diff --git a/src/i18n/de.json b/src/i18n/de.json
index 70d20aac..5826ee25 100644
--- a/src/i18n/de.json
+++ b/src/i18n/de.json
@@ -1967,7 +1967,6 @@
   "settings.portal.host_not_verified": "Domain ist nicht verifiziert",
   "settings.portal.host_invalid_prefix": "Ungültiges Subdomain-Präfix",
   "settings.portal.host_collision": "Host kollidiert mit der GateControl-Adresse, einer Route-Domain oder einem Peer-Hostnamen",
-  "settings.portal.host_requires_caddy_email": "Eine öffentliche Domain benötigt eine konfigurierte ACME-E-Mail (GC_CADDY_EMAIL) für die Zertifikatsausstellung",
   "settings.portal.address": "Portal-Adresse",
   "settings.portal.base_domain": "Basis-Domain",
   "settings.portal.prefix": "Subdomain-Präfix",
diff --git a/src/i18n/en.json b/src/i18n/en.json
index cc94f70b..b7b078a9 100644
--- a/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -1967,7 +1967,6 @@
   "settings.portal.host_not_verified": "Domain is not verified",
   "settings.portal.host_invalid_prefix": "Invalid subdomain prefix",
   "settings.portal.host_collision": "Host collides with the GateControl address, a route domain, or a peer hostname",
-  "settings.portal.host_requires_caddy_email": "A public domain needs an ACME email (GC_CADDY_EMAIL) configured for certificate issuance",
   "settings.portal.address": "Portal address",
   "settings.portal.base_domain": "Base domain",
   "settings.portal.prefix": "Subdomain prefix",
diff --git a/src/routes/api/settings/portal.js b/src/routes/api/settings/portal.js
index bbd160bc..bf1c8a54 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/settings/portal.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/settings/portal.js
@@ -60,11 +60,11 @@ router.put('/portal', (req, res) => {
       const prefix = String(body.prefix !== undefined ? (body.prefix == null ? '' : body.prefix) : settings.get('portal.prefix', 'home')).trim().toLowerCase();
       const v = validatePortalHost(base, prefix);
       if (!v.ok) return res.status(400).json({ ok: false, error: req.t('settings.portal.host_' + v.error) });
-      // Preflight: a public host needs an ACME email, else Caddy requests no cert and the
-      // feature silently fails its core value. Reject before persisting/syncing.
-      if (base && !config.caddy.email) {
-        return res.status(400).json({ ok: false, error: req.t('settings.portal.host_requires_caddy_email') });
-      }
+      // NOTE: GC_CADDY_EMAIL is intentionally NOT required. ACME issuance (Let's Encrypt)
+      // does not need an account email; when GC_CADDY_EMAIL is empty, buildTlsAutomation
+      // emits no explicit tls policy and Caddy's default automation obtains a public cert
+      // for the portal host exactly as it already does for every route domain. An email is
+      // optional (only used for LE expiry notices, which Caddy's auto-renew makes moot).
       settings.set('portal.base_domain', base);
       settings.set('portal.prefix', prefix);
       // ALWAYS re-sync when a host field was submitted + validated — NO "only when changed"
diff --git a/tests/portal_settings_host.test.js b/tests/portal_settings_host.test.js
index 8f75f2aa..ad876de8 100644
--- a/tests/portal_settings_host.test.js
+++ b/tests/portal_settings_host.test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 'use strict';
 const crypto = require('crypto');
 process.env.GC_ENCRYPTION_KEY = process.env.GC_ENCRYPTION_KEY || crypto.randomBytes(32).toString('hex');
-process.env.GC_CADDY_EMAIL = process.env.GC_CADDY_EMAIL || 'test@example.com';
+// NOTE: GC_CADDY_EMAIL is deliberately NOT set here. The portal must accept a verified
+// public domain even with no ACME email configured (Let's Encrypt issuance needs none);
+// these tests run with config.caddy.email === '' to prove that.
 const { test, beforeEach, afterEach } = require('node:test');
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
 const { setup, teardown, getAgent, getCsrf } = require('./helpers/setup');
@@ -21,6 +23,16 @@ test('PUT accepts a verified base domain + prefix and GET reflects it', async ()
   assert.equal(get.body.data.isPublic, true);
 });
 
+test('PUT accepts a verified public domain with NO GC_CADDY_EMAIL configured (ACME needs no account email)', async () => {
+  assert.equal(require('../config/default').caddy.email, '', 'precondition: caddy email is unset for this test');
+  getDb().prepare("INSERT INTO domains (domain, status) VALUES ('domaincaster.com','verified')").run();
+  const agent = getAgent(); const csrf = getCsrf();
+  await agent.put('/api/v1/settings/portal').set('X-CSRF-Token', csrf)
+    .send({ base_domain: 'domaincaster.com', prefix: 'home' }).expect(200);
+  const get = await agent.get('/api/v1/settings/portal').expect(200);
+  assert.equal(get.body.data.isPublic, true);
+});
+
 test('PUT rejects an unverified base domain (400)', async () => {
   const agent = getAgent(); const csrf = getCsrf();
   await agent.put('/api/v1/settings/portal').set('X-CSRF-Token', csrf)