diff --git a/cli/engram/commands/web.py b/cli/engram/commands/web.py
index fbb86f8..cb446ff 100644
--- a/cli/engram/commands/web.py
+++ b/cli/engram/commands/web.py
@@ -2,11 +2,21 @@
 
 A stdlib-only, server-rendered browser for the store. Read-only in this
 cut; mutations stay on the CLI / MCP. Binds 127.0.0.1 by default; a
-non-loopback bind requires ``--auth`` (DESIGN §7.4, no bypass).
+non-loopback bind requires auth (DESIGN §7.4, no bypass).
+
+Credentials arrive by one of two routes. ``--auth USER:PASS`` is the
+convenient one and stays for single-user hosts. ``--auth-file PATH`` is
+the one to use anywhere else: on a shared machine the command line is
+world-readable through ``ps``/``/proc``, so a password passed as an
+argument is visible to every other account on the box. The file route
+keeps the secret behind filesystem permissions instead.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import stat
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import click
 
 from engram.config_types import GlobalConfig
@@ -15,6 +25,45 @@
 __all__ = ["web_group"]
 
 
+def _parse_auth_pair(raw: str, source: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """Split ``USER:PASS``. ``source`` names the origin for error text."""
+    if ":" not in raw:
+        raise click.ClickException(f"{source} must be USER:PASS")
+    user, _, password = raw.partition(":")
+    if not user or not password:
+        raise click.ClickException(f"{source} must be USER:PASS (both non-empty)")
+    return (user, password)
+
+
+def _read_auth_file(path: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """Read ``USER:PASS`` from the first non-empty line of ``path``.
+
+    Warns when the file is readable beyond its owner: the whole point of
+    this route is that the secret sits behind file permissions, so a
+    world-readable credential file silently gives back what was gained.
+    """
+    p = Path(path)
+    try:
+        mode = p.stat().st_mode
+    except OSError as exc:
+        raise click.ClickException(f"--auth-file: cannot stat {path}: {exc}") from exc
+    if mode & (stat.S_IRWXG | stat.S_IRWXO):
+        click.echo(
+            f"warning: {path} is readable beyond its owner "
+            f"(mode {oct(stat.S_IMODE(mode))}); run: chmod 600 {path}",
+            err=True,
+        )
+    try:
+        text = p.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    except OSError as exc:
+        raise click.ClickException(f"--auth-file: cannot read {path}: {exc}") from exc
+    for line in text.splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if line:
+            return _parse_auth_pair(line, "--auth-file content")
+    raise click.ClickException(f"--auth-file: {path} is empty")
+
+
 @click.group("web", help="Local web UI for browsing the engram store (SPEC §7).")
 def web_group() -> None:
     pass
@@ -27,22 +76,36 @@ def web_group() -> None:
     "--auth",
     default=None,
     metavar="USER:PASS",
-    help="Enable HTTP Basic auth. Required for a non-loopback --host.",
+    help="Enable HTTP Basic auth. Required for a non-loopback --host. "
+    "Visible to other accounts via ps on a shared host — prefer --auth-file there.",
+)
+@click.option(
+    "--auth-file",
+    "auth_file",
+    default=None,
+    metavar="PATH",
+    help="Read USER:PASS from the first non-empty line of PATH. "
+    "Use this instead of --auth on any multi-user machine.",
 )
 @click.option("--no-open", is_flag=True, default=False, help="Do not open a browser.")
 @click.pass_obj
 def serve_cmd(
-    cfg: GlobalConfig, host: str, port: int, auth: str | None, no_open: bool
+    cfg: GlobalConfig,
+    host: str,
+    port: int,
+    auth: str | None,
+    auth_file: str | None,
+    no_open: bool,
 ) -> None:
     root = cfg.resolve_project_root()
+    if auth is not None and auth_file is not None:
+        raise click.ClickException("pass either --auth or --auth-file, not both")
+
     auth_pair: tuple[str, str] | None = None
-    if auth is not None:
-        if ":" not in auth:
-            raise click.ClickException("--auth must be USER:PASS")
-        user, _, password = auth.partition(":")
-        if not user or not password:
-            raise click.ClickException("--auth must be USER:PASS (both non-empty)")
-        auth_pair = (user, password)
+    if auth_file is not None:
+        auth_pair = _read_auth_file(auth_file)
+    elif auth is not None:
+        auth_pair = _parse_auth_pair(auth, "--auth")
 
     try:
         httpd = serve(root, host=host, port=port, auth=auth_pair, open_browser=not no_open)