diff --git a/admin/slices/rancher/components/rancher/Provider.vue b/admin/slices/rancher/components/rancher/Provider.vue
index 5d54a5fe..7f8f1a8b 100644
--- a/admin/slices/rancher/components/rancher/Provider.vue
+++ b/admin/slices/rancher/components/rancher/Provider.vue
@@ -390,9 +390,10 @@ async function onDeploy() {
               <CardTitle class="text-base">Configure S3 storage</CardTitle>
               <CardDescription>
                 Required to seed template files and persist agent state. Set
-                <code>s3_bucket</code>, <code>aws_access_key_id</code> and
-                <code>aws_secret_access_key</code>. Local dev: use the included
-                MinIO defaults.
+                <code>s3_bucket</code> (and optionally <code>aws_region</code>).
+                <code>aws_access_key_id</code> / <code>aws_secret_access_key</code>
+                are optional — on EKS the pod's IRSA role is used automatically.
+                Local dev: use the included MinIO defaults.
               </CardDescription>
             </div>
             <Badge v-if="stepDone.s3" variant="default">Done</Badge>
diff --git a/api/src/slices/agent/file/data/file.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/agent/file/data/file.gateway.ts
index 33c88751..9cd26e37 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/agent/file/data/file.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/agent/file/data/file.gateway.ts
@@ -666,15 +666,15 @@ export class S3FileGateway extends IFileGateway {
         'S3 bucket is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_bucket)',
       );
     }
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Credentials are optional: when both are present we pass them explicitly
+    // (static keys / local MinIO). When blank we OMIT `credentials` so the AWS
+    // SDK default provider chain resolves them — this is what lets an EKS pod
+    // authenticate through its IRSA / Pod Identity role with no static keys.
     const client = new S3Client({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       ...(endpoint ? { endpoint, forcePathStyle: true } : {}),
     });
 
diff --git a/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts
index 27edfc78..cbd3f0b1 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts
@@ -157,20 +157,19 @@ export class AwsSecretGateway {
       get('aws_secret_prefix'),
     ]);
 
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
     if (!prefix) {
       throw new BadRequestException(
         'AWS Secrets Manager prefix is not configured (settings → integrations → aws_secret_prefix)',
       );
     }
 
+    // Credentials optional — omit `credentials` when blank so the SDK default
+    // provider chain (IRSA / Pod Identity on EKS) supplies them.
     const client = new SecretsManagerClient({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
     });
 
     return { client, prefix: prefix.replace(/\/+$/, '') };
diff --git a/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts
index 58fba832..8cb4d8a2 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/agent/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts
@@ -150,15 +150,15 @@ export class FileSecretGateway {
         'S3 bucket is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_bucket)',
       );
     }
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Credentials are optional: when both are present we pass them explicitly
+    // (static keys / local MinIO). When blank we OMIT `credentials` so the AWS
+    // SDK default provider chain resolves them — this is what lets an EKS pod
+    // authenticate through its IRSA / Pod Identity role with no static keys.
     const client = new S3Client({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       ...(endpoint ? { endpoint, forcePathStyle: true } : {}),
     });
 
diff --git a/api/src/slices/agent/templateFile/data/templateFile.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/agent/templateFile/data/templateFile.gateway.ts
index b307d069..6f67326f 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/agent/templateFile/data/templateFile.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/agent/templateFile/data/templateFile.gateway.ts
@@ -249,15 +249,15 @@ export class S3TemplateFileGateway extends ITemplateFileGateway {
         'S3 bucket is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_bucket)',
       );
     }
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Credentials are optional: when both are present we pass them explicitly
+    // (static keys / local MinIO). When blank we OMIT `credentials` so the AWS
+    // SDK default provider chain resolves them — this is what lets an EKS pod
+    // authenticate through its IRSA / Pod Identity role with no static keys.
     const client = new S3Client({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       ...(endpoint ? { endpoint, forcePathStyle: true } : {}),
     });
 
diff --git a/api/src/slices/aws/s3/s3.repository.ts b/api/src/slices/aws/s3/s3.repository.ts
index d43f4be4..37ea6d78 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/aws/s3/s3.repository.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/aws/s3/s3.repository.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { BadRequestException, Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
 import {
   DeleteObjectCommand,
   GetObjectCommand,
@@ -80,16 +80,15 @@ export class S3Repository {
       get('s3_secret_key'),
     ]);
 
