diff --git a/.kiro/specs/ha-config-bootstrap/tasks.md b/.kiro/specs/ha-config-bootstrap/tasks.md
index a5057827..24220fdc 100644
--- a/.kiro/specs/ha-config-bootstrap/tasks.md
+++ b/.kiro/specs/ha-config-bootstrap/tasks.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Dependency order: startup validation (D) unblocks vtaskmgr before election (A);
   - _Requirements: 1.1, 1.2_
   - _Boundary: Startup Sequence (cluster.c, myapp.c)_
 
-- [ ] 3.3 Implement dispatch gate for CTRL_INIT and CTRL_ELECTING states
+- [x] 3.3 Implement dispatch gate for CTRL_INIT and CTRL_ELECTING states
   - Initialize `ha.heartbeat_seen` semaphore in `ha_init()`; initialize `ha.primary_ctrl_fd = -1`
   - Add role-check at vtaskmgr dispatch entry: `CTRL_INIT` and `CTRL_ELECTING` pass only `OP_requestVote` and `OP_probeConfigTag`; all others return `XCE_ERR_NOT_READY`
   - `CTRL_STANDBY` returns `XCE_ERR_STANDBY` with `redirect_host/port` for primary-only ops
diff --git a/src/controller/cluster.c b/src/controller/cluster.c
index f21291a2..60e80bcd 100644
--- a/src/controller/cluster.c
+++ b/src/controller/cluster.c
@@ -192,6 +192,17 @@ static int myreq_handler(vtask_t* task)
 
     init_reply_by_req(&reply, &request);
 
+    /* Dispatch gate: reject ops not allowed in current FSM state (req 1.3, 1.4) */
+    rc = ha_dispatch_gate(&c->ha, request.opcode);
+    if (rc != 0) {
+        reply.status     = rc;
+        reply.data_which = RequestReply_data_nodata;
+        xce_reply(ep, c->myhost, &reply);
+        free_Request(&request);
+        free(raw_pkt_copy);
+        return rc;
+    }
+
     switch (request.opcode) {
     case OPCode_shutdown:
         reply.status     = 0;
diff --git a/src/controller/ha.c b/src/controller/ha.c
index 684b4d23..c612edfe 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.c
+++ b/src/controller/ha.c
@@ -22,9 +22,15 @@
 /* Circular-include safety: cluster_def.h includes ha.h (include-guarded),
  * and ha.h only forward-declares cluster_t — no cycle. */
 #include "xce/cluster_def.h"
+#include "xce/errnox.h"
+#include "controller.capnp.h"
 #include "persist.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
+/* ── HA dispatch gate error codes (defined here; declared extern in errnox.h) ── */
+int XCE_ERR_NOT_READY = E_XCE_NOT_READY;
+int XCE_ERR_STANDBY   = E_XCE_STANDBY;
+
 /* ── PRNG seeding ───────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
 void ha_seed_jitter(uint64_t *seed, int my_priority)
@@ -82,6 +88,11 @@ int ha_init(ha_state_t *ha, const ha_config_t *cfg, int my_priority)
     ha->ssl_ctx            = NULL;
     ha->jitter_seed        = 0;
     ha->standby_endpoints  = NULL;
+    ha->primary_ctrl_fd    = -1;
+
+    /* heartbeat_seen starts at 0: no heartbeat seen yet.
+     * ha_wait_for_heartbeat_or_timeout() calls sem_timedwait on this. */
+    sem_init(&ha->heartbeat_seen, 0, 0);
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -454,6 +465,7 @@ void ha_fini(ha_state_t *ha)
         return;
     ha_stop_watchdog(ha);  /* join watchdog thread before destroying mutex */
     pthread_mutex_destroy(&ha->lock);
+    sem_destroy(&ha->heartbeat_seen);
 
     /* Fix ASAN leak: free the SSL context if one was allocated */
     if (ha->ssl_ctx) {
@@ -462,6 +474,70 @@ void ha_fini(ha_state_t *ha)
     }
 }
 
