diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProvider.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProvider.cs
index c3961fd..1816d5b 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProvider.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProvider.cs
@@ -68,4 +68,121 @@ public sealed class SelfSignedCertificateProvider
         DateTimeOffset now = _timeProvider.GetUtcNow();
         return request.CreateSelfSigned(now.AddDays(-1), now.AddYears(_options.ValidityYears));
     }
+
+    /// <summary>Loads the persisted certificate, regenerating when missing,
+    /// expired (and allowed), or unreadable.</summary>
+    public X509Certificate2 LoadOrCreate()
+    {
+        string path = _options.SelfSignedCertPath;
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(path))
+        {
+            throw new InvalidOperationException(
+                "MxGateway:Tls:SelfSignedCertPath must be set when an HTTPS endpoint has no certificate.");
+        }
+
+        if (File.Exists(path))
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                X509Certificate2 existing = X509CertificateLoader.LoadPkcs12FromFile(path, password: null, KeyStorageFlags());
+                if (existing.NotAfter.ToUniversalTime() > _timeProvider.GetUtcNow().UtcDateTime)
+                {
+                    Log("Loaded", existing);
+                    return existing;
+                }
+
+                if (!_options.RegenerateIfExpired)
+                {
+                    string notAfter = existing.NotAfter.ToUniversalTime().ToString("u");
+                    existing.Dispose();
+                    throw new InvalidOperationException(
+                        $"Persisted gateway certificate at '{path}' expired on {notAfter} " +
+                        "and MxGateway:Tls:RegenerateIfExpired is false.");
+                }
+
+                _logger.LogWarning(
+                    "Persisted gateway certificate at {Path} expired on {NotAfter:u}; regenerating.",
+                    path, existing.NotAfter.ToUniversalTime());
+                existing.Dispose();
+            }
+            catch (CryptographicException ex)
+            {
+                _logger.LogWarning(ex,
+                    "Persisted gateway certificate at {Path} is unreadable; regenerating.", path);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return GenerateAndPersist(path);
+    }
+
+    private X509Certificate2 GenerateAndPersist(string path)
+    {
+        using X509Certificate2 generated = GenerateCertificate();
+        byte[] pfx = generated.Export(X509ContentType.Pkcs12);
+
+        string? directory = Path.GetDirectoryName(path);
+        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(directory))
+        {
+            Directory.CreateDirectory(directory);
+        }
+
+        string temp = path + ".tmp";
+        File.WriteAllBytes(temp, pfx);
+        File.Move(temp, path, overwrite: true);
+        HardenPermissions(path);
+
+        X509Certificate2 loaded = X509CertificateLoader.LoadPkcs12FromFile(path, password: null, KeyStorageFlags());
+        Log("Generated", loaded);
+        return loaded;
+    }
+
+    private static X509KeyStorageFlags KeyStorageFlags()
+        => OperatingSystem.IsWindows()
+            ? X509KeyStorageFlags.MachineKeySet | X509KeyStorageFlags.PersistKeySet | X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable
+            : X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable;
+
+    private static void HardenPermissions(string path)
+    {
+        if (OperatingSystem.IsWindows())
+        {
+            HardenWindowsAcl(path);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            File.SetUnixFileMode(path, UnixFileMode.UserRead | UnixFileMode.UserWrite);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [System.Runtime.Versioning.SupportedOSPlatform("windows")]
+    private static void HardenWindowsAcl(string path)
+    {
+        FileInfo file = new(path);
+        System.Security.AccessControl.FileSecurity security = new();
+        security.SetAccessRuleProtection(isProtected: true, preserveInheritance: false);
+
+        foreach (System.Security.Principal.WellKnownSidType sid in new[]
+        {
+            System.Security.Principal.WellKnownSidType.LocalSystemSid,
+            System.Security.Principal.WellKnownSidType.BuiltinAdministratorsSid,
+        })
+        {
+            System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier identifier = new(sid, null);
+            security.AddAccessRule(new System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule(
+                identifier,
+                System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemRights.FullControl,
+                System.Security.AccessControl.AccessControlType.Allow));
+        }
+
+        file.SetAccessControl(security);
+    }
+
+    private void Log(string action, X509Certificate2 cert)
+    {
+        string sans = cert.Extensions
+            .FirstOrDefault(e => e.Oid?.Value == "2.5.29.17")?
