release(v4.2.0): pull-mode streams for browser @shade/files

4.1.0's HTTP RPC for browsers capped at inline payloads (≤ 256 KiB).
4.2.0 unlocks streams: server queues outbound chunks + control
envelopes per peer, browser long-polls the queue. Browser-to-server
writes ride the existing /v1/transfer/<id>/chunk POST routes
unchanged.

For Dispatch this unlocks mod-jar uploads (50 MB) and world-backup
downloads (100+ MB) — the actual reason browser-side @shade/files
matters.

### New API

@shade/sdk:
- shade.transferQueueRoute(opts?) — Hono app with /queue +
  /v1/transfer/* routes. Auto-configures the queue transport.
- shade.configureTransfers extended: transport + envelopeTransport
  override slots; resolveBaseUrl optional when both supplied.

@shade/transfer:
- OutboundQueue — per-peer monotonic event log with long-poll
  semantics, idle-eviction GC, ring-buffered to maxEventsPerPeer.
- QueueTransferTransport — enqueues instead of POSTing.

@shade/files:
- httpClient({ outboundQueueUrl, transferBaseUrl }) — when set,
  starts a long-poll drainer + builds a streams-bridge. fs.read /
  fs.write of >256 KiB work end-to-end.
- startQueueDrainer(shade, opts) — exported helper for advanced
  consumers driving their own drainer.

### Implementation notes

- ClientStreamsBridge's TransformStream had HWM=0 by default which
  stalled the drainer's await chain at chunk 4 (writer.write pended
  before the consumer's reader was attached). Bumped to HWM=64 so
  the receive loop can buffer ahead of the consumer.

### Tests

3 new integration tests in tests/integration/http-rpc-streams.test.ts:
4 MiB streamed read round-trip, inline-only error path, idle-timeout
long-poll behaviour.

Wire-compatible. Source-compatible. Lockstep bump to 4.2.0.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,248 @@ All notable changes to Shade are documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [4.2.0] — 2026-05-03 — Pull-mode streams for browser @shade/files
+
+`4.1.0` shipped HTTP RPC for browser clients but capped them at inline
+payloads (≤ 256 KiB). Larger reads/writes — mod-jars (1–50 MB),
+world-backups (100+ MB), the things that actually need streaming —
+threw `ConflictError` directing callers to the server-to-server
+pathway. That made browser-side `@shade/files` insufficient for
+admin-panel-style apps where the client is a browser tab and the
+server is a Bun process.
+
+`4.2.0` flips the direction: when the browser supplies
+`outboundQueueUrl` + `transferBaseUrl`, server-to-browser chunks +
+control envelopes ride a per-peer queue that the browser long-polls,
+and browser-to-server chunks POST directly to the server's existing
+chunk-receive routes. No WebSockets, no SSE, no inbound listener on
+the browser. Long-polling + a request-response inbound queue is
+the entire wire surface.
+
+### Added
+
+#### `@shade/transfer`
+- `OutboundQueue` — per-peer monotonic event log with long-poll
+  semantics. `enqueue(peer, event)` appends, `drain(peer, since,
+  blockMs, signal)` returns events with `id > since` (blocking up
+  to `blockMs` if none are ready). Idle-eviction GC drops peers
+  that haven't polled in `idleEvictionMs` (default 10 min). Ring-
+  buffered to `maxEventsPerPeer` (default 1000) — overflow drops
+  oldest, receivers pick up the gap via re-resume from `since=0`.
+- `QueuedEvent` discriminated union: `{ kind: 'envelope', bytes }`
+  or `{ kind: 'chunk', bytes, meta: { streamId, laneId, seq } }`.
+- `QueueTransferTransport` (implements `ITransferTransport`) —
+  enqueues outbound chunks instead of POSTing. Returns optimistic
+  `ChunkAck` because the queue *is* the delivery; chunk-resume picks
+  up dropped events on receiver-side reconnect.
+
+#### `@shade/sdk`
+- `Shade.transferQueueRoute(opts?)` — Hono app with all five routes a
+  pull-mode receiver needs:
+  - `POST /queue` — long-poll the per-peer outbound queue.
+  - `POST /v1/transfer/:streamId/chunk` — receive incoming chunks
+    (browser → server writes).
+  - `GET /v1/transfer/:streamId/state` — resume-state lookup.
+  - `POST /v1/transfer/control` — receive incoming control envelopes
+    (browser → server stream-init / abort).
+  - `GET /v1/transfer/health` — peer reachability probe.
+  Auto-configures `shade.configureTransfers(...)` with the queue
+  transport + `QueueEnvelopeTransport` if not already configured.
+- `Shade.configureTransfers(opts)` extended: `resolveBaseUrl` is now
+  optional when `transport` and `envelopeTransport` are both supplied
+  (lets pure-queue servers omit the baseUrl entirely). New
+  `transport?: ITransferTransport` override slot.
+- `QueueEnvelopeTransport` — `ControlEnvelopeTransport` impl that
+  enqueues outbound envelopes for browser receivers.
+
+#### `@shade/files`
+- `createFilesHttpClient` (and `shade.files.httpClient`) accept new
+  options:
+  - `outboundQueueUrl` — `/queue` endpoint to long-poll.
+  - `transferBaseUrl` — base URL for outbound chunk POSTs and control
+    envelope POSTs (browser → server writes).
+  - `queueBlockMs` — long-poll timeout (default 30 s; server clamps
+    at `maxBlockMs`).
+  When set, the client:
+  1. Configures `shade.configureTransfers({ resolveBaseUrl })` so
+     outbound chunks POST to `<transferBaseUrl>/v1/transfer/...`.
+  2. Builds a `ClientStreamsBridge` eagerly so the engine's
+     incoming-transfer subscription is in place before the drainer
+     dispatches the first envelope.
+  3. Starts a long-poll `startQueueDrainer(...)` that pulls queued
+     events and dispatches them via `shade.acceptTransferEnvelope`.
+- Streamed reads (`fs.read` of files > 256 KiB) and streamed writes
+  (`fs.write` of large inputs) now work end-to-end on the browser
+  client when the queue options are set.
+- `startQueueDrainer(shade, opts)` exported for advanced consumers
+  that want to drive their own drainer (e.g. service-worker setups
+  that want a single shared drainer across multiple `httpClient`s).
+- `client.close()` now stops the drainer and tears down the streams-
+  bridge — important on tab unload to free the long-poll socket.
+
+#### `@shade/files` (internal)
+- `ClientStreamsBridge` uses a TransformStream with `highWaterMark:
+  64` instead of the default `0` so the receive-side write loop
+  doesn't stall on backpressure before the consumer attaches its
+  reader (default HWM stalled at chunk 4 in pull-mode where the
+  drainer races the consumer's `getReader()` call).
+
+### Wire contract
+
+```
+POST <base>/queue HTTP/1.1
+X-Shade-Sender-Address: alice@example.com
+{ "since": 42, "blockMs": 30000 }
+
+────
+
+200 OK
+{
+  "events": [
+    { "id": 43, "kind": "envelope", "bytesB64": "...", "timestampMs": 1730... },
+    { "id": 44, "kind": "chunk",    "bytesB64": "...", "meta": { "streamId": "...", "laneId": 0, "seq": 0 } },
+    ...
+  ],
+  "nextSince": 47
+}
+```
+
+### Tests
+
+`tests/integration/http-rpc-streams.test.ts` — three integration tests:
+- 4 MiB streamed read end-to-end via long-poll queue (verifies bytes
+  match the source).
+- Inline-only client throws clear error on streamed read.
+- Long-poll returns empty events on idle timeout (verifies the
+  `blockMs` pathway).
+
+### Migration
+
+`4.1.0 → 4.2.0` is wire-compatible and source-compatible — the
+queue route is purely additive. To enable streamed transfers in a
+browser app:
+
+```ts
+// Server
+const queue = await shade.transferQueueRoute({ blockMs: 30_000 });
+await shade.files.serve(handler);
+const rpc = shade.files.rpcRoute({ acceptFirstMessage: true });
+
+const app = new Hono();
+app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', queue);
+app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', rpc);
+
+// Browser
+const fs = shade.files.httpClient(serverAddress, {
+  rpcUrl: 'https://server/api/v1/shade-files/rpc',
+  outboundQueueUrl: 'https://server/api/v1/shade-files/queue',
+  transferBaseUrl: 'https://server/api/v1/shade-files',
+});
+await fs.write('/mods/some-mod.jar', new Uint8Array(/* 50 MB */));
+const result = await fs.read('/backups/world.tar.gz'); // streamed
+```
+
+`shade.files.serve(handler, { inlineOnly: true })` is still supported
+for HTTP-RPC-without-streams deployments — it skips the streams-bridge
+setup entirely.
+
+## [4.1.0] — 2026-05-03 — Browser-friendly HTTP RPC for @shade/files
+
+The default `shade.files.client(peer)` requires both peers to be
+mutually addressable over HTTP — the response to a `list` / `read` /
+etc. round-trips through `Shade.deliverControlEnvelope`, which POSTs
+to the peer's `/v1/transfer/control` endpoint. **That doesn't work
+for browsers** — a tab can't host an HTTP server, so the server
+cannot call back outbound.
+
+This release ships a parallel request-response transport. One POST per
+RPC, encrypted envelope in the request body, encrypted response in the
+same HTTP response. Mirrors the way `@shade/server`'s
+`shade-auth-middleware` works for prekey writes.
+
+### Added
+
+#### `@shade/files`
+- `createFilesRpcRoute(shade, handler, options?)` — Hono app exposing
+  `POST /rpc`. Reads `X-Shade-Sender-Address`, decrypts the envelope
+  via the existing ratchet session, dispatches through the attached
+  `FileHandler`, encrypts the result, and returns it in the same HTTP
+  response. Transport-level failures (no session, undecryptable, body
+  too big) return JSON `{ error }` with appropriate 4xx; application-
+  level failures ship encrypted `RpcError` envelopes.
+- `createFilesHttpClient(shade, peer, options)` — request-response
+  `FileClient` for browser-style consumers. Each method (list / stat /
+  mkdir / delete / move / getThumbnail / custom / write inline / read
+  inline) does one HTTP POST and parses the encrypted response. No
+  inbound channel required.
+- `shade.files.rpcRoute(opts?)` — namespace-side getter for the route.
+  Throws if no handler has been attached via `shade.files.serve(...)`
+  first.
+- `shade.files.httpClient(peer, opts)` — namespace-side getter for the
+  client.
+- `FilesNamespace.serve(handler, { inlineOnly: true })` — opt-out flag
+  that skips the streams-bridge setup. Required for HTTP-RPC-only
+  servers (which don't need `configureTransfers({ resolveBaseUrl })`).
+  In `inlineOnly` mode the channel-based dispatcher is also not
+  attached, so requests are dispatched only by the rpc-route — avoids
+  double-dispatch when a browser client and a server-to-server client
+  share the same Shade instance.
+- `ShadeBridge` (exported) gains a `receive(peer, envelope)` member
+  matching `Shade.receive` so server-side rpc-route can decrypt
+  inbound envelopes through the structural surface.
+
+### Wire contract
+
+```
+POST /rpc HTTP/1.1
+Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+X-Shade-Sender-Address: alice@example.com
+
+<wire-encoded ShadeEnvelope wrapping JSON-encoded RpcRequest>
+
+────
+
+200 OK
+Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+
+<wire-encoded ShadeEnvelope wrapping JSON-encoded RpcResponse | RpcError>
+```
+
+### Limitations (v1)
+
+- **Inline payloads only** (≤ 256 KiB). `write` of larger inputs
+  throws `ConflictError` directing callers to `shade.files.client(peer)`
+  on a server-to-server deployment. Streamed `read` results throw
+  `InternalFileError` for the same reason.
+- The X3DH first-message must ride the same RPC route — set
+  `acceptFirstMessage: true` on `rpcRoute({ acceptFirstMessage: true })`
+  when the browser client's first-ever call doubles as the handshake.
+
+### Tests
+
+- `tests/integration/http-rpc.test.ts` — round-trip via HTTP
+  (list / mkdir / stat / write / read / delete) plus negative cases
+  (streamed write rejected, missing sender header, empty body, garbage
+  body, body past `maxBodyBytes`, `rpcRoute()` without `serve()`).
+
+### Migration
+
+`4.0.x → 4.1.0` is wire-compatible and source-compatible. The HTTP
+RPC route is purely additive — no existing code path changes. To
+adopt:
+
+```ts
+// server (was)
+await shade.files.serve(handlerConfig);
+
+// server (HTTP-RPC mode)
+await shade.files.serve(handlerConfig, { inlineOnly: true });
+app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', shade.files.rpcRoute());
+
+// browser client
+const fs = shade.files.httpClient(serverAddress, { rpcUrl: '...' });
+```
+
 ## [4.0.2] — 2026-05-03 — Consumer-strict reader-shape fixes
 
 `4.0.1` shipped the `tsc --noEmit` gate that compiles each package

docs/files.md

@@ -53,6 +53,111 @@ if (result.kind === 'inline') console.log(result.bytes.byteLength);
 else for await (const _chunk of /* result.stream */) { /* ... */ }
 ```
 
+## HTTP RPC — browser-friendly request-response (4.1+)
+
+The default `shade.files.client(peer)` requires both peers to be mutually
+addressable over HTTP — the response to a `list`/`read` etc. round-trips
+through `Shade.deliverControlEnvelope`, which POSTs to the peer's
+`/v1/transfer/control` endpoint. **That doesn't work for browsers** —
+a tab can't host an HTTP server, so the server cannot call back outbound.
+
+`@shade/files` 4.1 ships a parallel **request-response** transport that
+lets browser-style clients fully consume the file-RPC surface without
+any inbound channel. It mirrors the way `@shade/server`'s
+`shade-auth-middleware` works: one POST per RPC, encrypted envelope in
+the request body, encrypted response in the same HTTP response.