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'S3 is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_access_key, s3_secret_key)',
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Credentials optional — when both are present we use them explicitly
+    // (static keys / MinIO); when blank we omit `credentials` so the SDK
+    // default provider chain (IRSA / Pod Identity on EKS) supplies them.
     this.client = new S3Client({
       endpoint: endpoint || undefined,
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       forcePathStyle: Boolean(endpoint),
     });
     return this.client;
diff --git a/api/src/slices/paddock/evaluation/data/paddockReport.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/paddock/evaluation/data/paddockReport.gateway.ts
index a24f4c6f..d3ed3485 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/paddock/evaluation/data/paddockReport.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/paddock/evaluation/data/paddockReport.gateway.ts
@@ -190,14 +190,13 @@ export class PaddockReportGateway extends IPaddockReportGateway {
         'S3 bucket is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_bucket)',
       );
     }
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
+    // Credentials optional — omit `credentials` when blank so the SDK default
+    // provider chain (IRSA / Pod Identity on EKS) supplies them.
     const client = new S3Client({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       ...(endpoint ? { endpoint, forcePathStyle: true } : {}),
     });
     return { client, bucket };
diff --git a/api/src/slices/rancher/domain/rancher.service.ts b/api/src/slices/rancher/domain/rancher.service.ts
index a59351a4..498a276e 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/rancher/domain/rancher.service.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/rancher/domain/rancher.service.ts
@@ -72,9 +72,13 @@ export class RancherService implements OnApplicationBootstrap {
     };
   }
 
-  // S3 is "configured" when bucket + AWS credentials are all present in
-  // settings → integrations. Endpoint/region are optional (region falls
-  // back to us-east-1; endpoint blank means real AWS).
+  // S3 is "configured" once a bucket is set. AWS credentials are OPTIONAL:
+  // on EKS the pod authenticates through its IRSA / Pod Identity role via the
+  // SDK's default provider chain, so no static keys are needed. When keys are
+  // supplied (static keys / local MinIO) they must come as a pair — a lone
+  // key or secret is a half-filled, unusable state, so we don't count it.
+  // Endpoint/region stay optional (region falls back to us-east-1; blank
+  // endpoint means real AWS).
   private async checkS3Configured(): Promise<boolean> {
     const get = async (name: string): Promise<string> => {
       const s = await this.settingGateway.findByKey('integrations', name);
@@ -85,7 +89,9 @@ export class RancherService implements OnApplicationBootstrap {
       get('aws_access_key_id'),
       get('aws_secret_access_key'),
     ]);
-    return !!(bucket && key && secret);
+    // both-or-neither: reject a partially-entered credential pair
+    const credsConsistent = !!key === !!secret;
+    return !!bucket && credsConsistent;
   }
 
   // Idempotent — returns the existing Rancher template if one exists,
diff --git a/api/src/slices/user/browserState/data/browserState.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/user/browserState/data/browserState.gateway.ts
index 6744489e..e2953158 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/user/browserState/data/browserState.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/user/browserState/data/browserState.gateway.ts
@@ -143,15 +143,15 @@ export class UserBrowserStateGateway extends IUserBrowserStateGateway {
         'S3 bucket is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_bucket)',
       );
     }
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Credentials are optional: when both are present we pass them explicitly
+    // (static keys / local MinIO). When blank we OMIT `credentials` so the AWS
+    // SDK default provider chain resolves them — this is what lets an EKS pod
+    // authenticate through its IRSA / Pod Identity role with no static keys.
     const client = new S3Client({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       ...(endpoint ? { endpoint, forcePathStyle: true } : {}),
     });
 
diff --git a/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts
index 0ffcf505..c0f66448 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/awsSecret.gateway.ts
@@ -160,20 +160,20 @@ export class AwsUserSecretGateway {
       get('aws_user_secret_prefix'),
     ]);
 
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
     if (!prefix) {
       throw new BadRequestException(
         'AWS Secrets Manager user prefix is not configured (settings → integrations → aws_user_secret_prefix)',
       );
     }
 
+    // Credentials are optional: when both are present we pass them explicitly,
+    // otherwise we omit `credentials` so the SDK default provider chain (IRSA /
+    // Pod Identity on EKS) supplies them.
     const client = new SecretsManagerClient({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
     });
 
     return { client, prefix: prefix.replace(/\/+$/, '') };
diff --git a/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts b/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts
index 2fdbe79c..cd61f609 100644
--- a/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts
+++ b/api/src/slices/user/secret/data/fileSecret.gateway.ts
@@ -136,15 +136,15 @@ export class FileUserSecretGateway {
         'S3 bucket is not configured (settings → integrations → s3_bucket)',
       );
     }
-    if (!accessKeyId || !secretAccessKey) {
-      throw new BadRequestException(
-        'AWS credentials are not configured (settings → integrations)',
-      );
-    }
-
+    // Credentials are optional: when both are present we pass them explicitly
+    // (static keys / local MinIO). When blank we OMIT `credentials` so the AWS
+    // SDK default provider chain resolves them — this is what lets an EKS pod
+    // authenticate through its IRSA / Pod Identity role with no static keys.
     const client = new S3Client({
       region: region || 'us-east-1',
-      credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey },
+      ...(accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { credentials: { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } }
+        : {}),
       ...(endpoint ? { endpoint, forcePathStyle: true } : {}),
     });