diff --git a/docs/CONFIGURATION.md b/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
index 02bfb2f..5c82cb1 100644
--- a/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
+++ b/docs/CONFIGURATION.md
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ PROXY_AUTH_LOGOUT_URL=/logout        # URL for SSO logout
   "allowedOrigins": "",                // CORS allowed origins (empty = same-origin only)
   "allowEmbedding": false,             // Allow iframe embedding
   "allowedEmbedOrigins": "",           // Comma-separated origins allowed to embed Pulse
+  "temperatureMonitoringEnabled": true,// Global temperature polling toggle (Settings → Proxmox → Edit node → Advanced monitoring)
   "backendPort": 3000,                 // Internal API listen port (not normally changed)
   "frontendPort": 7655,                // Public port exposed by the service
   "logLevel": "info",                  // Log level: debug, info, warn, error
@@ -388,6 +389,7 @@ These env vars override system.json values. When set, the UI will show a warning
 - `ADAPTIVE_POLLING_MAX_INTERVAL` - Override the maximum cadence (Go duration or seconds). Values ≤`15s` engage the low-latency backoff profile.
 - `ENABLE_BACKUP_POLLING` - Set to `false` to disable polling of Proxmox backup/snapshot APIs (default: true)
 - `BACKUP_POLLING_INTERVAL` - Override the backup polling cadence. Accepts Go duration syntax (e.g. `30m`, `6h`) or seconds. Use `0` for Pulse's default (~90s) cadence.
+- `ENABLE_TEMPERATURE_MONITORING` - Force-enable or disable SSH temperature polling for all nodes (`true`/`false`)
 - `PULSE_PUBLIC_URL` - Full URL to access Pulse (e.g., `http://192.168.1.100:7655`)
   - **Auto-detected** if not set (except inside Docker where detection is disabled)
   - Used in webhook notifications for "View in Pulse" links
diff --git a/docs/TEMPERATURE_MONITORING.md b/docs/TEMPERATURE_MONITORING.md
index 5031d1f..24926da 100644
--- a/docs/TEMPERATURE_MONITORING.md
+++ b/docs/TEMPERATURE_MONITORING.md
@@ -12,6 +12,19 @@ Pulse can display real-time CPU and NVMe temperatures directly in your dashboard
   - Yellow: 60-80°C (warm)
   - Red: > 80°C (hot)
 
+## Disable Temperature Monitoring
+
+Don't need the sensor data? Open **Settings → Proxmox**, edit any node, and scroll to the **Advanced monitoring** section. The temperature toggle there controls collection for all nodes:
+
+- When disabled, Pulse skips every SSH/proxy request for temperature data.
+- CPU and NVMe readings disappear from dashboards and node tables.
+- You can re-enable it later without re-running the setup scripts.
+
+For scripted environments, set either:
+
+- `temperatureMonitoringEnabled: false` in `/etc/pulse/system.json`, or
+- `ENABLE_TEMPERATURE_MONITORING=false` in the environment (locks the UI toggle until removed).
+
 ## How It Works
 
 ### Secure Architecture (v4.24.0+)
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/NodeModal.tsx b/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/NodeModal.tsx
index 552a33b..e75ee20 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/NodeModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/NodeModal.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   formCheckbox,
 } from '@/components/shared/Form';
 import { logger } from '@/utils/logger';
+import { TogglePrimitive } from '@/components/shared/Toggle';
 
 interface NodeModalProps {
   isOpen: boolean;
@@ -26,6 +27,10 @@ interface NodeModalProps {
   showBackToDiscovery?: boolean;
   onBackToDiscovery?: () => void;
   securityStatus?: Partial<SecurityStatus>;
+  temperatureMonitoringEnabled?: boolean;
+  temperatureMonitoringLocked?: boolean;
+  savingTemperatureSetting?: boolean;
+  onToggleTemperatureMonitoring?: (enabled: boolean) => Promise<void> | void;
 }
 
 const deriveNameFromHost = (host: string): string => {
@@ -1705,28 +1710,68 @@ export const NodeModal: Component<NodeModalProps> = (props) => {
 
