diff --git a/docs/docs/architecture/bootstrap-and-lifecycle.md b/docs/docs/architecture/bootstrap-and-lifecycle.md
index c884964..fc61da1 100644
--- a/docs/docs/architecture/bootstrap-and-lifecycle.md
+++ b/docs/docs/architecture/bootstrap-and-lifecycle.md
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ The intended host bootstrap sequence is:
 9. Use CAPN and the Talos providers to create the first platform Talos VM on
    the `UM760`.
 
+The IncusOS seed uses a temporary bootstrap client identity only to break the
+initial dependency cycle. After platform Vault is healthy, IncusOS API trust
+pivots to the Vault-backed IncusOS client-auth issuer described in
+[Secrets, Identity, DNS, and PKI](./secrets-identity-pki.md#incusos-client-pki),
+and the bootstrap client certificate is removed from Incus trust.
+
 The same Tinkerbell path provisions the `MS-02` hosts later. Joining nodes must
 use IncusOS seed settings appropriate for joining the existing Incus cluster,
 not for creating independent local Incus defaults.
diff --git a/docs/docs/architecture/secrets-identity-pki.md b/docs/docs/architecture/secrets-identity-pki.md
index c2c1213..1f1b694 100644
--- a/docs/docs/architecture/secrets-identity-pki.md
+++ b/docs/docs/architecture/secrets-identity-pki.md
@@ -280,6 +280,33 @@ Vault PKI roles issue short-lived certificates for internal use cases such as
 service-to-service mTLS, database client authentication, internal controllers,
 and future SPIRE upstream authority material.
 
+### IncusOS Client PKI
+
+IncusOS API access is a bootstrap-cycle exception. CAPN must authenticate to the
+Incus HTTPS API before the platform cluster exists, because CAPN creates the
+Talos VMs that become the platform cluster. That first IncusOS seed therefore
+needs a temporary bootstrap client identity before platform Vault can exist.
+
+That bootstrap identity is not the long-term trust model. It is used only to
+create the first platform Talos VM and to install the Vault-backed IncusOS trust
+path after platform Vault is healthy.
+
+The long-term IncusOS API trust model is:
+
+- platform Vault owns a dedicated IncusOS client-auth issuer
+- IncusOS trusts that issuer for API client authentication
+- `core.trust_ca_certificates` is enabled only for that narrow IncusOS client
+  authority
+- CAPN, operator, and break-glass clients use short-lived leaf certificates from
+  that issuer
+- the temporary bootstrap client certificate is removed from Incus trust after
+  the Vault-backed trust path is active
+
+Do not reuse the general cluster workload intermediate as the IncusOS client
+authority. The IncusOS issuer exists to authorize clients that can manage Incus
+infrastructure, so its signing key and Vault policy are part of the Incus
+control-plane boundary.
+
 The current lab-account root is the committed root in
 `infra/security/pki/root-ca`. It is backed by the `lab` account KMS key
 `alias/glab-pki-root-ca` and uses the `pathlen:2` hierarchy above. Do not rely
@@ -353,6 +380,8 @@ backups rather than treated as an irreplaceable pet.
 - [cert-manager Route 53 DNS-01](https://cert-manager.io/docs/configuration/acme/dns01/route53/)
 - [cert-manager delegated DNS-01](https://cert-manager.io/docs/configuration/acme/dns01/#delegated-domains-for-dns01)
 - [SOPS](https://github.com/getsops/sops)
+- [Incus remote API authentication](https://linuxcontainers.org/incus/docs/main/authentication/)
+- [Incus server configuration](https://linuxcontainers.org/incus/docs/main/server_config/)
 - [Vault](https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/docs)
 - [Vault PKI secrets engine](https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/docs/secrets/pki)
 - [Vault PKI intermediate guidance](https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/docs/secrets/pki/considerations)