diff --git a/packages/rpc/src/identity.ts b/packages/rpc/src/identity.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b24bd6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rpc/src/identity.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+import type { Context } from "@wrnexus/core";
+import { signJwt, verifyJwt } from "@wrnexus/jwt";
+
+/** Header the identity token travels in. */
+export const RPC_IDENTITY_HEADER = "x-wrnexus-rpc-identity";
+
+const MIN_SECRET_LENGTH = 32;
+const DEFAULT_TTL_SECONDS = 60;
+
+export interface SubjectContext {
+  subjectId: string;
+  tenantId?: string;
+  /** The app that minted the token. */
+  callerApp: string;
+}
+
+export interface ExportOptions {
+  ttlSeconds?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The workspace-wide RPC signing secret.
+ *
+ * Deliberately separate from the session secret: reusing that would make a
+ * leaked RPC token a session-forgery primitive. All workspace apps share this
+ * secret, so they form ONE trust boundary — any app can mint a token naming
+ * any user, and compromising the lowest-privilege app compromises identity
+ * across all of them.
+ */
+export function rpcSecret(): string {
+  const secret = process.env.WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET;
+  if (!secret) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "WRN-RPC-SECRET: WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET is not set. Inter-app calls cannot carry " +
+        "identity without it. Use a value distinct from the session secret.",
+    );
+  }
+  if (secret.length < MIN_SECRET_LENGTH) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `WRN-RPC-SECRET: WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET must be at least ${MIN_SECRET_LENGTH} characters.`,
+    );
+  }
+  return secret;
+}
+
+function callerAppName(): string {
+  const name = process.env.WRNEXUS_APP_NAME;
+  if (!name) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "WRN-RPC-APP: WRNEXUS_APP_NAME is not set, so a call cannot identify its caller.",
+    );
+  }
+  return name;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Mint a short-lived token naming the current subject, addressed to one app.
+ *
+ * Carries `sub` and `tenant` ONLY. Roles are deliberately absent: every app
+ * shares the PermissionStore, so the callee resolves them itself, which makes
+ * a stale or forged privilege claim impossible by construction.
+ *
+ * Returns undefined for an anonymous request — there is no identity to carry.
+ */
+export async function exportSubjectContext(
+  ctx: Context,
+  targetApp: string,
+  options: ExportOptions = {},
+): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  const rawId: unknown = (ctx.user as { id?: unknown } | null | undefined)?.id;
+  if (rawId === undefined || rawId === null) return undefined;
+  if (typeof rawId !== "string" || rawId === "") {
+    throw new Error(
+      "WRN-RPC-SUBJECT: subject id must be a non-empty string; coerce numeric ids with String(id).",
+    );
+  }
+  const tenantId = ctx.tenant?.id;
+  return signJwt(
+    { sub: rawId, ...(typeof tenantId === "string" && tenantId ? { tenant: tenantId } : {}) },
+    rpcSecret(),
+    {
+      issuer: callerAppName(),
+      audience: targetApp,
+      expiresIn: options.ttlSeconds ?? DEFAULT_TTL_SECONDS,
+    },
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Verify a token addressed to THIS app and return the subject it names.
+ *
+ * `selfApp` is the audience check: it is what stops app B replaying a token it
+ * received from A against a third app C.
