diff --git a/docker-env2/README.md b/docker-env2/README.md
index ba2a4d4d..0caf27b0 100644
--- a/docker-env2/README.md
+++ b/docker-env2/README.md
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ bash docker-env2/seed-sites.sh
 bash docker-env2/seed-data-path.sh
 ```
 
+> The MxGateway data connections need the windev gateway API key, which is not in the repo. Put it in
+> `~/.config/scadabridge/windev-mxgw-apikey` (mode 600), point `MXGW_APIKEY_FILE` at another file, or export
+> `MXGW_APIKEY`. Without a key the script skips the MxGateway connection step and seeds everything else.
+
 Site-x's LocalDb is **replicated** (node-a dials node-b on 8083, same dev key on both),
 like the rig's site-a. Without it a site failover brings up an active node with no
 deployed instances, connections or S&F buffer.
diff --git a/docker-env2/seed-sites.sh b/docker-env2/seed-sites.sh
index 4c408fbb..628418b2 100755
--- a/docker-env2/seed-sites.sh
+++ b/docker-env2/seed-sites.sh
@@ -46,12 +46,22 @@ echo "Creating MxGateway data connection (shared gateway) on site-x..."
 # created on the env2 site. Config is the typed MxGatewayEndpointConfig JSON
 # (camelCase keys), matching MxGatewayEndpointConfigSerializer.
 MXGW_ENDPOINT="http://10.100.0.48:5120"
-MXGW_APIKEY="mxgw_scadabridgeshared_O193yRm28zftUAcL-HPkTjAuE-vPz86MUtNLFWpcbOY"
+# The windev gateway API key is NOT kept in the repo. Supply it via the
+# MXGW_APIKEY env var, or a private file (default
+# ~/.config/scadabridge/windev-mxgw-apikey, override with MXGW_APIKEY_FILE).
+# Without a key the MxGateway data connection step is skipped.
+MXGW_APIKEY_FILE="${MXGW_APIKEY_FILE:-$HOME/.config/scadabridge/windev-mxgw-apikey}"
+if [ -z "${MXGW_APIKEY:-}" ] && [ -r "$MXGW_APIKEY_FILE" ]; then
+    MXGW_APIKEY=$(tr -d '\r\n' < "$MXGW_APIKEY_FILE")
+fi
+MXGW_APIKEY="${MXGW_APIKEY:-}"
 MXGW_CONFIG="{\"endpoint\":\"${MXGW_ENDPOINT}\",\"apiKey\":\"${MXGW_APIKEY}\",\"clientName\":\"\",\"writeUserId\":0,\"useTls\":false,\"caFile\":\"\",\"serverName\":\"\",\"readTimeoutMs\":5000}"
 
 SITE_X_ID=$($CLI $URL $AUTH --format json site list \
     | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(next((s['id'] for s in json.load(sys.stdin) if s.get('siteIdentifier')=='site-x'), ''))" 2>/dev/null)
-if [ -n "$SITE_X_ID" ]; then
+if [ -z "$MXGW_APIKEY" ]; then
+    echo "  (no MXGW_APIKEY / $MXGW_APIKEY_FILE — skipping MxGateway connection)"
+elif [ -n "$SITE_X_ID" ]; then
     CONN_NAME="ScadaBridge Site X"
     echo "  site-x (id=$SITE_X_ID): creating '$CONN_NAME'..."
     $CLI $URL $AUTH data-connection create \
diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
index 04c6e9ac..8dfa7ebc 100644
--- a/docker/README.md
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ docker/seed-sites.sh
 docker/seed-live-probe.sh
 ```
 
+> The MxGateway data connections need the windev gateway API key, which is not in the repo. Put it in
+> `~/.config/scadabridge/windev-mxgw-apikey` (mode 600), point `MXGW_APIKEY_FILE` at another file, or export
+> `MXGW_APIKEY`. Without a key the script skips the MxGateway connection step and seeds everything else.
+
 ### Live-data probe instance
 
 `seed-live-probe.sh` creates the minimum working set the rig needs for any live probe
diff --git a/docker/seed-sites.sh b/docker/seed-sites.sh
index 2d2bc8eb..457ed92e 100755
--- a/docker/seed-sites.sh
+++ b/docker/seed-sites.sh
@@ -73,9 +73,20 @@ echo "Creating MxGateway data connections (shared gateway) on each site..."
 # Config is the typed MxGatewayEndpointConfig JSON (camelCase keys), matching
 # MxGatewayEndpointConfigSerializer.
 MXGW_ENDPOINT="http://10.100.0.48:5120"
-MXGW_APIKEY="mxgw_scadabridgeshared_O193yRm28zftUAcL-HPkTjAuE-vPz86MUtNLFWpcbOY"
+# The windev gateway API key is NOT kept in the repo. Supply it via the
+# MXGW_APIKEY env var, or a private file (default
+# ~/.config/scadabridge/windev-mxgw-apikey, override with MXGW_APIKEY_FILE).
+# Without a key the MxGateway data connection step is skipped.
+MXGW_APIKEY_FILE="${MXGW_APIKEY_FILE:-$HOME/.config/scadabridge/windev-mxgw-apikey}"
+if [ -z "${MXGW_APIKEY:-}" ] && [ -r "$MXGW_APIKEY_FILE" ]; then
+    MXGW_APIKEY=$(tr -d '\r\n' < "$MXGW_APIKEY_FILE")
+fi
+MXGW_APIKEY="${MXGW_APIKEY:-}"
 MXGW_CONFIG="{\"endpoint\":\"${MXGW_ENDPOINT}\",\"apiKey\":\"${MXGW_APIKEY}\",\"clientName\":\"\",\"writeUserId\":0,\"useTls\":false,\"caFile\":\"\",\"serverName\":\"\",\"readTimeoutMs\":5000}"
 
+if [ -z "$MXGW_APIKEY" ]; then
+    echo "  (no MXGW_APIKEY / $MXGW_APIKEY_FILE — skipping MxGateway connections)"
+else
 for ident in site-a site-b site-c; do
     SITE_ID=$($CLI $URL $AUTH --format json site list \
         | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(next((s['id'] for s in json.load(sys.stdin) if s.get('siteIdentifier')=='$ident'), ''))" 2>/dev/null)
@@ -94,6 +105,7 @@ for ident in site-a site-b site-c; do
         --primary-config "$MXGW_CONFIG" \
     || echo "    ('$CONN_NAME' may already exist on $ident)"
 done
+fi
 
 echo ""
 echo "Seeding LDAP group mappings (Designer + Deployer)..."