diff --git a/services/edge-agent/dist/agent.mjs b/services/edge-agent/dist/agent.mjs
index 2a4c8073..c85c2bcd 100644
--- a/services/edge-agent/dist/agent.mjs
+++ b/services/edge-agent/dist/agent.mjs
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ function buildTransportHeartbeatState(brokerState = {}) {
   };
 }
 
+function isShellAccessEnabled(config = {}) {
+  return config.enableShellAccess === true;
+}
+
 function normalizeBrokerBaseUrl(value) {
   const trimmed = String(value || "").trim().replace(/\/+$/, "");
   if (trimmed === "") {
@@ -1785,6 +1789,10 @@ export async function processPolledShellAction(config, action, shell, fetchImpl
   }
 
   try {
+    if (!isShellAccessEnabled(config)) {
+      throw new Error("Shell access is disabled by local configuration");
+    }
+
     if (actionType === "OPEN") {
       await shell.open(payload);
     } else if (actionType === "INPUT") {
@@ -1919,18 +1927,30 @@ function createBrokerBridge({
         }
 
         if (message.type === "OPEN_ROOT_SHELL") {
+          if (!isShellAccessEnabled(config)) {
+            throw new Error("Shell access is disabled by local configuration");
+          }
           await shell.open(message.payload || {});
           return;
         }
         if (message.type === "SHELL_INPUT") {
+          if (!isShellAccessEnabled(config)) {
+            throw new Error("Shell access is disabled by local configuration");
+          }
           shell.input(message.payload || {});
           return;
         }
         if (message.type === "RESIZE_ROOT_SHELL") {
+          if (!isShellAccessEnabled(config)) {
+            throw new Error("Shell access is disabled by local configuration");
+          }
           shell.resize(message.payload || {});
           return;
         }
         if (message.type === "CLOSE_ROOT_SHELL") {
+          if (!isShellAccessEnabled(config)) {
+            throw new Error("Shell access is disabled by local configuration");
+          }
           shell.close(message.payload || {});
         }
       } catch {
diff --git a/services/edge-agent/test/agent.test.mjs b/services/edge-agent/test/agent.test.mjs
index d3471839..d79ec584 100644
--- a/services/edge-agent/test/agent.test.mjs
+++ b/services/edge-agent/test/agent.test.mjs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   getRelayStatus,
   loadConfig,
   parseCliArgs,
+  processPolledShellAction,
   processPolledCommand,
   runCli,
   runUpdate,
@@ -670,6 +671,7 @@ test("startAgent reports API polling metadata, executes polled commands, and upl
     commandPollRetryDelayMs: 5,
     shellActionPollTimeoutSeconds: 0,
     shellActionPollRetryDelayMs: 5,
+    enableShellAccess: true,
   }));
 
   const heartbeats = [];
@@ -928,6 +930,61 @@ test("startAgent reports API polling metadata, executes polled commands, and upl
   }
 });
 
+test("processPolledShellAction denies shell access when locally disabled", async () => {
+  const submissions = [];
+  const fakeFetch = async (url, options = {}) => {
+    if (/\/shell-actions\/\d+\/result$/.test(String(url))) {
+      submissions.push({ url, body: JSON.parse(options.body) });
+      return {
+        ok: true,
+        async json() {
+          return { data: { acknowledged: true } };
+        },
+      };
+    }
+
+    throw new Error(`Unexpected URL: ${url}`);
+  };
+
+  const shell = {
+    async open() {
+      throw new Error("should not run");
+    },
+    input() {
+      throw new Error("should not run");
+    },
+    resize() {
+      throw new Error("should not run");
+    },
+    close() {
+      throw new Error("should not run");
+    },
+  };
+
+  const result = await processPolledShellAction(
+    {
+      apiUrl: "https://api.example.test",
+      gatewayId: 42,
+      agentToken: "agent-token",
+      enableShellAccess: false,
+    },
+    {
+      id: 501,
+      actionType: "OPEN",
+      payload: {
+        sessionId: 44,
+      },
+    },
+    shell,
+    fakeFetch
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(result.ok, false);
+  assert.match(result.error, /Shell access is disabled/);
+  assert.equal(submissions.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(submissions[0].body.ok, false);
+});
+
 test("status helpers report config without exposing the agent token", async () => {
   const tempDir = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "edge-agent-status-"));
   const configPath = path.join(tempDir, "config.json");