diff --git a/backend/server.js b/backend/server.js
index 5048b4a1..dd0d9ee2 100644
--- a/backend/server.js
+++ b/backend/server.js
@@ -568,30 +568,36 @@ app.use('/api/admin/photo-export', require('./src/routes/adminPhotoExport'));
 app.use('/api/admin/css-templates', require('./src/routes/adminCssTemplates'));
 app.use('/api/admin/events', require('./src/routes/adminEventRename'));
 app.use('/api/admin/users', require('./src/routes/adminUsers'));
-// Customer portal (#354). The customerPortal feature flag is enforced
-// in TWO places:
+// Customer portal (#354). The customerPortal feature flag is a
+// VISIBILITY toggle for the admin surface, not a kill switch for
+// customer access. Enforcement:
+//
 //   1. Frontend: RequireFeature guards + AdminSidebar visibility
-//      (handles navigation cleanly when an admin is using the app).
-//   2. Backend: the requireCustomerPortalEnabled middleware below.
-//      Belt-and-braces — a stale tab, a saved bookmark, or any
-//      third-party API client trying to hit /api/customer/* or
-//      /api/admin/customers/* gets a 410 Gone the moment the toggle
-//      is flipped off. Includes /api/customer/auth/login: flag off
-//      = nobody can log in until the admin re-enables, including
-//      already-issued customers (their sessions still have valid
-//      JWTs but every API call returns 410 → frontend boots them
-//      out). PR #458 deliberate departure from the prior design
-//      that left login alive when the rest of the surface was off.
-const {
-  requireCustomerPortalEnabled,
-  requireCustomerPortalEnabledAdmin,
-} = require('./src/middleware/requireCustomerPortal');
-
-app.use('/api/admin/customers', requireCustomerPortalEnabledAdmin, require('./src/routes/adminCustomers'));
+//      hide the Clients section when the flag is off. Customer-side
+//      /customer/* surfaces stay reachable.
+//   2. Backend: NO route-level gate. The admin surface is gated by
+//      adminAuth + permission checks (admin still has rights to
+//      manage customer records even if the section is hidden in
+//      their UI). The customer surface is gated by customerAuth +
+//      is_active checks on customer_accounts.
+//
+// For close-to-realtime access changes use the dedicated tools:
+//   - Revoke a customer's access to ONE gallery → "Manage galleries"
+//     dialog removes the event_customer_assignments row, which
+//     verifyGalleryAccess re-checks on every customer-minted JWT.
+//   - Lock out a customer entirely → "Deactivate" sets is_active=false
+//     and bumps password_changed_at, killing every outstanding JWT.
+//   - Toggle per-customer feature surfaces (calendar/quotes/bills)
+//     → toggles on the customer detail page.
+//
+// Putting the global flag in the kill-switch role was a mistake — a
+// stray click in Settings → Features would lock every paying
+// customer out at once. PR-revert moved the gate back to per-record.
+app.use('/api/admin/customers', require('./src/routes/adminCustomers'));
 // Customer-side surface (#354). Strictly separate from /api/admin/* —
 // distinct token type, distinct cookie, distinct middleware.
-app.use('/api/customer/auth', requireCustomerPortalEnabled, require('./src/routes/customerAuth'));
-app.use('/api/customer', requireCustomerPortalEnabled, require('./src/routes/customer'));
+app.use('/api/customer/auth', require('./src/routes/customerAuth'));
+app.use('/api/customer', require('./src/routes/customer'));
 app.use('/api/admin/event-types', require('./src/routes/adminEventTypes'));
 app.use('/api/admin/api-tokens', require('./src/routes/adminApiTokens'));
 app.use('/api/admin/webhooks', require('./src/routes/adminWebhooks'));
diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/requireCustomerPortal.js b/backend/src/middleware/requireCustomerPortal.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 5b307e71..00000000
--- a/backend/src/middleware/requireCustomerPortal.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Customer portal feature-flag gate.
