diff --git a/src/app/api/feature-flags/__tests__/route.test.ts b/src/app/api/feature-flags/__tests__/route.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d0b27b35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/feature-flags/__tests__/route.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { NextRequest } from "next/server";
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/auth/session", () => ({ getSession: vi.fn() }));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/auth/audit", () => ({
+  auditLog: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/logging/transports", () => ({ emitIfSampled: vi.fn() }));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/db-compat", () => ({
+  ensureDbCompatibility: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("next/headers", () => ({
+  headers: vi.fn(async () => ({ get: () => null })),
+  cookies: vi.fn(async () => ({
+    get: () => undefined,
+    set: () => {},
+    delete: () => {},
+  })),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/db", () => ({
+  prisma: {
+    appSettings: {
+      findUnique: vi.fn(),
+    },
+  },
+}));
+
+import { GET } from "../route";
+import { getSession } from "@/lib/auth/session";
+import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
+
+const SESSION_OK = {
+  session: { id: "sess-1", expiresAt: new Date(Date.now() + 3_600_000) },
+  user: { id: "user-1", username: "marc", role: "USER" as const },
+};
+
+function req(): NextRequest {
+  return new NextRequest("http://localhost/api/feature-flags", {
+    method: "GET",
+  });
+}
+
+const FIND = prisma.appSettings.findUnique as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.resetAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe("GET /api/feature-flags", () => {
+  it("returns 401 when unauthenticated", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(getSession).mockResolvedValue(null);
+    const res = await GET(req());
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it("returns the all-on default shape for a fresh install", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(getSession).mockResolvedValue(SESSION_OK as never);
+    FIND.mockResolvedValue(null);
+    const res = await GET(req());
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+
+    const body = (await res.json()) as {
+      data: {
+        assistant: {
+          enabled: boolean;
+          coach: boolean;
+          briefing: boolean;
+          insightStatus: boolean;
+          correlations: boolean;
+          healthScoreExplainer: boolean;
+        };
+      };
+      error: null;
+    };
+
+    expect(body.error).toBeNull();
+    expect(body.data.assistant).toEqual({
+      enabled: true,
+      coach: true,
+      briefing: true,
+      insightStatus: true,
+      correlations: true,
+      healthScoreExplainer: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("forces every sub-flag false when the master is off", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(getSession).mockResolvedValue(SESSION_OK as never);
+    FIND.mockResolvedValue({
+      assistantEnabled: false,
+      assistantCoachEnabled: true,
+      assistantBriefingEnabled: true,
+      assistantInsightStatusEnabled: true,
+      assistantCorrelationsEnabled: true,
+      assistantHealthScoreExplainerEnabled: true,
+    });
+
+    const res = await GET(req());
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+
+    const body = (await res.json()) as {
+      data: { assistant: Record<string, boolean> };
+    };
+
+    expect(body.data.assistant).toEqual({
+      enabled: false,
+      coach: false,
+      briefing: false,
+      insightStatus: false,
+      correlations: false,
+      healthScoreExplainer: false,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("reads each sub-flag column", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(getSession).mockResolvedValue(SESSION_OK as never);
+    FIND.mockResolvedValue({
+      assistantEnabled: true,
+      assistantCoachEnabled: false,
+      assistantBriefingEnabled: true,
+      assistantInsightStatusEnabled: false,
+      assistantCorrelationsEnabled: true,
+      assistantHealthScoreExplainerEnabled: false,
+    });
+
+    const res = await GET(req());
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+
+    const body = (await res.json()) as {
+      data: { assistant: Record<string, boolean> };
+    };
+
+    expect(body.data.assistant).toEqual({
+      enabled: true,
+      coach: false,
+      briefing: true,
+      insightStatus: false,
+      correlations: true,
+      healthScoreExplainer: false,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("attaches a private 60-second Cache-Control header", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(getSession).mockResolvedValue(SESSION_OK as never);
+    FIND.mockResolvedValue(null);
+    const res = await GET(req());
+    expect(res.headers.get("Cache-Control")).toBe("private, max-age=60");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/api/feature-flags/route.ts b/src/app/api/feature-flags/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e8d46d29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/feature-flags/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/**
+ * `GET /api/feature-flags` — operator-side assistant flag matrix.
+ *
+ * Projects `AppSettings.assistant*Enabled` over HTTP so every client
+ * (web React tree + iOS native) reads the same authoritative shape.
+ *
+ * Response envelope:
+ *
+ *   {
+ *     "data": {
+ *       "assistant": {
+ *         "enabled": true,
+ *         "coach": true,
+ *         "briefing": true,
+ *         "insightStatus": true,
+ *         "correlations": true,
+ *         "healthScoreExplainer": true
+ *       }
+ *     },
+ *     "error": null
+ *   }
+ *
+ * - `requireAuth()` — any logged-in user. Per-request flag fetches
+ *   from the iOS native client always arrive after auth, so the
+ *   gate matches the rest of the read-only profile surface.
+ * - Master kills every sub-flag in the resolver before the shape
+ *   leaves the handler, so callers never have to compose
+ *   `master && sub`.
+ * - `Cache-Control: private, max-age=60` — operator toggles flip
+ *   rarely; a 60-second per-session cache keeps the cost off the
+ *   hot /insights mount path while still propagating an admin
+ *   change within a minute.
+ *
+ * Locked per `.planning/RESPONSE-TO-IOS-TEAM-2026-05-16.md` §3 R5
+ * and `.planning/research/v15-assistant-optional.md` Part D.
+ */
+import type { NextRequest } from "next/server";
+
+import { apiHandler, requireAuth } from "@/lib/api-handler";
+import { apiSuccess } from "@/lib/api-response";
+import { getAssistantFlags } from "@/lib/feature-flags";
+import { annotate } from "@/lib/logging/context";
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+export const GET = apiHandler(async (_request: NextRequest) => {
+  await requireAuth();
+  annotate({ action: { name: "feature-flags.read" } });
+
+  const assistant = await getAssistantFlags();
+
+  const response = apiSuccess({ assistant });
+  response.headers.set("Cache-Control", "private, max-age=60");
+  return response;
+});