diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index eb099cb..34b3f3a 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ OWNER_ID=opendots-owner
 # Required for an external HOST binding (24+ characters); enables local login too.
 # OWNER_TOKEN=
 
+# `copilotkit project select` rewrites this line to CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY.
+# The server accepts either name and prefers a non-empty CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY.
 INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY=
 # INTELLIGENCE_API_URL=
 # INTELLIGENCE_WS_URL=
diff --git a/compose.yml b/compose.yml
index 9f23992..9b5cf82 100644
--- a/compose.yml
+++ b/compose.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ services:
       APP_ORIGIN: ${APP_ORIGIN:-http://localhost:4310}
       OWNER_ID: ${OWNER_ID:-opendots-owner}
       INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: ${INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY:-}
+      CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: ${CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY:-}
       INTELLIGENCE_API_URL: ${INTELLIGENCE_API_URL:-}
       INTELLIGENCE_WS_URL: ${INTELLIGENCE_WS_URL:-}
       VOICE_API_KEY: ${VOICE_API_KEY:-}
diff --git a/docs/SETUP.md b/docs/SETUP.md
index 077c0ac..22795cc 100644
--- a/docs/SETUP.md
+++ b/docs/SETUP.md
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ Edit `.env` on the server and restart after changes:
 | `OWNER_TOKEN`                                 | Application access token; required for external bindings  |
 | `APP_ORIGIN`                                  | Exact browser origin when using a proxy or custom domain  |
 
+`npx copilotkit project select` deletes an `INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY` line and writes the same credential as `CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY`. The server reads either name. A non-empty `CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY` takes precedence over `INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY`.
+
 The model environment variable names follow the configured provider adapter. Provider credentials belong in `.env`, not client-side variables or source code. Conversation history lives in the configured Intelligence project; copying the SQLite file alone does not back up that history.
 
 ## Pages and page conversations
@@ -135,8 +137,9 @@ For remote hosting, configure an HTTPS reverse proxy and the matching `APP_ORIGI
 ## Automatic Learning
 
 OpenDots connects [CopilotKit Automatic Learning](https://docs.copilotkit.ai/learning)
-to individual Dots. It uses the existing server-side `INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY` and
-optional `INTELLIGENCE_API_URL`; no additional model key or frontend key is needed.
+to individual Dots. It uses the server-side Intelligence credential
+(`CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY` or `INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY`) and optional
+`INTELLIGENCE_API_URL`; no additional model key or frontend key is needed.
 
 1. Open **Learning** in the same Intelligence project and create a container for
    one focused workflow, such as `research-workflow`. IDs use 1–64 lowercase
diff --git a/src/server/index.ts b/src/server/index.ts
index 6f8978e..5149f5f 100644
--- a/src/server/index.ts
+++ b/src/server/index.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ import { Runner } from './runner.js';
 import { createApp } from './app.js';
 import { WorkspaceStore } from './workspace.js';
 import { Platform } from './platform.js';
-import type { PlatformConfig } from './platform-config.js';
+import {
+  intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv,
+  type PlatformConfig,
+} from './platform-config.js';
 const host = process.env.HOST ?? '127.0.0.1';
 const port = Number(process.env.PORT ?? 4310);
 const ownerToken = process.env.OWNER_TOKEN;
@@ -26,7 +29,7 @@ const workspace = new WorkspaceStore(
   process.env.OWNER_ID ?? 'opendots-owner',
 );
 const config: PlatformConfig = {
-  intelligenceKey: process.env.INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY,
+  intelligenceKey: intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv(process.env),
   intelligenceApiUrl: process.env.INTELLIGENCE_API_URL || undefined,
   intelligenceWsUrl: process.env.INTELLIGENCE_WS_URL || undefined,
   apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
diff --git a/src/server/platform-config.ts b/src/server/platform-config.ts
index 4d4e8ad..0502f91 100644
--- a/src/server/platform-config.ts
+++ b/src/server/platform-config.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 import type { WebConfig } from './parallel.js';
 import type { SetupStatus } from '../shared/types.js';
+
+// `copilotkit project select` writes the CLI name and deletes the template name.
+const INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY_ENV_NAMES = [
+  'CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY',
+  'INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY',
+] as const;
+export const INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL = `${INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY_ENV_NAMES[1]} (or ${INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY_ENV_NAMES[0]})`;
+
+export function intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv(
+  env: Record<string, string | undefined>,
+): string | undefined {
+  for (const name of INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY_ENV_NAMES) {
+    const value = env[name]?.trim();
+    if (value) return value;
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
 export interface PlatformConfig extends WebConfig {
   intelligenceKey?: string;
   intelligenceApiUrl?: string;
@@ -29,7 +47,7 @@ export function setupStatus(
   activationFailed = false,
 ): SetupStatus {
   const missing = [
-    !config.intelligenceKey && 'INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY',
+    !config.intelligenceKey && INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL,
     !config.apiKey && 'OPENAI_API_KEY',
     !config.model && 'OPENAI_MODEL',
   ].filter((item): item is string => !!item);
diff --git a/src/server/platform.ts b/src/server/platform.ts
index 7d19ad4..26be71b 100644
--- a/src/server/platform.ts
+++ b/src/server/platform.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ import { Store } from './store.js';
 import { WorkspaceStore } from './workspace.js';
 import { DotAgent } from './dot-agent.js';
 import { runThreadTurn } from './headless.js';
-import { setupStatus, type PlatformConfig } from './platform-config.js';
+import {
+  INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL,
+  setupStatus,
+  type PlatformConfig,
+} from './platform-config.js';
 import { validateRuntimeScope } from './runtime-scope.js';
 import { learningSelector } from './learning.js';
 export class Platform {
@@ -151,7 +155,7 @@ export class Platform {
   async handle(request: Request): Promise<Response> {
     if (!this.handler)
       return Response.json(
-        { error: 'Setup required: INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY.' },
+        { error: `Setup required: ${INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL}.` },
         { status: 503 },
       );
     let body: unknown;
diff --git a/tests/intelligence-key.test.ts b/tests/intelligence-key.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee0db3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/intelligence-key.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { Platform } from '../src/server/platform.js';
+import {
+  INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL,
+  intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv,
+  setupStatus,
+  type PlatformConfig,
+} from '../src/server/platform-config.js';
+import { Store } from '../src/server/store.js';
+import { WorkspaceStore } from '../src/server/workspace.js';
+
+const configured: PlatformConfig = {
+  apiKey: 'fixture',
+  model: 'fixture',
+  baseUrl: 'https://example.com',
+  runtimeUrl: '',
+  voiceName: 'marin',
+  slackUsers: [],
+};
+
+it('accepts the CLI project key and still accepts the template name', () => {
+  expect(
+    intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv({ CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: 'cpk-from-cli' }),
+  ).toBe('cpk-from-cli');
+  expect(intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv({ INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: 'legacy' })).toBe(
+    'legacy',
+  );
+  expect(
+    intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv({
+      CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: 'cpk-from-cli',
+      INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: 'legacy',
+    }),
+  ).toBe('cpk-from-cli');
+  expect(
+    intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv({
+      CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: '   ',
+      INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: 'legacy',
+    }),
+  ).toBe('legacy');
+  expect(intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv({})).toBeUndefined();
+});
+
+it('reports either accepted name from the same label used by setup status and the copilotkit error', async () => {
+  const key = intelligenceApiKeyFromEnv({
+    CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY: 'cpk-from-cli',
+  });
+  expect(setupStatus({ ...configured, intelligenceKey: key })).toMatchObject({
+    intelligence: true,
+    missing: [],
+  });
+  expect(INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL).toContain('CPK_INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY');
+  expect(INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL).toContain('INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY');
+  expect(setupStatus(configured).missing).toContain(
+    INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL,
+  );
+
+  const store = new Store(':memory:');
+  const workspace = new WorkspaceStore(':memory:', 'owner');
+  try {
+    const platform = new Platform(store, workspace, configured);
+    const response = await platform.handle(
+      new Request('http://127.0.0.1/api/copilotkit/info'),
+    );
+    expect(response.status).toBe(503);
+    expect(await response.json()).toEqual({
+      error: `Setup required: ${INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL}.`,
+    });
+    expect(platform.setup().missing).toContain(INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL);
+  } finally {
+    store.close();
+    workspace.close();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/tests/runtime-scope.test.ts b/tests/runtime-scope.test.ts
index 98bf6ff..d6718ba 100644
--- a/tests/runtime-scope.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runtime-scope.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import { expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import { validateRuntimeScope } from '../src/server/runtime-scope.js';
 import { WorkspaceStore } from '../src/server/workspace.js';
-import { setupStatus } from '../src/server/platform-config.js';
+import {
+  INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL,
+  setupStatus,
+} from '../src/server/platform-config.js';
 it('blocks unbound cross-Dot run and inspector routes before contacting Intelligence', () => {
   const store = new WorkspaceStore(':memory:', 'owner');
   const dot = store.dots()[0];
@@ -43,7 +46,7 @@ it('reports setup honestly without a standalone agent fallback', () => {
   expect(status.intelligence).toBe(false);
   expect(status.voice).toBe(false);
   expect(status.slack).toBe('not_configured');
-  expect(status.missing).toContain('INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY');
+  expect(status.missing).toContain(INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL);
 });
 it('rejects stop scope bypasses and misleading prefixes while allowing canonical owned routes', () => {
   const store = new WorkspaceStore(':memory:', 'owner');
diff --git a/tests/setup.test.ts b/tests/setup.test.ts
index db74aa7..4d91f3d 100644
--- a/tests/setup.test.ts
+++ b/tests/setup.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import {
+  INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL,
   setupStatus,
   type PlatformConfig,
 } from '../src/server/platform-config.js';
@@ -37,7 +38,10 @@ it('requires Intelligence and model setup and disables voice when either is abse
       voiceKey: 'fixture',
       voiceModel: 'fixture',
     }),
-  ).toMatchObject({ missing: ['INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY'], voice: false });
+  ).toMatchObject({
+    missing: [INTELLIGENCE_KEY_MISSING_LABEL],
+    voice: false,
+  });
 });
 it('reports activation failure until the SDK recovers online', () => {
   const declared = {