diff --git a/internal/middleware/websocket_origin.go b/internal/middleware/websocket_origin.go
index a31d7aa7..8866f68c 100644
--- a/internal/middleware/websocket_origin.go
+++ b/internal/middleware/websocket_origin.go
@@ -10,11 +10,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 // CheckWebSocketOrigin validates browser origins for WebSocket upgrade requests.
-// Non-browser requests are only allowed for trusted node-to-node traffic.
+// Trusted node-to-node traffic (via X-Node-Secret) is always allowed,
+// regardless of the Origin header, because proxied requests carry the
+// browser's original Origin which won't match the downstream node's host.
 func CheckWebSocketOrigin(r *http.Request) bool {
+	if isTrustedNodeRequest(r) {
+		return true
+	}
+
 	origin := strings.TrimSpace(r.Header.Get("Origin"))
 	if origin == "" {
-		return isTrustedNodeRequest(r)
+		return false
 	}
 
 	if requestOrigin, ok := getRequestOrigin(r); ok && sameOrigin(origin, requestOrigin) {
diff --git a/internal/middleware/websocket_origin_test.go b/internal/middleware/websocket_origin_test.go
index a5ed7db0..a8f11f3a 100644
--- a/internal/middleware/websocket_origin_test.go
+++ b/internal/middleware/websocket_origin_test.go
@@ -64,6 +64,20 @@ func TestCheckWebSocketOrigin(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.True(t, CheckWebSocketOrigin(req))
 	})
 
+	t.Run("allows node secret requests with cross-origin (proxy scenario)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		settings.HTTPSettings.WebSocketTrustedOrigins = nil
+		settings.NodeSettings.Secret = "node-secret"
+
+		// Simulates master node proxying WS to child node:
+		// Origin is the browser's master domain, but X-Node-Secret proves it's a trusted proxy.
+		req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "http://127.0.0.1/ws", nil)
+		req.Host = "child-node:9000"
+		req.Header.Set("Origin", "https://master.example.com")
+		req.Header.Set("X-Node-Secret", "node-secret")
+
+		assert.True(t, CheckWebSocketOrigin(req))
+	})
+
 	t.Run("rejects cross site requests", func(t *testing.T) {
 		settings.HTTPSettings.WebSocketTrustedOrigins = nil
 		settings.NodeSettings.Secret = ""