                   {/* Physical Disk Monitoring - PVE only */}
                   <Show when={props.nodeType === 'pve'}>
-                    <div>
+                    <div class="space-y-4">
                       <SectionHeader
                         title="Advanced monitoring"
                         size="sm"
                         class="mb-3"
                         titleClass="text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100"
                       />
-                      <label class="flex items-start gap-2 text-sm text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300">
-                        <input
-                          type="checkbox"
-                          checked={formData().monitorPhysicalDisks}
-                          onChange={(e) => updateField('monitorPhysicalDisks', e.currentTarget.checked)}
-                          class={formCheckbox + ' mt-0.5'}
-                        />
-                        <div>
-                          <div>Monitor physical disk health (SMART)</div>
-                          <p class="text-xs text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 mt-1">
-                            Polls disk SMART data every 5 minutes. Note: This will cause HDDs to spin up from standby.
-                            If you have HDDs that should stay idle, leave this disabled.
-                          </p>
+                      <div class="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-3 text-sm text-gray-700 shadow-sm dark:border-gray-700 dark:bg-gray-800 dark:text-gray-200">
+                        <div class="flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
+                          <div>
+                            <p class="font-medium text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100">Monitor physical disk health (SMART)</p>
+                            <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">
+                              Polls disk SMART data every 5 minutes. This will spin up idle HDDs; leave disabled if you rely on drive standby.
+                            </p>
+                          </div>
+                          <TogglePrimitive
+                            checked={formData().monitorPhysicalDisks}
+                            onChange={(event) => updateField('monitorPhysicalDisks', event.currentTarget.checked)}
+                            ariaLabel={
+                              formData().monitorPhysicalDisks
+                                ? 'Disable physical disk monitoring'
+                                : 'Enable physical disk monitoring'
+                            }
+                          />
                         </div>
-                      </label>
+                      </div>
+
+                      <Show when={typeof props.temperatureMonitoringEnabled === 'boolean'}>
+                        {() => {
+                          const enabled = props.temperatureMonitoringEnabled ?? true;
+                          return (
+                            <div class="rounded-lg border border-gray-200 bg-white p-3 text-sm text-gray-700 shadow-sm dark:border-gray-700 dark:bg-gray-800 dark:text-gray-200">
+                              <div class="flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
+                                <div>
+                                  <p class="font-medium text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100">Temperature monitoring</p>
+                                  <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">
+                                    Uses the Pulse sensors key or proxy to read CPU/NVMe temperatures for every node. Disable if you don’t need temperature data or haven’t deployed the proxy yet.
+                                  </p>
+                                </div>
+                                <TogglePrimitive
+                                  checked={enabled}
+                                  onChange={(event) => {
+                                    props.onToggleTemperatureMonitoring?.(event.currentTarget.checked);
+                                  }}
+                                  disabled={props.temperatureMonitoringLocked || props.savingTemperatureSetting}
+                                  ariaLabel={enabled ? 'Disable temperature monitoring' : 'Enable temperature monitoring'}
+                                />
+                              </div>
+                              <Show when={!enabled}>
+                                <p class="mt-3 rounded border border-blue-200 bg-blue-50 p-2 text-xs text-blue-700 dark:border-blue-700 dark:bg-blue-900/20 dark:text-blue-200">
+                                  Pulse will skip all SSH temperature polling until you re-enable this toggle. Existing dashboard readings will stop refreshing.
+                                </p>
+                              </Show>
+                              <Show when={props.temperatureMonitoringLocked}>
+                                <p class="mt-3 rounded border border-amber-200 bg-amber-50 p-2 text-xs text-amber-800 dark:border-amber-700 dark:bg-amber-900/20 dark:text-amber-200">
+                                  Locked by environment variables. Remove the override (ENABLE_TEMPERATURE_MONITORING) and restart Pulse to manage it in the UI.
+                                </p>
+                              </Show>
+                            </div>
+                          );
+                        }}
+                      </Show>
                     </div>
                   </Show>
                   <Show when={props.nodeType === 'pmg'}>
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/Settings.tsx b/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/Settings.tsx
index 33f6c6a..e8abd51 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/components/Settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -545,6 +545,12 @@ const Settings: Component<SettingsProps> = (props) => {
   const [discoverySubnetError, setDiscoverySubnetError] = createSignal<string | undefined>();
   const [savingDiscoverySettings, setSavingDiscoverySettings] = createSignal(false);
   const [envOverrides, setEnvOverrides] = createSignal<Record<string, boolean>>({});
+  const [temperatureMonitoringEnabled, setTemperatureMonitoringEnabled] = createSignal(true);
+  const [savingTemperatureSetting, setSavingTemperatureSetting] = createSignal(false);
+  const temperatureMonitoringLocked = () =>
+    Boolean(
+      envOverrides().temperatureMonitoringEnabled || envOverrides()['ENABLE_TEMPERATURE_MONITORING'],
+    );
   let discoverySubnetInputRef: HTMLInputElement | undefined;
 
   const parseSubnetList = (value: string) => {
@@ -1378,6 +1384,31 @@ const Settings: Component<SettingsProps> = (props) => {
     }
   };
 