+            .Format(false) ?? "(none)";
+        _logger.LogInformation(
+            "{Action} gateway self-signed certificate: thumbprint={Thumbprint}, notAfter={NotAfter:u}, sans={Sans}",
+            action, cert.Thumbprint, cert.NotAfter.ToUniversalTime(), sans);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProviderTests.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProviderTests.cs
index f73cf36..e376118 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProviderTests.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/Security/Tls/SelfSignedCertificateProviderTests.cs
@@ -33,6 +33,75 @@ public sealed class SelfSignedCertificateProviderTests
             o => o.Value == "1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.1"); // serverAuth
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void LoadOrCreate_GeneratesPersistsAndReuses_SameThumbprint()
+    {
+        string dir = Directory.CreateTempSubdirectory().FullName;
+        try
+        {
+            string path = Path.Combine(dir, "gw.pfx");
+            FakeTimeProvider time = new(new DateTimeOffset(2026, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, TimeSpan.Zero));
+            TlsOptions options = new() { SelfSignedCertPath = path };
+
+            using X509Certificate2 first = CreateProvider(options, time).LoadOrCreate();
+            Assert.True(File.Exists(path));
+            using X509Certificate2 second = CreateProvider(options, time).LoadOrCreate();
+
+            Assert.Equal(first.Thumbprint, second.Thumbprint); // reused, not regenerated
+        }
+        finally { Directory.Delete(dir, recursive: true); }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void LoadOrCreate_Regenerates_WhenPersistedCertExpired()
+    {
+        string dir = Directory.CreateTempSubdirectory().FullName;
+        try
+        {
+            string path = Path.Combine(dir, "gw.pfx");
+            FakeTimeProvider time = new(new DateTimeOffset(2026, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, TimeSpan.Zero));
+            TlsOptions options = new() { SelfSignedCertPath = path, ValidityYears = 1 };
+
+            using X509Certificate2 first = CreateProvider(options, time).LoadOrCreate();
+            time.Advance(TimeSpan.FromDays(800)); // past 1-year validity
+            using X509Certificate2 second = CreateProvider(options, time).LoadOrCreate();
+
+            Assert.NotEqual(first.Thumbprint, second.Thumbprint);
+        }
+        finally { Directory.Delete(dir, recursive: true); }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void LoadOrCreate_Regenerates_WhenPersistedFileCorrupt()
+    {
+        string dir = Directory.CreateTempSubdirectory().FullName;
+        try
+        {
+            string path = Path.Combine(dir, "gw.pfx");
+            File.WriteAllText(path, "not a pfx");
+            TlsOptions options = new() { SelfSignedCertPath = path };
+            using X509Certificate2 cert = CreateProvider(options, new FakeTimeProvider()).LoadOrCreate();
+            Assert.True(cert.HasPrivateKey);
+        }
+        finally { Directory.Delete(dir, recursive: true); }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void LoadOrCreate_Throws_WhenExpiredAndRegenerateDisabled()
+    {
+        string dir = Directory.CreateTempSubdirectory().FullName;
+        try
+        {
+            string path = Path.Combine(dir, "gw.pfx");
+            FakeTimeProvider time = new(new DateTimeOffset(2026, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, TimeSpan.Zero));
+            TlsOptions options = new() { SelfSignedCertPath = path, ValidityYears = 1, RegenerateIfExpired = false };
+            using (CreateProvider(options, time).LoadOrCreate()) { }
+            time.Advance(TimeSpan.FromDays(800));
+            Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => CreateProvider(options, time).LoadOrCreate());
+        }
+        finally { Directory.Delete(dir, recursive: true); }
+    }
+
     private static string ReadSubjectAltNames(X509Certificate2 cert)
         => cert.Extensions
             .First(e => e.Oid?.Value == "2.5.29.17")