diff --git a/llm-gateway/cmd/gateway/main.go b/llm-gateway/cmd/gateway/main.go
index cb33f18..a418431 100644
--- a/llm-gateway/cmd/gateway/main.go
+++ b/llm-gateway/cmd/gateway/main.go
@@ -90,13 +90,25 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	log.Printf("Registered %d models", len(cfg.Models))
 
-	// Auth store
-	authStore := auth.NewStore(db.DB)
+	// Auth store (static tokens checked in-memory, not seeded to DB)
+	var staticTokens []auth.StaticToken
+	for _, t := range cfg.Tokens {
+		if t.Key != "" {
+			staticTokens = append(staticTokens, auth.StaticToken{
+				Name:           t.Name,
+				Key:            t.Key,
+				RateLimitRPM:   t.RateLimitRPM,
+				DailyBudgetUSD: t.DailyBudgetUSD,
+			})
+			log.Printf("Loaded static token: %s", t.Name)
+		}
+	}
+	authStore := auth.NewStore(db.DB, staticTokens)
 	authMiddleware := auth.NewMiddleware(authStore)
 	authHandlers := auth.NewHandlers(authStore, cfg.Server.SessionSecret)
 
-	// Seed default admin and static tokens
-	seedAdminAndTokens(cfg, authStore)
+	// Seed default admin
+	seedDefaultAdmin(cfg, authStore)
 
 	// Metrics
 	m := metrics.New()
@@ -244,9 +256,8 @@ func main() {
 	log.Println("Stopped")
 }
 
-// seedAdminAndTokens creates the default admin and seeds static tokens from config.
-func seedAdminAndTokens(cfg *config.Config, authStore *auth.Store) {
-	// Seed default admin if no users exist
+// seedDefaultAdmin creates the default admin user if no users exist.
+func seedDefaultAdmin(cfg *config.Config, authStore *auth.Store) {
 	if !authStore.HasAnyUser() {
 		da := cfg.Server.DefaultAdmin
 		if da.Username != "" && da.Password != "" {
@@ -258,24 +269,4 @@ func seedAdminAndTokens(cfg *config.Config, authStore *auth.Store) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	// Seed static tokens from config
-	if len(cfg.Tokens) > 0 {
-		admin, err := authStore.GetFirstAdmin()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("WARNING: no admin user found, cannot seed static tokens")
-			return
-		}
-
-		for _, t := range cfg.Tokens {
-			if t.Key == "" {
-				continue
-			}
-			if err := authStore.SeedStaticToken(admin.ID, t.Name, t.Key, t.RateLimitRPM, t.DailyBudgetUSD); err != nil {
-				log.Printf("WARNING: failed to seed token %q: %v", t.Name, err)
-			} else {
-				log.Printf("Seeded static token: %s", t.Name)
-			}
-		}
-	}
 }
diff --git a/llm-gateway/internal/auth/store.go b/llm-gateway/internal/auth/store.go
index c829444..170af0c 100644
--- a/llm-gateway/internal/auth/store.go
+++ b/llm-gateway/internal/auth/store.go
@@ -42,12 +42,21 @@ type APIToken struct {
 	LastUsedAt     int64   `json:"last_used_at"`
 }
 
-type Store struct {
-	db *sql.DB
+// StaticToken represents a token defined in config (checked in-memory, never stored in DB).
+type StaticToken struct {
+	Name           string
+	Key            string
+	RateLimitRPM   int
+	DailyBudgetUSD float64
 }
 
-func NewStore(db *sql.DB) *Store {
-	return &Store{db: db}
+type Store struct {
+	db           *sql.DB
+	staticTokens []StaticToken
+}
+
+func NewStore(db *sql.DB, staticTokens []StaticToken) *Store {
+	return &Store{db: db, staticTokens: staticTokens}
 }
 
 func (s *Store) HasAnyUser() bool {
@@ -100,12 +109,6 @@ func (s *Store) GetUserByID(id int64) (*User, error) {
 	))
 }
 