+  const handleTemperatureMonitoringChange = async (enabled: boolean): Promise<void> => {
+    if (temperatureMonitoringLocked() || savingTemperatureSetting()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const previous = temperatureMonitoringEnabled();
+    setTemperatureMonitoringEnabled(enabled);
+    setSavingTemperatureSetting(true);
+
+    try {
+      await SettingsAPI.updateSystemSettings({ temperatureMonitoringEnabled: enabled });
+      if (enabled) {
+        notificationStore.success('Temperature monitoring enabled', 2000);
+      } else {
+        notificationStore.info('Temperature monitoring disabled', 2000);
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error('Failed to update temperature monitoring setting', error);
+      notificationStore.error('Failed to update temperature monitoring setting');
+      setTemperatureMonitoringEnabled(previous);
+    } finally {
+      setSavingTemperatureSetting(false);
+    }
+  };
+
   const handleDiscoveryModeChange = async (mode: 'auto' | 'custom') => {
     if (envOverrides().discoverySubnet || savingDiscoverySettings()) {
       return;
@@ -1567,6 +1598,11 @@ const Settings: Component<SettingsProps> = (props) => {
         // Load embedding settings
         setAllowEmbedding(systemSettings.allowEmbedding ?? false);
         setAllowedEmbedOrigins(systemSettings.allowedEmbedOrigins || '');
+        setTemperatureMonitoringEnabled(
+          typeof systemSettings.temperatureMonitoringEnabled === 'boolean'
+            ? systemSettings.temperatureMonitoringEnabled
+            : true,
+        );
         // Backup polling controls
         if (typeof systemSettings.backupPollingEnabled === 'boolean') {
           setBackupPollingEnabled(systemSettings.backupPollingEnabled);
@@ -6536,6 +6572,10 @@ const Settings: Component<SettingsProps> = (props) => {
           nodeType="pve"
           editingNode={editingNode()?.type === 'pve' ? (editingNode() ?? undefined) : undefined}
           securityStatus={securityStatus() ?? undefined}
+          temperatureMonitoringEnabled={temperatureMonitoringEnabled()}
+          temperatureMonitoringLocked={temperatureMonitoringLocked()}
+          savingTemperatureSetting={savingTemperatureSetting()}
+          onToggleTemperatureMonitoring={handleTemperatureMonitoringChange}
           onSave={async (nodeData) => {
             try {
               if (editingNode() && editingNode()!.id) {
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/types/config.ts b/frontend-modern/src/types/config.ts
index 6dc0219..2247a77 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/types/config.ts
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/types/config.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export interface SystemConfig {
   autoUpdateTime?: string; // Time for updates (HH:MM format)
   backupPollingInterval?: number; // Backup polling interval in seconds (0 = default cadence)
   backupPollingEnabled?: boolean; // Enable backup polling of PVE/PBS data
+  temperatureMonitoringEnabled?: boolean; // Collect CPU/NVMe temperatures via SSH
   allowedOrigins?: string; // CORS allowed origins
   backendPort?: number; // Backend API port (default: 7655)
   frontendPort?: number; // Frontend UI port (default: 7655)
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_CONFIG: {
     autoUpdateTime: '03:00',
     backupPollingEnabled: true,
     backupPollingInterval: 0,
+    temperatureMonitoringEnabled: true,
     allowedOrigins: '',
     backendPort: 7655,
     frontendPort: 7655,
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/utils/apiClient.ts b/frontend-modern/src/utils/apiClient.ts
index 21060c4..b5d8610 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/utils/apiClient.ts
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/utils/apiClient.ts
@@ -60,16 +60,18 @@ class ApiClient {
     }
   }
 
-  private loadCSRFToken() {
+  private loadCSRFToken(): string | null {
     // Read CSRF token from cookie
     const cookies = document.cookie.split(';');
     for (const cookie of cookies) {
-      const [name, value] = cookie.trim().split('=');
-      if (name === 'pulse_csrf') {
-        this.csrfToken = decodeURIComponent(value);
-        break;
-      }
+      const [name, ...rest] = cookie.trim().split('=');
+      if (name !== 'pulse_csrf') continue;
+      const value = rest.join('=');
+      this.csrfToken = decodeURIComponent(value || '');
+      return this.csrfToken;
     }
+    this.csrfToken = null;
+    return null;
   }
 
   private loadStoredAuth() {
@@ -201,8 +203,11 @@ class ApiClient {
 
     // Add CSRF token for state-changing requests
     const method = (fetchOptions.method || 'GET').toUpperCase();
-    if (this.csrfToken && method !== 'GET' && method !== 'HEAD' && method !== 'OPTIONS') {
-      finalHeaders['X-CSRF-Token'] = this.csrfToken;
+    if (method !== 'GET' && method !== 'HEAD' && method !== 'OPTIONS') {
+      const token = this.loadCSRFToken();
+      if (token) {
+        finalHeaders['X-CSRF-Token'] = token;
+      }
     }
 
     // Always include credentials for cookies (WebSocket session support)
@@ -223,19 +228,24 @@ class ApiClient {
 
     // Handle CSRF token failures
     if (response.status === 403) {
-      const text = await response.clone().text();
-      if (text.includes('CSRF')) {
-        // Try to reload CSRF token from cookie and retry
-        this.loadCSRFToken();
-        if (this.csrfToken) {
-          finalHeaders['X-CSRF-Token'] = this.csrfToken;
-          const retryResponse = await fetch(url, {
-            ...fetchOptions,
-            headers: finalHeaders,
-            credentials: 'include',
-          });
-          return retryResponse;
-        }
+      const csrfHeader = response.headers.get('X-CSRF-Token');
+      let refreshedToken: string | null = null;
+      if (csrfHeader) {
+        refreshedToken = csrfHeader;
+      } else {
+        refreshedToken = this.loadCSRFToken();
+      }
+
+      if (refreshedToken) {
+        this.csrfToken = refreshedToken;
+        logger.debug(`[apiClient] Retrying ${method} ${url} with refreshed CSRF token`);
+        finalHeaders['X-CSRF-Token'] = refreshedToken;
+        const retryResponse = await fetch(url, {
+          ...fetchOptions,
+          headers: finalHeaders,
+          credentials: 'include',
+        });
+        return retryResponse;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/internal/api/router.go b/internal/api/router.go
index b416334..bc46e22 100644
--- a/internal/api/router.go
+++ b/internal/api/router.go
@@ -1181,6 +1181,7 @@ func (r *Router) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", r.config.AllowedOrigins)
 			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Methods", "GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS")
 			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Allow-Headers", "Content-Type, Authorization, X-API-Token, X-CSRF-Token")
+			w.Header().Set("Access-Control-Expose-Headers", "X-CSRF-Token, X-Authenticated-User, X-Auth-Method")
 		}
 
