diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddleware.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddleware.cs
index 9edb24b6..b9c0c7e3 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddleware.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddleware.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Text.Json;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
 using ZB.MOM.WW.Audit;
@@ -221,11 +222,21 @@ public sealed class AuditWriteMiddleware
             && opts.PerTargetOverrides.TryGetValue(methodNameForOverride, out var perTarget)
             && perTarget.SkipBodyCapture;
 
+        // A standby that will relay this request to the active peer neither executes nor
+        // audits it (the serving node owns the single row, see `relayed` below). Skip the
+        // request/response capture entirely so the body is read once — by the forwarder —
+        // instead of buffered here, buffered again by the forwarder, and a response copy
+        // captured only to be discarded (review 2026-10-21 05/M4). If every peer refuses
+        // and the standby does emit its own failure row, that row simply carries no bodies.
+        var willRelay = WillRelayToActivePeer(ctx);
+
         var requestBody = (string?)null;
         var requestTruncated = false;
-        if (!skipBody && RequestHasBody(ctx.Request))
+        if (!skipBody && !willRelay && RequestHasBody(ctx.Request))
         {
-            ctx.Request.EnableBuffering();
+            // Bodies are capped at MaxRequestBodyBytes (1 MiB default): keep them in memory
+            // rather than spilling everything above the 30 KB default threshold to a temp file.
+            ctx.Request.EnableBuffering((int)Math.Min(maxBytes, int.MaxValue));
             try
             {
                 (requestBody, requestTruncated) = await ReadBufferedRequestBodyAsync(ctx.Request, cap).ConfigureAwait(false);
@@ -243,7 +254,8 @@ public sealed class AuditWriteMiddleware
         // original Response.Body is restored in the finally block.
         var originalResponseBody = ctx.Response.Body;
         using var captureStream = new CapturedResponseStream(originalResponseBody, cap);
-        ctx.Response.Body = captureStream;
+        if (!willRelay)
+            ctx.Response.Body = captureStream;
 
         Exception? thrown = null;
         try
@@ -294,6 +306,19 @@ public sealed class AuditWriteMiddleware
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// True when this node is a standby with a configured relay and the request has not
+    /// already been relayed once — i.e. <see cref="InboundApiEndpointFilter"/> will forward it.
+    /// Mirrors the filter's own relay decision.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static bool WillRelayToActivePeer(HttpContext ctx)
+    {
+        var gate = ctx.RequestServices?.GetService<IActiveNodeGate>();
+        if (gate is not { IsActiveNode: false }) return false;
+        if (ctx.Request.Headers.ContainsKey(HttpStandbyRequestForwarder.ForwardedRequestHeader)) return false;
+        return ctx.RequestServices!.GetService<IStandbyRequestForwarder>() is { IsConfigured: true };
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Builds and writes the <see cref="AuditChannel.ApiInbound"/> row for the
     /// request. Wrapped in try/catch so a thrown writer or any other emission
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/RelayProvenance.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/RelayProvenance.cs
index 6f05783c..efd1aa1e 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/RelayProvenance.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI/RelayProvenance.cs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ internal static class RelayProvenance
         catch (Exception ex) when (ex is FormatException or JsonException or ArgumentException) { return; }
 
         // Authenticate small metadata before reading; bound even non-Kestrel request streams.
-        context.Request.EnableBuffering();
+        context.Request.EnableBuffering((int)Math.Min(options.MaxRequestBodyBytes, int.MaxValue));
         var body = await ReadBoundedAsync(context.Request.Body, options.MaxRequestBodyBytes, context.RequestAborted);
         context.Request.Body.Position = 0;
         if (!string.Equals(proof.Binding, Binding(context.Request, body), StringComparison.Ordinal)) return;
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI.Tests/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddlewareTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI.Tests/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddlewareTests.cs
index 085ffdc3..598f4a42 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI.Tests/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddlewareTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.InboundAPI.Tests/Middleware/AuditWriteMiddlewareTests.cs
@@ -62,6 +62,36 @@ public class AuditWriteMiddlewareTests
         if (localRows > 0) Assert.NotNull(writer.Events[0].ExecutionId);
     }
 
+    /// <summary>Verifies that a relaying standby skips request buffering and response capture.</summary>
+    /// <returns>A task that represents the asynchronous operation.</returns>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task M4_RelayingStandby_DoesNotBufferRequestOrCaptureResponse()
+    {
+        // Review 2026-10-21 05/M4: the standby neither executes nor audits a relayed call, so
+        // it must not buffer the body (the forwarder reads it once) or wrap the response.
+        var services = new ServiceCollection().AddLogging();
+        services.AddSingleton<IActiveNodeGate>(new StandbyGate());
+        services.AddSingleton<IStandbyRequestForwarder>(new ResultForwarder(Results.Ok()));
+        using var provider = services.BuildServiceProvider();
+        var context = BuildContext("echo", "{}");
+        context.RequestServices = provider;
+        var originalRequest = context.Request.Body;
+        var originalResponse = new MemoryStream();
+        context.Response.Body = originalResponse;
+        Stream? seenRequest = null, seenResponse = null;
+        var middleware = CreateMiddleware(ctx =>
+        {
+            seenRequest = ctx.Request.Body;
+            seenResponse = ctx.Response.Body;
+            return Task.CompletedTask;
+        }, new RecordingAuditWriter());
+
+        await middleware.InvokeAsync(context);
+
+        Assert.Same(originalRequest, seenRequest);
+        Assert.Same(originalResponse, seenResponse);
+    }
+
     private sealed class StandbyGate : IActiveNodeGate
     {
         /// <inheritdoc />