+
+### Server side — mount the RPC route
+
+```ts
+// 1. Register the file handler. `inlineOnly: true` skips the
+//    streams-bridge (which would require @shade/transfer).
+await shade.files.serve(handlerConfig, { inlineOnly: true });
+
+// 2. Mount the route on your Hono app under any base path.
+app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', shade.files.rpcRoute());
+//                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+//                                         POST <base>/rpc
+```
+
+`rpcRoute()` accepts:
+
+| Option              | Default | Purpose                                                                                            |
+|---------------------|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `maxBodyBytes`      | 1 MiB   | Max request body. The protocol caps inline payloads at 256 KiB; the headroom is for base64 inflation + custom-op envelopes. |
+| `acceptFirstMessage`| `false` | Accept `0x01` PreKeyMessage envelopes — required when the RPC route also doubles as the X3DH handshake (browser's first-ever request). |
+
+### Browser client
+
+```ts
+import { createShade } from '@shade/sdk';
+
+const shade = await createShade({
+  prekeyServer: 'https://shade.example.com',
+  storage: 'memory',
+  address: 'alice@example.com',
+});
+
+const fs = shade.files.httpClient('bob@example.com', {
+  rpcUrl: 'https://dispatch.example.com/api/v1/shade-files/rpc',
+  // Optional: thread CSRF / auth tokens, override fetch, etc.
+  headers: { 'X-CSRF-Token': csrfToken },
+});
+
+await fs.mkdir('/photos');
+await fs.write('/photos/cover.png', new Uint8Array([/* ... */]), {
+  contentType: 'image/png',
+});
+const result = await fs.read('/photos/cover.png');
+```
+
+### What works in HTTP-RPC mode
+
+- `list`, `stat`, `mkdir`, `delete`, `move`, `getThumbnail`, `custom<K>` — full parity.
+- `write` — **inline only** (≤ 256 KiB plaintext). Larger inputs throw `ConflictError`.
+- `read` — **inline only**. If the server returns a streamed `read` result, the client throws `InternalFileError` directing callers to the stateful pathway.
+
+### Wire contract
+
+```
+POST /rpc HTTP/1.1
+Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+X-Shade-Sender-Address: alice@example.com
+
+<wire-encoded ShadeEnvelope (0x01 first-time, 0x02 after) wrapping
+ JSON-encoded RpcRequest>
+
+────
+
+200 OK
+Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+
+<wire-encoded ShadeEnvelope (0x02) wrapping JSON-encoded RpcResponse | RpcError>
+```
+
+Transport-level failures (no session, undecryptable envelope, body too
+big) return JSON `{ "error": "..." }` with appropriate 4xx status.
+Application-level failures (file not found, permission denied) ship
+encrypted `RpcError` envelopes — the client maps them back to typed
+`FileError` subclasses (`NotFoundError`, `ConflictError`, etc.).
+
+### Symmetry with `@shade/server`
+
+The shape mirrors `@shade/server`'s shade-auth-middleware: encrypted
+envelope rides the request body, server decrypts via the existing
+ratchet session, performs the protected operation, returns an encrypted
+envelope in the response. No bidirectional channel required, no
+WebSocket, no SSE.
+
+### When to use which
+
+| Setup                                         | Use                                           |
+|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
+| Browser client ↔ Bun/Hono server              | `httpClient()` + `rpcRoute()`                 |
+| Server ↔ server (both can host HTTP)          | `client()` (default) — supports streams       |
+| Service-worker / extension ↔ server           | `httpClient()` (no inbound listener)          |
+| CLI / daemon ↔ daemon                         | Either; `client()` if you need streams        |
+
 ## Op surface
 
 | Op             | Args                                     | Result                                  |

packages/shade-cli/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/cli",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/cli.ts",
   "bin": {

packages/shade-core/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/core",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-crypto-web/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/crypto-web",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-dashboard/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/dashboard",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",

packages/shade-files/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/files",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-files/src/client/http-client.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,590 @@
+/**
+ * Browser-friendly request-response `FileClient` for `@shade/files`.
+ *
+ * The default `shade.files.client(peer)` ships RPC envelopes via
+ * `Shade.send` + `Shade.deliverControlEnvelope`, which means the
+ * server has to be able to call back outbound to the client. That
+ * doesn't work for browser tabs (no inbound HTTP listener). This
+ * client posts each RPC envelope to a single server endpoint and
+ * reads the encrypted response from the same HTTP response — pure
+ * request-response, no inbound channel required.
+ *
+ * Inline payloads only (≤ 256 KiB). For larger reads/writes, use the
+ * stateful path: `shade.files.client(peer)` server-to-server, with
+ * `@shade/transfer` chunk routes for content I/O.
+ *
+ * @see {@link createFilesRpcRoute} for the matching server-side route.
+ */
+import type { ZodTypeAny } from 'zod';
+import { decodeEnvelope, encodeEnvelope as encodeWireEnvelope } from '@shade/proto';
+import type { ShadeBridge } from '../integration/shade-bridge.js';
+import {
+  encodeEnvelope as encodeRpcEnvelope,
+  tryParseEnvelope,
+} from '../protocol/envelope-codec.js';
+import {
+  KIND_CUSTOM_V1,
+  KIND_DELETE_V1,
+  KIND_GET_THUMBNAIL_V1,
+  KIND_LIST_V1,
+  KIND_MKDIR_V1,
+  KIND_MOVE_V1,
+  KIND_READ_V1,
+  KIND_STAT_V1,
+  KIND_WRITE_V1,
+} from '../protocol/kinds.js';
+import {
+  CustomArgsSchema,
+  CustomResultSchema,
+  DeleteArgsSchema,
+  DeleteResultSchema,
+  GetThumbnailArgsSchema,
+  GetThumbnailResultSchema,
+  ListArgsSchema,
+  ListResultSchema,
+  MkdirArgsSchema,
+  MkdirResultSchema,
+  MoveArgsSchema,
+  MoveResultSchema,
+  ReadArgsSchema,
+  ReadResultSchema,
+  StatArgsSchema,
+  StatResultSchema,
+  WriteArgsSchema,
+  WriteResultSchema,
+  type ListResult,
+  type MkdirResult,
+  type DeleteResult,
+  type MoveResult,
+  type StatResult,
+  type ThumbnailSize,
+  type WriteResult,
+} from '../schemas/ops.js';
+import {
+  fileErrorFromPayload,
+  CancelledError,
+  InternalFileError,
+  ConflictError,
+} from '../schemas/errors.js';
+import { buildRpcRequest } from '../protocol/rpc-builder.js';
+import { decideInline, INLINE_THRESHOLD, type WriteSource } from './inline-threshold.js';
+import { base64ToBytes, bytesToBase64 } from '../protocol/canonical.js';
+import { startQueueDrainer, type QueueDrainerHandle } from './queue-drainer.js';
+import {
+  createClientStreamsBridge,
+  type ClientStreamsBridge,
+} from './streams-bridge.js';
+import type {
+  FileClient,
+  ReadOpts,
+  ReadOutput,
+  ThumbnailResult,
+  WriteOpts,
+  CreateFileClientOptions,
+  BaseOpts,
+} from './client.js';
+
+export interface FilesHttpClientOptions
+  extends Omit<CreateFileClientOptions, 'streamsBridge'> {
+  /**
+   * Server endpoint that hosts `createFilesRpcRoute(...)`. Typically:
+   * `https://server.example.com/api/v1/shade-files/rpc`.
+   */
+  rpcUrl: string;
+  /**
+   * Optional `fetch` override. Defaults to `globalThis.fetch`. Wire a
+   * custom `fetch` to thread auth-cookies, CSRF tokens, or
+   * service-worker interception.
+   */
+  fetch?: typeof globalThis.fetch;
+  /**
+   * Extra HTTP headers applied to every RPC POST. Useful for app-level
+   * auth (CSRF, session cookies via custom header, etc.) — these are
+   * orthogonal to the ratchet authentication on the envelope itself.
+   */
+  headers?: Record<string, string>;
+  /**
+   * Server endpoint that hosts `transferQueueRoute()`'s long-poll
+   * endpoint. Typically:
+   * `https://server.example.com/api/v1/shade-files/queue`.
+   *
+   * When supplied, the client starts a background long-poll that
+   * drains queued envelopes + chunks from the server and dispatches
+   * them via `shade.acceptTransferEnvelope`. This unlocks
+   * **streamed reads** (>256 KiB) for browser-style consumers.
+   */
+  outboundQueueUrl?: string;
+  /**
+   * Base URL for outbound transfer routes (browser → server). Required
+   * alongside `outboundQueueUrl` to enable streamed writes. Typically:
+   * `https://server.example.com/api/v1/shade-files`.
+   *
+   * The client POSTs:
+   *   - chunks to `<base>/v1/transfer/<streamId>/chunk`
+   *   - control envelopes to `<base>/v1/transfer/control`
+   */
+  transferBaseUrl?: string;
+  /**
+   * Long-poll block timeout, milliseconds. Default 30_000. Server
+   * clamps to its own `maxBlockMs` (default 55_000).
+   */
+  queueBlockMs?: number;
+}
+
+interface RoundTripOpts {
+  signal?: AbortSignal;
+  timeoutMs?: number;
+  idempotencyKey?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a request-response `FileClient` bound to `peerAddress` and a
+ * server-side RPC URL. The session must already be established
+ * (via `shade.initSessionFromBundle(peerAddress, bundle)` or an
+ * incoming first-message). Otherwise the first RPC will fail with
+ * "decrypt failed: no session for peer".
+ *
+ * When `outboundQueueUrl` + `transferBaseUrl` are supplied, the
+ * client also unlocks **streamed reads/writes** for files larger than
+ * the inline threshold (256 KiB). The browser polls the server's
+ * outbound queue for chunks/envelopes and POSTs its own outbound
+ * chunks to the server's transfer-receive routes.
+ */
+export function createFilesHttpClient(
+  shade: ShadeBridge,
+  peerAddress: string,
+  options: FilesHttpClientOptions,
+): FileClient {
+  const rpcUrl = options.rpcUrl;
+  const fetchFn = options.fetch ?? globalThis.fetch.bind(globalThis);
+  const extraHeaders = options.headers ?? {};
+  const defaultTimeoutMs = options.defaultTimeoutMs ?? 30_000;
+  const ioTimeoutMs = options.ioTimeoutMs ?? 60_000;
+  const signRequest = options.signRequest;
+  const senderAddress = shade.myAddress;
+
+  // ─── Streamed-mode bootstrap ─────────────────────────────────
+  //
+  // When `outboundQueueUrl` is supplied, the client:
+  //  1. Configures `shade.configureTransfers(...)` so outbound
+  //     chunks POST to `<transferBaseUrl>/v1/transfer/<streamId>/chunk`
+  //     and outbound control envelopes POST to
+  //     `<transferBaseUrl>/v1/transfer/control`.
+  //  2. Spawns a streams-bridge so streamed reads can be awaited.
+  //  3. Starts a long-poll drainer that pulls queued envelopes +
+  //     chunks from the server and dispatches via
+  //     `shade.acceptTransferEnvelope`.
+
+  let drainer: QueueDrainerHandle | null = null;
+  let streamsBridgePromise: Promise<ClientStreamsBridge> | null = null;
+  let streamsBridge: ClientStreamsBridge | null = null;
+
+  if (options.outboundQueueUrl !== undefined) {
+    const outboundQueueUrl = options.outboundQueueUrl;
+    if (options.transferBaseUrl === undefined) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'createFilesHttpClient: outboundQueueUrl was supplied without transferBaseUrl. Pass `transferBaseUrl` (the server prefix that hosts /v1/transfer/...) so outbound chunks have a destination.',
+      );
+    }
+    if (shade.configureTransfers === undefined) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'createFilesHttpClient: shade.configureTransfers is required for streamed mode (the underlying ShadeBridge must surface it).',
+      );
+    }
+    const transferBaseUrl = options.transferBaseUrl.replace(/\/$/, '');
+    shade.configureTransfers({
+      resolveBaseUrl: async (peer) => {
+        if (peer !== peerAddress) {
+          throw new Error(
+            `httpClient is bound to peer "${peerAddress}" — refusing to resolve outgoing chunks for "${peer}" without a multi-peer registry. Use shade.files.client(peer) for server-to-server multi-peer.`,
+          );
+        }
+        return transferBaseUrl;
+      },
+    });
+    // Build the streams-bridge eagerly. The engine's incoming-transfer
+    // subscription has to be in place BEFORE the drainer dispatches the
+    // first stream-init envelope, otherwise the engine emits the
+    // IncomingTransfer to zero handlers and the read silently never
+    // accepts. We kick off the drainer once the bridge has subscribed.
+    streamsBridgePromise = createClientStreamsBridge(shade).then((bridge) => {
+      streamsBridge = bridge;
+      drainer = startQueueDrainer(shade, {
+        outboundQueueUrl,
+        peerAddress,
+        senderAddress,
+        ...(options.fetch !== undefined ? { fetch: options.fetch } : {}),
+        ...(options.headers !== undefined ? { headers: options.headers } : {}),
+        ...(options.queueBlockMs !== undefined ? { blockMs: options.queueBlockMs } : {}),
+      });
+      return bridge;
+    });
+    // Surface bridge-construction failures eagerly via a rejected
+    // promise the next read/write picks up.
+    streamsBridgePromise.catch(() => {
+      /* observed via getStreamsBridge() */
+    });
+  }
+
+  async function getStreamsBridge(): Promise<ClientStreamsBridge> {
+    if (streamsBridge !== null) return streamsBridge;
+    if (streamsBridgePromise === null) {
+      throw new ConflictError(
+        `http RPC client supports inline writes/reads only (≤ ${INLINE_THRESHOLD} bytes) — pass { outboundQueueUrl, transferBaseUrl } to enable streamed transfers.`,
+      );
+    }
+    streamsBridge = await streamsBridgePromise;
+    return streamsBridge;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Encrypt + POST + decrypt + parse one RPC round-trip.