 		// Handle preflight requests
@@ -1345,6 +1346,29 @@ func (r *Router) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
+		// Issue CSRF token for GET requests if session exists but CSRF cookie is missing
+		// This ensures the frontend has a token before making POST requests
+		if req.Method == "GET" && strings.HasPrefix(req.URL.Path, "/api/") {
+			sessionCookie, err := req.Cookie("pulse_session")
+			if err == nil && sessionCookie.Value != "" {
+				// Check if CSRF cookie exists
+				_, csrfErr := req.Cookie("pulse_csrf")
+				if csrfErr != nil {
+					// Session exists but no CSRF cookie - issue one
+					csrfToken := generateCSRFToken(sessionCookie.Value)
+					isSecure, sameSitePolicy := getCookieSettings(req)
+					http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{
+						Name:     "pulse_csrf",
+						Value:    csrfToken,
+						Path:     "/",
+						Secure:   isSecure,
+						SameSite: sameSitePolicy,
+						MaxAge:   86400,
+					})
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Rate limiting is now handled by UniversalRateLimitMiddleware
 		// No need for duplicate rate limiting logic here
 
diff --git a/internal/api/security.go b/internal/api/security.go
index 0d09eea..c878d46 100644
--- a/internal/api/security.go
+++ b/internal/api/security.go
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ func CheckCSRF(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) bool {
 			Str("session", cookie.Value[:8]+"...").
 			Msg("Missing CSRF token")
 		clearCSRFCookie(w)
+		if newToken := issueNewCSRFCookie(w, r, cookie.Value); newToken != "" {
+			w.Header().Set("X-CSRF-Token", newToken)
+		}
 		return false
 	}
 
@@ -72,6 +75,9 @@ func CheckCSRF(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) bool {
 			Str("provided_token", csrfToken[:8]+"...").
 			Msg("Invalid CSRF token")
 		clearCSRFCookie(w)
+		if newToken := issueNewCSRFCookie(w, r, cookie.Value); newToken != "" {
+			w.Header().Set("X-CSRF-Token", newToken)
+		}
 		return false
 	}
 
@@ -91,6 +97,28 @@ func clearCSRFCookie(w http.ResponseWriter) {
 	})
 }
 
+func issueNewCSRFCookie(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, sessionID string) string {
+	if w == nil || r == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if strings.TrimSpace(sessionID) == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	newToken := generateCSRFToken(sessionID)
+	secure, sameSite := getCookieSettings(r)
+
+	http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{
+		Name:     "pulse_csrf",
+		Value:    newToken,
+		Path:     "/",
+		Secure:   secure,
+		SameSite: sameSite,
+		MaxAge:   86400,
+	})
+	return newToken
+}
+
 // Rate Limiting - using existing RateLimiter from ratelimit.go
 var (
 	// Auth endpoints: 10 attempts per minute
diff --git a/internal/api/system_settings.go b/internal/api/system_settings.go
index 7228e78..e3c10c9 100644
--- a/internal/api/system_settings.go
+++ b/internal/api/system_settings.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ type SystemSettingsHandler struct {
 		GetDiscoveryService() *discovery.Service
 		StartDiscoveryService(ctx context.Context, wsHub *websocket.Hub, subnet string)
 		StopDiscoveryService()
+		EnableTemperatureMonitoring()
+		DisableTemperatureMonitoring()
 	}
 }
 
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@ func NewSystemSettingsHandler(cfg *config.Config, persistence *config.ConfigPers
 	GetDiscoveryService() *discovery.Service
 	StartDiscoveryService(ctx context.Context, wsHub *websocket.Hub, subnet string)
 	StopDiscoveryService()
+	EnableTemperatureMonitoring()
+	DisableTemperatureMonitoring()
 }, reloadSystemSettingsFunc func()) *SystemSettingsHandler {
 	return &SystemSettingsHandler{
 		config:                   cfg,
@@ -54,6 +58,8 @@ func (h *SystemSettingsHandler) SetMonitor(m interface {
 	GetDiscoveryService() *discovery.Service
 	StartDiscoveryService(ctx context.Context, wsHub *websocket.Hub, subnet string)
 	StopDiscoveryService()
+	EnableTemperatureMonitoring()
+	DisableTemperatureMonitoring()
 }) {
 	h.monitor = m
 }
@@ -181,6 +187,12 @@ func validateSystemSettings(settings *config.SystemSettings, rawRequest map[stri
 		}
 	}
 
+	if val, ok := rawRequest["temperatureMonitoringEnabled"]; ok {
+		if _, ok := val.(bool); !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("temperatureMonitoringEnabled must be a boolean")
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Validate auto-update check interval (min 1 hour, max 7 days)
 	if val, ok := rawRequest["autoUpdateCheckInterval"]; ok {
 		if interval, ok := val.(float64); ok {
@@ -367,6 +379,7 @@ func (h *SystemSettingsHandler) HandleGetSystemSettings(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 		enabled := h.config.EnableBackupPolling
 		settings.BackupPollingEnabled = &enabled
 		settings.DiscoveryConfig = config.CloneDiscoveryConfig(h.config.Discovery)
+		settings.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = h.config.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled
 	}
 
