diff --git a/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py b/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py
index 9dd65fa1cc..31aec3ece0 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/anon_challenge.py
@@ -324,12 +324,9 @@ def _announce(challenge: BrowserChallenge) -> bool:
     server = sys.modules.get("tui_gateway.server")
     if server is None:
         return False
-    try:
-        server._broadcast_global_event(CHALLENGE_EVENT, challenge.as_payload())
-        return True
-    except Exception as exc:
-        logger.debug("%s not broadcast: %s", CHALLENGE_EVENT, exc)
-        return False
+    # The broadcast contains a wedged peer itself (per-transport); anything else is a real bug.
+    server._broadcast_global_event(CHALLENGE_EVENT, challenge.as_payload())
+    return True
 
 
 def _present_in_terminal(challenge: BrowserChallenge) -> None:
@@ -340,13 +337,13 @@ def _present_in_terminal(challenge: BrowserChallenge) -> None:
     already_open = challenge.url in _opened_urls
     if (not already_open and client_surface() != "gateway"
             and not _is_remote_session() and _can_open_graphical_browser()):
+        import webbrowser
         try:
-            import webbrowser
             opened = bool(webbrowser.open(challenge.url))
-            if opened:
-                _opened_urls.add(challenge.url)
-        except Exception as exc:
+        except (webbrowser.Error, OSError) as exc:
             logger.debug("could not open the challenge in a browser: %s", exc)
+        if opened:
+            _opened_urls.add(challenge.url)
     print(f"\n{challenge.message}", file=sys.stderr)
     print(f"  Open: {challenge.url}", file=sys.stderr)
     print("  (Opened in your browser.)\n" if opened or already_open
diff --git a/hermes_cli/auth.py b/hermes_cli/auth.py
index 35362e832a..cb8cd0fc20 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/auth.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/auth.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ from hermes_cli.auth_nous import (  # noqa: F401  re-exported
     _compute_nous_auth_status, _format_nous_entitlement_auth_error, _healed_nous_inference_url,
     _login_nous, _merge_shared_nous_oauth_state, _migrate_stale_nous_portal_url,
     _nous_device_code_login, _nous_inference_env_override, _nous_invoke_jwt_is_usable,
-    _nous_invoke_jwt_status, _nous_portal_env_override, _nous_shared_store_lock,
+    _nous_invoke_jwt_status, _nous_portal_base_url, _nous_portal_env_override, _nous_shared_store_lock,
     _nous_shared_store_path, _pool_first_oauth_status, _quarantine_nous_oauth_state,
     _quarantine_nous_pool_entries, _read_shared_nous_state, _refresh_access_token,
     _refresh_nous_or_quarantine, _select_nous_invoke_jwt, _sync_nous_pool_from_auth_store,
@@ -1806,24 +1806,6 @@ _RESOLVE_TOKEN_CACHE: "dict[str, tuple[float, str]]" = {}
 _RESOLVE_TOKEN_CACHE_TTL_S = 5.0
 
 
-def _nous_portal_base_url(state: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
-    """HERMES_PORTAL_BASE_URL / NOUS_PORTAL_BASE_URL is the trusted operator override and wins
-    OUTRIGHT, bypassing the host allowlist (which exists to reject an untrusted network-provided
-    value, not one the operator configured). Otherwise the stored/default value, allowlist-gated."""
-    env_portal_override = _nous_portal_env_override()
-    if env_portal_override:
-        return env_portal_override.rstrip("/")
-    portal_base_url = _optional_base_url(state.get("portal_base_url")) or DEFAULT_NOUS_PORTAL_URL
-    portal_base_url = portal_base_url.rstrip("/")
-    host = urlparse(portal_base_url).hostname
-    if host and host not in _NOUS_PORTAL_ALLOWED_HOSTS:
-        logger.warning(
-            "auth: ignoring invalid portal_base_url %r (host %r not in allowlist), using default",
-            portal_base_url, host)
-        return DEFAULT_NOUS_PORTAL_URL
-    return portal_base_url
-
-
 def resolve_nous_access_token(
     *,
     timeout_seconds: float = 15.0,
diff --git a/hermes_cli/auth_nous.py b/hermes_cli/auth_nous.py
index c1a6168cdb..d69633e442 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/auth_nous.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/auth_nous.py
@@ -212,6 +212,25 @@ def _nous_portal_env_override() -> Optional[str]:
     return _optional_base_url(_scoped_operator_override("HERMES_PORTAL_BASE_URL", "NOUS_PORTAL_BASE_URL"))
 
 
+def _nous_portal_base_url(state: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
+    """HERMES_PORTAL_BASE_URL / NOUS_PORTAL_BASE_URL is the trusted operator override and wins
+    OUTRIGHT, bypassing the host allowlist (which exists to reject an untrusted network-provided
+    value, not one the operator configured). Otherwise the stored/default value, allowlist-gated."""
+    env_portal_override = _nous_portal_env_override()
+    if env_portal_override:
+        return env_portal_override.rstrip("/")
+    from hermes_cli.auth import _NOUS_PORTAL_ALLOWED_HOSTS, _optional_base_url
+    portal_base_url = _optional_base_url(state.get("portal_base_url")) or DEFAULT_NOUS_PORTAL_URL
+    portal_base_url = portal_base_url.rstrip("/")
+    host = urlparse(portal_base_url).hostname
+    if host and host not in _NOUS_PORTAL_ALLOWED_HOSTS:
+        logger.warning(
+            "auth: ignoring invalid portal_base_url %r (host %r not in allowlist), using default",
+            portal_base_url, host)
+        return DEFAULT_NOUS_PORTAL_URL
+    return portal_base_url
+
+
 def _scope_values(raw_scope: Any) -> set[str]:
     # OAuth token responses return a space-separated string; collections are kept for JWT ``scp``
     # claims and older stored fixtures.