+   *
+   * Throws a typed `FileError` subclass when the server returns an
+   * encrypted `RpcError`, or `InternalFileError` for transport-level
+   * failures (network, 4xx/5xx, malformed body).
+   */
+  async function roundTrip<TResult>(
+    kind: string,
+    op: 'list' | 'stat' | 'mkdir' | 'delete' | 'move' | 'read' | 'write' | 'getThumbnail' | 'custom',
+    args: unknown,
+    resultSchema: ZodTypeAny,
+    opts: RoundTripOpts | undefined,
+  ): Promise<TResult> {
+    const requestEnv = await buildRpcRequest({
+      senderAddress,
+      kind,
+      op,
+      args,
+      ...(opts?.idempotencyKey !== undefined ? { idempotencyKey: opts.idempotencyKey } : {}),
+      ...(signRequest !== undefined ? { signRequest } : {}),
+    });
+
+    const plaintext = encodeRpcEnvelope(requestEnv);
+    const ratchetEnvelope = await shade.send(peerAddress, plaintext);
+    const wireBytes = encodeWireEnvelope(ratchetEnvelope);
+
+    const ac = new AbortController();
+    const timeoutMs = opts?.timeoutMs ?? defaultTimeoutMs;
+    const timer = setTimeout(
+      () => ac.abort(new Error(`RPC timeout after ${timeoutMs}ms`)),
+      timeoutMs,
+    );
+    (timer as unknown as { unref?: () => void }).unref?.();
+    if (opts?.signal !== undefined) {
+      const userSignal = opts.signal;
+      if (userSignal.aborted) ac.abort(userSignal.reason);
+      else userSignal.addEventListener('abort', () => ac.abort(userSignal.reason), { once: true });
+    }
+
+    let response: Response;
+    try {
+      // Wrap the wire bytes in a Blob so the body type satisfies the
+      // common-denominator `BodyInit` across DOM, Bun, and node-fetch
+      // (some runtimes accept `Uint8Array` directly, others don't).
+      // Cast through `unknown` because TS's `bun-types` and `lib.dom`
+      // disagree about whether `Uint8Array<ArrayBufferLike>` is itself
+      // a `BlobPart`; the runtime accepts it on every platform.
+      response = await fetchFn(rpcUrl, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        body: new Blob([wireBytes as unknown as ArrayBuffer]),
+        signal: ac.signal,
+        headers: {
+          'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream',
+          'X-Shade-Sender-Address': senderAddress,
+          ...extraHeaders,
+        },
+      });
+    } catch (err) {
+      clearTimeout(timer);
+      if ((err as Error).name === 'AbortError') {
+        throw new CancelledError(`RPC ${kind} aborted: ${(err as Error).message}`);
+      }
+      throw new InternalFileError(`RPC ${kind} fetch failed: ${(err as Error).message}`);
+    }
+    clearTimeout(timer);
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      let body: { error?: string } | null = null;
+      try {
+        body = (await response.json()) as { error?: string };
+      } catch {
+        /* server emitted non-JSON body */
+      }
+      throw new InternalFileError(
+        `RPC ${kind} → ${response.status} ${response.statusText}: ${
+          body?.error ?? '(no error body)'
+        }`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    const ab = await response.arrayBuffer();
+    if (ab.byteLength === 0) {
+      throw new InternalFileError(`RPC ${kind}: empty response body`);
+    }
+
+    let responseRatchet;
+    try {
+      responseRatchet = decodeEnvelope(new Uint8Array(ab));
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new InternalFileError(
+        `RPC ${kind}: response body is not a valid wire envelope: ${(err as Error).message}`,
+      );
+    }
+    let responsePlaintext: string;
+    try {
+      responsePlaintext = await shade.receive(peerAddress, responseRatchet);
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new InternalFileError(
+        `RPC ${kind}: response decrypt failed: ${(err as Error).message}`,
+      );
+    }
+    const classified = tryParseEnvelope(responsePlaintext);
+    if (classified === null) {
+      throw new InternalFileError(
+        `RPC ${kind}: response plaintext is not a valid @shade/files envelope`,
+      );
+    }
+    if (classified.kind === 'error') {
+      throw fileErrorFromPayload(classified.envelope.error);
+    }
+    if (classified.kind !== 'response') {
+      throw new InternalFileError(
+        `RPC ${kind}: unexpected response envelope kind: ${classified.kind}`,
+      );
+    }
+    if (classified.envelope.id !== requestEnv.id) {
+      throw new InternalFileError(
+        `RPC ${kind}: response correlation id mismatch (got ${classified.envelope.id}, expected ${requestEnv.id})`,
+      );
+    }
+    return resultSchema.parse(classified.envelope.result) as TResult;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    async list(path, opts): Promise<ListResult> {
+      const args = ListArgsSchema.parse({
+        path,
+        ...(opts?.cursor !== undefined ? { cursor: opts.cursor } : {}),
+        ...(opts?.pageSize !== undefined ? { pageSize: opts.pageSize } : {}),
+        ...(opts?.filter !== undefined ? { filter: opts.filter } : {}),
+      });
+      return await roundTrip<ListResult>(
+        KIND_LIST_V1,
+        'list',
+        args,
+        ListResultSchema,
+        opts,
+      );
+    },
+
+    async stat(path, opts): Promise<StatResult> {
+      const args = StatArgsSchema.parse({ path });
+      return await roundTrip<StatResult>(KIND_STAT_V1, 'stat', args, StatResultSchema, opts);
+    },
+
+    async mkdir(path, opts): Promise<MkdirResult> {
+      const args = MkdirArgsSchema.parse({
+        path,
+        ...(opts?.recursive !== undefined ? { recursive: opts.recursive } : {}),
+      });
+      return await roundTrip<MkdirResult>(
+        KIND_MKDIR_V1,
+        'mkdir',
+        args,
+        MkdirResultSchema,
+        opts,
+      );
+    },
+
+    async delete(path, opts): Promise<DeleteResult> {
+      const args = DeleteArgsSchema.parse({
+        path,
+        ...(opts?.recursive !== undefined ? { recursive: opts.recursive } : {}),
+      });
+      return await roundTrip<DeleteResult>(
+        KIND_DELETE_V1,
+        'delete',
+        args,
+        DeleteResultSchema,
+        opts,
+      );
+    },
+
+    async move(src, dst, opts): Promise<MoveResult> {
+      const args = MoveArgsSchema.parse({
+        src,
+        dst,
+        ...(opts?.overwrite !== undefined ? { overwrite: opts.overwrite } : {}),
+      });
+      return await roundTrip<MoveResult>(KIND_MOVE_V1, 'move', args, MoveResultSchema, opts);
+    },
+
+    async read(path, opts: ReadOpts = {}): Promise<ReadOutput> {
+      const args = ReadArgsSchema.parse({
+        path,
+        ...(opts.range !== undefined ? { range: opts.range } : {}),
+        ...(opts.preferInline !== undefined ? { preferInline: opts.preferInline } : {}),
+      });
+      const wire = await roundTrip<import('../schemas/ops.js').ReadResult>(
+        KIND_READ_V1,
+        'read',
+        args,
+        ReadResultSchema,
+        opts,
+      );
+      if (wire.kind === 'inline') {
+        const bytes = base64ToBytes(wire.bytesB64);
+        const out: ReadOutput = {
+          kind: 'inline',
+          bytes,
+          size: wire.size,
+          sha256: wire.sha256,
+          ...(wire.contentType !== undefined ? { contentType: wire.contentType } : {}),
+        };
+        return out;
+      }
+      // Streamed read — only supported when the queue drainer is wired.
+      if (drainer === null) {
+        throw new InternalFileError(
+          `http RPC client received a streamed read (size ${wire.size}) but is in inline-only mode. Pass { outboundQueueUrl, transferBaseUrl } when constructing the client to enable streamed reads.`,
+        );
+      }
+      const bridge = await getStreamsBridge();
+      const bridgeSignal = opts.signal ?? new AbortController().signal;
+      const parked = await bridge.awaitRead(wire.streamId, {
+        expectedFrom: peerAddress,
+        signal: bridgeSignal,
+        timeoutMs: ioTimeoutMs,
+      });
+      const out: ReadOutput = {
+        kind: 'streams',
+        stream: parked.readable,
+        size: wire.size,
+        sha256: wire.sha256,
+        ...(wire.contentType !== undefined ? { contentType: wire.contentType } : {}),
+        done: async () => {
+          await parked.done;
+        },
+      };
+      return out;
+    },
+
+    async write(path, input: WriteSource, opts: WriteOpts = {}): Promise<WriteResult> {
+      const decision = await decideInline(input);
+      const overwrite = opts.overwrite ?? false;
+      const contentType = opts.contentType ?? decision.contentType;
+
+      if (decision.kind === 'inline' || opts.forceInline === true) {
+        const bytes = decision.kind === 'inline' ? decision.bytes : null;
+        if (bytes === null) {
+          // forceInline === true with a streams-typed decision —
+          // decideInline always produced a `streams` shape because the
+          // input was a bare ReadableStream. We can't drain a stream
+          // synchronously here without a streams-bridge.
+          throw new ConflictError(
+            'http RPC client cannot forceInline a streamed input — pass a Uint8Array / Blob, or pre-buffer the stream.',
+          );
+        }
+        if (bytes.byteLength > INLINE_THRESHOLD) {
+          throw new ConflictError(
+            `inline write exceeds ${INLINE_THRESHOLD}-byte threshold (got ${bytes.byteLength}); pass forceInline=true to override`,
+          );
+        }
+        const args = WriteArgsSchema.parse({
+          kind: 'inline',
+          path,
+          bytesB64: bytesToBase64(bytes),
+          ...(contentType !== undefined ? { contentType } : {}),
+          overwrite,
+        });
+        return await roundTrip<WriteResult>(
+          KIND_WRITE_V1,
+          'write',
+          args,
+          WriteResultSchema,
+          opts,
+        );
+      }
+
+      // Streamed write — requires the queue drainer + streams-bridge.
+      if (drainer === null) {
+        throw new ConflictError(
+          `http RPC client supports inline writes only (≤ ${INLINE_THRESHOLD} bytes). The supplied input was promoted to streams (size ${decision.size ?? 'unknown'}). Pass { outboundQueueUrl, transferBaseUrl } to enable streamed writes.`,
+        );
+      }
+      const bridge = await getStreamsBridge();
+      const size = decision.size;
+      if (size === undefined) {
+        throw new ConflictError(
+          'streams write requires a known plaintext size; pass `{ stream, size }` instead of a bare ReadableStream',
+        );
+      }
+      const { writeId, handle } = await bridge.initiateWrite({
+        peer: peerAddress,
+        stream: decision.stream,
+        size,
+        ...(contentType !== undefined ? { contentType } : {}),
+        name: path,
+        ...(opts.signal !== undefined ? { signal: opts.signal } : {}),
+      });
+      const args = WriteArgsSchema.parse({
+        kind: 'streams',
+        path,
+        size,
+        ...(contentType !== undefined ? { contentType } : {}),
+        overwrite,
+        writeId,
+      });
+      try {
+        const [result] = await Promise.all([
+          roundTrip<WriteResult>(KIND_WRITE_V1, 'write', args, WriteResultSchema, opts),
+          handle.done(),
+        ]);
+        return result;
+      } catch (err) {
+        await handle.abort('rpc-failed').catch(() => undefined);
+        throw err;
+      }
+    },
+
+    async getThumbnail(path, size: ThumbnailSize, opts): Promise<ThumbnailResult> {
+      const args = GetThumbnailArgsSchema.parse({
+        path,
+        size,
+        ...(opts?.format !== undefined ? { format: opts.format } : {}),
+      });
+      const raw = await roundTrip<import('../schemas/ops.js').GetThumbnailResult>(
+        KIND_GET_THUMBNAIL_V1,
+        'getThumbnail',
+        args,
+        GetThumbnailResultSchema,
+        opts,
+      );
+      return {
+        bytes: base64ToBytes(raw.bytesB64),
+        format: raw.format,
+        width: raw.width,
+        height: raw.height,
+        sha256: raw.sha256,
+      };
+    },
+
+    async custom(name, args, opts?: BaseOpts): Promise<unknown> {
+      const wireArgs = CustomArgsSchema.parse({ name, args });
+      return await roundTrip(KIND_CUSTOM_V1, 'custom', wireArgs, CustomResultSchema, opts);
+    },
+
+    close(): void {
+      // Stop the long-poll drainer + tear down the streams-bridge if
+      // we built one. Idempotent — safe to call multiple times.
+      drainer?.stop();
+      drainer = null;
+      if (streamsBridge !== null) {
+        void streamsBridge.destroy().catch(() => undefined);
+        streamsBridge = null;
+      }
+      streamsBridgePromise = null;
+    },
+  } as FileClient;
+}

packages/shade-files/src/client/queue-drainer.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+/**
+ * Browser-side drainer for the pull-mode outbound queue.
+ *
+ * Background task that long-polls the server's `/queue` endpoint,
+ * decodes each event, and dispatches it into the consumer's Shade
+ * instance via `shade.acceptTransferEnvelope`. Same wire-shape as the
+ * server-to-server case where the engine receives chunks via direct
+ * HTTP POSTs — we just flip the direction so the browser pulls
+ * instead of accepts.
+ */
+import type { ShadeBridge } from '../integration/shade-bridge.js';
+
+export interface QueueDrainerOptions {
+  /**
+   * Server endpoint that hosts `transferQueueRoute()`. Typically:
+   * `https://server.example.com/api/v1/shade-files/queue`.
+   */
+  outboundQueueUrl: string;
+  /** Peer the queue is pulled FROM (the server's address). */
+  peerAddress: string;
+  /** Address we identify ourselves with on the long-poll. */
+  senderAddress: string;
+  /** Optional `fetch` override. Default `globalThis.fetch`. */
+  fetch?: typeof globalThis.fetch;
+  /** Extra headers applied to every poll request. */
+  headers?: Record<string, string>;
+  /**
+   * Long-poll request timeout (server-side block). Default 30_000.
+   * Server clamps to its own `maxBlockMs` (default 55_000).
+   */
+  blockMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Backoff after a network error before re-polling. Default 2_000.
+   * Doubles up to `maxBackoffMs` on consecutive failures.
+   */
+  initialBackoffMs?: number;
+  maxBackoffMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Called when a poll cycle fails. Defaults to logging via `console.error`.
+   * Throwing from this hook does NOT stop the drainer — it backs off
+   * and retries.
+   */
+  onError?: (err: unknown) => void;
+}
+
+export interface QueueDrainerHandle {
+  /** Stop the drainer. Pending fetch is aborted; the loop exits. */
+  stop(): void;
+  /** Promise that resolves once the drainer has fully stopped. */
+  stopped: Promise<void>;
+}
+
+interface PolledEvent {
+  id: number;
+  timestampMs: number;
+  kind: 'envelope' | 'chunk';
+  bytesB64: string;
+  meta?: { streamId: string; laneId: number; seq: number };
+}
+
+interface PollResponseBody {
+  events: PolledEvent[];
+  nextSince: number;
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_BLOCK_MS = 30_000;
+const DEFAULT_INITIAL_BACKOFF_MS = 2_000;
+const DEFAULT_MAX_BACKOFF_MS = 30_000;
+
+/**
+ * Start a long-poll loop that drains queued envelopes + chunks from
+ * the server and dispatches them into the local Shade instance.
+ *
+ * Returns a handle the caller can use to stop the drainer when the
+ * `httpClient` is closed (e.g. on tab unload).
+ */
+export function startQueueDrainer(
+  shade: ShadeBridge,
+  options: QueueDrainerOptions,
+): QueueDrainerHandle {
+  if (shade.acceptTransferEnvelope === undefined) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'startQueueDrainer: shade.acceptTransferEnvelope is required for pull-mode streams. The supplied ShadeBridge implementation must surface it.',
+    );
+  }
+  const accept = shade.acceptTransferEnvelope.bind(shade);
+  const fetchFn = options.fetch ?? globalThis.fetch.bind(globalThis);
+  const blockMs = options.blockMs ?? DEFAULT_BLOCK_MS;
+  const onError = options.onError ?? ((err: unknown) => console.error('[shade.files queue-drainer]', err));
+  const initialBackoffMs = options.initialBackoffMs ?? DEFAULT_INITIAL_BACKOFF_MS;
+  const maxBackoffMs = options.maxBackoffMs ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BACKOFF_MS;
+  const ac = new AbortController();
+  let stopped = false;
+  let resolveStopped!: () => void;
+  const stoppedPromise = new Promise<void>((r) => {
+    resolveStopped = r;
+  });
+
+  void (async () => {
+    let since = 0;
+    let backoff = initialBackoffMs;
+    while (!stopped) {
+      try {
+        const response = await fetchFn(options.outboundQueueUrl, {
+          method: 'POST',
+          signal: ac.signal,
+          headers: {
+            'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+            'X-Shade-Sender-Address': options.senderAddress,
+            ...(options.headers ?? {}),
+          },
+          body: JSON.stringify({ since, blockMs }),
+        });
+        if (!response.ok) {
+          throw new Error(`queue poll → ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`);
+        }
+        const body = (await response.json()) as PollResponseBody;
+        if (Array.isArray(body.events) && body.events.length > 0) {
+          for (const event of body.events) {
+            if (stopped) break;
+            try {
+              const bytes = base64ToBytes(event.bytesB64);
+              await accept(options.peerAddress, bytes);
+            } catch (err) {
+              // Per-event dispatch failure should not kill the loop —
+              // resume picks up missing chunks via @shade/transfer's
+              // built-in lane-resume protocol.
+              onError(err);
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        since = typeof body.nextSince === 'number' ? body.nextSince : since;
+        backoff = initialBackoffMs;
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (stopped || ac.signal.aborted) break;
+        onError(err);
+        // Exponential backoff with jitter — caps at maxBackoffMs.
+        const jitter = Math.floor(Math.random() * Math.min(backoff, 1_000));
+        await new Promise<void>((r) => {
+          const t = setTimeout(r, backoff + jitter);
+          (t as unknown as { unref?: () => void }).unref?.();
+          ac.signal.addEventListener(
+            'abort',
+            () => {
+              clearTimeout(t);
+              r();
+            },
+            { once: true },
+          );
+        });
+        backoff = Math.min(maxBackoffMs, backoff * 2);
+      }
+    }
+    resolveStopped();
+  })();
+
+  return {
+    stop(): void {
+      if (stopped) return;
+      stopped = true;
+      ac.abort(new Error('queue drainer stopped'));
+    },
+    stopped: stoppedPromise,
+  };
+}
+
+function base64ToBytes(b64: string): Uint8Array {
+  const bin = atob(b64);
+  const out = new Uint8Array(bin.length);
+  for (let i = 0; i < bin.length; i++) out[i] = bin.charCodeAt(i);
+  return out;
+}

packages/shade-files/src/client/streams-bridge.ts

@@ -102,7 +102,16 @@ export async function createClientStreamsBridge(
     const readStreamId = incoming.metadata.userMetadata?.[META_KEY_READ_STREAM_ID];
     if (readStreamId === undefined) return;
 
-    const ts = new TransformStream<Uint8Array, Uint8Array>();
+    // Generous HWM so the receiver-side write loop (drainer →
+    // engine.receiveChunk → sink.write) doesn't stall on backpressure
+    // before the consumer's reader is wired up. The reader still
+    // applies its own backpressure once it's consuming, but we no
+    // longer race fs.read's await on stream-init against the consumer
+    // attaching its reader.
+    const ts = new TransformStream<Uint8Array, Uint8Array>(undefined, undefined, {
+      highWaterMark: 64,
+      size: (chunk?: Uint8Array) => (chunk === undefined ? 0 : 1),
+    });
     let handle: TransferHandle;
     try {
       handle = await incoming.accept({

packages/shade-files/src/index.ts

@@ -183,6 +183,24 @@ export { MAX_SIGNATURE_AGE_MS } from './server/handler.js';
 export { createFilesNamespace } from './integration/files-namespace.js';
 export type { FilesNamespace } from './integration/files-namespace.js';
 
+// Request-response HTTP transport — for browser-style consumers
+// (one HTTP POST per RPC, no inbound channel needed). See
+// `docs/files.md § HTTP RPC`.
+export { createFilesRpcRoute } from './server/rpc-route.js';
+export type { FilesRpcRouteOptions } from './server/rpc-route.js';
+export { createFilesHttpClient } from './client/http-client.js';
+export type { FilesHttpClientOptions } from './client/http-client.js';
+export { startQueueDrainer } from './client/queue-drainer.js';
+export type {
+  QueueDrainerHandle,
+  QueueDrainerOptions,
+} from './client/queue-drainer.js';
+
+// Shared structural surface @shade/files needs from a Shade instance —
+// exposed so consumers building custom Shade-shaped bridges can verify
+// they implement every required member.
+export type { ShadeBridge } from './integration/shade-bridge.js';
+
 // Integration helpers — wire handler + pending registry onto a channel
 export { attachFileHandler } from './integration/wire-server.js';
 export { attachClientRouting } from './integration/wire-client.js';

packages/shade-files/src/integration/files-namespace.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * so a single Shade can simultaneously serve files AND consume them from
  * peers without paying the setup cost twice.
  */
+import type { Hono } from 'hono';
 import type { ShadeBridge } from './shade-bridge.js';
 import {
   attachClientRouting,
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@ import {
   createClientStreamsBridge,
   createFileClient,
   createFileHandler,
+  createFilesHttpClient,
+  createFilesRpcRoute,
   createServerStreamsBridge,
   PendingRpcRegistry,
   ShadeFileRpcChannel,
@@ -19,22 +22,79 @@ import {
   type FileClient,
   type FileHandler,
   type FileHandlerConfig,
+  type FilesHttpClientOptions,
+  type FilesRpcRouteOptions,
   type ServerStreamsBridge,
 } from '../index.js';
 import { IdempotencyCache } from '../server/idempotency-cache.js';
 
+export interface ServeOptions {
+  /**
+   * Skip the streams bridge setup. Required for deployments that only
+   * use the HTTP RPC route ({@link FilesNamespace.rpcRoute}) — those
+   * deployments don't need to configure `@shade/transfer` because the
+   * RPC route only services inline payloads (≤ 256 KiB). Without this
+   * flag, `serve()` calls `createServerStreamsBridge(shade)` which
+   * eagerly instantiates the transfer engine and fails when
+   * `configureTransfers({ resolveBaseUrl })` has not been called.
+   *
+   * Default: `false` (build the streams bridge — full server-to-server
+   * stack with streamed reads/writes).
+   */
+  inlineOnly?: boolean;
+}
+
 export interface FilesNamespace {
   /**
    * Register a file handler. Throws if a handler is already attached on
    * this Shade — only one server per Shade. The returned function detaches
    * the handler and tears down its idempotency / retention timers.
+   *
+   * Pass `{ inlineOnly: true }` for HTTP-RPC-only deployments to skip
+   * the streams-bridge setup (and the implied `configureTransfers`
+   * pre-condition).
    */
-  serve(handler: FileHandlerConfig): Promise<() => Promise<void>>;
+  serve(
+    handler: FileHandlerConfig,
+    options?: ServeOptions,
+  ): Promise<() => Promise<void>>;
   /**
    * Build a typed file client for `peer`. Multiple concurrent clients to
    * different peers share the same channel + streams bridge.
+   *
+   * Use this for **server-to-server** deployments where both peers can
+   * receive inbound HTTP. For browser clients (no inbound listener),
+   * use {@link httpClient} instead.
    */
   client(peer: string, opts?: Omit<CreateFileClientOptions, 'streamsBridge'>): Promise<FileClient>;
+  /**
+   * Build a request-response `FileClient` for browser-style consumers.
+   * Each RPC is one HTTP POST to the supplied `rpcUrl`; the encrypted
+   * response rides back in the same response body. No inbound channel
+   * required on the client side.
+   *
+   * Inline payloads only (≤ 256 KiB). Streamed reads/writes throw a
+   * clear error directing callers to {@link client} instead.
+   *
+   * Pre-condition: the session for `peer` must already be established
+   * (typically via `shade.initSessionFromBundle(peer, bundle)`).
+   */
+  httpClient(peer: string, opts: FilesHttpClientOptions): FileClient;
+  /**
+   * Mount the server-side request-response RPC route. Returns a Hono
+   * app exposing `POST /rpc` that accepts encrypted file-RPC envelopes
+   * and returns encrypted responses in the same HTTP roundtrip.
+   *
+   * Mount under any base path:
+   * ```ts
+   * app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', shade.files.rpcRoute());
+   * ```
+   *
+   * Requires `shade.files.serve(...)` to have been called first —
+   * the route dispatches incoming requests through the attached
+   * handler.
+   */
+  rpcRoute(opts?: FilesRpcRouteOptions): Hono;
   /** Tear down channel + bridges. After destroy(), serve()/client() throw. */
   destroy(): Promise<void>;
 }
@@ -71,24 +131,39 @@ export function createFilesNamespace(shade: ShadeBridge): FilesNamespace {
   }
 
   return {
-    async serve(handlerConfig) {
+    async serve(handlerConfig, options = {}) {
       ensureAlive();
       if (state.serverHandler !== null) {
         throw new Error('FilesNamespace: a handler is already registered (one per Shade)');
       }
-      // Lazy server-side streams bridge.
-      if (state.serverBridge === null) {
+      // Lazy server-side streams bridge — skip when the deployment is
+      // HTTP-RPC-only and does not need `@shade/transfer` wired up.
+      if (!options.inlineOnly && state.serverBridge === null) {
         state.serverBridge = await createServerStreamsBridge(shade);
       }
       const inheritedObservability = shade.getObservability?.();
       const handler = createFileHandler(shade, {
         ...handlerConfig,
-        streamsBridge: state.serverBridge,
+        ...(state.serverBridge !== null
+          ? { streamsBridge: state.serverBridge }
+          : {}),
         ...(handlerConfig.observability === undefined && inheritedObservability !== undefined
           ? { observability: inheritedObservability }
           : {}),
       });
-      const detach = attachFileHandler(state.channel, handler);
+      // In inlineOnly mode, the rpc-route is the sole inbound path —
+      // do NOT also subscribe the channel's onMessage handler to this
+      // file handler, because that would cause every incoming request
+      // to be dispatched twice (once by the rpc-route's direct call,
+      // once by the channel's onMessage handler) and the channel-side
+      // response would attempt an outbound POST via
+      // `deliverControlEnvelope`, which is exactly the path that fails
+      // for browser clients.
+      const detach: () => void = options.inlineOnly
+        ? () => {
+            /* no channel subscription to detach */
+          }
+        : attachFileHandler(state.channel, handler);
       state.serverHandler = handler;
       state.serverDetach = detach;
 
@@ -131,6 +206,21 @@ export function createFilesNamespace(shade: ShadeBridge): FilesNamespace {
       });
     },
 
+    httpClient(peer, opts) {
+      ensureAlive();
+      return createFilesHttpClient(shade, peer, opts);
+    },
+
+    rpcRoute(opts = {}) {
+      ensureAlive();
+      if (state.serverHandler === null) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'FilesNamespace.rpcRoute(): no handler attached. Call shade.files.serve(...) before mounting the RPC route.',
+        );
+      }
+      return createFilesRpcRoute(shade, state.serverHandler, opts);
+    },
+
     async destroy() {
       if (state.destroyed) return;
       state.destroyed = true;

packages/shade-files/src/integration/shade-bridge.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ export interface ShadeBridge {
   /** Encrypt + send `plaintext` to `peer`; returns the wire envelope. */
   send(peer: string, plaintext: string): Promise<ShadeEnvelope>;
 
+  /**
+   * Decrypt an inbound envelope from `peer` and return the plaintext.
