diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/adobe/client.go b/backend/internal/provider/adobe/client.go
index 2efd1eb..da2fd2a 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/adobe/client.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/adobe/client.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (c *Client) SetProxy(proxy string) {
 }
 
 func (c *Client) ExchangeCookie(ctx context.Context, cookie string) (*CookieExchangeResult, error) {
-	sess, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	sess, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -234,7 +234,12 @@ func (c *Client) GenerateImage(ctx context.Context, token, modelID, prompt, aspe
 // in meta["video_url"] — used by the async /v1/videos job, which proxies that URL
 // on /content instead of persisting the file.
 func (c *Client) GenerateVideo(ctx context.Context, token, engine, prompt, aspectRatio string, durationSeconds int, resolution, referenceMode, upstreamModel string, blobIDs []string, downloadResult bool) ([]byte, map[string]any, error) {
-	sess, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	// Only the submit goes through the proxy; polling + download run on the local IP.
+	submitSess, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	pollSess, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
@@ -244,12 +249,12 @@ func (c *Client) GenerateVideo(ctx context.Context, token, engine, prompt, aspec
 	if engine == "firefly-video" {
 		endpoint = fireflyVideoSubmitURL
 	}
-	respBody, pollURL, err := c.submitVideo(ctx, sess, token, endpoint, payload)
+	respBody, pollURL, err := c.submitVideo(ctx, submitSess, token, endpoint, payload)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	_ = respBody
-	meta, data, pollErr := c.pollVideo(ctx, sess, token, pollURL, downloadResult)
+	meta, data, pollErr := c.pollVideo(ctx, pollSess, token, pollURL, downloadResult)
 	if pollErr != nil {
 		return nil, nil, pollErr
 	}
@@ -261,7 +266,7 @@ func (c *Client) FetchAccountProfile(ctx context.Context, token string) (map[str
 	if token == "" {
 		return map[string]any{}, nil
 	}
-	sess, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	sess, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -346,7 +351,7 @@ func (c *Client) FetchCreditsBalance(ctx context.Context, token string) (map[str
 		}, nil
 	}
 
-	sess, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	sess, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/chatgpt/client.go b/backend/internal/provider/chatgpt/client.go
index c4cf337..d3710e4 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/chatgpt/client.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/chatgpt/client.go
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func ExtractAccountInfo(token string) map[string]any {
 }
 
 func (c *Client) FetchImageQuota(ctx context.Context, accessToken string) (map[string]any, error) {
-	session, err := c.newSession(accessToken)
+	session, err := c.newDirectSession(accessToken)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/imagine/client.go b/backend/internal/provider/imagine/client.go
index 5c08c52..f01a738 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/imagine/client.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/imagine/client.go
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func (c *Client) RefreshIfNeeded(ctx context.Context, cred string) (string, bool
 }
 
 func (c *Client) refreshPost(ctx context.Context, refreshToken string) ([]byte, int, error) {
-	client, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	client, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
 	}
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ func (c *Client) FetchCreditsBalance(ctx context.Context, cred string) (map[stri
 		return unknownBalance("bad credential"), nil
 	}
 	userID := userIDFromToken(cr.Token)
-	body, status, err := c.apiGet(ctx, cr.Token, apiBase+"/v1/credit?org_id="+userID)
+	body, status, err := c.apiGetP(ctx, cr.Token, apiBase+"/v1/credit?org_id="+userID, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return unknownBalance("network: " + err.Error()), nil
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/krea/client.go b/backend/internal/provider/krea/client.go
index ad7cb7e..72c0373 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/krea/client.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/krea/client.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func (c *Client) RefreshIfNeeded(ctx context.Context, cookie string) (string, bo
 }
 
 func (c *Client) refreshPost(ctx context.Context, refreshToken string) ([]byte, int, error) {
-	client, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	client, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, 0, err
 	}
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func (c *Client) FetchCreditsBalance(ctx context.Context, cookie string) (map[st
 	defer cancel()
 	// NOTE: no /app here — the heavy SSR activation is done separately (on recovery
 	// and at generation via Activate). This probe just reads the current balance.
-	body, status, err := c.apiGet(probeCtx, cookie, "/api/billing-data")
+	body, status, err := c.apiGetP(probeCtx, cookie, "/api/billing-data", false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return unknownBalance("network: " + err.Error()), nil
 	}
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ func (c *Client) Activate(ctx context.Context, cookie string) {
 	}
 	actCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), 60*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
-	_, _, _ = c.apiGet(actCtx, cookie, "/app")
+	_, _, _ = c.apiGetP(actCtx, cookie, "/app", false)
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	c.actAt[key] = time.Now().Unix()
 	c.mu.Unlock()
diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/krea/image.go b/backend/internal/provider/krea/image.go
index 6fbef9b..d877e90 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/krea/image.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/krea/image.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const (
 // ensureProject returns a flux project id for the account: the first existing
 // project, or a freshly created one. Generation requires a project.
 func (c *Client) ensureProject(ctx context.Context, cookie string) (string, error) {
-	body, status, err := c.apiGet(ctx, cookie, "/api/flux-projects")
+	body, status, err := c.apiGetP(ctx, cookie, "/api/flux-projects", false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: list projects: %s", ErrTemporaryUpstream, err.Error())
 	}
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ func (c *Client) apiPostP(ctx context.Context, cookie, path, contentType string,
 }
 
 func (c *Client) apiPostJSON(ctx context.Context, cookie, path string, payload any) ([]byte, int, error) {
+	// project bootstrap runs on the local IP; only the generate submit uses the proxy.
 	b, _ := json.Marshal(payload)
-	return c.apiPost(ctx, cookie, path, "application/json", b)
+	return c.apiPostP(ctx, cookie, path, "application/json", b, false)
 }
diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/leonardo/client.go b/backend/internal/provider/leonardo/client.go
index a476fa8..727297c 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/leonardo/client.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/leonardo/client.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (c *Client) GetSession(ctx context.Context, cookie string) (*Session, error
 	}
 	c.mu.Unlock()
 
-	client, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	client, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ func (c *Client) FetchCreditsBalance(ctx context.Context, cookie string) (map[st
 		"variables":     map[string]any{"sub": sess.CognitoSub},
 		"query":         qGetTokens,
 	})
-	body, status, err := c.graphql(ctx, sess.AccessToken, payload)
+	body, status, err := c.graphqlP(ctx, sess.AccessToken, payload, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return unknownBalance("network: " + err.Error()), nil
 	}
diff --git a/backend/internal/provider/runway/client.go b/backend/internal/provider/runway/client.go
index 52c1716..5712ed9 100644
--- a/backend/internal/provider/runway/client.go
+++ b/backend/internal/provider/runway/client.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (c *Client) FetchCreditsBalance(ctx context.Context, token string) (map[str
 		return unknownBalance("no team id"), nil
 	}
 
-	client, err := c.newTLSClient()
+	client, err := c.newDirectTLSClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}