diff --git a/internal/platform/distributed_test.go b/internal/platform/distributed_test.go
index afc3977..32b55a7 100644
--- a/internal/platform/distributed_test.go
+++ b/internal/platform/distributed_test.go
@@ -75,8 +75,18 @@ func TestNodeControlSocketIsAPIOnly(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 		if d.Name != SAAPI {
+			if len(d.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.SupplementalGroups) != 0 {
+				t.Fatal("host socket group leaked to", d.Name)
+			}
 			continue
 		}
+		groups := d.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.SupplementalGroups
+		if len(groups) != 1 || groups[0] != 65532 {
+			t.Fatal("API lacks host socket group", groups)
+		}
+		if *d.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.RunAsUser != nonRootUID || *d.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.RunAsGroup != nonRootUID {
+			t.Fatal("API identity changed")
+		}
 		if d.Spec.Template.Spec.NodeSelector["kubernetes.io/hostname"] != "controller" {
 			t.Fatal("API can run away from socket")
 		}
diff --git a/internal/platform/workloads.go b/internal/platform/workloads.go
index 34f1264..6b7af31 100644
--- a/internal/platform/workloads.go
+++ b/internal/platform/workloads.go
@@ -489,6 +489,10 @@ func APIDeployment(p Params) *appsv1.Deployment {
 		container.Env = append(container.Env, corev1.EnvVar{Name: "FELIS_NODE_CONTROL_SOCKET", Value: p.NodeControlSocket})
 	}
 	deployment := controlPlaneDeployment(p, SAAPI, container, volumes)
+	if p.NodeControlSocket != "" {
+		// The host socket uses a dedicated group; preserve the API's existing UID and volume identity.
+		deployment.Spec.Template.Spec.SecurityContext.SupplementalGroups = []int64{65532}
+	}
 	if p.NodeControlNode != "" && p.ControllerNode == "" {
 		deployment.Spec.Template.Spec.NodeSelector = map[string]string{"kubernetes.io/hostname": p.NodeControlNode}
 	}