diff --git a/spinifex/daemon/daemon.go b/spinifex/daemon/daemon.go
index 8c0077748..79cc6f4e1 100644
--- a/spinifex/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/spinifex/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -690,6 +690,14 @@ func (d *Daemon) Start() error {
 			if node, ok := d.clusterConfig.Nodes[d.clusterConfig.Node]; ok {
 				dhcpBindBridge = node.VPCD.DhcpBindBridge
 			}
+			// For DHCP-sourced pools, compute the gateway LRP MAC so per-VM
+			// DORA uses it as chaddr. This makes the upstream DHCP binding
+			// match the MAC OVN GARPs with, preventing ARP table conflicts on
+			// routers that derive their ARP table from DHCP leases.
+			gwMAC := ""
+			if d.clusterConfig.Bootstrap.VpcId != "" {
+				gwMAC = utils.HashMAC("gw-" + d.clusterConfig.Bootstrap.VpcId)
+			}
 			for _, p := range d.clusterConfig.Network.ExternalPools {
 				pools = append(pools, handlers_ec2_vpc.ExternalPoolConfig{
 					Name:           p.Name,
@@ -702,6 +710,7 @@ func (d *Daemon) Start() error {
 					Region:         p.Region,
 					AZ:             p.AZ,
 					DhcpBindBridge: dhcpBindBridge,
+					GatewayMAC:     gwMAC,
 				})
 			}
 			d.externalIPAM, err = handlers_ec2_vpc.NewExternalIPAM(d.natsConn, js, pools)
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam.go
index e96a9d721..6c551f581 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam.go
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@ type ExternalPoolConfig struct {
 	Region         string
 	AZ             string
 	DhcpBindBridge string // Bridge where the DHCP AF_PACKET socket binds (e.g. "br-wan"). Linux bridge in veth mode; OVS bridge in direct mode. Never "br-ext".
+	// GatewayMAC, when set, is used as the chaddr in per-VM DHCP DORAs so
+	// that the upstream DHCP binding matches the MAC that OVN GARPs use (the
+	// gateway LRP MAC). Without this, the DHCP server binds the public IP to
+	// the generated ENI-derived MAC while OVN announces a different MAC via
+	// GARP, causing home routers that use their DHCP lease table as ARP to
+	// forward traffic to a non-existent interface.
+	GatewayMAC string
 }
 
 // IsDHCP returns true if this pool obtains IPs from router DHCP.
@@ -165,6 +172,7 @@ func (m *ExternalIPAM) initPool(pool ExternalPoolConfig) error {
 			"gateway-"+pool.Name,
 			"mulga-spinifex-gw",
 			pool.Name,
+			"", // no specific chaddr — this lease is a pool reservation, not a routable VM address
 		)
 		if dhcpErr != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("DHCP gateway lease for pool %q: %w", pool.Name, dhcpErr)
@@ -253,7 +261,7 @@ func (m *ExternalIPAM) allocateFromPool(poolName, allocType, allocID, eniID, ins
 	var dhcpLease *dhcpLeaseResult
 	if pool != nil && pool.IsDHCP() {
 		hostname, vendorClass := dhcpIdentityOptions(eniID, instanceID, poolName)
-		lease, err := ObtainDHCPLease(m.nc, pool.DhcpBindBridge, clientID, hostname, vendorClass, poolName)
+		lease, err := ObtainDHCPLease(m.nc, pool.DhcpBindBridge, clientID, hostname, vendorClass, poolName, pool.GatewayMAC)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("DHCP lease for %s: %w", clientID, err)
 		}
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_dhcp.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_dhcp.go
index ea3473c83..026eec16d 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_dhcp.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_dhcp.go
@@ -44,12 +44,17 @@ type dhcpLeaseResult struct {
 
 // ObtainDHCPLease asks spinifex-vpcd to acquire a DHCP lease on the given
 // bridge, identifying us with option 61 (client-id), option 12 (hostname)
-// and option 60 (vendor class). Blocks until vpcd replies or
-// dhcpNATSTimeout expires. The Manager-side handler is idempotent: a
-// second call with the same clientID while a live lease exists returns
-// the same lease without a fresh DORA, so CAS retry loops on the caller
-// are safe.
-func ObtainDHCPLease(nc *nats.Conn, bridge, clientID, hostname, vendorClass, poolName string) (dhcpLeaseResult, error) {
+// and option 60 (vendor class). hwAddr, when non-empty, is used as the
+// chaddr (layer-2 MAC) in the DHCP payload; when empty, vpcd derives one
+// from clientID. Pass the OVN gateway LRP MAC here for per-VM allocations
+// so that the upstream DHCP binding matches the MAC OVN GARPs with — without
+// this, routers that use their DHCP lease table as ARP forward traffic to
+// the generated chaddr instead of the gateway LRP, dropping all inbound traffic.
+// Blocks until vpcd replies or dhcpNATSTimeout expires. The Manager-side
+// handler is idempotent: a second call with the same clientID while a live
+// lease exists returns the same lease without a fresh DORA, so CAS retry
+// loops on the caller are safe.
+func ObtainDHCPLease(nc *nats.Conn, bridge, clientID, hostname, vendorClass, poolName, hwAddr string) (dhcpLeaseResult, error) {
 	if nc == nil {
 		return dhcpLeaseResult{}, fmt.Errorf("DHCP lease: NATS connection is required")
 	}
@@ -66,6 +71,7 @@ func ObtainDHCPLease(nc *nats.Conn, bridge, clientID, hostname, vendorClass, poo
 		Hostname:    hostname,
 		VendorClass: vendorClass,
 		PoolName:    poolName,
+		HWAddr:      hwAddr,
 	}
 	data, err := json.Marshal(req)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_test.go
index 618696273..8e18f0dfe 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/ec2/vpc/external_ipam_test.go
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ func TestObtainDHCPLease_RequestTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 		dhcpAcquireRetryDelay = prevDelay
 	})
 
-	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "br-wan", "eni-timeout", "eni-timeout", "mulga-spinifex", "wan")
+	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "br-wan", "eni-timeout", "eni-timeout", "mulga-spinifex", "wan", "")
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "dhcp acquire NATS request")
 }
 
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ func TestObtainDHCPLease_MalformedReply(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = sub.Unsubscribe() })
 
-	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "br-wan", "eni-malformed", "eni-malformed", "mulga-spinifex", "wan")
+	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "br-wan", "eni-malformed", "eni-malformed", "mulga-spinifex", "wan", "")
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "unmarshal dhcp acquire reply")
 }
 
@@ -668,14 +668,14 @@ func TestReleaseDHCPLease_ReplyError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestObtainDHCPLease_Guards(t *testing.T) {
-	_, err := ObtainDHCPLease(nil, "br-wan", "eni-1", "eni-1", "mulga-spinifex", "wan")
+	_, err := ObtainDHCPLease(nil, "br-wan", "eni-1", "eni-1", "mulga-spinifex", "wan", "")
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "NATS connection is required")
 
 	_, nc := testutil.StartTestNATS(t)
-	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "", "eni-1", "eni-1", "mulga-spinifex", "wan")
+	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "", "eni-1", "eni-1", "mulga-spinifex", "wan", "")
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "bridge name is required")
 
-	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "br-wan", "", "eni-1", "mulga-spinifex", "wan")
+	_, err = ObtainDHCPLease(nc, "br-wan", "", "eni-1", "mulga-spinifex", "wan", "")
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "client ID is required")
 }