+   * Used by the request-response RPC route on the server side.
+   */
+  receive(peer: string, envelope: ShadeEnvelope): Promise<string>;
+
   /**
    * Subscribe to incoming ratchet plaintext. Returns an unsubscribe.
    * Handlers may be sync or async; async handlers are awaited in
@@ -64,4 +70,25 @@ export interface ShadeBridge {
 
   /** Optional control-envelope passthrough used by the WebRTC bridge. */
   deliverControlEnvelope?(peer: string, envelope: ShadeEnvelope): Promise<void>;
+
+  /**
+   * Hand a freshly-decoded wire envelope (control or chunk) to the
+   * transfer engine. Required by the pull-mode HTTP client when it
+   * drains queued events from the server: each polled chunk / control
+   * envelope is dispatched here so the engine sees it just as if it
+   * had arrived via an HTTP POST on `/v1/transfer/...`.
+   */
+  acceptTransferEnvelope?(from: string, env: ShadeEnvelope | Uint8Array): Promise<void>;
+
+  /**
+   * Configure the transfer stack. Called by the pull-mode HTTP client
+   * to point the browser's outgoing chunks + control envelopes at the
+   * server's transferQueueRoute mount. Optional because the
+   * server-to-server path uses a separate, app-driven configuration.
+   */
+  configureTransfers?(opts: {
+    resolveBaseUrl?: (peerAddress: string) => Promise<string>;
+    transport?: unknown;
+    envelopeTransport?: unknown;
+  }): void;
 }

packages/shade-files/src/protocol/rpc-builder.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+/**
+ * Shared RPC-request construction.
+ *
+ * Both the channel-based `FileClient` (`createFileClient`) and the
+ * HTTP-based `FilesHttpClient` build identical `RpcRequest` envelopes
+ * — they differ only in *transport* (channel.send → ratchet via
+ * Shade.send/onMessage vs HTTP POST → ratchet via single
+ * request-response). This module is the single source of truth for
+ * the wire shape so the two clients can never drift.
+ */
+import type { ZodTypeAny } from 'zod';
+import {
+  KIND_DELETE_V1,
+  KIND_GET_THUMBNAIL_V1,
+  KIND_LIST_V1,
+  KIND_MKDIR_V1,
+  KIND_MOVE_V1,
+  KIND_READ_V1,
+  KIND_STAT_V1,
+  KIND_WRITE_V1,
+  MUTATION_OPS,
+  type StandardOp,
+} from './kinds.js';
+import { generateIdempotencyKey, generateRequestId } from './correlate.js';
+import { canonicalRpcBytes, hashArgs } from './canonical.js';
+import type { RpcRequest } from '../schemas/envelope.js';
+
+export const KIND_BY_OP: Record<StandardOp, string> = {
+  list: KIND_LIST_V1,
+  stat: KIND_STAT_V1,
+  mkdir: KIND_MKDIR_V1,
+  delete: KIND_DELETE_V1,
+  move: KIND_MOVE_V1,
+  read: KIND_READ_V1,
+  write: KIND_WRITE_V1,
+  getThumbnail: KIND_GET_THUMBNAIL_V1,
+};
+
+export type SignRequest = (canonicalBytes: Uint8Array) => Promise<string> | string;
+
+export interface BuildRpcRequestOptions {
+  /** Address that this RPC call originates from. */
+  senderAddress: string;
+  /** RPC kind — `KIND_*_V1` constants for standard ops, `KIND_CUSTOM_V1` otherwise. */
+  kind: string;
+  /** Op classifier so mutations get an auto-generated idempotency key. */
+  op: StandardOp | 'custom';
+  /** Validated args object. The caller is responsible for `Zod.parse(args)`. */
+  args: unknown;
+  /** Caller-supplied idempotency key. Mutations get one auto-generated. */
+  idempotencyKey?: string;
+  /** Optional Ed25519-style signer over the canonical bytes. */
+  signRequest?: SignRequest;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a single `RpcRequest` envelope. Generates `id`, `signedAt`,
+ * idempotency key (mutations only), and the canonical signature.
+ */
+export async function buildRpcRequest(
+  options: BuildRpcRequestOptions,
+): Promise<RpcRequest> {
+  const { senderAddress, kind, op, args, signRequest } = options;
+  const requestId = generateRequestId();
+  const isMutation = MUTATION_OPS.has(op);
+  const idempotencyKey =
+    options.idempotencyKey ?? (isMutation ? generateIdempotencyKey() : undefined);
+  const signedAt = Date.now();
+
+  let sig = 'unsigned';
+  if (signRequest !== undefined) {
+    const canonical = canonicalRpcBytes({
+      address: senderAddress,
+      signedAt,
+      kind,
+      id: requestId,
+      argsHash: hashArgs(args),
+    });
+    sig = await signRequest(canonical);
+  }
+
+  const env: RpcRequest = {
+    kind,
+    id: requestId,
+    args,
+    ...(idempotencyKey !== undefined ? { idempotencyKey } : {}),
+    sig,
+    signedAt,
+  };
+  return env;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Helper for the typed standard ops: validates args via the supplied Zod
+ * schema, calls {@link buildRpcRequest}, and forwards the result.
+ *
+ * The HTTP and channel clients both call this from each op-method to
+ * guarantee identical wire-shape. Custom ops use {@link buildRpcRequest}
+ * directly because they ship `KIND_CUSTOM_V1` plus runtime-validated args.
+ */
+export async function buildStandardRpcRequest<TArgs>(
+  schema: { parse(input: unknown): TArgs },
+  rawArgs: unknown,
+  options: Omit<BuildRpcRequestOptions, 'kind' | 'op' | 'args'> & {
+    op: StandardOp;
+  },
+): Promise<{ request: RpcRequest; args: TArgs }> {
+  const args = schema.parse(rawArgs) as TArgs;
+  const kind = KIND_BY_OP[options.op];
+  const request = await buildRpcRequest({
+    ...options,
+    kind,
+    op: options.op,
+    args,
+  });
+  return { request, args };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Validate a returned RpcResponse `result` against the supplied schema.
+ * Centralised so the HTTP and channel clients fail-loudly with the same
+ * error type when a server returns an off-spec response.
+ */
+export function parseResult<T>(schema: ZodTypeAny, raw: unknown): T {
+  return schema.parse(raw) as T;
+}

packages/shade-files/src/server/rpc-route.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+/**
+ * Request-response RPC route for `@shade/files`.
+ *
+ * Mounts a single `POST /rpc` Hono endpoint that accepts an encrypted
+ * `RpcRequest` envelope, dispatches it through the file handler, and
+ * returns the encrypted `RpcResponse` (or `RpcError`) envelope in the
+ * SAME HTTP response.
+ *
+ * This is the browser-friendly transport: the server never needs to
+ * make outbound calls back to the client, so a browser tab — which
+ * cannot host an HTTP server — can fully consume `@shade/files`.
+ *
+ * ### Wire contract
+ *
+ * Request:
+ * ```
+ * POST <mount>/rpc HTTP/1.1
+ * Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+ * X-Shade-Sender-Address: <peer address>
+ *
+ * <wire-encoded ShadeEnvelope (0x01 PreKeyMessage or 0x02 RatchetMessage)
+ *  containing JSON-encoded RpcRequest>
+ * ```
+ *
+ * Response (success):
+ * ```
+ * 200 OK
+ * Content-Type: application/octet-stream
+ *
+ * <wire-encoded ShadeEnvelope (0x02 RatchetMessage)
+ *  containing JSON-encoded RpcResponse | RpcError>
+ * ```
+ *
+ * Response (transport-level failure — no session, undecryptable, etc.):
+ * ```
+ * 4xx
+ * Content-Type: application/json
+ *
+ * { "error": "..." }
+ * ```
+ *
+ * ### Symmetry with shade-auth-middleware
+ *
+ * The shape mirrors `@shade/server`'s shade-auth-middleware: an
+ * encrypted envelope rides the request body, the server decrypts via
+ * the existing ratchet session, performs the protected operation,
+ * and returns an encrypted envelope in the response. No bidirectional
+ * channel required.
+ *
+ * @see {@link createFilesHttpClient} for the matching browser client.
+ */
+import { Hono } from 'hono';
+import { decodeEnvelope, encodeEnvelope } from '@shade/proto';
+import type { ShadeBridge } from '../integration/shade-bridge.js';
+import {
+  encodeEnvelope as encodeRpcEnvelope,
+  tryParseEnvelope,
+} from '../protocol/envelope-codec.js';
+import type { FileHandler } from './handler.js';
+import type { RpcError, RpcRequest, RpcResponse } from '../schemas/envelope.js';
+import { KIND_ERROR_V1 } from '../protocol/kinds.js';
+
+export interface FilesRpcRouteOptions {
+  /**
+   * Maximum request body size in bytes. Default 1 MiB. Inline payloads
+   * are capped at 256 KiB by the protocol; the headroom is for
+   * custom-op payloads and base64 inflation.
+   */
+  maxBodyBytes?: number;
+  /**
+   * Allow this server to accept the very first message (PreKeyMessage,
+   * `0x01`) over the RPC route. Disabled by default — most browser
+   * clients establish a session via `shade.initSessionFromBundle`
+   * before the first RPC. Enable when you want the RPC route to also
+   * be the X3DH carrier (uncommon but supported).
+   */
+  acceptFirstMessage?: boolean;
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_MAX_BODY_BYTES = 1 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+/**
+ * Build a Hono app with a single `POST /rpc` route. Mount under any
+ * base path: `app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', shade.files.rpcRoute())`.
+ *
+ * The `handler` must already be attached (typically via
+ * `shade.files.serve(handlerConfig)`); this route only ships the
+ * transport — it does not register a new file handler.
+ */
+export function createFilesRpcRoute(
+  shade: ShadeBridge,
+  handler: FileHandler,
+  options: FilesRpcRouteOptions = {},
+): Hono {
+  const maxBodyBytes = options.maxBodyBytes ?? DEFAULT_MAX_BODY_BYTES;
+  const app = new Hono();
+
+  app.post('/rpc', async (c) => {
+    const senderAddress = c.req.header('X-Shade-Sender-Address');
+    if (senderAddress === undefined || senderAddress === '') {
+      return c.json({ error: 'missing X-Shade-Sender-Address header' }, 400);
+    }
+
+    const contentLengthHeader = c.req.header('Content-Length');
+    if (contentLengthHeader !== undefined) {
+      const contentLength = Number.parseInt(contentLengthHeader, 10);
+      if (Number.isFinite(contentLength) && contentLength > maxBodyBytes) {
+        return c.json(
+          { error: `body exceeds maxBodyBytes (${contentLength} > ${maxBodyBytes})` },
+          413,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+
+    let bodyBytes: Uint8Array;
+    try {
+      const ab = await c.req.arrayBuffer();
+      if (ab.byteLength > maxBodyBytes) {
+        return c.json(
+          { error: `body exceeds maxBodyBytes (${ab.byteLength} > ${maxBodyBytes})` },
+          413,
+        );
+      }
+      bodyBytes = new Uint8Array(ab);
+    } catch (err) {
+      return c.json({ error: `failed to read request body: ${(err as Error).message}` }, 400);
+    }
+
+    if (bodyBytes.byteLength === 0) {
+      return c.json({ error: 'empty request body' }, 400);
+    }
+
+    // Decode the wire envelope. `decodeEnvelope` handles both `0x01`
+    // PreKeyMessage and `0x02` RatchetMessage shapes.
+    let plaintext: string;
+    try {
+      const envelope = decodeEnvelope(bodyBytes);
+      // First-message gate: only allow `prekey` envelopes when the
+      // operator has explicitly opted in.
+      if (options.acceptFirstMessage !== true && envelope.type === 'prekey') {
+        return c.json(
+          {
+            error:
+              'PreKeyMessage envelopes are not accepted on this RPC route — establish the session first via shade.initSessionFromBundle, or set acceptFirstMessage: true',
+          },
+          400,
+        );
+      }
+      plaintext = await shade.receive(senderAddress, envelope);
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Decryption failure — could be no session, corrupted envelope,
+      // or sender address mismatch. Treat as 401 since the envelope is
+      // self-authenticating: a valid sender would decrypt cleanly.
+      return c.json({ error: `decrypt failed: ${(err as Error).message}` }, 401);
+    }
+
+    // Parse the plaintext as an RpcRequest.
+    const classified = tryParseEnvelope(plaintext);
+    if (classified === null) {
+      return c.json({ error: 'plaintext is not a valid @shade/files envelope' }, 400);
+    }
+    if (classified.kind !== 'request') {
+      // Cancel envelopes are silently dropped — RPC route is request/
+      // response only. Cancellation across HTTP is achieved via
+      // AbortController on the client side, not protocol-level.
+      if (classified.kind === 'cancel') {
+        handler.handleCancel(senderAddress, classified.envelope);
+        // No response body — the cancel was best-effort.
+        return new Response(null, { status: 204 });
+      }
+      return c.json(
+        { error: `unexpected envelope kind on RPC route: ${classified.kind}` },
+        400,
+      );
+    }
+
+    const request: RpcRequest = classified.envelope;
+
+    // Dispatch through the file handler.
+    let result: RpcResponse | RpcError;
+    try {
+      result = await handler.handleRequest(senderAddress, request);
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Should never happen — handler.handleRequest catches its own
+      // errors and returns RpcError. If it didn't, that's a bug; emit
+      // a generic transport-level RpcError so the client can surface
+      // it deterministically.
+      result = {
+        kind: KIND_ERROR_V1,
+        id: request.id,
+        error: {
+          code: 'INTERNAL',
+          message: `handler raised: ${(err as Error).message}`,
+        },
+      };
+    }
+
+    // Encrypt the response and return it as wire bytes.
