diff --git a/browse/src/platform.ts b/browse/src/platform.ts
index 8feb2d554..89c492a4e 100644
--- a/browse/src/platform.ts
+++ b/browse/src/platform.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,18 @@ export const TEMP_DIR = IS_WINDOWS ? os.tmpdir() : '/tmp';
  * classic /tmp. Remote file serving (TEMP_ONLY in path-security.ts) stays
  * pinned to TEMP_DIR alone; this wider set is for LOCAL path validation only.
  */
-export const TEMP_DIRS = [...new Set([TEMP_DIR, os.tmpdir()])];
+/** A TMPDIR pointed at `/`, the user's home, or a parent of the daemon's cwd
+ *  would widen local path validation to that whole subtree for the daemon's
+ *  lifetime — treat such a value as misconfiguration and ignore it. */
+function trustableTmpdir(dir: string): boolean {
+  const resolved = path.resolve(dir);
+  const home = os.homedir();
+  if (resolved === path.parse(resolved).root) return false;
+  if (resolved === home) return false;
+  return !isPathWithin(path.resolve(process.cwd()), resolved) || isPathWithin(resolved, TEMP_DIR);
+}
+
+export const TEMP_DIRS = [...new Set([TEMP_DIR, os.tmpdir()].filter((d, i) => i === 0 || trustableTmpdir(d)))];
 
 /** Check if resolvedPath is within dir, using platform-aware separators. */
 export function isPathWithin(resolvedPath: string, dir: string): boolean {
diff --git a/browse/test/temp-dirs.test.ts b/browse/test/temp-dirs.test.ts
index 79932b3c3..ffbff6a7f 100644
--- a/browse/test/temp-dirs.test.ts
+++ b/browse/test/temp-dirs.test.ts
@@ -70,3 +70,33 @@ describe('remote file serving stays pinned to TEMP_DIR alone (no exfil widening)
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe('untrustable TMPDIR values never widen the allowlist', () => {
+  // TEMP_DIRS is computed at module load from os.tmpdir(), which honors
+  // TMPDIR — so a daemon launched with TMPDIR=/ or TMPDIR=$HOME must not
+  // trust that subtree for its whole lifetime. Probed via a subprocess so
+  // each case gets a fresh module load.
+  const probe = (tmpdir: string): string[] => {
+    const r = Bun.spawnSync([
+      process.execPath, '-e',
+      "import { TEMP_DIRS } from './browse/src/platform'; console.log(JSON.stringify(TEMP_DIRS));",
+    ], { env: { ...process.env, TMPDIR: tmpdir }, cwd: path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..', '..') });
+    return JSON.parse(r.stdout.toString().trim().split('\n').pop()!);
+  };
+
+  it('TMPDIR=/ and TMPDIR=$HOME collapse to TEMP_DIR alone; a cwd ancestor is rejected too', () => {
+    expect(probe('/')).toEqual([TEMP_DIR]);
+    expect(probe(os.homedir())).toEqual([TEMP_DIR]);
+    // Parent of the daemon cwd (the repo checkout's parent) — rejected.
+    expect(probe(path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..', '..', '..'))).toEqual([TEMP_DIR]);
+  });
+
+  it('a benign distinct TMPDIR (e.g. $HOME/tmp) is still honored for local paths', () => {
+    const benign = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.homedir(), 'browse-tmp-probe-'));
+    try {
+      expect(probe(benign)).toContain(fs.realpathSync(benign));
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmdirSync(benign);
+    }
+  });
+});