 	// Include env override information
@@ -463,6 +476,8 @@ func (h *SystemSettingsHandler) HandleUpdateSystemSettings(w http.ResponseWriter
 	// Start with existing settings
 	settings := *existingSettings
 	discoveryConfigUpdated := false
+	prevTempEnabled := h.config.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled
+	tempToggleRequested := false
 
 	// Only update fields that were provided in the request
 	// Note: PVE polling is hardcoded to 10s, legacy polling fields are ignored
@@ -548,6 +563,10 @@ func (h *SystemSettingsHandler) HandleUpdateSystemSettings(w http.ResponseWriter
 	if _, ok := rawRequest["backupPollingEnabled"]; ok {
 		settings.BackupPollingEnabled = updates.BackupPollingEnabled
 	}
+	if _, ok := rawRequest["temperatureMonitoringEnabled"]; ok {
+		settings.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = updates.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled
+		tempToggleRequested = true
+	}
 
 	// Update the config
 	// Note: PVE polling is hardcoded to 10s
@@ -597,6 +616,10 @@ func (h *SystemSettingsHandler) HandleUpdateSystemSettings(w http.ResponseWriter
 	}
 	h.config.Discovery = config.CloneDiscoveryConfig(settings.DiscoveryConfig)
 
+	if tempToggleRequested {
+		h.config.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = settings.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled
+	}
+
 	// Start or stop discovery service based on setting change
 	if h.monitor != nil {
 		if settings.DiscoveryEnabled && !prevDiscoveryEnabled {
@@ -625,6 +648,14 @@ func (h *SystemSettingsHandler) HandleUpdateSystemSettings(w http.ResponseWriter
 		}
 	}
 
+	if tempToggleRequested && h.monitor != nil {
+		if settings.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled && !prevTempEnabled {
+			h.monitor.EnableTemperatureMonitoring()
+		} else if !settings.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled && prevTempEnabled {
+			h.monitor.DisableTemperatureMonitoring()
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Save to persistence
 	if err := h.persistence.SaveSystemSettings(settings); err != nil {
 		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("Failed to save system settings")
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 74aaab4..682446d 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	BackupPollingCycles             int           `envconfig:"BACKUP_POLLING_CYCLES" default:"10"`
 	BackupPollingInterval           time.Duration `envconfig:"BACKUP_POLLING_INTERVAL"`
 	EnableBackupPolling             bool          `envconfig:"ENABLE_BACKUP_POLLING" default:"true"`
+	TemperatureMonitoringEnabled    bool          `json:"temperatureMonitoringEnabled"`
 	WebhookBatchDelay               time.Duration `envconfig:"WEBHOOK_BATCH_DELAY" default:"10s"`
 	AdaptivePollingEnabled          bool          `envconfig:"ADAPTIVE_POLLING_ENABLED" default:"false"`
 	AdaptivePollingBaseInterval     time.Duration `envconfig:"ADAPTIVE_POLLING_BASE_INTERVAL" default:"10s"`
@@ -528,6 +529,7 @@ func Load() (*Config, error) {
 		PMGPollingInterval:              60 * time.Second, // Default PMG polling (aggregated stats)
 		DiscoveryEnabled:                false,
 		DiscoverySubnet:                 "auto",
+		TemperatureMonitoringEnabled:    true,
 		EnvOverrides:                    make(map[string]bool),
 		OIDC:                            NewOIDCConfig(),
 	}
@@ -606,10 +608,11 @@ func Load() (*Config, error) {
 			// Always load DiscoveryEnabled even if false
 			cfg.DiscoveryEnabled = systemSettings.DiscoveryEnabled
 			if systemSettings.DiscoverySubnet != "" {
-				cfg.DiscoverySubnet = systemSettings.DiscoverySubnet
-			}
-			cfg.Discovery = NormalizeDiscoveryConfig(CloneDiscoveryConfig(systemSettings.DiscoveryConfig))
-			// APIToken no longer loaded from system.json - only from .env
+			cfg.DiscoverySubnet = systemSettings.DiscoverySubnet
+		}
+		cfg.Discovery = NormalizeDiscoveryConfig(CloneDiscoveryConfig(systemSettings.DiscoveryConfig))
+		cfg.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = systemSettings.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled
+		// APIToken no longer loaded from system.json - only from .env
 			log.Info().
 				Str("updateChannel", cfg.UpdateChannel).
 				Str("logLevel", cfg.LogLevel).
@@ -688,6 +691,20 @@ func Load() (*Config, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if enabledStr := utils.GetenvTrim("ENABLE_TEMPERATURE_MONITORING"); enabledStr != "" {
+		if enabled, err := strconv.ParseBool(enabledStr); err == nil {
+			cfg.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = enabled
+			cfg.EnvOverrides["temperatureMonitoringEnabled"] = true
+			log.Info().
+				Bool("enabled", enabled).
+				Msg("Overriding temperature monitoring setting from environment")
+		} else {
+			log.Warn().
+				Str("value", enabledStr).
+				Msg("Invalid ENABLE_TEMPERATURE_MONITORING value, ignoring")
+		}
+	}
+
 	if enabledStr := utils.GetenvTrim("ENABLE_BACKUP_POLLING"); enabledStr != "" {
 		switch strings.ToLower(enabledStr) {
 		case "0", "false", "no", "off":
diff --git a/internal/config/persistence.go b/internal/config/persistence.go
index 32373ff..17700ff 100644
--- a/internal/config/persistence.go
+++ b/internal/config/persistence.go
@@ -820,6 +820,7 @@ type SystemSettings struct {
 	Theme                       string          `json:"theme,omitempty"`               // User theme preference: "light", "dark", or empty for system default
 	AllowEmbedding              bool            `json:"allowEmbedding"`                // Allow iframe embedding
 	AllowedEmbedOrigins         string          `json:"allowedEmbedOrigins,omitempty"` // Comma-separated list of allowed origins for embedding
+	TemperatureMonitoringEnabled bool           `json:"temperatureMonitoringEnabled"`
 	// APIToken removed - now handled via .env file only
 }
 
