diff --git a/Borealis.ps1 b/Borealis.ps1
index 47d8502..e272e04 100644
--- a/Borealis.ps1
+++ b/Borealis.ps1
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ param(
     [string]$AgentAction = '',
     [switch]$Vite,
     [switch]$Flask,
-    [switch]$Quick
+    [switch]$Quick,
+    [string]$InstallerCode = ''
 )
 
 # Preselect menu choices from CLI args (optional)
@@ -845,6 +846,7 @@ function InstallOrUpdate-BorealisAgent {
         $oldSettingsDir = Join-Path $scriptDir 'Agent\Settings'
         if (-not (Test-Path $settingsDir)) { New-Item -Path $settingsDir -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null }
         $serverUrlPath = Join-Path $settingsDir 'server_url.txt'
+        $configPath = Join-Path $settingsDir 'agent_settings.json'
         # Migrate any prior interim location file if present
         $oldServerUrlPath = Join-Path $oldSettingsDir 'server_url.txt'
         if (-not (Test-Path $serverUrlPath) -and (Test-Path $oldServerUrlPath)) {
@@ -868,6 +870,74 @@ function InstallOrUpdate-BorealisAgent {
         # Write UTF-8 without BOM to avoid BOM being read into the URL
         $utf8NoBom = New-Object System.Text.UTF8Encoding($false)
         [System.IO.File]::WriteAllText($serverUrlPath, $inputUrl, $utf8NoBom)
+
+        $configDefaults = [ordered]@{
+            config_file_watcher_interval = 2
+            agent_id = ''
+            regions = @{}
+            installer_code = ''
+        }
+        $config = [ordered]@{}
+        foreach ($entry in $configDefaults.GetEnumerator()) {
+            $config[$entry.Key] = $entry.Value
+        }
+        if (Test-Path $configPath) {
+            try {
+                $existingRaw = Get-Content -Path $configPath -Raw -ErrorAction Stop
+                if ($existingRaw -and $existingRaw.Trim()) {
+                    $existingJson = $existingRaw | ConvertFrom-Json -ErrorAction Stop
+                    foreach ($prop in $existingJson.PSObject.Properties) {
+                        $config[$prop.Name] = $prop.Value
+                    }
+                }
+            } catch {
+                Write-AgentLog -FileName 'Install.log' -Message ("[CONFIG] Failed to parse agent_settings.json: {0}" -f $_.Exception.Message)
+            }
+        }
+
+        if ('regions' -notin $config.Keys -or $null -eq $config['regions']) {
+            $config['regions'] = @{}
+        }
+
+        $existingInstallerCode = ''
+        if ('installer_code' -in $config.Keys -and $null -ne $config['installer_code']) {
+            $existingInstallerCode = [string]$config['installer_code']
+        }
+
+        $providedInstallerCode = ''
+        if ($InstallerCode -and $InstallerCode.Trim()) {
+            $providedInstallerCode = $InstallerCode.Trim()
+        } elseif ($env:BOREALIS_INSTALLER_CODE -and $env:BOREALIS_INSTALLER_CODE.Trim()) {
+            $providedInstallerCode = $env:BOREALIS_INSTALLER_CODE.Trim()
+        }
+
+        if (-not $providedInstallerCode) {
+            $defaultDisplay = if ($existingInstallerCode) { $existingInstallerCode } else { '' }
+            Write-Host ""; Write-Host "Optional: set an installer code for agent enrollment." -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
+            $inputCode = Read-Host ("Installer Code [{0}]" -f $defaultDisplay)
+            if ($inputCode -and $inputCode.Trim()) {
+                $providedInstallerCode = $inputCode.Trim()
+            } elseif ($defaultDisplay) {
+                $providedInstallerCode = $defaultDisplay
+            } else {
+                $providedInstallerCode = ''
+            }
+        }
+
+        $config['installer_code'] = $providedInstallerCode
+
+        try {
+            $configJson = $config | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10
+            [System.IO.File]::WriteAllText($configPath, $configJson, $utf8NoBom)
+            if ($providedInstallerCode) {
+                Write-Host "Installer code saved to agent_settings.json." -ForegroundColor Green
+            } else {
+                Write-Host "Installer code cleared in agent_settings.json." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            }
+        } catch {
+            Write-AgentLog -FileName 'Install.log' -Message ("[CONFIG] Failed to persist agent_settings.json: {0}" -f $_.Exception.Message)
+            Write-Host "Failed to update agent_settings.json. Check Logs/Agent/install.log for details." -ForegroundColor Red
+        }
     }
 
     Write-Host "`nConfiguring Borealis Agent (tasks)..." -ForegroundColor Blue
diff --git a/Data/Agent/agent.py b/Data/Agent/agent.py
index 3deef9a..3a99f7b 100644
--- a/Data/Agent/agent.py
+++ b/Data/Agent/agent.py
@@ -125,6 +125,24 @@ def _agent_guid_path() -> str:
         return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'agent_GUID'))
 