+/* ── Dispatch gate (req 1.3, 1.4) ──────────────────────────────────────────
+ *
+ * Called from myreq_handler() in cluster.c before the opcode switch.
+ * Returns 0 when the operation is permitted for the current role.
+ *
+ * Primary-only ops are any op that is not one of the always-allowed set:
+ *   nop, reply, hello, join, shutdown, heartbeat, redirect,
+ *   steppingDown, replEntry, replAck, replSnapshot, replCatchUpDone,
+ *   replConfig, replConfigPush, requestVote, probeConfigTag,
+ *   walAck, upgradeConfigAck, snapshotTransfer, walCatchupEntry.
+ *
+ * For CTRL_STANDBY the check is: op is in the primary-only set → deny.
+ * For CTRL_INIT / CTRL_ELECTING the allowlist is tighter: only
+ * OP_requestVote and OP_probeConfigTag pass through.
+ */
+int ha_dispatch_gate(ha_state_t *ha, int opcode)
+{
+    ctrl_role_t role =
+        (ctrl_role_t)atomic_load_explicit(&ha->role, memory_order_acquire);
+
+    switch (role) {
+    case CTRL_PRIMARY:
+        return 0;
+
+    case CTRL_INIT:
+    case CTRL_ELECTING:
+        if (opcode == OPCode_requestVote || opcode == OPCode_probeConfigTag)
+            return 0;
+        return -XCE_ERR_NOT_READY;
+
+    case CTRL_STANDBY: {
+        /* Allow ops that standbys legitimately handle */
+        switch (opcode) {
+        case OPCode_nop:
+        case OPCode_reply:
+        case OPCode_hello:
+        case OPCode_join:
+        case OPCode_shutdown:
+        case OPCode_heartbeat:
+        case OPCode_redirect:
+        case OPCode_steppingDown:
+        case OPCode_replEntry:
+        case OPCode_replAck:
+        case OPCode_replSnapshot:
+        case OPCode_replCatchUpDone:
+        case OPCode_replConfig:
+        case OPCode_replConfigPush:
+        case OPCode_requestVote:
+        case OPCode_probeConfigTag:
+        case OPCode_walAck:
+        case OPCode_upgradeConfigAck:
+        case OPCode_snapshotTransfer:
+        case OPCode_walCatchupEntry:
+            return 0;
+        default:
+            return -XCE_ERR_STANDBY;
+        }
+    }
+
+    default:
+        return 0;
+    }
+}
+
 /* ── Redirect helpers used by join.c ───────────────────────── */
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/controller/ha.h b/src/controller/ha.h
index 9e85d0ba..611bccac 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.h
+++ b/src/controller/ha.h
@@ -277,6 +277,17 @@ void start_heartbeat_listener(cluster_t *c);
  */
 void stop_heartbeat_listener(cluster_t *c);
 
+/*
+ * ha_dispatch_gate: role-based operation filter for the vtaskmgr dispatch loop.
+ * Returns:
+ *   0                   — operation is permitted for the current role
+ *   -E_XCE_NOT_READY    — role is CTRL_INIT or CTRL_ELECTING and opcode is not
+ *                         OP_requestVote or OP_probeConfigTag
+ *   -E_XCE_STANDBY      — role is CTRL_STANDBY and opcode is a primary-only op
+ * CTRL_PRIMARY always returns 0.
+ */
+int ha_dispatch_gate(ha_state_t *ha, int opcode);
+
 /* ── HA Config Bootstrap & Term Durability (ha-config-bootstrap spec) ── */
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/include/xce/errnox.h b/src/include/xce/errnox.h
index 41dd7ad5..2442d95a 100644
--- a/src/include/xce/errnox.h
+++ b/src/include/xce/errnox.h
@@ -21,7 +21,14 @@ enum {
     E_XCE_INTERNAL,
     E_XCE_NOMASTER,   /* Standby has no known primary — client should retry */
     E_XCE_REDIRECT,   /* Standby is redirecting client to primary           */
+    E_XCE_NOT_READY,  /* Controller in CTRL_INIT or CTRL_ELECTING state     */
+    E_XCE_STANDBY,    /* Controller in CTRL_STANDBY; op is primary-only     */
     E_XCE_MAX
 };
 
+/* HA dispatch gate error variables — defined in ha.c, declared here so all
+ * dispatch call sites that include errnox.h get the right names. */
+extern int XCE_ERR_NOT_READY;  /* == E_XCE_NOT_READY */
+extern int XCE_ERR_STANDBY;    /* == E_XCE_STANDBY   */
+
 #endif