-func (s *Store) GetFirstAdmin() (*User, error) {
-	return s.scanUser(s.db.QueryRow(
-		"SELECT id, username, email, password_hash, is_admin, totp_secret, totp_enabled, created_at, updated_at FROM users WHERE is_admin = 1 ORDER BY id LIMIT 1",
-	))
-}
-
 func (s *Store) scanUser(row *sql.Row) (*User, error) {
 	var u User
 	var isAdmin, totpEnabled int
@@ -271,6 +274,24 @@ func (s *Store) CreateAPIToken(userID int64, name string, rateLimitRPM int, dail
 }
 
 func (s *Store) LookupAPIToken(key string) (*APIToken, error) {
+	// Check static tokens first (from config, never stored in DB)
+	for _, st := range s.staticTokens {
+		if st.Key == key {
+			prefix := st.Key
+			if len(prefix) > 11 {
+				prefix = prefix[:11]
+			}
+			return &APIToken{
+				ID:             -1, // sentinel: static token
+				Name:           st.Name,
+				KeyPrefix:      prefix,
+				RateLimitRPM:   st.RateLimitRPM,
+				DailyBudgetUSD: st.DailyBudgetUSD,
+			}, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Fall back to DB tokens
 	hash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(key))
 	keyHash := hex.EncodeToString(hash[:])
 
@@ -286,6 +307,23 @@ func (s *Store) LookupAPIToken(key string) (*APIToken, error) {
 }
 
 func (s *Store) ListAPITokens(userID int64) ([]APIToken, error) {
+	// Include static tokens (shown for all users, not deletable)
+	var tokens []APIToken
+	for _, st := range s.staticTokens {
+		prefix := st.Key
+		if len(prefix) > 11 {
+			prefix = prefix[:11]
+		}
+		tokens = append(tokens, APIToken{
+			ID:             -1, // sentinel: static token
+			Name:           st.Name,
+			KeyPrefix:      prefix,
+			RateLimitRPM:   st.RateLimitRPM,
+			DailyBudgetUSD: st.DailyBudgetUSD,
+		})
+	}
+
+	// DB tokens
 	var rows *sql.Rows
 	var err error
 	if userID == 0 {
@@ -295,15 +333,14 @@ func (s *Store) ListAPITokens(userID int64) ([]APIToken, error) {
 		rows, err = s.db.Query("SELECT id, name, key_hash, key_prefix, user_id, rate_limit_rpm, daily_budget_usd, created_at, last_used_at FROM api_tokens WHERE user_id = ? ORDER BY id", userID)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return tokens, nil // return static tokens even if DB query fails
 	}
 	defer rows.Close()
 
-	var tokens []APIToken
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var t APIToken
 		if err := rows.Scan(&t.ID, &t.Name, &t.KeyHash, &t.KeyPrefix, &t.UserID, &t.RateLimitRPM, &t.DailyBudgetUSD, &t.CreatedAt, &t.LastUsedAt); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return tokens, nil
 		}
 		tokens = append(tokens, t)
 	}
@@ -331,31 +368,6 @@ func (s *Store) UpdateAPITokenLastUsed(id int64) {
 	s.db.Exec("UPDATE api_tokens SET last_used_at = ? WHERE id = ?", time.Now().Unix(), id)
 }
 
-// SeedStaticToken creates a token by name if it doesn't already exist (idempotent).
-func (s *Store) SeedStaticToken(userID int64, name, plainKey string, rateLimitRPM int, dailyBudgetUSD float64) error {
-	// Check if token with this name already exists
-	var count int
-	s.db.QueryRow("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM api_tokens WHERE name = ?", name).Scan(&count)
-	if count > 0 {
-		return nil // already seeded
-	}
-
-	keyPrefix := plainKey
-	if len(keyPrefix) > 11 {
-		keyPrefix = keyPrefix[:11]
-	}
-
-	hash := sha256.Sum256([]byte(plainKey))
-	keyHash := hex.EncodeToString(hash[:])
-
-	now := time.Now().Unix()
-	_, err := s.db.Exec(
-		"INSERT INTO api_tokens (name, key_hash, key_prefix, user_id, rate_limit_rpm, daily_budget_usd, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
-		name, keyHash, keyPrefix, userID, rateLimitRPM, dailyBudgetUSD, now,
-	)
-	return err
-}
-
 func (s *Store) UpdateUsername(userID int64, newUsername string) error {
 	_, err := s.db.Exec("UPDATE users SET username = ?, updated_at = ? WHERE id = ?", newUsername, time.Now().Unix(), userID)
 	return err
diff --git a/llm-gateway/internal/dashboard/templates/partials/tokens.html b/llm-gateway/internal/dashboard/templates/partials/tokens.html
index 550616a..58ebbbf 100644
--- a/llm-gateway/internal/dashboard/templates/partials/tokens.html
+++ b/llm-gateway/internal/dashboard/templates/partials/tokens.html
@@ -10,10 +10,30 @@
 </div>
 