@@ -834,6 +835,7 @@ func DefaultSystemSettings() *SystemSettings {
 		DiscoverySubnet:    "auto",
 		DiscoveryConfig:    defaultDiscovery,
 		AllowEmbedding:     false,
+		TemperatureMonitoringEnabled: true,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/monitoring/monitor.go b/internal/monitoring/monitor.go
index bb33952..0d00cb0 100644
--- a/internal/monitoring/monitor.go
+++ b/internal/monitoring/monitor.go
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ type Monitor struct {
 	backoffCfg                 backoffConfig
 	rng                        *rand.Rand
 	maxRetryAttempts           int
-	tempCollector              *TemperatureCollector // SSH-based temperature collector
+	tempService                TemperatureService
 	mu                         sync.RWMutex
 	startTime                  time.Time
 	rateTracker                *RateTracker
@@ -486,6 +486,55 @@ type Monitor struct {
 	dlqInsightMap              map[string]*dlqInsight
 }
 
+func (m *Monitor) temperatureService() TemperatureService {
+	if m == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	m.mu.RLock()
+	service := m.tempService
+	m.mu.RUnlock()
+	return service
+}
+
+// EnableTemperatureMonitoring reenables temperature collection and ensures the provider is available.
+func (m *Monitor) EnableTemperatureMonitoring() {
+	if m == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	service := m.tempService
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if m.config != nil {
+		m.config.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = true
+	}
+
+	if service != nil {
+		service.Enable()
+	}
+}
+
+// DisableTemperatureMonitoring stops temperature collection attempts.
+func (m *Monitor) DisableTemperatureMonitoring() {
+	if m == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	service := m.tempService
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if m.config != nil {
+		m.config.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled = false
+	}
+
+	if service != nil {
+		service.Disable()
+	}
+}
+
 type rrdMemCacheEntry struct {
 	available uint64
 	used      uint64
@@ -3012,10 +3061,12 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config) (*Monitor, error) {
 		homeDir = "/home/pulse"
 	}
 	sshKeyPath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".ssh/id_ed25519_sensors")
-	tempCollector := NewTemperatureCollector("root", sshKeyPath)
+	tempService := newTemperatureService(cfg.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled, "root", sshKeyPath)
 
 	// Security warning if running in container with SSH temperature monitoring
-	checkContainerizedTempMonitoring()
+	if cfg.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled {
+		checkContainerizedTempMonitoring()
+	}
 
 	stalenessTracker := NewStalenessTracker(getPollMetrics())
 	stalenessTracker.SetBounds(cfg.AdaptivePollingBaseInterval, cfg.AdaptivePollingMaxInterval)
@@ -3080,7 +3131,7 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config) (*Monitor, error) {
 		backoffCfg:                 backoff,
 		rng:                        rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())),
 		maxRetryAttempts:           5,
-		tempCollector:              tempCollector,
+		tempService:                tempService,
 		startTime:                  time.Now(),
 		rateTracker:                NewRateTracker(),
 		metricsHistory:             NewMetricsHistory(1000, 24*time.Hour), // Keep up to 1000 points or 24 hours
@@ -5185,97 +5236,103 @@ func (m *Monitor) pollPVEInstance(ctx context.Context, instanceName string, clie
 
 		// Collect temperature data via SSH (non-blocking, best effort)
 		// Only attempt for online nodes
-		if node.Status == "online" && m.tempCollector != nil {
-			tempCtx, tempCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 30*time.Second) // Increased to accommodate SSH operations via proxy
+		if node.Status == "online" {
+			if tempService := m.temperatureService(); tempService != nil && tempService.Enabled() {
+				tempCtx, tempCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 30*time.Second) // Increased to accommodate SSH operations via proxy
 
-			// Determine SSH hostname to use (most robust approach):
-			// Prefer the resolved host for this node, with cluster overrides when available.
-			sshHost := modelNode.Host
+				// Determine SSH hostname to use (most robust approach):
+				// Prefer the resolved host for this node, with cluster overrides when available.
+				sshHost := modelNode.Host
 