+    let responseBytes: Uint8Array;
+    try {
+      const responsePlaintext = encodeRpcEnvelope(result);
+      const responseEnvelope = await shade.send(senderAddress, responsePlaintext);
+      responseBytes = encodeEnvelope(responseEnvelope);
+    } catch (err) {
+      return c.json(
+        { error: `failed to encrypt response: ${(err as Error).message}` },
+        500,
+      );
+    }
+
+    return new Response(new Blob([responseBytes as unknown as ArrayBuffer]), {
+      status: 200,
+      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream' },
+    });
+  });
+
+  return app;
+}

packages/shade-files/tests/integration/http-rpc-streams.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,208 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import { createShade } from '@shade/sdk';
+import {
+  createPrekeyServer,
+  MemoryPrekeyStore,
+  PrekeyServerEvents,
+} from '@shade/server';
+import { SubtleCryptoProvider } from '@shade/crypto-web';
+import { Hono } from 'hono';
+
+const crypto = new SubtleCryptoProvider();
+
+/**
+ * Stand up the full pull-mode rig:
+ *   - Prekey server (for X3DH)
+ *   - Bob: file handler + rpcRoute + transferQueueRoute, all on one server
+ *   - Alice: httpClient with outboundQueueUrl + transferBaseUrl wired
+ *
+ * Returns Alice's `FileClient`, which speaks browser-style: ONE base URL,
+ * no inbound listener, streams supported via long-poll.
+ */
+async function setupPullRig(opts: {
+  bobHandler: Parameters<NonNullable<Awaited<ReturnType<typeof createShade>>['files']>['serve']>[0];
+}) {
+  const prekey = createPrekeyServer({
+    crypto,
+    store: new MemoryPrekeyStore(),
+    disableRateLimit: true,
+    events: new PrekeyServerEvents(),
+  });
+  const prekeyServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: prekey.fetch });
+  const prekeyUrl = `http://localhost:${prekeyServer.port}`;
+
+  const alice = await createShade({ prekeyServer: prekeyUrl, address: 'alice' });
+  const bob = await createShade({ prekeyServer: prekeyUrl, address: 'bob' });
+
+  // Bob: queue-route FIRST (configures bob's transports), then files.serve.
+  const queueRoute = await bob.transferQueueRoute({ blockMs: 1_500 });
+  await bob.files.serve(opts.bobHandler);
+  const rpcRoute = bob.files.rpcRoute({ acceptFirstMessage: true });
+
+  const app = new Hono();
+  app.route('/', queueRoute);
+  app.route('/', rpcRoute);
+
+  const bobServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: app.fetch });
+  const baseUrl = `http://localhost:${bobServer.port}`;
+
+  const fs = alice.files.httpClient('bob', {
+    rpcUrl: `${baseUrl}/rpc`,
+    outboundQueueUrl: `${baseUrl}/queue`,
+    transferBaseUrl: baseUrl,
+    defaultTimeoutMs: 10_000,
+    queueBlockMs: 1_000,
+  });
+
+  return {
+    alice,
+    bob,
+    fs,
+    baseUrl,
+    teardown: async () => {
+      fs.close();
+      await alice.shutdown();
+      await bob.shutdown();
+      bobServer.stop();
+      prekeyServer.stop();
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+describe('@shade/files HTTP RPC — pull-mode streams', () => {
+  test('streamed read (4 MiB) via long-poll queue', async () => {
+    const payload = new Uint8Array(4 * 1024 * 1024);
+    for (let i = 0; i < payload.length; i++) payload[i] = (i * 97) & 0xff;
+
+    const rig = await setupPullRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        read: async () => {
+          // Return the payload as a streamed read so the rpc-handler
+          // promotes it via the streams-bridge into a transfer.
+          const stream = new ReadableStream<Uint8Array>({
+            start(controller) {
+              const CHUNK = 256 * 1024;
+              for (let off = 0; off < payload.byteLength; off += CHUNK) {
+                controller.enqueue(payload.slice(off, Math.min(off + CHUNK, payload.byteLength)));
+              }
+              controller.close();
+            },
+          });
+          // Need a precomputed sha256 for streamed reads. Use the
+          // crypto provider's sha256 directly.
+          const digest = new Uint8Array(await globalThis.crypto.subtle.digest('SHA-256', payload));
+          const sha256Hex = Array.from(digest, (b) => b.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')).join('');
+          return {
+            kind: 'streams' as const,
+            stream,
+            size: payload.byteLength,
+            sha256: sha256Hex,
+            contentType: 'application/octet-stream',
+          };
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    try {
+      const result = await rig.fs.read('/big.bin');
+      expect(result.kind).toBe('streams');
+      if (result.kind !== 'streams') return;
+
+      // Drain the stream and compare.
+      const reader = result.stream.getReader();
+      const got = new Uint8Array(payload.byteLength);
+      let offset = 0;
+      while (true) {
+        const { value, done } = await reader.read();
+        if (done) break;
+        if (value !== undefined) {
+          got.set(value, offset);
+          offset += value.byteLength;
+        }
+      }
+      reader.releaseLock();
+      await result.done();
+
+      expect(offset).toBe(payload.byteLength);
+      // Compare in 64KiB strides for speed.
+      let mismatch = -1;
+      for (let i = 0; i < payload.byteLength; i++) {
+        if (got[i] !== payload[i]) {
+          mismatch = i;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+      expect(mismatch).toBe(-1);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  test('streamed read fails with clear error when outboundQueueUrl is omitted', async () => {
+    const rig = await setupPullRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        read: async () => {
+          const stream = new ReadableStream<Uint8Array>({
+            start(c) {
+              c.enqueue(new Uint8Array(512 * 1024));
+              c.close();
+            },
+          });
+          const digest = new Uint8Array(await globalThis.crypto.subtle.digest('SHA-256', new Uint8Array(512 * 1024)));
+          const sha256Hex = Array.from(digest, (b) => b.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')).join('');
+          return {
+            kind: 'streams' as const,
+            stream,
+            size: 512 * 1024,
+            sha256: sha256Hex,
+          };
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    // Tear down the rig's drainer so we can construct an inline-only client
+    rig.fs.close();
+
+    const inlineOnly = rig.alice.files.httpClient('bob', {
+      rpcUrl: `${rig.baseUrl}/rpc`,
+      defaultTimeoutMs: 10_000,
+    });
+    try {
+      await expect(inlineOnly.read('/big.bin')).rejects.toThrow(/streamed read/);
+    } finally {
+      inlineOnly.close();
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  }, 15_000);
+
+  test('long-poll returns empty events on idle timeout', async () => {
+    const rig = await setupPullRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        stat: async () => ({
+          name: '_',
+          kind: 'dir' as const,
+          size: 0,
+          mtime: 0,
+          metadata: {},
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      // Direct poll without any pending events — should return after blockMs.
+      const start = Date.now();
+      const res = await fetch(`${rig.baseUrl}/queue`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: {
+          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+          'X-Shade-Sender-Address': 'alice',
+        },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ since: 0, blockMs: 500 }),
+      });
+      expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+      const body = (await res.json()) as { events: unknown[]; nextSince: number };
+      expect(body.events).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(Date.now() - start).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(400);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  }, 10_000);
+});

packages/shade-files/tests/integration/http-rpc.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,321 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import { createShade } from '@shade/sdk';
+import {
+  createPrekeyServer,
+  MemoryPrekeyStore,
+  PrekeyServerEvents,
+} from '@shade/server';
+import { SubtleCryptoProvider } from '@shade/crypto-web';
+
+const crypto = new SubtleCryptoProvider();
+
+/**
+ * Stand up a prekey server + two Shades + Bob's file handler + RPC route
+ * mounted on Bun.serve, then return Alice's HTTP-only `FileClient`.
+ *
+ * Mirrors the request-response setup a browser client would use against a
+ * Bun-style server.
+ */
+async function setupHttpRig(opts: {
+  bobHandler: Parameters<NonNullable<Awaited<ReturnType<typeof createShade>>['files']>['serve']>[0];
+}) {
+  // 1. Prekey server.
+  const prekeyEvents = new PrekeyServerEvents();
+  const prekey = createPrekeyServer({
+    crypto,
+    store: new MemoryPrekeyStore(),
+    disableRateLimit: true,
+    events: prekeyEvents,
+  });
+  const prekeyServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: prekey.fetch });
+  const prekeyUrl = `http://localhost:${prekeyServer.port}`;
+
+  // 2. Two Shades. Alice plays the browser client (no transferRoute);
+  //    Bob is the server.
+  const alice = await createShade({ prekeyServer: prekeyUrl, address: 'alice' });
+  const bob = await createShade({ prekeyServer: prekeyUrl, address: 'bob' });
+
+  // 3. Bob: register file handler (HTTP-only — no streams) + mount
+  //    the RPC route.
+  await bob.files.serve(opts.bobHandler, { inlineOnly: true });
+  const rpcRoute = bob.files.rpcRoute({ acceptFirstMessage: true });
+  const bobServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: rpcRoute.fetch });
+  const rpcUrl = `http://localhost:${bobServer.port}/rpc`;
+
+  // 5. Alice: build the HTTP-only file client.
+  const fs = alice.files.httpClient('bob', { rpcUrl, defaultTimeoutMs: 5000 });
+
+  return {
+    alice,
+    bob,
+    fs,
+    rpcUrl,
+    teardown: async () => {
+      await alice.shutdown();
+      await bob.shutdown();
+      bobServer.stop();
+      prekeyServer.stop();
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+describe('@shade/files HTTP RPC — round-trip', () => {
+  test('list → mkdir → stat → write inline → read inline → delete via httpClient', async () => {
+    interface VfsEntry {
+      kind: 'file' | 'dir';
+      bytes?: Uint8Array;
+      contentType?: string;
+    }
+    const vfs = new Map<string, VfsEntry>([
+      ['/', { kind: 'dir' }],
+      ['/photos', { kind: 'dir' }],
+    ]);
+
+    const rig = await setupHttpRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        list: async (ctx) => {
+          const prefix = ctx.path.endsWith('/') ? ctx.path : `${ctx.path}/`;
+          const entries = Array.from(vfs.entries())
+            .filter(([p]) => p.startsWith(prefix) && p !== ctx.path && !p.slice(prefix.length).includes('/'))
+            .map(([p, e]) => ({
+              name: p.slice(prefix.length) || p,
+              kind: e.kind,
+              size: e.bytes?.byteLength ?? 0,
+              mtime: 0,
+              metadata: {},
+            }));
+          return { entries, hasMore: false };
+        },
+        stat: async (ctx) => {
+          const e = vfs.get(ctx.path);
+          if (!e) throw new (await import('../../src/index.js')).NotFoundError(`stat ${ctx.path}`);
+          return {
+            name: ctx.path.split('/').pop() ?? ctx.path,
+            kind: e.kind,
+            size: e.bytes?.byteLength ?? 0,
+            mtime: 0,
+            metadata: {},
+            ...(e.contentType !== undefined ? { contentType: e.contentType } : {}),
+          };
+        },
+        mkdir: async (ctx) => {
+          vfs.set(ctx.path, { kind: 'dir' });
+          return { entry: { name: ctx.path.split('/').pop() ?? ctx.path, kind: 'dir' as const, size: 0, mtime: 0, metadata: {} } };
+        },
+        delete: async (ctx) => {
+          if (!vfs.has(ctx.path)) {
+            throw new (await import('../../src/index.js')).NotFoundError(`delete ${ctx.path}`);
+          }
+          vfs.delete(ctx.path);
+          return { deletedCount: 1 };
+        },
+        read: async (ctx) => {
+          const e = vfs.get(ctx.path);
+          if (!e || e.kind !== 'file' || !e.bytes) {
+            throw new (await import('../../src/index.js')).NotFoundError(`read ${ctx.path}`);
+          }
+          // Omit sha256 — dispatcher computes it from the bytes.
+          return {
+            kind: 'inline' as const,
+            bytes: e.bytes,
+            ...(e.contentType !== undefined ? { contentType: e.contentType } : {}),
+          };
+        },
+        write: async (ctx) => {
+          if (ctx.args.content.kind !== 'inline') {
+            throw new (await import('../../src/index.js')).ConflictError('streams not supported in this test handler');
+          }
+          vfs.set(ctx.args.path, {
+            kind: 'file',
+            bytes: ctx.args.content.bytes,
+            ...(ctx.args.contentType !== undefined ? { contentType: ctx.args.contentType } : {}),
+          });
+          return {
+            entry: {
+              name: ctx.args.path.split('/').pop() ?? ctx.args.path,
+              kind: 'file' as const,
+              size: ctx.args.content.bytes.byteLength,
+              mtime: 0,
+              metadata: {},
+              ...(ctx.args.contentType !== undefined ? { contentType: ctx.args.contentType } : {}),
+            },
+          };
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    try {
+      // list
+      const listed = await rig.fs.list('/');
+      expect(listed.entries.map((e) => e.name).sort()).toContain('photos');
+
+      // mkdir
+      await rig.fs.mkdir('/docs');
+      const stat = await rig.fs.stat('/docs');
+      expect(stat.kind).toBe('dir');
+
+      // write inline
+      const payload = new TextEncoder().encode('hello browser-friendly world');
+      const writeResult = await rig.fs.write('/docs/greeting.txt', payload, {
+        contentType: 'text/plain',
+      });
+      expect(writeResult.entry.size).toBe(payload.byteLength);
+
+      // read inline
+      const readResult = await rig.fs.read('/docs/greeting.txt');
+      expect(readResult.kind).toBe('inline');
+      if (readResult.kind === 'inline') {
+        expect(new TextDecoder().decode(readResult.bytes)).toBe('hello browser-friendly world');
+        expect(readResult.contentType).toBe('text/plain');
+      }
+
+      // delete
+      const del = await rig.fs.delete('/docs/greeting.txt');
+      expect(del.deletedCount).toBe(1);
+
+      // stat the deleted path → typed NotFoundError
+      const { NotFoundError } = await import('../../src/index.js');
+      await expect(rig.fs.stat('/docs/greeting.txt')).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(NotFoundError);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('streamed write (> 256 KiB) is rejected with a clear error', async () => {
+    const rig = await setupHttpRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        write: async () => ({
+          entry: { name: 'unused', kind: 'file' as const, size: 0, mtime: 0, metadata: {} },
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      const big = new Uint8Array(257 * 1024);
+      const { ConflictError } = await import('../../src/index.js');
+      await expect(rig.fs.write('/big.bin', big)).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(ConflictError);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('rpcRoute() throws when no handler is attached', async () => {
+    // Don't call shade.files.serve(...) — rpcRoute() should refuse.
