diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index f3c951f..f037e2d 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -192,3 +192,4 @@ Both servers use **Lix** (`nix.package = pkgs.lixPackageSets.stable.lix`). Atala
 - **deploy-rs `--remote-build`**: the build happens on the target machine, not in CI. This means CI just needs Nix + network, not build capacity. The dev shell (via `nix develop`) provides `deploy-rs`.
 - **Darwin overlays duplication**: `atalanta/default.nix` re-declares `nixpkgs.overlays` inline instead of consuming `unstable-overlays`. This is because nix-darwin's `nixpkgs.overlays` option is separate from the module system's overlay injection. If you add a new overlay to `unstable-overlays` in `flake.nix`, also add it to `atalanta/default.nix` if atalanta needs it.
 - **`services.nix` nixdoc format**: functions in `lib/services.nix` use nixdoc-compatible `/**` docstring syntax. Keep that format when adding functions there — it feeds the auto-generated docs.
+- **zmx hosts and one-shot SSH**: hosts with `atelier.ssh.hosts.<n>.zmx = true` (and the `t.*`/`p.*`/`e.*` patterns) carry a `RemoteCommand` that auto-attaches a zmx session, so `ssh <host> <cmd>`, `scp` and `rsync` would normally fail with `Cannot execute command-line and remote command`. A `Match` block cancels it whenever `ZMX_OFF`, `AI_AGENT`, `CLAUDECODE` or `CRUSH` is set, so agent shells already get plain SSH. Prefix with `ZMX_OFF=1` if you ever see that error. For long remote work use `ssh <host> zmx run <session> <cmd>` and read it back with `ssh <host> zmx history <session>`.
diff --git a/docs/src/modules/ssh.md b/docs/src/modules/ssh.md
index 25ff1c0..698f7d8 100644
--- a/docs/src/modules/ssh.md
+++ b/docs/src/modules/ssh.md
@@ -17,9 +17,37 @@ All options under `atelier.ssh`:
 |--------|------|---------|-------------|
 | `zmx.enable` | bool | `false` | Install zmx and autossh |
 | `zmx.hosts` | list of strings | `[]` | Host patterns to auto-attach via zmx |
+| `zmx.bypassEnv` | list of strings | `[ "ZMX_OFF" "AI_AGENT" "CLAUDECODE" "CRUSH" ]` | Env vars that turn zmx auto-attach off |
 
 When zmx is enabled for a host, the SSH config injects `RemoteCommand`, `RequestTTY force`, and `ControlMaster`/`ControlPersist` settings. Shell aliases are also added: `zmls`, `zmk`, `zma`, `ash`.
 
+#### Bypass
+
+`RemoteCommand` makes one-shot commands a hard error: `ssh terebithia ls`, `scp`,
+`rsync` and `git` over a zmx host all die with `Cannot execute command-line and
+remote command`. To fix that, a `Match` block is emitted ahead of every host
+block that cancels `RemoteCommand` when any variable in `zmx.bypassEnv` is set:
+
+```
+Match originalhost t.*,prattle,terebithia exec "test -n \"$ZMX_OFF$AI_AGENT$CLAUDECODE$CRUSH\""
+  RemoteCommand none
+  RequestTTY auto
+```
+
+So coding agents get plain SSH for free, and anyone else can opt out per command:
+
+```bash
+ZMX_OFF=1 ssh terebithia uptime
+ZMX_OFF=1 rsync -a ./build/ terebithia:/srv/app/
+```
+
+Persistence is still available on purpose, without a TTY:
+
+```bash
+ssh terebithia zmx run build nix build .#foo   # runs in a session, survives disconnect
+ssh terebithia zmx history build               # read the scrollback later
+```
+
 ### Hosts
 
 Per-host config under `atelier.ssh.hosts.<name>`:
diff --git a/modules/home/apps/ssh.nix b/modules/home/apps/ssh.nix
index 90e9904..5d452fa 100644
--- a/modules/home/apps/ssh.nix
+++ b/modules/home/apps/ssh.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,21 @@ in
         default = [ ];
         description = "List of host patterns to enable zmx auto-attach (e.g., 'd.*')";
       };
+      bypassEnv = mkOption {
+        type = types.listOf types.str;
+        default = [
+          "ZMX_OFF"
+          "AI_AGENT"
+          "CLAUDECODE"
+          "CRUSH"
+        ];
+        description = ''
+          Environment variables that, when non-empty, disable zmx auto-attach
+          for zmx hosts. Without this, `ssh host cmd`, `scp` and `rsync` fail
+          with "Cannot execute command-line and remote command", which coding
+          agents hit constantly.
+        '';
+      };
     };
 
     agent = {
@@ -220,6 +235,22 @@ in
             else
               { };
 
+          # Every host that gets a zmx RemoteCommand, patterns included
+          zmxHosts = cfg.zmx.hosts ++ attrNames (filterAttrs (_: h: h.zmx) cfg.hosts);
+
+          # RemoteCommand makes `ssh host cmd`, scp and rsync hard errors. Give
+          # them back by cancelling the zmx block whenever a bypass variable is
+          # set, so agents get plain ssh and humans still land in a session.
+          bypassBlock = optionalAttrs (cfg.zmx.enable && zmxHosts != [ ] && cfg.zmx.bypassEnv != [ ]) {
+            zmx-bypass = hm.dag.entryBefore (attrNames (hostSettings // zmxSettings)) {
+              header = ''Match originalhost ${concatStringsSep "," zmxHosts} exec "test -n \"${
+                concatMapStrings (v: "$" + v) cfg.zmx.bypassEnv
+              }\""'';
+              RemoteCommand = "none";
+              RequestTTY = "auto";
+            };
+          };
+
           # Default block for global SSH options
           defaultBlock = {
             "*" = {
@@ -227,7 +258,7 @@ in
             };
           };
         in
-        defaultBlock // hostSettings // zmxSettings;
+        defaultBlock // hostSettings // zmxSettings // bypassBlock;
 
       extraConfig = cfg.extraConfig;
     };