-			if modelNode.IsClusterMember && instanceCfg.IsCluster {
-				for _, ep := range instanceCfg.ClusterEndpoints {
-					if strings.EqualFold(ep.NodeName, node.Node) {
-						if effective := clusterEndpointEffectiveURL(ep); effective != "" {
-							sshHost = effective
+				if modelNode.IsClusterMember && instanceCfg.IsCluster {
+					for _, ep := range instanceCfg.ClusterEndpoints {
+						if strings.EqualFold(ep.NodeName, node.Node) {
+							if effective := clusterEndpointEffectiveURL(ep); effective != "" {
+								sshHost = effective
+							}
+							break
 						}
-						break
-					}
-				}
-			}
-
-			if strings.TrimSpace(sshHost) == "" {
-				sshHost = node.Node
-			}
-
-			temp, err := m.tempCollector.CollectTemperature(tempCtx, sshHost, node.Node)
-			tempCancel()
-
-			if err == nil && temp != nil && temp.Available {
-				// Get the current CPU temperature (prefer package, fall back to max)
-				currentTemp := temp.CPUPackage
-				if currentTemp == 0 && temp.CPUMax > 0 {
-					currentTemp = temp.CPUMax
-				}
-
-				// Find previous temperature data for this node to preserve min/max
-				var prevTemp *models.Temperature
-				for _, prevNode := range prevInstanceNodes {
-					if prevNode.ID == modelNode.ID && prevNode.Temperature != nil {
-						prevTemp = prevNode.Temperature
-						break
 					}
 				}
 
-				// Initialize or update min/max tracking
-				if prevTemp != nil && prevTemp.CPUMin > 0 {
-					// Preserve existing min/max and update if necessary
-					temp.CPUMin = prevTemp.CPUMin
-					temp.CPUMaxRecord = prevTemp.CPUMaxRecord
-					temp.MinRecorded = prevTemp.MinRecorded
-					temp.MaxRecorded = prevTemp.MaxRecorded
+				if strings.TrimSpace(sshHost) == "" {
+					sshHost = node.Node
+				}
 
-					// Update min if current is lower
-					if currentTemp > 0 && currentTemp < temp.CPUMin {
+				temp, err := tempService.Collect(tempCtx, sshHost, node.Node)
+				tempCancel()
+
+				switch {
+				case err == nil && temp != nil && temp.Available:
+					// Get the current CPU temperature (prefer package, fall back to max)
+					currentTemp := temp.CPUPackage
+					if currentTemp == 0 && temp.CPUMax > 0 {
+						currentTemp = temp.CPUMax
+					}
+
+					// Find previous temperature data for this node to preserve min/max
+					var prevTemp *models.Temperature
+					for _, prevNode := range prevInstanceNodes {
+						if prevNode.ID == modelNode.ID && prevNode.Temperature != nil {
+							prevTemp = prevNode.Temperature
+							break
+						}
+					}
+
+					// Initialize or update min/max tracking
+					if prevTemp != nil && prevTemp.CPUMin > 0 {
+						// Preserve existing min/max and update if necessary
+						temp.CPUMin = prevTemp.CPUMin
+						temp.CPUMaxRecord = prevTemp.CPUMaxRecord
+						temp.MinRecorded = prevTemp.MinRecorded
+						temp.MaxRecorded = prevTemp.MaxRecorded
+
+						// Update min if current is lower
+						if currentTemp > 0 && currentTemp < temp.CPUMin {
+							temp.CPUMin = currentTemp
+							temp.MinRecorded = time.Now()
+						}
+
+						// Update max if current is higher
+						if currentTemp > temp.CPUMaxRecord {
+							temp.CPUMaxRecord = currentTemp
+							temp.MaxRecorded = time.Now()
+						}
+					} else if currentTemp > 0 {
+						// First reading - initialize min/max to current value
 						temp.CPUMin = currentTemp
-						temp.MinRecorded = time.Now()
-					}
-
-					// Update max if current is higher
-					if currentTemp > temp.CPUMaxRecord {
 						temp.CPUMaxRecord = currentTemp
+						temp.MinRecorded = time.Now()
 						temp.MaxRecorded = time.Now()
 					}
-				} else if currentTemp > 0 {
-					// First reading - initialize min/max to current value
-					temp.CPUMin = currentTemp
-					temp.CPUMaxRecord = currentTemp
-					temp.MinRecorded = time.Now()
-					temp.MaxRecorded = time.Now()
-				}
 