+ */
+export async function importSubjectContext(
+  token: string,
+  selfApp: string,
+): Promise<SubjectContext> {
+  const claims = await verifyJwt<{ sub?: string; tenant?: string; iss?: string }>(
+    token,
+    rpcSecret(),
+    { audience: selfApp },
+  );
+  if (typeof claims.sub !== "string" || claims.sub === "") {
+    throw new Error("WRN-RPC-IDENTITY: token carries no usable subject.");
+  }
+  if (typeof claims.iss !== "string" || claims.iss === "") {
+    throw new Error("WRN-RPC-IDENTITY: token names no calling app.");
+  }
+  return {
+    subjectId: claims.sub,
+    tenantId: typeof claims.tenant === "string" && claims.tenant ? claims.tenant : undefined,
+    callerApp: claims.iss,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/rpc/src/index.ts b/packages/rpc/src/index.ts
index 4ec5e5ae..02e98da8 100644
--- a/packages/rpc/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/rpc/src/index.ts
@@ -22,3 +22,11 @@ export { RPC_ERROR_CODES, ServiceError, failure, isRetryableStatus, success } fr
 export type { RpcErrorCode, ToResultOptions } from "./errors.ts";
 
 export { defineService, procedure, ProcedureBuilder } from "./contract.ts";
+
+export {
+  RPC_IDENTITY_HEADER,
+  exportSubjectContext,
+  importSubjectContext,
+  rpcSecret,
+} from "./identity.ts";
+export type { ExportOptions, SubjectContext } from "./identity.ts";
diff --git a/packages/rpc/test/identity.test.ts b/packages/rpc/test/identity.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a55a08b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rpc/test/identity.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import type { Context } from "@wrnexus/core";
+import { exportSubjectContext, importSubjectContext } from "../src/identity.ts";
+
+const SECRET = "test-rpc-secret-at-least-32-chars-long";
+const original = { ...process.env };
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  process.env = { ...original };
+});
+
+function ctxFor(user: unknown, tenantId?: string): Context {
+  return {
+    user,
+    tenant: tenantId ? { id: tenantId } : undefined,
+    locals: {},
+  } as unknown as Context;
+}
+
+function configure(appName = "web") {
+  process.env.WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET = SECRET;
+  process.env.WRNEXUS_APP_NAME = appName;
+}
+
+describe("subject context token", () => {
+  test("round-trips subject and tenant", async () => {
+    configure("web");
+    const token = await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }, "acme"), "billing");
+    const imported = await importSubjectContext(token!, "billing");
+    expect(imported.subjectId).toBe("u1");
+    expect(imported.tenantId).toBe("acme");
+    expect(imported.callerApp).toBe("web");
+  });
+
+  test("carries NO roles or permissions", async () => {
+    configure();
+    const token = await exportSubjectContext(
+      ctxFor({ id: "u1", roles: ["admin"], permissions: ["*"] }),
+      "billing",
+    );
+    // Decode the payload directly: the claim set must not include privileges.
+    const payload = JSON.parse(atob(token!.split(".")[1]!.replace(/-/g, "+").replace(/_/g, "/")));
+    expect(payload.roles).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(payload.permissions).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(payload.sub).toBe("u1");
+  });
+
+  test("an anonymous context produces no token", async () => {
+    configure();
+    expect(await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor(null), "billing")).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({}), "billing")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  test("a non-string subject id is refused", async () => {
+    configure();
+    // Matches the permissions system: only a non-empty string identifies a subject.
+    for (const id of [0, "", 123, {}]) {
+      await expect(exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id }), "billing")).rejects.toThrow(/subject/i);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("a token minted for one app is rejected by another", async () => {
+    configure();
+    const token = await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }), "billing");
+    await expect(importSubjectContext(token!, "reports")).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  test("an expired token is rejected", async () => {
+    configure();
+    const token = await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }), "billing", { ttlSeconds: -1 });
+    await expect(importSubjectContext(token!, "billing")).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  test("a token signed with a different secret is rejected", async () => {
+    configure();
+    const token = await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }), "billing");
+    process.env.WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET = "a-completely-different-secret-32-chars";
+    await expect(importSubjectContext(token!, "billing")).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  test("a tampered payload is rejected", async () => {
+    configure();
+    const token = await exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }), "billing");
+    const [header, , signature] = token!.split(".");
+    const forged = btoa(JSON.stringify({ sub: "admin", aud: "billing", iss: "web" }))
+      .replace(/\+/g, "-")
+      .replace(/\//g, "_")
+      .replace(/=+$/, "");
+    await expect(
+      importSubjectContext(`${header}.${forged}.${signature}`, "billing"),
+    ).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  test("a missing secret is a setup error, not a silent pass", async () => {
+    process.env.WRNEXUS_APP_NAME = "web";
+    delete process.env.WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET;
+    await expect(exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }), "billing")).rejects.toThrow(
+      /WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("a short secret is refused", async () => {
+    process.env.WRNEXUS_APP_NAME = "web";
+    process.env.WRNEXUS_RPC_SECRET = "too-short";
+    await expect(exportSubjectContext(ctxFor({ id: "u1" }), "billing")).rejects.toThrow(/32/);
+  });
+});