diff --git a/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/__tests__/federation-client.service.spec.ts b/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/__tests__/federation-client.service.spec.ts
index 8837885..831a522 100644
--- a/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/__tests__/federation-client.service.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/__tests__/federation-client.service.spec.ts
@@ -442,6 +442,37 @@ describe('FederationClientService', () => {
       expect(selectSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
 
+    it('serializes concurrent resolveEntry calls — only one DB lookup', async () => {
+      const db = makeDb();
+      const selectSpy = vi.spyOn(db, 'select');
+      const svc = new FederationClientService(db);
+      const resolveEntry = (
+        svc as unknown as {
+          resolveEntry: (peerId: string) => Promise<unknown>;
+        }
+      ).resolveEntry.bind(svc);
+
+      const [a, b] = await Promise.all([resolveEntry(PEER_ID), resolveEntry(PEER_ID)]);
+      expect(a).toBe(b);
+      expect(selectSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    it('flushPeer destroys the evicted Agent so old TLS connections close', async () => {
+      const db = makeDb();
+      const svc = new FederationClientService(db);
+      const resolveEntry = (
+        svc as unknown as {
+          resolveEntry: (peerId: string) => Promise<{ agent: { destroy: () => Promise<void> } }>;
+        }
+      ).resolveEntry.bind(svc);
+
+      const entry = await resolveEntry(PEER_ID);
+      const destroySpy = vi.spyOn(entry.agent, 'destroy').mockResolvedValue();
+
+      svc.flushPeer(PEER_ID);
+      expect(destroySpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
     it('flushPeer() invalidates cache — next call re-reads DB', async () => {
       const db = makeDb();
       const { mockAgent, pool } = makeMockAgent();
@@ -474,6 +505,25 @@ describe('FederationClientService', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  // ─── loadStepCaRoot env-var guard ─────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  describe('loadStepCaRoot() env-var guard', () => {
+    it('throws PEER_MISCONFIGURED when STEP_CA_ROOT_CERT_PATH is not set', async () => {
+      delete process.env['STEP_CA_ROOT_CERT_PATH'];
+      const db = makeDb();
+      const svc = new FederationClientService(db);
+      const resolveEntry = (
+        svc as unknown as {
+          resolveEntry: (peerId: string) => Promise<unknown>;
+        }
+      ).resolveEntry.bind(svc);
+
+      await expect(resolveEntry(PEER_ID)).rejects.toMatchObject({
+        code: 'PEER_MISCONFIGURED',
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   // ─── FederationClientError class ──────────────────────────────────────────
 
   describe('FederationClientError', () => {
diff --git a/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/federation-client.service.ts b/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/federation-client.service.ts
index 1efd803..e5b1254 100644
--- a/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/federation-client.service.ts
+++ b/apps/gateway/src/federation/client/federation-client.service.ts
@@ -120,9 +120,15 @@ export class FederationClientService {
   /**
    * Per-peer undici Agent cache.
    * Key = peerId (UUID string).
+   *
+   * Values are either a resolved `AgentCacheEntry` or an in-flight
+   * `Promise<AgentCacheEntry>` (promise-cache pattern).  Storing the promise
+   * prevents duplicate DB lookups and duplicate key-unseal operations when two
+   * requests for the same peer arrive before the first build completes.
+   *
    * Flush via `flushPeer(peerId)` on cert rotation / peer revocation (M5/M6).
    */
-  private readonly cache = new Map<string, AgentCacheEntry>();
+  private readonly cache = new Map<string, AgentCacheEntry | Promise<AgentCacheEntry>>();
 
   /**
    * Step-CA root cert PEM, loaded once from `STEP_CA_ROOT_CERT_PATH`.
@@ -218,10 +224,20 @@ export class FederationClientService {
    * this peer will re-read the DB and rebuild the Agent.
    */
   flushPeer(peerId: string): void {
-    if (this.cache.has(peerId)) {
-      this.cache.delete(peerId);
-      this.logger.log(`Cache flushed for peer ${peerId}`);
+    const entry = this.cache.get(peerId);
+    if (entry === undefined) {
+      return;
     }
+    this.cache.delete(peerId);
+    if (!(entry instanceof Promise)) {
+      // best-effort destroy; promise-cached entries skip destroy because
+      // the in-flight build owns its own Agent which will be GC'd when the
+      // owning request handles the rejection from the cache miss
+      entry.agent.destroy().catch(() => {
+        // intentionally ignored — destroy errors are not actionable
+      });
+    }
+    this.logger.log(`Cache flushed for peer ${peerId}`);
   }
 
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -263,15 +279,44 @@ export class FederationClientService {
   /**
    * Resolve the cache entry for a peer, reading DB on miss.
    *
+   * Uses a promise-cache pattern: concurrent callers for the same uncached
+   * `peerId` all `await` the same in-flight `Promise<AgentCacheEntry>` so
+   * only one DB lookup and one key-unseal ever runs per peer per cache miss.
+   * The promise is replaced with the concrete entry on success, or deleted on
+   * rejection so a transient error does not poison the cache permanently.
+   *
    * Throws `FederationClientError` with appropriate code if the peer is not
    * found, is inactive, or is missing required fields.
    */
   private async resolveEntry(peerId: string): Promise<AgentCacheEntry> {
     const cached = this.cache.get(peerId);
     if (cached) {
-      return cached;
+      return cached; // Promise or concrete entry — both are awaitable
     }
 
+    const inflight = this.buildEntry(peerId).then(
+      (entry) => {
+        this.cache.set(peerId, entry); // replace promise with concrete value
+        return entry;
+      },
+      (err: unknown) => {
+        this.cache.delete(peerId); // don't poison the cache with a rejected promise
+        throw err;
+      },
+    );
+
+    this.cache.set(peerId, inflight);
+    return inflight;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Build the `AgentCacheEntry` for a peer by reading the DB, validating the
+   * peer's state, unsealing the private key, and constructing the mTLS Agent.
+   *
+   * Throws `FederationClientError` with appropriate code if the peer is not
+   * found, is inactive, or is missing required fields.
+   */
+  private async buildEntry(peerId: string): Promise<AgentCacheEntry> {
     // DB lookup
     const [peer] = await this.db
       .select()
@@ -335,7 +380,6 @@ export class FederationClientService {
       certSerial: peer.certSerial,
     };
 
-    this.cache.set(peerId, entry);
     this.logger.log(`Agent cached for peer ${peerId} (serial: ${peer.certSerial})`);
 
     return entry;