diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8ed6ee1..fd82eb6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Flat, explicit NixOS modules with locked inputs. Required setup belongs here—n
 | `neovim.nix`, `neovim-test.lua` | Unmodified upstream editor deployment and opt-in native runtime audit |
 | `updates.nix`, `update-system.sh`, `update-test.py` | Shared dev-owned checkouts, daily boot-staged updates and failure/concurrency regression tests |
 | `switch-system.sh`, `switch-test.py` | Same installed manual apply/preview command on both hosts, with host identity supplied by Nix |
-| `physical-test.nix`, `tools-test.nix` | Physical/AWS safety, shared-policy assertions and bounded offline tool/help smoke tests |
+| `physical-test.nix`, `tools-test.nix`, `git-credentials-test.nix` | Physical/AWS safety, shared-policy assertions, offline tool/help smoke tests and disposable Git credential-cache checks |
 | `desktop-test.nix`, `desktop-test.py`, `audit-desktop.sh` | Disposable graphical/PAM/audio/scaling audit |
 | `workstation.nix`, `nvidia.nix` | Shared local hardware/SDDM integration for laptop and VM; separate opt-in NVIDIA support |
 | [DESKTOP.md](DESKTOP.md) | Live audit, wallpaper provenance, JaKooLit comparison and explicit feature-completion plan |
@@ -91,6 +91,28 @@ See [DESKTOP.md](DESKTOP.md) for the screenshot-led audit, functional coverage,
 
 These are system-owned executables from Nix, not unmanaged `npm -g`, `pip install --user` or `cargo install` bootstraps. Project dependencies may still be downloaded by their ordinary package managers. `nix develop` / `.envrc` remain appropriate for project-specific versions; this is not a promise that every language project uses the same global toolchain.
 
+### Git credentials: terminal, not a GUI
+
+Git HTTPS authentication uses terminal username/token prompts and Git's native
+**in-memory cache with a 365-day timeout** (`31536000` seconds). Inherited helpers
+are reset, and Git/SSH graphical askpass fallback is disabled for normal terminal
+Git invocations. No credential-manager GUI or plaintext `credential-store` is used.
+Credentials are scoped to the repository path as well as the host.
+
+This is cache retention, **not a new token expiry**: rebooting, stopping the cache
+daemon or rejecting a credential clears it, and the provider can expire/revoke a
+token sooner. A successful re-approval refreshes its cache timeout. Choose a
+one-year token expiry at your Git provider if it supports it; no real credentials
+or provider settings are changed by this configuration. SSH keys/agents and
+KeePassXC's storage for other applications remain unchanged. IDEs or repositories
+that explicitly override Git helpers/askpass can override these user defaults.
+
+To forget all cached Git HTTPS credentials immediately:
+
+```sh
+git credential-cache exit
+```
+
 ### Per-project DeepSeek Harness
 