 <div class="section">
+  <h2>Static Tokens <span style="font-size:0.75rem;color:#64748b;font-weight:400;">(from config, managed via environment variables)</span></h2>
+  <table>
+    <thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Prefix</th><th>Rate Limit</th><th>Budget</th><th></th></tr></thead>
+    <tbody>
+    {{range .Tokens}}{{if lt .ID 0}}
+    <tr>
+      <td>{{.Name}}</td>
+      <td><code>{{.KeyPrefix}}...</code></td>
+      <td>{{if eq .RateLimitRPM 0}}unlimited{{else}}{{.RateLimitRPM}} rpm{{end}}</td>
+      <td>{{if gt .DailyBudgetUSD 0.0}}${{printf "%.2f" .DailyBudgetUSD}}{{else}}unlimited{{end}}</td>
+      <td><span class="badge badge-totp">config</span></td>
+    </tr>
+    {{end}}{{end}}
+    </tbody>
+  </table>
+</div>
+
+<div class="section">
+  <h2>Dynamic Tokens <span style="font-size:0.75rem;color:#64748b;font-weight:400;">(created via dashboard)</span></h2>
   <table>
     <thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Prefix</th><th>Rate Limit</th><th>Budget</th><th>Created</th><th>Last Used</th><th></th></tr></thead>
     <tbody id="tokens-tbody">
-    {{range .Tokens}}
+    {{$hasDynamic := false}}
+    {{range .Tokens}}{{if gt .ID 0}}
     <tr>
       <td>{{.Name}}</td>
       <td><code>{{.KeyPrefix}}...</code></td>
@@ -23,9 +43,7 @@
       <td>{{if gt .LastUsedAt 0}}{{formatTime .LastUsedAt}}{{else}}never{{end}}</td>
       <td><button class="btn btn-sm btn-danger" onclick="deleteToken({{.ID}})">Revoke</button></td>
     </tr>
-    {{else}}
-    <tr><td colspan="7" style="color:#64748b;text-align:center;padding:20px;">No API tokens yet. Create one to get started.</td></tr>
-    {{end}}
+    {{end}}{{end}}
     </tbody>
   </table>
 </div>
@@ -88,7 +106,6 @@ async function doCreateToken(e) {
     closeModal();
     document.getElementById('new-token-key').textContent = data.key;
     document.getElementById('new-token-display').style.display = 'block';
-    // Reload tokens partial
     htmx.ajax('GET', '/tokens', {target: '#content', swap: 'innerHTML'});
   } catch (e) { document.getElementById('create-token-error').innerHTML = '<div class="error-msg">' + e.message + '</div>'; }
 }
diff --git a/llm-gateway/internal/proxy/auth.go b/llm-gateway/internal/proxy/auth.go
index b885550..ca0944f 100644
--- a/llm-gateway/internal/proxy/auth.go
+++ b/llm-gateway/internal/proxy/auth.go
@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@ func (a *AuthMiddleware) Authenticate(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 			return
 		}
 
-		// Update last used asynchronously
-		go a.authStore.UpdateAPITokenLastUsed(token.ID)
+		// Update last used asynchronously (skip for static tokens)
+		if token.ID > 0 {
+			go a.authStore.UpdateAPITokenLastUsed(token.ID)
+		}
 
 		ctx := withTokenName(r.Context(), token.Name)
 		ctx = withAPIToken(ctx, token)