyPrompt overlay is
@@ -827,6 +829,28 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
         }
 
         return
+      case 'free_tier.challenge': {
+        // The account service wants a browser check before the free-tier token
+        // (hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py). The gateway polls for the result on
+        // its own; this only puts the link where the user is. An optional
+        // check is the desktop's to run hidden, never the user's.
+        const challenge = ev.payload
+
+        if (!challenge?.required || !challenge.url) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        sys(challenge.message)
+        sys(challenge.url)
+
+        if (!openedChallengeUrls.has(challenge.url)) {
+          openedChallengeUrls.add(challenge.url)
+          void openExternalUrl(challenge.url)
+        }
+
+        return
+      }
+
       case 'session.info': {
         let info = ev.payload as SessionInfo | undefined