--- a/src/whitenoise/relays.rs
+++ b/src/whitenoise/relays.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,21 @@
     }

     pub(crate) fn defaults() -> Vec<Relay> {
+        // marmot-interop-headless patch: honour $WHITENOISE_DISCOVERY_RELAYS
+        // (comma-separated list) when present so newly created accounts only
+        // ever get our loopback relay baked into their NIP-65 / inbox /
+        // key-package lists. Without this override, `create-identity` stamps
+        // the hard-coded public set into the account's relay lists, and every
+        // later activate / publish burns connection budget on unreachable
+        // sockets — enough to break inbox-plane activation and drop kind:1059.
+        if let Ok(from_env) = std::env::var("WHITENOISE_DISCOVERY_RELAYS") {
+            let parsed: Vec<Relay> = from_env
+                .split(',').map(str::trim).filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+                .filter_map(|u| RelayUrl::parse(u).ok())
+                .map(|url| Relay::new(&url))
+                .collect();
+            if !parsed.is_empty() { return parsed; }
+        }
         let urls: &[&str] = if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
             &["ws://localhost:8080", "ws://localhost:7777"]
         } else {