diff --git a/server/src/service/gateway/io.rs b/server/src/service/gateway/io.rs
index 8eaae0e8..f1f2b08f 100644
--- a/server/src/service/gateway/io.rs
+++ b/server/src/service/gateway/io.rs
@@ -422,7 +422,16 @@ pub fn spawn_gateway_bot(
     use tokio::sync::{broadcast, mpsc};
 
     let (watcher_tx, _) = broadcast::channel(16);
-    let (_perm_tx, perm_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+    let (perm_tx, perm_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+    // Keep the sender alive for the gateway's lifetime so the matrix bot's
+    // `permission_listener` task doesn't exit immediately with
+    // "perm_rx channel closed". Previously `_perm_tx` was dropped when
+    // `spawn_gateway_bot` returned, closing the channel before the
+    // listener could even register. Story 898 (sled→gateway WS uplink)
+    // will eventually wire in a real sender; for now the leak keeps the
+    // channel open with no senders writing to it, matching the original
+    // intent of "listener watches forever, waiting for requests".
+    std::mem::forget(perm_tx);
     let perm_rx = std::sync::Arc::new(tokio::sync::Mutex::new(perm_rx));
 
     let (shutdown_tx, shutdown_rx) =
@@ -431,18 +440,36 @@ pub fn spawn_gateway_bot(
 
     let agents = std::sync::Arc::new(AgentPool::new(port, watcher_tx.clone()));
 
+    // Read the gateway's bot.toml so display_name, ambient_rooms, and
+    // permission_timeout_secs are honoured (matches the standard-mode
+    // initialisation in main.rs). Previously this path hardcoded
+    // `bot_name = "Assistant"` regardless of bot.toml's display_name,
+    // breaking @-addressing for users who configured a different name.
+    let bot_cfg = crate::chat::transport::matrix::BotConfig::load(config_dir);
+
     let services = std::sync::Arc::new(Services {
         project_root: config_dir.to_path_buf(),
         status: agents.status_broadcaster(),
         agents,
-        bot_name: "Assistant".to_string(),
+        bot_name: bot_cfg
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(|c| c.display_name.clone())
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "Assistant".to_string()),
         bot_user_id: String::new(),
-        ambient_rooms: std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(std::collections::HashSet::new())),
+        ambient_rooms: std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(
+            bot_cfg
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|c| c.ambient_rooms.iter().cloned().collect())
+                .unwrap_or_default(),
+        )),
         perm_rx,
         pending_perm_replies: std::sync::Arc::new(tokio::sync::Mutex::new(
             std::collections::HashMap::new(),
         )),
-        permission_timeout_secs: 120,
+        permission_timeout_secs: bot_cfg
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|c| c.permission_timeout_secs)
+            .unwrap_or(120),
     });
 
     let timer_store = std::sync::Arc::new(crate::service::timer::TimerStore::load(