diff --git a/docs/skills/k0s-sysext-ops.md b/docs/skills/k0s-sysext-ops.md
index 7b806f8..e6a0127 100644
--- a/docs/skills/k0s-sysext-ops.md
+++ b/docs/skills/k0s-sysext-ops.md
@@ -46,6 +46,33 @@ k0s automatically applies all `.yaml` files under `/var/lib/k0s/manifests/argocd
 k0s kubectl get pods -A
 ```
 
+## Configuring KubeStellar Console OAuth and JWT Secret
+
+By default, the KubeStellar console runs in local development mode without requiring OAuth credentials or a static JWT secret.
+
+To configure production GitHub OAuth credentials and a persistent JWT signing key, apply an operator-provided Secret to the `kubestellar-console` namespace:
+
+```bash
+cat <<'EOF' | k0s kubectl apply -f -
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+  name: kubestellar-console-github-oauth
+  namespace: kubestellar-console
+type: Opaque
+stringData:
+  client-id: "<github-client-id>"
+  client-secret: "<github-client-secret>"
+  jwt-secret: "<random-32-byte-or-longer-secret>"
+EOF
+```
+
+Restart the console deployment to pick up the configured credentials:
+
+```bash
+k0s kubectl rollout restart deployment/kubestellar-console -n kubestellar-console
+```
+
 ## Troubleshooting
 
 - **Extension not merged**: Check `systemd-sysext status`. Verify the persistent image is `/var/lib/k0s/k0s.raw`; the boot activation unit copies it into `/run/extensions/k0s.raw`.
diff --git a/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/01-kubestellar-console-github-oauth.yaml b/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/01-kubestellar-console-github-oauth.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 3e58dc3..0000000
--- a/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/01-kubestellar-console-github-oauth.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-apiVersion: v1
-kind: Namespace
-metadata:
-  name: kubestellar-console
----
-apiVersion: v1
-kind: Secret
-metadata:
-  name: kubestellar-console-github-oauth
-  namespace: kubestellar-console
-type: Opaque
-stringData:
-  client-id: ""
-  client-secret: ""
-  jwt-secret: default-jwt-secret-123456789012345678901234
diff --git a/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/40-kubestellar-console.yaml b/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/40-kubestellar-console.yaml
index fc502bd..76baf7e 100644
--- a/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/40-kubestellar-console.yaml
+++ b/files/k0s/manifests/kubestellar/40-kubestellar-console.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
       - name: console
-        image: ghcr.io/kubestellar/console:v0.3.34
+        # v0.3.34, pinned by digest for supply-chain integrity (same pattern
+        # as the kiosk proxy's nginx image in 41-kubestellar-kiosk-proxy.yaml).
+        image: ghcr.io/kubestellar/console@sha256:f27adaf8d097a5403f60041615525497e0970151fcd10b90b7b6e903b395be32
         env:
         - name: DEV_MODE
           value: "true"
@@ -60,12 +62,19 @@ spec:
               name: kubestellar-console-github-oauth
               key: client-secret
               optional: true
+        # When unset, the image's own start.sh generates a random
+        # openssl rand -hex 32 secret (persisted to $INSTALL_DIR/data/
+        # .jwt_secret so it survives a plain container restart, but lost on
+        # pod recreation since no volume is mounted here) rather than
+        # falling back to an empty or compiled-in default -- verified
+        # against the pinned v0.3.34 tag:
+        # https://github.com/kubestellar/console/blob/v0.3.34/start.sh#L524-L541
         - name: JWT_SECRET
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: kubestellar-console-github-oauth
               key: jwt-secret
-              optional: false
+              optional: true
         ports:
         - containerPort: 8080
           name: http
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_k0s_manifests.py b/tests/unit/test_k0s_manifests.py
index 8e0b7b6..dd7ac49 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_k0s_manifests.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_k0s_manifests.py
@@ -33,3 +33,4 @@ def test_k0s_manifest_files():
     assert (ks_dir / "30-kubestellar-core.yaml").is_file()
     assert (ks_dir / "40-kubestellar-console.yaml").is_file()
     assert (ks_dir / "41-kubestellar-kiosk-proxy.yaml").is_file()
+    assert not (ks_dir / "01-kubestellar-console-github-oauth.yaml").exists()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_kubestellar_kiosk.py b/tests/unit/test_kubestellar_kiosk.py
index 5cffd7e..10546bd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_kubestellar_kiosk.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_kubestellar_kiosk.py
@@ -86,10 +86,13 @@ def test_console_provides_local_and_oauth_login_options() -> None:
     assert "hostPort:" not in console
     assert "name: GITHUB_CLIENT_ID" in console
     assert "name: GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET" in console
+    assert "name: JWT_SECRET" in console
     assert "name: kubestellar-console-github-oauth" in console
     assert "key: client-id" in console
     assert "key: client-secret" in console
+    assert "key: jwt-secret" in console
     assert "optional: true" in console
+    assert "optional: false" not in console
 
 
 def test_proxy_is_the_only_public_console_endpoint() -> None: