diff --git a/config.template.jsonc b/config.template.jsonc
index 911ce3ec8..07f757206 100644
--- a/config.template.jsonc
+++ b/config.template.jsonc
@@ -300,6 +300,10 @@
     // ignore plans entirely. Unset by default — leave it that way to keep the
     // free cap meaningful.
     // "max_seats_per_team": 50,
+    //
+    // Staged rollout: only these email domains may create a team or see the
+    // tab. Members of an existing team always pass. Unset means everyone.
+    // "teams_allowed_email_domains": ["puter.com"],
 
     // ── Notifications ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
     // How long a notification is kept, in days from creation. Acknowledged or
diff --git a/src/backend/controllers/team/TeamController.ts b/src/backend/controllers/team/TeamController.ts
index 2ae90e7c1..2488aa41d 100644
--- a/src/backend/controllers/team/TeamController.ts
+++ b/src/backend/controllers/team/TeamController.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ export class TeamController extends PuterController {
     })
     async createTeam(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
         const userId = this.#requireUserId(req);
+        await this.#requireTeamsAvailable(req, userId);
         const body = this.#body(req);
 
         const team = await this.services.team.createTeam(userId, {
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ export class TeamController extends PuterController {
     })
     async listTeams(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
         const userId = this.#requireUserId(req);
+        await this.#requireTeamsAvailable(req, userId);
         const teams = await this.stores.team.listTeamsForUser(userId);
         res.json({
             items: teams.map((t) =>
@@ -410,6 +412,18 @@ export class TeamController extends PuterController {
         };
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The domain-allowlist gate, on the two routes that enter the feature. Same
+     * 404 as a teams-off deployment; other routes bound by membership.
+     */
+    async #requireTeamsAvailable(req: Request, userId: number): Promise<void> {
+        const email = (
+            req.actor as { user?: { email?: string | null } } | undefined
+        )?.user?.email;
+        if (await this.services.team.teamsAvailableTo(userId, email)) return;
+        throw new HttpError(404, 'Not found', { legacyCode: 'not_found' });
+    }
+
     #requireUserId(req: Request): number {
         const id = (req.actor as { user?: { id?: number } } | undefined)?.user
             ?.id;
diff --git a/src/backend/services/team/TeamDomainGate.test.ts b/src/backend/services/team/TeamDomainGate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..895554eaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/services/team/TeamDomainGate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2024-present Puter Technologies Inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Puter.
+ *
+ * Puter is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import type { IConfig } from '../../types';
+import { setupPuterTestEnv, type PuterTestEnv } from '../../testUtil.ts';
+
+describe('teams email-domain allowlist', () => {
+    let env: PuterTestEnv;
+
+    const makeUser = async (email: string) => {
+        const username = `dg_${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 10)}`;
+        const created = (await env.server.stores.user.create({
+            username,
+            uuid: uuidv4(),
+            password: null,
+            email,
+            email_confirmed: true,
+        })) as unknown as { id: number };
+        const row = await env.server.stores.user.getById(created.id);
+        const { token } = await env.server.services.auth.createSessionToken(
+            row!,
+        );
+        return { id: created.id, username, token };
+    };
+
+    const call = (method: string, path: string, token: string, body?: unknown) =>
+        fetch(new URL(path, env.apiOrigin), {
+            method,
+            headers: {
+                'content-type': 'application/json',
+                authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
+            },
+            ...(body === undefined ? {} : { body: JSON.stringify(body) }),
+        });
+
+    const create = (token: string) =>
+        call('POST', '/teams', token, {
+            name: 'Gate',
+            handle: `gt-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 10)}`,
+        });
+
+    beforeAll(async () => {
+        env = await setupPuterTestEnv({
+            teams_enabled: true,
+            teams_allowed_email_domains: ['puter.com'],
+            max_teams_per_user: 10,
+        } as IConfig);
+    }, 180_000);
+
+    afterAll(async () => {
+        await env?.shutdown();
+    });
+
+    it('lets an allowed domain create and list', async () => {
+        const staff = await makeUser(`${uuidv4().slice(0, 8)}@puter.com`);
+        expect((await create(staff.token)).status).toBe(200);
+        expect((await call('GET', '/teams', staff.token)).status).toBe(200);
+    });
+
+    it('matches the domain case-insensitively', async () => {
+        const staff = await makeUser(`${uuidv4().slice(0, 8)}@PUTER.COM`);
+        expect((await create(staff.token)).status).toBe(200);
+    });
+
+    it('answers other domains with the same 404 as teams-off', async () => {
+        const outsider = await makeUser(`${uuidv4().slice(0, 8)}@gmail.com`);
+        expect((await create(outsider.token)).status).toBe(404);
+        const list = await call('GET', '/teams', outsider.token);
+        expect(list.status).toBe(404);
+        // `not_found` is what the GUI reads as "feature not here".
+        expect(((await list.json()) as { code?: string }).code).toBe(
+            'not_found',
+        );
+    });
+
+    it('lets a provisioned seat through on membership alone', async () => {
+        const staff = await makeUser(`${uuidv4().slice(0, 8)}@puter.com`);
+        const created = await create(staff.token);
+        const team = (await created.json()) as { uid: string };
+
+        const seatName = `sg_${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 10)}`;
+        const provisioned = await call(
+            'POST',
+            `/teams/${team.uid}/members`,
+            staff.token,
+            { username: seatName, email: `${seatName}@gmail.com` },
+        );
+        expect(provisioned.status).toBe(200);
+
+        // Off-domain, but someone allowed brought them in.
+        const seatRow = await env.server.stores.user.getByUsername(seatName);
+        await env.server.stores.user.update(seatRow!.id, {
+            email_confirmed: 1,
+            requires_email_confirmation: 0,
+            requires_password_change: 0,
+        });
+        const { token } = await env.server.services.auth.createSessionToken(
+            (await env.server.stores.user.getById(seatRow!.id))!,
+        );
+        const list = await call('GET', '/teams', token);
+        expect(list.status).toBe(200);
+        const body = (await list.json()) as { items: Array<{ uid: string }> };
+        expect(body.items.map((t) => t.uid)).toContain(team.uid);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/backend/services/team/TeamService.ts b/src/backend/services/team/TeamService.ts
index 961447c02..3c23b1149 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/team/TeamService.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/team/TeamService.ts
@@ -199,6 +199,32 @@ export class TeamService extends PuterService {
     }
     // -- Authority ---- the whole authorization model ------------------
 
+    /**
+     * Whether this account may enter the teams surface. Membership in any team
+     * always passes: an allowed owner brought them in.
+     */
+    async teamsAvailableTo(
+        userId: number,
+        email: string | null | undefined,
+    ): Promise<boolean> {
+        const domains = this.config.teams_allowed_email_domains;
+        if (!Array.isArray(domains) || domains.length === 0) return true;
+        const at = String(email ?? '').lastIndexOf('@');
+        const domain =
+            at === -1
+                ? ''
+                : String(email)
+                      .slice(at + 1)
+                      .toLowerCase();
+        if (
+            domain !== '' &&
+            domains.some((d) => String(d).toLowerCase() === domain)
+        ) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        return (await this.stores.team.listGroupIdsForUser(userId)).length > 0;
+    }
+
     /** 404 to a non-member so the endpoint is not an existence oracle. */
     async requireMembership(
         teamUid: string,
diff --git a/src/backend/types.ts b/src/backend/types.ts
index 99d9c6da6..80f7ad0d9 100644
--- a/src/backend/types.ts
+++ b/src/backend/types.ts
@@ -692,6 +692,11 @@ interface IConfigOptional {
     max_seats_per_team_paid?: number;
     /** One flat cap whatever the owner pays; overrides both of the above. */
     max_seats_per_team?: number;
+    /**
+     * Only these email domains may enter the teams surface; members of an
+     * existing team always pass. Unset means everyone.
+     */
+    teams_allowed_email_domains?: string[];
     /**
      * Fully-qualified externally-visible URL (protocol + domain + port).
      * Computed from `protocol`/`domain`/`pub_port` if unset.