diff --git a/src/app/api/insights/coach-read/route.ts b/src/app/api/insights/coach-read/route.ts
index 149f0d951..82fe83c57 100644
--- a/src/app/api/insights/coach-read/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/insights/coach-read/route.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { apiHandler, requireAuth } from "@/lib/api-handler";
 import { annotate } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import { checkAnalyticsReadRateLimit } from "@/lib/rate-limit";
 import { requireModuleEnabled } from "@/lib/modules/gate";
+import { requireAssistantSurface } from "@/lib/feature-flags";
 import { measurementTypeEnum } from "@/lib/validations/measurement";
 import { buildCoachReadStrip } from "@/lib/insights/derived/coach-read";
 import type { MeasurementType } from "@/generated/prisma/client";
@@ -36,6 +37,11 @@ export const GET = apiHandler(async (request: NextRequest) => {
   const m = await requireModuleEnabled(user.id, "insights");
   if (!m.enabled) return m.response;
 
+  // The strip is the ambient Coach presence on the metric page, so it
+  // gates on the Coach assistant matrix too: an operator who turns the
+  // Coach off must not see a "Coach read" line linger.
+  await requireAssistantSurface("coach");
+
   // Shared analytics-read budget — generous; caps a runaway navigation loop.
   const rl = await checkAnalyticsReadRateLimit(user.id);
   if (!rl.allowed) {
diff --git a/src/app/api/insights/coach/seeded-question/route.ts b/src/app/api/insights/coach/seeded-question/route.ts
index 42bc23ad9..6fdba6eb7 100644
--- a/src/app/api/insights/coach/seeded-question/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/insights/coach/seeded-question/route.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { apiHandler, requireAuth } from "@/lib/api-handler";
 import { annotate } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import { checkAnalyticsReadRateLimit } from "@/lib/rate-limit";
 import { requireModuleEnabled } from "@/lib/modules/gate";
+import { requireAssistantSurface } from "@/lib/feature-flags";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
 import { loadBaselineProfile } from "@/lib/insights/derived";
 import { detectDerivedBriefingSignals } from "@/lib/insights/derived-briefing";
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ export const GET = apiHandler(async () => {
   const m = await requireModuleEnabled(user.id, "insights");
   if (!m.enabled) return m.response;
 
+  // The opener feeds the Coach hero, so it gates on the Coach assistant
+  // matrix: with the Coach off there is no hero to seed.
+  await requireAssistantSurface("coach");
+
   const rl = await checkAnalyticsReadRateLimit(user.id);
   if (!rl.allowed) {
     return apiError("Too many analytics requests. Please retry later.", 429);