diff --git a/src/hai_agents/client.py b/src/hai_agents/client.py
index d53c090..c00d0a9 100644
--- a/src/hai_agents/client.py
+++ b/src/hai_agents/client.py
@@ -59,13 +59,18 @@ def _stored_api_key() -> typing.Optional[str]:
     return None
 
 
+def default_api_key() -> typing.Optional[str]:
+    """`HAI_API_KEY`, else the key stored by `hai login`."""
+    return os.getenv(API_KEY_VAR) or _stored_api_key()
+
+
 def _default_api_key(init: typing.Callable[_P, None]) -> typing.Callable[_P, None]:
     """Resolve `api_key` as: argument, then `HAI_API_KEY`, then the key stored by `hai login`."""
 
     @functools.wraps(init)
     def wrapper(*args: _P.args, **kwargs: _P.kwargs) -> None:
         if kwargs.get("api_key") is None:
-            api_key = os.getenv(API_KEY_VAR) or _stored_api_key()
+            api_key = default_api_key()
             if api_key is None:
                 raise ApiError(body=f"No API key found. Pass api_key, set {API_KEY_VAR}, or run `hai login`.")
             kwargs["api_key"] = api_key
diff --git a/src/hai_agents_local/runtime/acquire.py b/src/hai_agents_local/runtime/acquire.py
index 5c7508b..3c4a0a8 100644
--- a/src/hai_agents_local/runtime/acquire.py
+++ b/src/hai_agents_local/runtime/acquire.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 import threading
 import typing
 
+from hai_agents.client import API_KEY_VAR, default_api_key
+
 from .inference import Inference
 from .runtime import LocalRuntime
 
@@ -61,6 +63,9 @@ def _launch_options(
     options = dict(local_options or {})
     options["required_recipe"] = SHARED_RECIPE
     options["spawn_env"] = {RECIPE_ENV: SHARED_RECIPE, **options.get("spawn_env", {})}
+    api_key = default_api_key()
+    if api_key is not None:
+        options["spawn_env"].setdefault(API_KEY_VAR, api_key)
     if inference is not None:
         options["spawn_env"] = inference.runtime_env(options["spawn_env"])
         options["inherit_env"] = False
diff --git a/tests/test_runtime_placement.py b/tests/test_runtime_placement.py
index 5b8294a..5344f5e 100644
--- a/tests/test_runtime_placement.py
+++ b/tests/test_runtime_placement.py
@@ -161,6 +161,26 @@ def test_self_hosted_inference_does_not_receive_hosted_key(monkeypatch):
     assert "HAI_AGENT_RUNTIME_BASE_URL" not in Inference.cloud().runtime_env()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("inference", "forwarded"),
+    [(None, "hk-stored"), (Inference.self_hosted("http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1", model="my-model"), None)],
+)
+def test_spawned_runtime_infers_with_the_key_hai_login_stored(tmp_path, monkeypatch, inference, forwarded):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("HAI_API_KEY", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+    (tmp_path / "hai").mkdir()
+    (tmp_path / "hai" / ".env").write_text("HAI_API_KEY=hk-stored\n")
+    launches = []
+
+    def start(**options):
+        launches.append(options)
+        return FakeRuntime()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(LocalRuntime, "ensure_started", start)
+    Client.local(inference=inference, auto_bridges=False)
+    assert launches[0]["spawn_env"].get("HAI_API_KEY") == forwarded
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("proof_token", ["local-token", "squatter-token", None])
 def test_only_the_runtime_holding_the_token_ever_receives_it(tmp_path, runtime_server, proof_token):
     write_owner_only(token_file_path(runtime_server.port, cache_dir=tmp_path), "local-token")