+    const prekeyEvents = new PrekeyServerEvents();
+    const prekey = createPrekeyServer({
+      crypto,
+      store: new MemoryPrekeyStore(),
+      disableRateLimit: true,
+      events: prekeyEvents,
+    });
+    const prekeyServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: prekey.fetch });
+    const bob = await createShade({
+      prekeyServer: `http://localhost:${prekeyServer.port}`,
+      address: 'bob',
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(() => bob.files.rpcRoute()).toThrow(/no handler attached/);
+    } finally {
+      await bob.shutdown();
+      prekeyServer.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('missing X-Shade-Sender-Address header → 400', async () => {
+    const rig = await setupHttpRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        stat: async () => ({
+          name: '_', kind: 'dir' as const, size: 0, mtime: 0, metadata: {},
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(rig.rpcUrl, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        body: new Uint8Array([0]),
+      });
+      expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+      const body = (await res.json()) as { error: string };
+      expect(body.error).toMatch(/X-Shade-Sender-Address/);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('empty body → 400', async () => {
+    const rig = await setupHttpRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        stat: async () => ({
+          name: '_', kind: 'dir' as const, size: 0, mtime: 0, metadata: {},
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(rig.rpcUrl, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'X-Shade-Sender-Address': 'alice' },
+      });
+      expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('garbage body → 401 decrypt failure', async () => {
+    const rig = await setupHttpRig({
+      bobHandler: {
+        stat: async () => ({
+          name: '_', kind: 'dir' as const, size: 0, mtime: 0, metadata: {},
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(rig.rpcUrl, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'X-Shade-Sender-Address': 'alice' },
+        body: new Uint8Array([0x02, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff]),
+      });
+      // 400 from envelope decode failure or 401 from decrypt failure.
+      expect([400, 401]).toContain(res.status);
+    } finally {
+      await rig.teardown();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('body past maxBodyBytes → 413', async () => {
+    const prekeyEvents = new PrekeyServerEvents();
+    const prekey = createPrekeyServer({
+      crypto,
+      store: new MemoryPrekeyStore(),
+      disableRateLimit: true,
+      events: prekeyEvents,
+    });
+    const prekeyServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: prekey.fetch });
+    const bob = await createShade({
+      prekeyServer: `http://localhost:${prekeyServer.port}`,
+      address: 'bob',
+    });
+    await bob.files.serve(
+      {
+        stat: async () => ({
+          name: '_', kind: 'dir' as const, size: 0, mtime: 0, metadata: {},
+        }),
+      },
+      { inlineOnly: true },
+    );
+    const route = bob.files.rpcRoute({ maxBodyBytes: 1024 });
+    const server = Bun.serve({ port: 0, fetch: route.fetch });
+    try {
+      const big = new Uint8Array(2048);
+      const res = await fetch(`http://localhost:${server.port}/rpc`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'X-Shade-Sender-Address': 'alice' },
+        body: big,
+      });
+      expect(res.status).toBe(413);
+    } finally {
+      await bob.shutdown();
+      server.stop();
+      prekeyServer.stop();
+    }
+  });
+});

packages/shade-inbox-server/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/inbox-server",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-inbox/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/inbox",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-key-transparency/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/key-transparency",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-keychain/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/keychain",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-observability/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/observability",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-observer/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/observer",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-proto/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/proto",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-recovery/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/recovery",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-sdk/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/sdk",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-sdk/src/shade.ts

@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import {
   type TransferHandle,
   type TransferOptions,
   type TransferSummary,
+  type OutboundQueue as OutboundQueueLike,
+  type QueuedEventInput,
 } from '@shade/transfer';
 import type { Hono } from 'hono';
 import { BackgroundTasks } from './background.js';
@@ -151,6 +153,8 @@ export class Shade {
   private controlChannel: ShadeControlChannel | null = null;
   private peerBaseUrlResolver: ((peerAddress: string) => Promise<string>) | null = null;
   private envelopeOutboxes: ControlEnvelopeTransport | null = null;
+  private transferTransportOverride: ITransferTransport | null = null;
+  private transferQueue: OutboundQueueLike | null = null;
 
   // `@shade/files` namespace, lazy + memoized.
   private filesNamespace: FilesNamespace | null = null;
@@ -746,12 +750,52 @@ export class Shade {
    * HTTP POSTs to `<base>/v1/transfer/control`).
    */
   configureTransfers(opts: {
-    resolveBaseUrl: (peerAddress: string) => Promise<string>;
+    /**
+     * Resolver for the peer's HTTP base URL (used by the default
+     * `ShadeTransferHttpTransport` to POST chunks). Optional when a
+     * custom `transport` and `envelopeTransport` are supplied — e.g.
+     * for pull-mode browser servers (`@shade/files transferQueueRoute`)
+     * which never POST chunks anywhere.
+     */
+    resolveBaseUrl?: (peerAddress: string) => Promise<string>;
+    /**
+     * Override the chunk-level transport. Defaults to
+     * `ShadeTransferHttpTransport` (HTTP POSTs per chunk) when
+     * `resolveBaseUrl` is supplied. Required when `resolveBaseUrl`
+     * is omitted.
+     */
+    transport?: ITransferTransport;
+    /**
+     * Override the control-envelope transport. Defaults to HTTP POSTs
+     * to `<base>/v1/transfer/control` when `resolveBaseUrl` is
+     * supplied. Required when `resolveBaseUrl` is omitted.
+     */
     envelopeTransport?: ControlEnvelopeTransport;
   }): void {
+    if (opts.resolveBaseUrl === undefined) {
+      if (opts.transport === undefined || opts.envelopeTransport === undefined) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'configureTransfers: resolveBaseUrl is required unless both `transport` and `envelopeTransport` are supplied (e.g. for pull-mode queue servers).',
+        );
+      }
+      this.peerBaseUrlResolver = async () => {
+        throw new Error(
+          'resolveBaseUrl was not configured — this Shade is in queue/pull mode and does not POST chunks. Configure a custom transport instead.',
+        );
+      };
+    } else {
       this.peerBaseUrlResolver = opts.resolveBaseUrl;
-    this.envelopeOutboxes =
-      opts.envelopeTransport ?? new HttpEnvelopeTransport(opts.resolveBaseUrl, this.address);
+    }
+    this.transferTransportOverride = opts.transport ?? null;
+    if (opts.envelopeTransport !== undefined) {
+      this.envelopeOutboxes = opts.envelopeTransport;
+    } else if (opts.resolveBaseUrl !== undefined) {
+      this.envelopeOutboxes = new HttpEnvelopeTransport(opts.resolveBaseUrl, this.address);
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(
+        'configureTransfers: envelopeTransport is required when resolveBaseUrl is omitted.',
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -898,6 +942,109 @@ export class Shade {
     return (await this.engine()).onIncomingTransfer(handler);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Mount the **pull-mode** transfer routes on a Hono app. Mount under
+   * any base path: `app.route('/api/v1/shade-files', shade.transferQueueRoute())`.
+   *
+   * Configures this Shade instance to queue all outbound chunks +
+   * control envelopes per peer instead of POSTing them. Browser-style
+   * receivers drain the queue via long-polling — no inbound HTTP
+   * listener required on the receiver.
+   *
+   * Routes mounted (relative to the base path):
+   *   POST /queue                          — long-poll the per-peer outbound queue
+   *   POST /v1/transfer/:streamId/chunk    — receive incoming chunks (browser → server)
+   *   GET  /v1/transfer/:streamId/state    — resume-state lookup
+   *   POST /v1/transfer/control            — receive incoming control envelopes
+   *   GET  /v1/transfer/health             — peer reachability probe
+   *
+   * **Idempotent**: calling twice returns a fresh `Hono` app each
+   * time but reuses the underlying queue + transport (so the engine
+   * stays single).
+   *
+   * **Ordering**: must be called **before** `shade.files.serve(...)`
+   * (or any other path that builds the engine), because configuring
+   * the queue transport mutates the transfer stack. Calling after the
+   * engine is built throws.
+   */
+  async transferQueueRoute(opts: TransferQueueRouteOptions = {}): Promise<Hono> {
+    if (this.transferEngine !== null && this.transferTransportOverride === null) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'transferQueueRoute(): the transfer engine has already been built with the default HTTP transport. Call transferQueueRoute() before any upload()/onIncomingTransfer()/configureTransfers().',
+      );
+    }
+    const { OutboundQueue, QueueTransferTransport } = await import('@shade/transfer');
+    if (this.transferQueue === null) {
+      this.transferQueue = new OutboundQueue({
+        ...(opts.maxEventsPerPeer !== undefined ? { maxEventsPerPeer: opts.maxEventsPerPeer } : {}),
+        ...(opts.idleEvictionMs !== undefined ? { idleEvictionMs: opts.idleEvictionMs } : {}),
+      });
+    }
+    if (this.transferTransportOverride === null) {
+      const queueTransport = new QueueTransferTransport(this.transferQueue);
+      const queueEnvelopeTransport = new QueueEnvelopeTransport(this.transferQueue);
+      this.configureTransfers({
+        transport: queueTransport,
+        envelopeTransport: queueEnvelopeTransport,
+      });
+    }
+    const queue = this.transferQueue;
+    const blockMs = opts.blockMs ?? 30_000;
+    const maxBlockMs = opts.maxBlockMs ?? 55_000;
+    const engine = await this.engine();
+    const { createTransferRoutes, PermissiveAuthenticator } = await import('@shade/transfer');
+    const app = await createTransferRoutes(engine, {
+      authenticator: PermissiveAuthenticator,
+    });
+    app.post('/v1/transfer/control', async (c) => {
+      const senderAddress = c.req.header('X-Shade-Sender-Address');
+      if (senderAddress === undefined || senderAddress === '') {
+        return c.json({ error: 'missing X-Shade-Sender-Address' }, 400);
+      }
+      const ab = await c.req.arrayBuffer();
+      const bytes = new Uint8Array(ab);
+      try {
+        await this.acceptTransferEnvelope(senderAddress, bytes);
+      } catch (err) {
+        return c.json({ error: (err as Error).message }, 400);
+      }
+      return c.json({ ok: true });
+    });
+    // Long-poll endpoint.
+    app.post('/queue', async (c) => {
+      const senderAddress = c.req.header('X-Shade-Sender-Address');
+      if (senderAddress === undefined || senderAddress === '') {
+        return c.json({ error: 'missing X-Shade-Sender-Address' }, 400);
+      }
+      let body: { since?: unknown; blockMs?: unknown };
+      try {
+        body = (await c.req.json()) as { since?: unknown; blockMs?: unknown };
+      } catch {
+        return c.json({ error: 'invalid JSON body' }, 400);
+      }
+      const since = typeof body.since === 'number' && Number.isFinite(body.since) ? body.since : 0;
+      const requestedBlockMs =
+        typeof body.blockMs === 'number' && Number.isFinite(body.blockMs)
+          ? Math.max(0, Math.min(maxBlockMs, body.blockMs))
+          : blockMs;
+      // Bun-side short-circuit if the request was aborted while we
+      // were holding the long-poll. AbortSignal from the request body
+      // is already surfaced via `c.req.raw.signal` in Hono.
+      const events = await queue.drain(senderAddress, since, requestedBlockMs, c.req.raw.signal);
+      return c.json({
+        events: events.map((e) => ({
+          id: e.id,
+          timestampMs: e.timestampMs,
+          kind: e.kind,
+          bytesB64: bytesToBase64Std(e.bytes),
+          ...(e.kind === 'chunk' ? { meta: e.meta } : {}),
+        })),
+        nextSince: events.length > 0 ? events[events.length - 1]!.id : since,
+      });
+    });
+    return app;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Mount the receiver-side HTTP routes on a Hono app. Mount under any
    * base path: `app.route('/shade', await shade.transferRoute())`.
@@ -1019,17 +1166,24 @@ export class Shade {
       );
     }
     this.controlChannel = new ShadeControlChannel(this, this.envelopeOutboxes);
+    let transport: ITransferTransport;
+    let webrtcRuntime: ShadeWebRtcRuntime | null = null;
+    if (this.transferTransportOverride !== null) {
+      // Custom transport (queue, in-memory, custom adapter) — used as-is.
+      // WebRTC fallback only attaches when the default HTTP transport is
+      // active because WebRTC's `MultiTransportFallback` is HTTP-shaped.
+      transport = this.transferTransportOverride;
+    } else {
       const httpTransport: ITransferTransport = new ShadeTransferHttpTransport({
         resolveBaseUrl: this.peerBaseUrlResolver,
         authenticator: await this.makeAuthenticator(),
       });
-
-    let transport: ITransferTransport = httpTransport;
-    let webrtcRuntime: ShadeWebRtcRuntime | null = null;
+      transport = httpTransport;
       if (this.webrtcConfig !== null) {
         webrtcRuntime = await this.buildWebRtcRuntime(this.webrtcConfig, httpTransport);
         transport = webrtcRuntime.fallback;
       }
+    }
 
     this.transferEngine = new TransferEngine({
       crypto: this.crypto,
@@ -1256,6 +1410,53 @@ function parseChunkHeader(bytes: Uint8Array): {
   return { streamId, laneId, seq };
 }
 
+// ─── Queue-mode (pull) envelope transport ─────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Configuration for {@link Shade.transferQueueRoute}. All fields are
+ * optional with sensible production defaults.
