diff --git a/scripts/setup.sh b/scripts/setup.sh
index 7220ed1c6..612ba007b 100755
--- a/scripts/setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup.sh
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ spinifex-daemon ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/ip, /usr/sbin/ip
 spinifex-daemon ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/ovs-vsctl, /usr/bin/ovs-appctl
 spinifex-daemon ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/dhcpcd
 spinifex-daemon ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/systemctl is-active openvswitch-ipsec.service
+spinifex-daemon ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/ovn-nbctl set NB_Global . ipsec=true
 
 # Spinifex VPC daemon: OVN and OVS read/write, OVN controller status check and DHCP
 spinifex-vpcd ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/dhcpcd
diff --git a/spinifex/daemon/ipsec.go b/spinifex/daemon/ipsec.go
index 213654009..5d3963526 100644
--- a/spinifex/daemon/ipsec.go
+++ b/spinifex/daemon/ipsec.go
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ import (
 // where the unit hasn't finished starting yet. Overridden in tests.
 var systemctlActiveTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 
+// ovnNBSocketPath gates the NB_Global ipsec=true write to the management
+// node — workers don't run ovn-central and have no local socket.
+// Overridden in tests.
+var ovnNBSocketPath = "/run/ovn/ovnnb_db.sock"
+
 // enableOVNIPSec wires the per-node IPsec peer cert into the local OVS DB and
 // flips ipsec_encapsulation=true. ovs-monitor-ipsec (shipped by the
 // openvswitch-ipsec package) reads the cert/key/CA pointers and materialises
@@ -73,6 +78,19 @@ func (d *Daemon) enableOVNIPSec() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("enable ipsec_encapsulation: %s: %w", strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), err)
 	}
 
+	// NB_Global.ipsec=true triggers ovn-controller on every chassis to add
+	// options:remote_name to the Geneve tunnel ports, which is what
+	// ovs-monitor-ipsec keys off to materialise the per-peer strongSwan
+	// connections. Without it, xfrm stays empty and Geneve runs plaintext
+	// even with ipsec_encapsulation=true set locally. Only the management
+	// node has a local NB socket; on workers, skip silently — the flag is
+	// cluster-wide and one writer is enough.
+	if _, err := os.Stat(ovnNBSocketPath); err == nil {
+		if out, err := sudoCommand("ovn-nbctl", "set", "NB_Global", ".", "ipsec=true").CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("set NB_Global ipsec=true: %s: %w", strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	slog.Info("OVN native IPsec enabled on intra-AZ Geneve",
 		"cert", certPath,
 		"key", keyPath,
diff --git a/spinifex/daemon/ipsec_test.go b/spinifex/daemon/ipsec_test.go
index 4f89c31a3..79390302b 100644
--- a/spinifex/daemon/ipsec_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/daemon/ipsec_test.go
@@ -61,6 +61,13 @@ func TestEnableOVNIPSec(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(full, []byte("x"), 0600))
 	}
 
+	// Point the NB-socket gate at a non-existent path so this test runs the
+	// worker path (no ovn-nbctl). TestEnableOVNIPSec_Management covers the
+	// management-node branch.
+	origNBSock := ovnNBSocketPath
+	ovnNBSocketPath = filepath.Join(configDir, "no-such-socket")
+	t.Cleanup(func() { ovnNBSocketPath = origNBSock })
+
 	d := &Daemon{configPath: configPath, clusterConfig: multiNodeClusterConfig()}
 	require.NoError(t, d.enableOVNIPSec())
 
@@ -82,6 +89,36 @@ func TestEnableOVNIPSec(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, strings.Join(recorder.runs[2], " "), "other_config:ipsec_encapsulation=true")
 }
 
+func TestEnableOVNIPSec_Management(t *testing.T) {
+	recorder := &recordingSudo{}
+	orig := sudoCommand
+	sudoCommand = recorder.stub
+	t.Cleanup(func() { sudoCommand = orig })
+
+	configDir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(configDir, "spinifex.toml")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte("placeholder"), 0600))
+	for _, rel := range []string{"ca.pem", "ipsec/peer.pem", "ipsec/peer.key"} {
+		full := filepath.Join(configDir, rel)
+		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(full), 0750))
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(full, []byte("x"), 0600))
+	}
+
+	// Simulate a local NB socket so enableOVNIPSec runs the management
+	// branch and writes NB_Global.ipsec=true.
+	sockPath := filepath.Join(configDir, "ovnnb_db.sock")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(sockPath, []byte{}, 0600))
+	origNBSock := ovnNBSocketPath
+	ovnNBSocketPath = sockPath
+	t.Cleanup(func() { ovnNBSocketPath = origNBSock })
+
+	d := &Daemon{configPath: configPath, clusterConfig: multiNodeClusterConfig()}
+	require.NoError(t, d.enableOVNIPSec())
+
+	require.Len(t, recorder.runs, 4)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"ovn-nbctl", "set", "NB_Global", ".", "ipsec=true"}, recorder.runs[3])
+}
+
 func TestEnableOVNIPSec_SingleNodeSkip(t *testing.T) {
 	orig := sudoCommand
 	sudoCommand = func(name string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {