diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 20ba0df..4f86331 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ Renderer reads (Electron IPC or Vite `import.meta.env`):
 |---|---|---|
 | `VITE_RELAY_URL` | yes | `ws://...` of the relay both ATM and LNbits subscribe to. Dev: `ws://localhost:5001/nostrrelay/test` (LNbits's bundled `nostrrelay` extension — no separate strfry container) |
 | `VITE_LNBITS_SERVER_PUBKEY` | yes | 64-char hex pubkey LNbits prints on startup (`docker logs lnbits \| grep 'Public key (share this)'`) |
-| `VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY` | yes (prod) | 64-char hex. The ATM's nostr identity. Generates ephemeral on first boot if unset (dev only) |
+| `VITE_SPIRE_SEED` | yes (prod) | Spire pairing seed (`spire-seed:v1:<base64url>`) from spirekeeper. Carries a one-shot NIP-46 connect token + the spire signing pubkey + bunker URL. First boot redeems it and persists the binding to `state.db`; later boots resume by fingerprint. A changed seed re-pairs. See aiolabs/bitspire#52. |
+| `VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY` | dev only | 64-char hex raw nsec fallback for running without a bunker. Ignored when `VITE_SPIRE_SEED` or a stored binding exists. |
 | `VITE_OPERATOR_PUBKEYS` | optional | Comma-separated hex pubkeys allowed to send kind-21003 management commands |
 
 The LP-era vars (`VITE_LIGHTNING_PUB_PUBKEY`, `VITE_LIGHTNING_PUB_API_URL`, `VITE_EXTENSION_API_URL`, `VITE_ADMIN_TOKEN`) are gone from the dev branch's `.env.example` and `LightningConfig` interface.
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ UP Board enumerates its eMMC controller via ACPI, not PCI. `upboard.nix` force-l
 
 ## Security priorities
 
-1. **Private keys** — Never log nsec. The ATM's `VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY` lives in `/var/lib/bitspire/.env` with mode 0600, owned by `bitspire:bitspire`.
+1. **Private keys** — Never log nsec. In production the ATM holds no signing nsec: `VITE_SPIRE_SEED` (in `/var/lib/bitspire/.env`, mode 0600) carries a one-shot connect token, and the ATM's own NIP-46 *transport* key (`client_secret_hex`) lives in `state.db` (`bunker_binding`). The operator's signing key stays in the bunker. The legacy `VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY` is a dev-only fallback.
 2. **Payments** — Validate the bolt11 amount on cash-out before exposing the QR. Decode `payment_hash` from the bolt11 (cheap, avoids a roundtrip) and use it as the `subscribe_payments` filter.
 3. **Replay** — LNURL-withdraw links use `uses:1` and are deleted on session abort.
 4. **Encryption** — All RPC content is NIP-44 v2. NIP-04 is forbidden.
diff --git a/apps/machine/.env.example b/apps/machine/.env.example
index 73b6281..e691e46 100644
--- a/apps/machine/.env.example
+++ b/apps/machine/.env.example
@@ -36,16 +36,23 @@ VITE_LNBITS_SERVER_PUBKEY=
 # aiolabs/withdraw#1 / commit e9d911e.)
 
 # =============================================================================
-# ATM Identity
+# ATM Identity — spire pairing seed (NIP-46 bunker; aiolabs/bitspire#52)
 # =============================================================================
 
+# The spire pairing seed produced by the operator dashboard (spirekeeper):
+#   spire-seed:v1:<base64url>
+# It carries a one-shot NIP-46 connect token + the spire's signing pubkey +
+# the bunker URL. On first boot the ATM redeems the token, generates its own
+# transport key, and persists the binding to state.db; thereafter it resumes
+# from the binding (the seed can stay set — it's matched by fingerprint).
+# A changed seed re-pairs (and re-publishes the cassette-state hello).
+VITE_SPIRE_SEED=
+
 # pragma: allowlist secret
-# ATM's Nostr private key (hex format, 64 characters). This signing
-# key IS the credential — LNbits derives the account from it on first
-# contact (issue aiolabs/lnbits#9 alignment).
+# DEV ONLY fallback — a raw Nostr private key (hex, 64 chars) for running
+# without a bunker. Ignored when VITE_SPIRE_SEED or a stored binding exists.
 # Generate with: openssl rand -hex 32
-# If not set, generates ephemeral identity on each restart (dev only).
-VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY=
+# VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY=
 
 # =============================================================================
 # Operator Identity
diff --git a/apps/machine/electron/fund-atm.ts b/apps/machine/electron/fund-atm.ts
index bce6b4c..cd0f901 100644
--- a/apps/machine/electron/fund-atm.ts
+++ b/apps/machine/electron/fund-atm.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,15 @@
  */
 
 import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
-import { NostrClient, LocalSigner, loadIdentityFromHex } from '@bitSpire/nostr-client'
+import {
+  NostrClient,
+  LocalSigner,
+  loadIdentityFromHex,
+  resumeFromBinding,
+  type Signer,
+} from '@bitSpire/nostr-client'
 import { LnbitsClient } from '@bitSpire/lnbits'
+import { initDatabase, getBunkerBinding } from './state-store.js'
 
 // @ts-ignore — qrcode is a transitive dep (via qrcode.vue), no types needed
 import QRCode from 'qrcode'
@@ -56,15 +63,34 @@ async function main() {
   const lnbitsServerPubkey = env['VITE_LNBITS_SERVER_PUBKEY']
   const atmPrivateKey = env['VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY']
 
-  if (!relayUrl || !lnbitsServerPubkey || !atmPrivateKey) {
+  if (!relayUrl || !lnbitsServerPubkey) {
     console.error('Missing required config in', envPath)
-    console.error('Need: VITE_RELAY_URL, VITE_LNBITS_SERVER_PUBKEY, VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY')
+    console.error('Need: VITE_RELAY_URL, VITE_LNBITS_SERVER_PUBKEY')
     process.exit(1)
   }
 
   console.error(`Generating invoice for ${amountSats} sats...`)
 
-  const signer = new LocalSigner(loadIdentityFromHex(atmPrivateKey))
+  // Resolve the signer. Prod: resume the bunker binding from state.db (the
+  // ATM's transport key — the connect token was already redeemed by the main
+  // app, so we can't re-pair here). Dev: a local nsec via VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY.
+  let signer: Signer
+  if (atmPrivateKey) {
+    signer = new LocalSigner(loadIdentityFromHex(atmPrivateKey))
+  } else {
+    initDatabase()
+    const binding = getBunkerBinding()
+    if (!binding) {
+      console.error('ATM is not paired (no bunker binding in state.db) and no')
+      console.error('VITE_ATM_PRIVATE_KEY set. Pair the ATM via the main app first.')
+      process.exit(1)
+    }
+    signer = await resumeFromBinding({
+      clientSecretHex: binding.clientSecretHex,
+      spirePubkey: binding.spirePubkey,
+      bunkerUrl: binding.bunkerUrl,
+    })
+  }
 
   const nostrClient = new NostrClient({
     relays: [{ url: relayUrl }],
diff --git a/apps/machine/package.json b/apps/machine/package.json
index dfc3336..844211c 100644
--- a/apps/machine/package.json
+++ b/apps/machine/package.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     "dev": "concurrently -n vite,electron \"vite\" \"pnpm run electron:dev\"",
     "dev:vite": "vite",
     "electron:dev": "tsc -p electron/tsconfig.json && tsc -p electron/tsconfig.preload.json && electron dist-electron/main.js",
-    "build": "vue-tsc --noEmit && vite build && tsc -p electron/tsconfig.json && tsc -p electron/tsconfig.preload.json && npx esbuild electron/fund-atm.ts --bundle --platform=node --format=cjs --outfile=dist-electron/fund-atm.bundle.cjs",
+    "build": "vue-tsc --noEmit && vite build && tsc -p electron/tsconfig.json && tsc -p electron/tsconfig.preload.json && npx esbuild electron/fund-atm.ts --bundle --platform=node --format=cjs --external:better-sqlite3 --outfile=dist-electron/fund-atm.bundle.cjs",
     "build:electron": "pnpm build && electron-builder",
     "preview": "vite preview",
     "typecheck": "vue-tsc --noEmit",