- *
- * Blocks every /api/customer/* and /api/admin/customers/* endpoint
- * when the `customerPortal` flag is off. Returns 410 Gone so the
- * frontend can distinguish "feature has been disabled" from "you
- * don't have access" (which would be 403) — useful for the customer
- * dashboard's auto-redirect on a soft-kill scenario.
- *
- * Reads the flag via customerAccountsService.isCustomerPortalEnabled
- * (which itself reads from the maintainer's feature_flags table),
- * so a single source of truth.
- */
-
-const customerAccountsService = require('../services/customerAccountsService');
-const logger = require('../utils/logger');
-
-async function isEnabled() {
-  try {
-    return await customerAccountsService.isCustomerPortalEnabled();
-  } catch (err) {
-    // Defensive: if the lookup throws (DB unavailable, table missing
-    // mid-migration), fail closed so an enabled-by-default fallback
-    // can't accidentally expose customer surfaces during boot.
-    logger.warn('requireCustomerPortal: feature flag lookup failed, treating as off', {
-      error: err?.message,
-    });
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Customer-facing endpoints. Returns 410 with a code the frontend
- * can interpret to clear stale session storage + redirect to
- * /admin/login.
- */
-async function requireCustomerPortalEnabled(req, res, next) {
-  if (await isEnabled()) return next();
-  return res.status(410).json({
-    error: 'Customer portal is disabled',
-    code: 'CUSTOMER_PORTAL_DISABLED',
-  });
-}
-
-/**
- * Admin-facing /api/admin/customers/* endpoints. Same gate, same
- * status code — keeps the contract consistent across both halves of
- * the customer-portal surface. The sidebar UI already hides the
- * entry, but a stale tab or direct API call must also be blocked.
- */
-async function requireCustomerPortalEnabledAdmin(req, res, next) {
-  if (await isEnabled()) return next();
-  return res.status(410).json({
-    error: 'Customer portal is disabled',
-    code: 'CUSTOMER_PORTAL_DISABLED',
-  });
-}
-
-module.exports = {
-  requireCustomerPortalEnabled,
-  requireCustomerPortalEnabledAdmin,
-};
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/customerAuth.js b/backend/src/routes/customerAuth.js
index 87eb7b4b..8de968d8 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/customerAuth.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/customerAuth.js
@@ -48,15 +48,20 @@ const TOKEN_TTL_SECONDS = 24 * 60 * 60; // mirrors admin tokens
 
 // ---- login -------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// Flag-gate note: this route IS now gated by the customerPortal feature
-// flag via the requireCustomerPortalEnabled middleware mounted in
-// server.js (`app.use('/api/customer/auth', requireCustomerPortalEnabled, …)`).
-// When the admin flips the toggle off in Settings → Features, every
-// customer-side endpoint — including login — returns 410. The previous
-// design left login reachable while the rest of the surface was gated;
-// that was confusing and asymmetric. Single source of truth wins.
-// To lock out a specific customer without disabling the feature for
-// everyone, deactivate the account (customer_accounts.is_active = false).
+// The customerPortal feature flag deliberately does NOT gate this route.
+// Flipping the master toggle off in Settings → Features hides the
+// admin-side Clients section (sidebar entry, /admin/clients pages) but
+// must not revoke access for customers who already accepted an
+// invitation — that would mean a stray click in the Features tab
+// locks every paying customer out at once.
+//
+// To revoke access at the customer level, use the per-record tools:
+//   - "Deactivate" on the customer detail page → sets
+//     customer_accounts.is_active = false AND bumps password_changed_at,
+//     which customerAuth rejects below + on every protected route.
+//   - "Manage galleries" dialog → removes event_customer_assignments
+//     rows, which verifyGalleryAccess re-checks on customer-minted
+//     gallery JWTs (instant per-gallery revocation).
 router.post('/login', [
   body('email').isEmail().normalizeEmail().withMessage('Valid email is required'),
   body('password').isString().notEmpty(),