 [AGENT-VM.md](AGENT-VM.md) documents the project template and `nix run .#agent`.
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 3253fb8..946f5d6 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@
         in
         {
           desktop = import ./desktop-test.nix { inherit inputs pkgs; };
+          git-credentials = import ./git-credentials-test.nix {
+            inherit pkgs;
+            config = inputs.self.nixosConfigurations.nixos.config;
+          };
           tools = import ./tools-test.nix {
             inherit pkgs;
             config = inputs.self.nixosConfigurations.nixos.config;
diff --git a/git-credentials-test.nix b/git-credentials-test.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..864eca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git-credentials-test.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Offline protocol checks using dummy credentials in a disposable HOME only.
+{ config, pkgs }:
+let
+  hm = config.home-manager.users.dev;
+in
+assert
+  hm.programs.git.settings.credential.helper == [
+    ""
+    "cache --timeout=31536000"
+  ];
+assert hm.programs.git.settings.credential.useHttpPath;
+assert hm.programs.git.settings.core.askPass == "";
+assert hm.home.sessionVariables.GIT_ASKPASS == "";
+assert hm.home.sessionVariables.GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT == "1";
+pkgs.runCommand "git-terminal-credentials-check"
+  {
+    nativeBuildInputs = [
+      config.programs.git.package
+      pkgs.coreutils
+      pkgs.gnugrep
+      pkgs.expect
+    ];
+  }
+  ''
+    export HOME="$TMPDIR/home" XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$TMPDIR/home/.config" XDG_CACHE_HOME="$TMPDIR/cache"
+    export GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM=1 GIT_ASKPASS="" GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0
+    mkdir -p "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git"
+    cp ${hm.xdg.configFile."git/config".source} "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/config"
+    test "$(git config --get core.askPass)" = ""
+    git config --get-all credential.helper | grep -qx 'cache --timeout=31536000'
+    trap 'git credential-cache exit' EXIT
+
+    printf 'protocol=https\nhost=git.example.invalid\npath=project.git\nusername=test\npassword=offline-test-token\n\n' |
+      git credential approve
+    printf 'protocol=https\nhost=git.example.invalid\npath=project.git\n\n' |
+      git credential fill > "$TMPDIR/retrieved"
+    grep -qx 'password=offline-test-token' "$TMPDIR/retrieved"
+    test -S "$XDG_CACHE_HOME/git/credential/socket"
+    test ! -e "$HOME/.git-credentials"
+
+    # Even with a GUI fallback in the environment, a cache miss must not invoke it.
+    printf '#!${pkgs.runtimeShell}\ntouch "$TMPDIR/gui-was-used"\necho unwanted\n' > "$TMPDIR/gui-askpass"
+    chmod +x "$TMPDIR/gui-askpass"
+    export SSH_ASKPASS="$TMPDIR/gui-askpass"
+    if printf 'protocol=https\nhost=git.example.invalid\npath=other.git\n\n' | git credential fill; then
+      echo 'Credentials leaked across repository paths' >&2; exit 1
+    fi
+    test ! -e "$TMPDIR/gui-was-used"
+    printf 'protocol=https\nhost=git.example.invalid\npath=project.git\n\n' | git credential reject
+    if printf 'protocol=https\nhost=git.example.invalid\npath=project.git\n\n' | git credential fill; then
+      echo 'Rejected credentials remained cached' >&2; exit 1
+    fi
+    # Exercise genuine /dev/tty entry too, without contacting a Git server.
+    export GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=1
+    expect <<'EXPECT'
+    set timeout 10
+    spawn -noecho git credential fill
+    send -- "protocol=https\rhost=terminal.example.invalid\rpath=project.git\r\r"
+    expect {
+      -exact "Username for 'https://terminal.example.invalid/project.git': " { send -- "terminal-user\r" }
+      timeout { exit 1 }
+      eof { exit 1 }
+    }
+    expect {
+      -exact "Password for 'https://terminal-user@terminal.example.invalid/project.git': " { send -- "offline-tty-token\r" }
+      timeout { exit 1 }
+      eof { exit 1 }
+    }
+    expect {
+      -exact "password=offline-tty-token" { }
+      timeout { exit 1 }
+      eof { exit 1 }
+    }
+    expect eof
+    lassign [wait] pid spawnid os_error status
+    exit $status
+    EXPECT
+    test ! -e "$TMPDIR/gui-was-used"
+    touch "$out"
+  ''
diff --git a/tools.nix b/tools.nix
index 0eaac19..c0c2e59 100644
--- a/tools.nix
+++ b/tools.nix
@@ -235,7 +235,22 @@ in
     programs.git = {
       enable = true;
       package = null; # The system module supplies Git.
-      settings.user.useConfigOnly = true;
+      settings = {
+        user.useConfigOnly = true;
+        core.askPass = ""; # Use /dev/tty, never fall back to SSH's GUI askpass.
+        credential = {
+          # Reset inherited helpers; keep secrets in memory, never plaintext files.
+          helper = [
+            ""
+            "cache --timeout=31536000"
+          ]; # 365 days; cleared on reboot.
+          useHttpPath = true; # Don't reuse a repository token for unrelated paths.
+        };
+      };
+    };
+    home.sessionVariables = {
+      GIT_ASKPASS = "";
+      GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT = "1";
     };
 
     programs.delta = {