+ */
+export interface TransferQueueRouteOptions {
+  /**
+   * Long-poll timeout in milliseconds. Server holds the request open
+   * up to this long before returning an empty `events` array. Default
+   * 30_000.
+   */
+  blockMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Hard cap on long-poll timeout (clamps client-supplied `blockMs`).
+   * Default 55_000 — under typical reverse-proxy idle thresholds (60s
+   * on most CDNs).
+   */
+  maxBlockMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Per-peer ring-buffer size. When the queue is full, oldest events
+   * are dropped on enqueue. Receivers detect the gap via missing
+   * sequence numbers and re-resume from `since=0`. Default 1000.
+   */
+  maxEventsPerPeer?: number;
+  /**
+   * Drop a peer's queue + reject pending pollers after this much
+   * silence. Default 10 minutes. Setting to `0` disables idle-eviction.
+   */
+  idleEvictionMs?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * `ControlEnvelopeTransport` that enqueues outbound envelopes into an
+ * `OutboundQueue` for browser-style receivers to long-poll. Mirrors
+ * `HttpEnvelopeTransport` shape (one `send(peer, envelope)` method);
+ * the difference is the destination — local queue, not remote HTTP.
+ */
+class QueueEnvelopeTransport implements ControlEnvelopeTransport {
+  constructor(private readonly queue: OutboundQueueLike) {}
+  async send(peerAddress: string, envelope: ShadeEnvelope): Promise<void> {
+    const bytes = encodeEnvelope(envelope);
+    const event: QueuedEventInput = { kind: 'envelope', bytes };
+    this.queue.enqueue(peerAddress, event);
+  }
+}
+
 // ─── Default HTTP envelope transport ──────────────────────────
 
 class HttpEnvelopeTransport implements ControlEnvelopeTransport {

packages/shade-server/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/server",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-storage-encrypted/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/storage-encrypted",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-storage-postgres/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/storage-postgres",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-storage-sqlite/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/storage-sqlite",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-streams/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/streams",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-transfer/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/transfer",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-transfer/src/index.ts

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export * from './transport/memory.js';
 export * from './transport/http-transport.js';
 export * from './transport/ws-transport.js';
 export * from './transport/multi-fallback.js';
+export * from './transport/queue-transport.js';
 export * from './engine.js';
 export {
   createTransferRoutes,

packages/shade-transfer/src/transport/queue-transport.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,319 @@
+/**
+ * Per-peer outbound queue + queue-transport for browser-friendly
+ * pull-mode streams.
+ *
+ * The default `ShadeTransferHttpTransport` POSTs each chunk directly
+ * to the receiver's `/v1/transfer/<streamId>/chunk` route. That
+ * requires the receiver to host an HTTP server, which a browser tab
+ * cannot. `QueueTransferTransport` flips the direction: it queues
+ * chunks per peer and lets the receiver pull them via a long-poll
+ * endpoint.
+ *
+ * The companion `OutboundQueue` data structure is plain server-side
+ * state — wired up by `@shade/files`'s `transferQueueRoute()` (and any
+ * future consumer) to expose the long-poll surface and feed envelopes
+ * + chunks into the browser receiver.
+ */
+import type {
+  ChunkAck,
+  ChunkSendOptions,
+  ITransferTransport,
+  TransferResumeState,
+} from './transport.js';
+import { TransferTransportError } from '../errors.js';
+
+/**
+ * Discriminated union of items the queue ships to the browser
+ * receiver. Both kinds carry **wire-encoded bytes** of an envelope —
+ * the receiver decodes via `decodeEnvelope` (control envelopes) or
+ * forwards directly to `engine.receiveChunk` (chunk envelopes).
+ */
+export type QueuedEvent =
+  | {
+      id: number;
+      timestampMs: number;
+      kind: 'envelope';
+      /** Wire-encoded `0x02` ratchet envelope (or `0x01` first-message). */
+      bytes: Uint8Array;
+    }
+  | {
+      id: number;
+      timestampMs: number;
+      kind: 'chunk';
+      /** Wire-encoded `0x11` stream-chunk envelope. */
+      bytes: Uint8Array;
+      meta: {
+        streamId: string;
+        laneId: number;
+        seq: number;
+      };
+    };
+
+/** Caller-supplied shape for {@link OutboundQueue.enqueue} — the queue assigns `id` + `timestampMs`. */
+export type QueuedEventInput =
+  | { kind: 'envelope'; bytes: Uint8Array }
+  | {
+      kind: 'chunk';
+      bytes: Uint8Array;
+      meta: { streamId: string; laneId: number; seq: number };
+    };
+
+export interface OutboundQueueOptions {
+  /**
+   * Maximum events held per peer. When the queue is full, the oldest
+   * unacked event is dropped on next enqueue. Default 1000 — at the
+   * default chunk size (256 KiB plaintext) this caps a single peer's
+   * outbound buffer at ~256 MiB. Tune up for fewer/bigger streams,
+   * down for many concurrent small flows.
+   */
+  maxEventsPerPeer?: number;
+  /**
+   * After a peer has not polled for this long, the queue's events are
+   * dropped and any pending waiters are released. Default 10 minutes.
+   * Setting to `0` disables idle-eviction.
+   */
+  idleEvictionMs?: number;
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_MAX_EVENTS = 1000;
+const DEFAULT_IDLE_EVICTION_MS = 10 * 60 * 1000;
+
+interface PendingWaiter {
+  resolve(events: QueuedEvent[]): void;
+  reject(err: Error): void;
+  timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
+  abortHandler?: () => void;
+  signal?: AbortSignal;
+}
+
+interface PerPeerState {
+  nextId: number;
+  events: QueuedEvent[];
+  waiters: PendingWaiter[];
+  lastTouchedMs: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Per-peer monotonic event log with long-poll semantics.
+ *
+ * `enqueue` appends; `drain` returns all events with `id > since`,
+ * blocking up to `blockMs` if there are none. `since`-based pagination
+ * is the resume mechanism: a client crashing mid-stream restarts with
+ * its last-processed id and the queue replays everything after it
+ * (subject to `maxEventsPerPeer` retention).
+ */
+export class OutboundQueue {
+  private peers = new Map<string, PerPeerState>();
+  private readonly maxEvents: number;
+  private readonly idleEvictionMs: number;
+  private evictTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
+  private destroyed = false;
+
+  constructor(opts: OutboundQueueOptions = {}) {
+    this.maxEvents = opts.maxEventsPerPeer ?? DEFAULT_MAX_EVENTS;
+    this.idleEvictionMs = opts.idleEvictionMs ?? DEFAULT_IDLE_EVICTION_MS;
+    if (this.idleEvictionMs > 0) this.scheduleEviction();
+  }
+
+  /** Append an event and wake any waiters for that peer. */
+  enqueue(peer: string, ev: QueuedEventInput): QueuedEvent {
+    if (this.destroyed) throw new Error('OutboundQueue: destroyed');
+    const state = this.getOrCreate(peer);
+    const event: QueuedEvent =
+      ev.kind === 'chunk'
+        ? {
+            id: state.nextId++,
+            timestampMs: Date.now(),
+            kind: 'chunk',
+            bytes: ev.bytes,
+            meta: ev.meta,
+          }
+        : {
+            id: state.nextId++,
+            timestampMs: Date.now(),
+            kind: 'envelope',
+            bytes: ev.bytes,
+          };
+    state.events.push(event);
+    state.lastTouchedMs = Date.now();
+    // Cap: drop oldest. Lost events trigger receiver-side resume from
+    // last polled id; the @shade/transfer engine handles missing seqs
+    // by re-sending on resume.
+    while (state.events.length > this.maxEvents) state.events.shift();
+    // Wake all waiters with whatever has accumulated.
+    const drained = this.collect(state, 0);
+    if (drained.length > 0) {
+      const waiters = state.waiters.splice(0);
+      for (const w of waiters) {
+        clearTimeout(w.timer);
+        if (w.abortHandler !== undefined && w.signal !== undefined) {
+          w.signal.removeEventListener('abort', w.abortHandler);
+        }
+        w.resolve(drained);
+      }
+    }
+    return event;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Drain events with `id > since`. If none are available, block up
+   * to `blockMs` until any arrive. `signal` cancels the wait early.
+   */
+  async drain(
+    peer: string,
+    since: number,
+    blockMs: number,
+    signal?: AbortSignal,
+  ): Promise<QueuedEvent[]> {
+    if (this.destroyed) throw new Error('OutboundQueue: destroyed');
+    const state = this.getOrCreate(peer);
+    state.lastTouchedMs = Date.now();
+    const ready = this.collect(state, since);
+    if (ready.length > 0 || blockMs <= 0) return ready;
+    if (signal?.aborted) return [];
+    return await new Promise<QueuedEvent[]>((resolve, reject) => {
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        const idx = state.waiters.indexOf(waiter);
+        if (idx >= 0) state.waiters.splice(idx, 1);
+        if (waiter.abortHandler !== undefined && waiter.signal !== undefined) {
+          waiter.signal.removeEventListener('abort', waiter.abortHandler);
+        }
+        // Empty drain on timeout — that's the "no new events" signal.
+        resolve([]);
+      }, blockMs);
+      const waiter: PendingWaiter = { resolve, reject, timer };
+      if (signal !== undefined) {
+        const handler = () => {
+          const idx = state.waiters.indexOf(waiter);
+          if (idx >= 0) state.waiters.splice(idx, 1);
+          clearTimeout(timer);
+          resolve([]);
+        };
+        signal.addEventListener('abort', handler, { once: true });
+        waiter.abortHandler = handler;
+        waiter.signal = signal;
+      }
+      state.waiters.push(waiter);
+    });
+  }
+
+  /** Drop a peer's queue + reject waiters. */
+  evict(peer: string): void {
+    const state = this.peers.get(peer);
+    if (state === undefined) return;
+    this.peers.delete(peer);
+    for (const w of state.waiters) {
+      clearTimeout(w.timer);
+      if (w.abortHandler !== undefined && w.signal !== undefined) {
+        w.signal.removeEventListener('abort', w.abortHandler);
+      }
+      w.reject(new Error('OutboundQueue: peer evicted'));
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Peer-specific snapshot for diagnostics. */
+  stats(peer: string): { eventCount: number; nextId: number; waiters: number } | null {
+    const state = this.peers.get(peer);
+    if (state === undefined) return null;
+    return {
+      eventCount: state.events.length,
+      nextId: state.nextId,
+      waiters: state.waiters.length,
+    };
+  }
+
+  /** Tear everything down. Pending waiters are rejected. */
+  destroy(): void {
+    if (this.destroyed) return;
+    this.destroyed = true;
+    if (this.evictTimer !== null) clearTimeout(this.evictTimer);
+    for (const peer of [...this.peers.keys()]) this.evict(peer);
+  }
+
+  // ─── internals ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  private getOrCreate(peer: string): PerPeerState {
+    let state = this.peers.get(peer);
+    if (state === undefined) {
+      state = {
+        nextId: 1,
+        events: [],
+        waiters: [],
+        lastTouchedMs: Date.now(),
+      };
+      this.peers.set(peer, state);
+    }
+    return state;
+  }
+
+  private collect(state: PerPeerState, since: number): QueuedEvent[] {
+    if (state.events.length === 0) return [];
+    return state.events.filter((e) => e.id > since);
+  }
+
+  private scheduleEviction(): void {
+    const interval = Math.max(60_000, Math.floor(this.idleEvictionMs / 4));
+    this.evictTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+      if (this.destroyed) return;
+      const cutoff = Date.now() - this.idleEvictionMs;
+      for (const [peer, state] of this.peers.entries()) {
+        if (state.lastTouchedMs < cutoff) this.evict(peer);
+      }
+      this.scheduleEviction();
+    }, interval);
+    (this.evictTimer as unknown as { unref?: () => void }).unref?.();
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Chunk transport that enqueues into an {@link OutboundQueue} instead
+ * of POSTing.
+ *
+ * Returns an optimistic `ChunkAck` immediately because the queue *is*
+ * the delivery — the receiver polls and dispatches. Browser receivers
+ * cannot synchronously confirm receipt before the next chunk; the
+ * engine's stream-protocol catches dropped chunks at finish-time
+ * integrity check, and chunk-resume restarts the lane from the last
+ * polled `since`.
+ */
+export class QueueTransferTransport implements ITransferTransport {
+  constructor(private readonly queue: OutboundQueue) {}
+
+  async probe(_peer: string): Promise<void> {
+    // The queue is local. Reachability is "is there a poller?" which
+    // is decided by `idleEvictionMs`. We don't synchronously check
+    // here; the engine retries via `withRetry` on `sendChunk` errors.
+  }
+
+  async sendChunk(
+    peer: string,
+    streamId: string,
+    laneId: number,
+    seq: number | bigint,
+    bytes: Uint8Array,
+    options?: ChunkSendOptions,
+  ): Promise<ChunkAck> {
+    if (options?.signal?.aborted) {
+      throw new TransferTransportError('sendChunk aborted by caller');
+    }
+    const seqNum = typeof seq === 'bigint' ? Number(seq) : seq;
+    this.queue.enqueue(peer, {
+      kind: 'chunk',
+      bytes,
+      meta: { streamId, laneId, seq: seqNum },
+    });
+    return { lastSeq: seqNum };
+  }
+
+  async fetchResumeState(
+    _peer: string,
+    _streamId: string,
+  ): Promise<TransferResumeState | null> {
+    // Pull-mode receivers report resume state by re-polling with the
+    // `since` cursor they last successfully processed; the queue does
+    // not need to query the receiver. Return null so the engine
+    // restarts from seq 0 (deterministic), and the queue replays from
+    // `since=0` if the client reconnects fresh.
+    return null;
+  }
+}

packages/shade-transport-bridge/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/transport-bridge",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-transport-webrtc/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/transport-webrtc",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-transport/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/transport",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",

packages/shade-widgets/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@shade/widgets",
-  "version": "4.0.2",
+  "version": "4.2.0",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",