diff --git a/pkg/router/route_group_mux_test.go b/pkg/router/route_group_mux_test.go
index 6051300518..3d8f021564 100644
--- a/pkg/router/route_group_mux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/router/route_group_mux_test.go
@@ -312,6 +312,51 @@ func TestRouteMuxRemoveLegsPromotesPrimary(t *testing.T) {
 	require.True(t, m.ready[1], "former leg 2 keeps its ready bit")
 }
 
+// TestRemoveMuxRouteByTransportRemovesPrimary proves the router-level guard
+// against removing the primary leg (index 0) is gone: removing the tps[0]
+// transport re-homes the primary onto a surviving leg — the ping/SACK/latency
+// probes read rg.tps[0] LIVE, so the promoted leg transparently takes over, the
+// same way pruneDeadTransports/pruneLegByConsumeRule already re-home index 0.
+// This is the primitive that lets exact route pinning, live direct<->multihop
+// route switching and single-leg pinning reach the operator's exact leg-set
+// with no un-prunable auto primary left behind.
+func TestRemoveMuxRouteByTransportRemovesPrimary(t *testing.T) {
+	rg, mts, _ := createMuxRouteGroup(t, 3)
+	r := &router{
+		logger: logging.MustGetLogger("remove_primary_test"),
+		rt:     rg.rt,
+		rgsNs:  make(map[routing.RouteDescriptor]*NoiseRouteGroup),
+	}
+	r.rgsNs[rg.desc] = &NoiseRouteGroup{rg: rg, Conn: rg}
+
+	primaryID := mts[0].Entry.ID
+	secondID := mts[1].Entry.ID
+
+	require.NoError(t, r.RemoveMuxRouteByTransport(rg.desc, primaryID),
+		"removing the primary leg (index 0) must be allowed and re-home")
+
+	rg.mu.Lock()
+	defer rg.mu.Unlock()
+	require.Len(t, rg.tps, 2, "exactly one leg removed")
+	require.Equal(t, secondID, rg.tps[0].Entry.ID,
+		"former leg 1 must be promoted to primary at index 0")
+}
+
+// TestRemoveMuxRouteByTransportKeepsLastLeg confirms the last-leg floor still
+// holds after relaxing the primary guard: the sole remaining leg is never removed.
+func TestRemoveMuxRouteByTransportKeepsLastLeg(t *testing.T) {
+	rg, mts, _ := createMuxRouteGroup(t, 1)
+	r := &router{
+		logger: logging.MustGetLogger("keep_last_test"),
+		rt:     rg.rt,
+		rgsNs:  make(map[routing.RouteDescriptor]*NoiseRouteGroup),
+	}
+	r.rgsNs[rg.desc] = &NoiseRouteGroup{rg: rg, Conn: rg}
+
+	require.Error(t, r.RemoveMuxRouteByTransport(rg.desc, mts[0].Entry.ID),
+		"removing the only remaining leg must still be refused")
+}
+
 // TestRouteMuxRemoveLegsEmpty is the no-op guard.
 func TestRouteMuxRemoveLegsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	m := &routeMux{}
diff --git a/pkg/router/router_mux_ops.go b/pkg/router/router_mux_ops.go
index 5c1c1c7791..22722945d5 100644
--- a/pkg/router/router_mux_ops.go
+++ b/pkg/router/router_mux_ops.go
@@ -496,13 +496,17 @@ func (r *router) RemoveMuxRouteByTransport(desc routing.RouteDescriptor, tpID uu
 	if idx < 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("transport %s not found in route group", tpID)
 	}
-	// The primary leg (index 0) is privileged throughout the route group:
-	// ping/pong/SACK and latency attribution hardcode tps[0], and the mux
-	// selector treats leg 0 as always-ready. Removing it silently breaks the
-	// group, so refuse it (the last-leg guard above does not cover this).
-	if idx == 0 {
-		return errors.New("cannot remove the primary leg (index 0) of a route group")
-	}
+	// Removing the primary leg (index 0) is ALLOWED and re-homes the primary.
+	// ping/pong/SACK and latency attribution read rg.tps[0] LIVE on each call
+	// (they hold no cached leg reference), and the mux selector is rebuilt
+	// below, so the survivor compacted into index 0 transparently takes over —
+	// the exact re-home pruneDeadTransports (index-0 death) and
+	// pruneLegByConsumeRule (remote leg retire) already perform in production.
+	// The last-leg guard above is the only real floor. Allowing this is what
+	// makes full manual route control work: exact route pinning, live
+	// direct<->multihop route switching, and single-leg pinning — the leg-set
+	// becomes exactly what the operator asks for (`proxy start --route`,
+	// `proxy mux set --prune`), with no un-prunable auto primary left behind.
 
 	// Collect rule IDs to delete
 	var deadRuleIDs []routing.RouteID