diff --git a/packages/agent/src/routes/security/ip-whitelist.ts b/packages/agent/src/routes/security/ip-whitelist.ts
index ab88476127..ca685571f2 100644
--- a/packages/agent/src/routes/security/ip-whitelist.ts
+++ b/packages/agent/src/routes/security/ip-whitelist.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import IpUtil from 'forest-ip-utils';
 import { HttpCode, RouteType } from '../../types';
 import BaseRoute from '../base-route';
 
+const LOOPBACK_IPS = ['127.0.0.1', '::1', '::ffff:127.0.0.1'];
+
 export default class IpWhitelist extends BaseRoute {
   type = RouteType.Authentication;
 
@@ -23,6 +25,12 @@ export default class IpWhitelist extends BaseRoute {
 
   async checkIp(context: Context, next: Next): Promise<boolean> {
     if (this.configuration.isFeatureEnabled) {
+      if (this.isTrustedInternalCaller(context)) {
+        this.options.logger('Debug', 'IP whitelist: exempting trusted internal caller');
+
+        return next();
+      }
+
       const { ipRules } = this.configuration;
       const currentIp = context.request.headers['x-forwarded-for'] ?? context.request.ip;
       const allowed = ipRules.some(ipRule => IpUtil.isIpMatchesRule(currentIp, ipRule));
@@ -34,4 +42,14 @@ export default class IpWhitelist extends BaseRoute {
 
     return next();
   }
+
+  // A caller reaching us directly over a loopback socket with no proxy hop (no x-forwarded-for) is
+  // on this host and already JWT-authenticated (koa-jwt runs before this) — e.g. the embedded
+  // executor's loopback call. Keys off the socket peer (req.socket.remoteAddress), never
+  // request.ip / x-forwarded-for, which follow the spoofable header once the host app sets app.proxy.
+  private isTrustedInternalCaller(context: Context): boolean {
+    const socketIp = context.req?.socket?.remoteAddress ?? '';
+
+    return LOOPBACK_IPS.includes(socketIp) && !context.request.headers['x-forwarded-for'];
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/agent/test/routes/security/ip-whitelist.test.ts b/packages/agent/test/routes/security/ip-whitelist.test.ts
index cc7c236a1a..096a1d8241 100644
--- a/packages/agent/test/routes/security/ip-whitelist.test.ts
+++ b/packages/agent/test/routes/security/ip-whitelist.test.ts
@@ -154,5 +154,91 @@ describe('IpWhitelist', () => {
         });
       });
     });
+
+    describe('when the caller is a trusted internal caller (feature enabled, restrictive rules)', () => {
+      const restrictiveRules = {
+        isFeatureEnabled: true,
+        ipRules: [{ type: 0, ip: '10.20.15.10' }],
+      };
+
+      // socketIp = the true socket peer (req.socket.remoteAddress); xff is the proxy hop marker.
+      const forgeContext = (opts: { socketIp: string; xff?: string | null }): Context =>
+        ({
+          req: { socket: { remoteAddress: opts.socketIp } },
+          request: {
+            ip: opts.socketIp,
+            headers: { 'x-forwarded-for': opts.xff ?? null },
+          },
+          throw: jest.fn(),
+        } as unknown as Context);
+
+      test.each(['127.0.0.1', '::1', '::ffff:127.0.0.1'])(
+        'exempts a direct loopback caller with no proxy hop from socket %s',
+        async socketIp => {
+          const service = await setupIpWhitelistService(restrictiveRules);
+          const context = forgeContext({ socketIp });
+          const next = jest.fn() as Next;
+
+          await service.checkIp(context, next);
+
+          expect(next).toHaveBeenCalled();
+          expect(context.throw).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        },
+      );
+
+      test('does NOT exempt a non-loopback socket', async () => {
+        const service = await setupIpWhitelistService(restrictiveRules);
+        const context = forgeContext({ socketIp: '203.0.113.5' });
+        const next = jest.fn() as Next;
+
+        await service.checkIp(context, next);
+
+        expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(context.throw).toHaveBeenCalledWith(HttpCode.Forbidden, expect.any(String));
+      });
+
+      // A proxied user's socket peer is the same-host proxy (loopback), but the proxy sets
+      // x-forwarded-for → the exemption must NOT fire, so the real IP is checked normally.
+      test('does NOT exempt a loopback socket that carries x-forwarded-for (proxy hop)', async () => {
+        const service = await setupIpWhitelistService(restrictiveRules);
+        const context = forgeContext({ socketIp: '127.0.0.1', xff: '203.0.113.5' });
+        const next = jest.fn() as Next;
+
+        await service.checkIp(context, next);
+
+        expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(context.throw).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          HttpCode.Forbidden,
+          `IP address rejected (203.0.113.5)`,
+        );
+      });
+
+      // Anti-spoof: an external socket carrying x-forwarded-for: 127.0.0.1 must NOT be exempted
+      // (exemption reads the socket, not the header) and the header IP is what gets rejected.
+      test('ignores a spoofed x-forwarded-for loopback (socket is external)', async () => {
+        const service = await setupIpWhitelistService(restrictiveRules);
+        const context = forgeContext({ socketIp: '203.0.113.5', xff: '127.0.0.1' });
+        const next = jest.fn() as Next;
+
+        await service.checkIp(context, next);
+
+        expect(next).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(context.throw).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          HttpCode.Forbidden,
+          `IP address rejected (127.0.0.1)`,
+        );
+      });
+
+      test('a proxied user from a whitelisted IP still passes the normal check', async () => {
+        const service = await setupIpWhitelistService(restrictiveRules);
+        const context = forgeContext({ socketIp: '127.0.0.1', xff: '10.20.15.10' });
+        const next = jest.fn() as Next;
+
+        await service.checkIp(context, next);
+
+        expect(next).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(context.throw).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
+    });
   });
 });