diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
index ae05ef3d0da..ca685a17d79 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts
@@ -1708,6 +1708,30 @@ describe("agent permission routes", () => {
     expect(mockAgentService.terminate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it.each([
+    ["PATCH status", (base: string) => request(base).patch(`/api/agents/${agentId}`).send({ status: "terminated" })],
+    ["POST terminate", (base: string) => request(base).post(`/api/agents/${agentId}/terminate`).send({})],
+  ])("keeps agent termination board-only through %s, even for an agent allowed to configure the target", async (_route, send) => {
+    mockAgentService.getById.mockResolvedValue({ ...baseAgent, status: "idle" });
+    const app = await createApp({
+      type: "agent",
+      agentId: "aaaaaaaa-aaaa-4aaa-8aaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa",
+      companyId,
+      source: "agent_key",
+      runId: "run-1",
+    });
+
+    const res = await requestApp(app, send);
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(403);
+    expect(res.body.error).toContain("only a board user can terminate an agent");
+    expect(res.body.error).toContain("agent's profile");
+    expect(mockAgentService.terminate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockAgentService.update).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockHeartbeatService.cancelInvocationsForAgents).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockLogActivity).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("terminates directly when no open hire approval is linked", async () => {
     const idleAgent = { ...baseAgent, status: "idle" };
     const terminatedAgent = { ...baseAgent, status: "terminated" };
diff --git a/server/src/routes/agents.ts b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
index 4dd1f0c8490..8f9b3514ace 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
@@ -1777,6 +1777,12 @@ export function agentRoutes(
     };
   }
 
+  /** Terminating an agent is a board-only governed action; tell other actors where a person can do it. */
+  function assertBoardCanTerminateAgent(req: Request) {
+    if (req.actor.type === "board") return;
+    throw forbidden("Board access required: only a board user can terminate an agent, using Terminate in the actions menu on the agent's profile.");
+  }
+
   async function assertCanUpdateAgent(req: Request, targetAgent: { id: string; companyId: string }) {
     if (!hasCompanyAccess(req, targetAgent.companyId)) {
       throw notFound("Agent not found");
@@ -5506,6 +5512,8 @@ export function agentRoutes(
     const requestedStatus = patchData.status;
     delete patchData.status;
     if (requestedStatus !== undefined && !["paused", "idle", "terminated"].includes(String(requestedStatus))) throw badRequest("Use an agent lifecycle command to change status");
+    // Termination is board-only and irreversible on every route, not just POST /terminate.
+    if (requestedStatus === "terminated") assertBoardCanTerminateAgent(req);
     const replaceAdapterConfig = patchData.replaceAdapterConfig === true;
     delete patchData.replaceAdapterConfig;
     // The apply-existing flag is not an agent column. The server binds the fixed
@@ -5943,7 +5951,7 @@ export function agentRoutes(
   });
 
   router.post("/agents/:id/terminate", async (req, res) => {
-    assertBoard(req);
+    assertBoardCanTerminateAgent(req);
     const id = req.params.id as string;
     const existing = await getAccessibleAgent(req, res, id);
     if (!existing) {