 
+def _settings_dir():
+    try:
+        return os.path.join(_find_project_root(), 'Agent', 'Borealis', 'Settings')
+    except Exception:
+        return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'Settings'))
+
+
+_KEY_STORE_INSTANCE = None
+
+
+def _key_store() -> AgentKeyStore:
+    global _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE
+    if _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE is None:
+        scope = 'SYSTEM' if SYSTEM_SERVICE_MODE else 'CURRENTUSER'
+        _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE = AgentKeyStore(_settings_dir(), scope=scope)
+    return _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE
+
+
 def _persist_agent_guid_local(guid: str):
     guid = _normalize_agent_guid(guid)
     if not guid:
@@ -515,21 +533,22 @@ class AgentHttpClient:
             return {"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.access_token}"}
         return {}
 
-    def websocket_kwargs(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        kwargs: Dict[str, Any] = {}
-        verify = getattr(self.session, "verify", True)
-        if isinstance(verify, str) and os.path.isfile(verify):
-            try:
-                ctx = ssl.create_default_context(cafile=verify)
-                kwargs["ssl"] = ctx
-            except Exception:
-                pass
-        elif verify is False:
-            try:
-                kwargs["ssl"] = ssl._create_unverified_context()
-            except Exception:
-                pass
-        return kwargs
+    def configure_socketio(self, client: "socketio.AsyncClient") -> None:
+        """Align the Socket.IO engine's TLS verification with the REST client."""
+        try:
+            verify = getattr(self.session, "verify", True)
+            engine = getattr(client, "eio", None)
+            if engine is None:
+                return
+            # python-engineio accepts bool, path, or ssl.SSLContext for ssl_verify
+            if isinstance(verify, str) and os.path.isfile(verify):
+                engine.ssl_verify = verify
+            elif verify is False:
+                engine.ssl_verify = False
+            else:
+                engine.ssl_verify = True
+        except Exception:
+            pass
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Enrollment & token management
@@ -1028,24 +1047,6 @@ def _collect_heartbeat_metrics() -> Dict[str, Any]:
     return metrics
 
 
-def _settings_dir():
-    try:
-        return os.path.join(_find_project_root(), 'Agent', 'Borealis', 'Settings')
-    except Exception:
-        return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'Settings'))
-
-
-_KEY_STORE_INSTANCE = None
-
-
-def _key_store() -> AgentKeyStore:
-    global _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE
-    if _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE is None:
-        scope = 'SYSTEM' if SYSTEM_SERVICE_MODE else 'CURRENTUSER'
-        _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE = AgentKeyStore(_settings_dir(), scope=scope)
-    return _KEY_STORE_INSTANCE
-
-
 SERVER_CERT_PATH = _key_store().server_certificate_path()
 
 
@@ -2036,6 +2037,7 @@ async def connect_loop():
     while True:
         try:
             client.ensure_authenticated()
+            client.configure_socketio(sio)
             url = client.websocket_base_url()
             print(f"[INFO] Connecting Agent to {url}...")
             _log_agent(f'Connecting to {url}...')
@@ -2043,7 +2045,6 @@ async def connect_loop():
                 url,
                 transports=['websocket'],
                 headers=client.auth_headers(),
-                ssl_verify=client.session.verify,
             )
             break
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/Data/Agent/security.py b/Data/Agent/security.py
index e3feb9d..475d1ee 100644
--- a/Data/Agent/security.py
+++ b/Data/Agent/security.py
@@ -39,17 +39,41 @@ def _restrict_permissions(path: str) -> None:
 def _protect(data: bytes, *, scope_system: bool) -> bytes:
     if not IS_WINDOWS or not win32crypt:
         return data
-    flags = win32crypt.CRYPTPROTECT_LOCAL_MACHINE if scope_system else 0
-    protected = win32crypt.CryptProtectData(data, None, None, None, None, flags)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-    return protected[1]
+    flags = 0
+    if scope_system:
+        flags = getattr(win32crypt, "CRYPTPROTECT_LOCAL_MACHINE", 0x4)
+    try:
+        protected = win32crypt.CryptProtectData(data, None, None, None, None, flags)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    except Exception:
+        return data
+    blob = protected[1]
+    if isinstance(blob, memoryview):
+        return blob.tobytes()
+    if isinstance(blob, bytearray):
+        return bytes(blob)
+    if isinstance(blob, bytes):
+        return blob
+    return data
 
 
 def _unprotect(data: bytes, *, scope_system: bool) -> bytes:
     if not IS_WINDOWS or not win32crypt:
         return data
-    flags = win32crypt.CRYPTPROTECT_LOCAL_MACHINE if scope_system else 0
-    unwrapped = win32crypt.CryptUnprotectData(data, None, None, None, None, flags)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-    return unwrapped[1]
+    flags = 0
+    if scope_system:
+        flags = getattr(win32crypt, "CRYPTPROTECT_LOCAL_MACHINE", 0x4)
+    try:
+        unwrapped = win32crypt.CryptUnprotectData(data, None, None, None, None, flags)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    except Exception:
+        return data
+    blob = unwrapped[1]
+    if isinstance(blob, memoryview):
+        return blob.tobytes()
+    if isinstance(blob, bytearray):
+        return bytes(blob)
+    if isinstance(blob, bytes):
+        return blob
+    return data
 
 
 def _fingerprint_der(public_der: bytes) -> str: