diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index db34177d6..e3014ef52 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -329,7 +329,8 @@ outside it moves to its own issue and pull request.
   `~/.local/share/stim/services/<label>/versions/` on Linux, keeping the
   running and the previous version, and repoint only the service's server
   script; a failed health check switches back. A Linux worker takes Android
-  builds only; setup there approves `build` and refuses `device-host`. A client approved for `build` or
+  builds only; setup there approves `build` and refuses `device-host`, and off macOS
+  stim-server refuses device-host requests and grants. A client approved for `build` or
   `device-host` can run the same update on this machine over the tailnet, and no
   other connection can. An exact npm release needs no setting; a client's own
   packages are taken only while `server.acceptClientBuilds` is `true`, its
diff --git a/packages/server/README.md b/packages/server/README.md
index 04f9d0ce8..b24e3fc02 100644
--- a/packages/server/README.md
+++ b/packages/server/README.md
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ Argument and preflight refusals change nothing. Preflight requires macOS or
 Linux, Node 22.12+, running Tailscale, the client node on this tailnet, and
 this user's GUI login session on macOS or systemd user manager on Linux. On
 Linux, setup takes `--build` only and refuses `--device-host`, because hosting
-needs a Mac; see [On Linux](#on-linux).
+needs a Mac; see [On Linux](#on-linux). Off macOS, stim-server also refuses a
+device-host request at hello and `stim-server devices grant <id> --device-host`.
 
 Running setup on the worker is the worker-side approval. It pre-approves at
 most one request per chosen capability, from this node, carrying this ticket,
diff --git a/packages/server/__tests__/cli.test.ts b/packages/server/__tests__/cli.test.ts
index b26960659..67a7519a8 100644
--- a/packages/server/__tests__/cli.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/__tests__/cli.test.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,13 @@ describe.each(['build', 'device-host'] as const)('%s approval', (capability) =>
     expect(plain('devices').stdout).toContain(`${id}  Laptop  pending ${capability}  from laptop (u)`);
     expect(plain('devices', 'grant', id, '--control').stderr).toContain(`takes only --${capability}`);
     expect(plain('devices', 'grant', id, `--${capability}`, '--read').status).toBe(1);
-    expect(plain('devices', 'grant', id, `--${capability}`).status).toBe(0);
+    const grants = capability === 'build' || process.platform === 'darwin';
+    const granted = plain('devices', 'grant', id, `--${capability}`);
+    expect({ status: granted.status, refused: granted.stderr.includes('Hosting simulators needs a Mac') }).toEqual({
+      status: grants ? 0 : 1,
+      refused: !grants,
+    });
+    if (!grants) return;
     const { devices } = run('devices', '--json') as { devices: Record<string, unknown>[] };
     expect(devices).toEqual([
       expect.objectContaining({ id, capabilities: [capability], requestedCapability: capability }),
diff --git a/packages/server/__tests__/server.test.ts b/packages/server/__tests__/server.test.ts
index 57b99367b..419b38616 100644
--- a/packages/server/__tests__/server.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/__tests__/server.test.ts
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ async function start(
   overrides: {
     host?: ServerOptions['host'];
     loopbackOnly?: boolean;
+    hostsDevices?: boolean;
     exit?: boolean;
     whoisDelayMs?: number;
     authTimeoutMs?: number;
@@ -365,6 +366,7 @@ async function start(
   chmodSync(tailscale, 0o755);
   server = await startServer({
     host: overrides.host,
+    hostsDevices: overrides.hostsDevices ?? true,
     hosts: ['127.0.0.1'],
     port: 0,
     stimCli,
@@ -1654,6 +1656,26 @@ describe('offloaded builds', () => {
     }
   }
 
+  test.skipIf(!fakeTailscale)(
+    'a machine that cannot host refuses device-host requests and still takes build requests',
+    async () => {
+      const port = await start({ hostsDevices: false });
+      const asking = await connect(port, '100.64.0.3');
+      expect(
+        await asking.request('hello', {
+          protocol: 1,
+          client: CLIENT,
+          auth: { request: 'device-host', deviceName: 'Host client' },
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({ error: { code: 'forbidden', message: expect.stringContaining('needs a Mac') } });
+      expect(readDeviceHostClients()).toEqual([]);
+      const { client } = await buildClient(port);
+      expect(await client.request('build.offer', { repo: 'app-1' })).toMatchObject({
+        result: { capacity: { max: 1 } },
+      });
+    },
+  );
+
   test.skipIf(!fakeTailscale)(
     'mirrors a content-addressed manifest, builds it and returns the artifact with its digest',
     async () => {
diff --git a/packages/server/__tests__/setup-endpoint.test.ts b/packages/server/__tests__/setup-endpoint.test.ts
index a91bbb611..e18f09a98 100644
--- a/packages/server/__tests__/setup-endpoint.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/__tests__/setup-endpoint.test.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ afterEach(async () => {
 
 async function start(wait = true): Promise<string> {
   server = await startServer({
+    hostsDevices: true,
     hosts: ['127.0.0.1'],
     port: 0,
     stimCli: join(home, 'unused.mjs'),
diff --git a/packages/server/bin/stim-server.ts b/packages/server/bin/stim-server.ts
index a4aed08be..d69c2be78 100644
--- a/packages/server/bin/stim-server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/bin/stim-server.ts
@@ -417,6 +417,8 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   if (grant && arg !== undefined && rest.length === 0) {
     if (scope === null || scope === 'many')
       fail('devices grant takes exactly one of --control, --read, --build or --device-host.');
+    if (scope === 'device-host' && process.platform !== 'darwin')
+      fail('Hosting simulators needs a Mac. This machine takes build requests only; approve them with --build.');
     const capabilities = scope === 'build' || scope === 'device-host' ? [scope] : capabilitiesFor(scope === 'control');
     const outcome = grantDevice(arg, [...capabilities]);
     if (outcome === 'unknown') {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server.ts b/packages/server/src/server.ts
index f458ba5a1..465edbb91 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server.ts
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ export interface ServerOptions {
    * such as one forwarded by `tailscale serve` to a loopback port, so only this machine's own connections are served.
    */
   loopbackOnly?: boolean;
+  /** Whether this machine can host simulators and apps for other machines; only a Mac can. Defaults to running on macOS. */
+  hostsDevices?: boolean;
   port: number;
   stimCli: string;
   stimVersion: string;
@@ -1136,6 +1138,14 @@ export async function startServer(options: ServerOptions): Promise<RunningServer
             CLOSE_UNAUTHORIZED,
           );
         }
+        if (auth.request === 'device-host' && !(options.hostsDevices ?? process.platform === 'darwin')) {
+          return refuse(
+            id,
+            'forbidden',
+            'Hosting simulators needs a Mac. This machine takes build requests only.',
+            CLOSE_UNAUTHORIZED,
+          );
+        }
         outcome =
           auth.request === 'build'
             ? requestBuildAccess(deviceName, identity, undefined, auth.setupTicket)