-				modelNode.Temperature = temp
-				log.Debug().
-					Str("node", node.Node).
-					Str("sshHost", sshHost).
-					Float64("cpuPackage", temp.CPUPackage).
-					Float64("cpuMax", temp.CPUMax).
-					Float64("cpuMin", temp.CPUMin).
-					Float64("cpuMaxRecord", temp.CPUMaxRecord).
-					Int("nvmeCount", len(temp.NVMe)).
-					Msg("Collected temperature data")
-			} else if err != nil {
-				log.Debug().
-					Str("node", node.Node).
-					Str("sshHost", sshHost).
-					Bool("isCluster", modelNode.IsClusterMember).
-					Int("endpointCount", len(instanceCfg.ClusterEndpoints)).
-					Msg("Temperature collection failed - check SSH access")
-			} else if temp != nil {
-				log.Debug().
-					Str("node", node.Node).
-					Str("sshHost", sshHost).
-					Bool("available", temp.Available).
-					Msg("Temperature data unavailable after collection")
+					modelNode.Temperature = temp
+					log.Debug().
+						Str("node", node.Node).
+						Str("sshHost", sshHost).
+						Float64("cpuPackage", temp.CPUPackage).
+						Float64("cpuMax", temp.CPUMax).
+						Float64("cpuMin", temp.CPUMin).
+						Float64("cpuMaxRecord", temp.CPUMaxRecord).
+						Int("nvmeCount", len(temp.NVMe)).
+						Msg("Collected temperature data")
+				case err != nil:
+					if !stderrors.Is(err, ErrTemperatureMonitoringDisabled) && !stderrors.Is(err, ErrTemperatureCollectorUnavailable) {
+						log.Debug().
+							Str("node", node.Node).
+							Str("sshHost", sshHost).
+							Bool("isCluster", modelNode.IsClusterMember).
+							Int("endpointCount", len(instanceCfg.ClusterEndpoints)).
+							Err(err).
+							Msg("Temperature collection failed - check SSH access")
+					}
+				case temp != nil:
+					log.Debug().
+						Str("node", node.Node).
+						Str("sshHost", sshHost).
+						Bool("available", temp.Available).
+						Msg("Temperature data unavailable after collection")
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/monitoring/monitor_temperature_toggle_test.go b/internal/monitoring/monitor_temperature_toggle_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32da533
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/monitoring/monitor_temperature_toggle_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package monitoring
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/rcourtman/pulse-go-rewrite/internal/config"
+)
+
+func TestMonitorTemperatureCollectorToggle(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cfg := &config.Config{TemperatureMonitoringEnabled: false}
+
+	service := newTemperatureService(false, "root", filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "id_ed25519_sensors"))
+
+	m := &Monitor{
+		config:      cfg,
+		tempService: service,
+	}
+
+	if provider := m.temperatureService(); provider == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected temperature service to be present")
+	} else if provider.Enabled() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected service to start disabled")
+	}
+
+	m.EnableTemperatureMonitoring()
+	if !cfg.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled {
+		t.Fatalf("expected config flag to be true after enabling")
+	}
+	if provider := m.temperatureService(); provider == nil || !provider.Enabled() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected service to be enabled after EnableTemperatureMonitoring")
+	}
+
+	m.DisableTemperatureMonitoring()
+	if cfg.TemperatureMonitoringEnabled {
+		t.Fatalf("expected config flag to be false after disabling")
+	}
+	if provider := m.temperatureService(); provider == nil || provider.Enabled() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected service to be disabled after DisableTemperatureMonitoring")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/monitoring/temperature_service.go b/internal/monitoring/temperature_service.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d549bfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/monitoring/temperature_service.go
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+package monitoring
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	stderrors "errors"
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/rcourtman/pulse-go-rewrite/internal/models"
+)
+
+var (
+	// ErrTemperatureMonitoringDisabled indicates that temperature polling is disabled globally.
+	ErrTemperatureMonitoringDisabled = stderrors.New("temperature monitoring disabled")
+	// ErrTemperatureCollectorUnavailable indicates the collector could not be created or is misconfigured.
+	ErrTemperatureCollectorUnavailable = stderrors.New("temperature collector unavailable")
+)
+
+// TemperatureService defines the contract used by the monitor to collect temperature data.
+type TemperatureService interface {
+	Enabled() bool
+	Collect(ctx context.Context, host, nodeName string) (*models.Temperature, error)
+	Enable()
+	Disable()
+}
+
+type temperatureService struct {
+	mu        sync.RWMutex
+	enabled   bool
+	user      string
+	keyPath   string
+	collector *TemperatureCollector
+}
+
+func newTemperatureService(enabled bool, user, keyPath string) TemperatureService {
+	return &temperatureService{
+		enabled: enabled,
+		user:    user,
+		keyPath: keyPath,
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *temperatureService) Enabled() bool {
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	defer s.mu.RUnlock()
+	return s.enabled
+}
+
+func (s *temperatureService) Enable() {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if s.enabled {
+		return
+	}
+
+	s.enabled = true
+	if s.collector == nil && s.user != "" && s.keyPath != "" {
+		s.collector = NewTemperatureCollector(s.user, s.keyPath)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *temperatureService) Disable() {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s.enabled = false
+	s.collector = nil
+}
+
+func (s *temperatureService) Collect(ctx context.Context, host, nodeName string) (*models.Temperature, error) {
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	enabled := s.enabled
+	collector := s.collector
+	s.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	if !enabled {
+		return nil, ErrTemperatureMonitoringDisabled
+	}
+
+	if collector == nil {
+		s.mu.Lock()
+		if s.enabled && s.collector == nil && s.user != "" && s.keyPath != "" {
+			s.collector = NewTemperatureCollector(s.user, s.keyPath)
+		}
+		collector = s.collector
+		enabled = s.enabled
+		s.mu.Unlock()
+
+		if !enabled {
+			return nil, ErrTemperatureMonitoringDisabled
+		}
+	}
+
+	if collector == nil {
+		return nil, ErrTemperatureCollectorUnavailable
+	}
+
+	return collector.CollectTemperature(ctx, host, nodeName)
+}