diff --git a/routes/cookbook_routes.py b/routes/cookbook_routes.py
index 7a35de97..973d6bcc 100644
--- a/routes/cookbook_routes.py
+++ b/routes/cookbook_routes.py
@@ -2696,6 +2696,9 @@ def setup_cookbook_routes() -> APIRouter:
                 elif disk_env.get("servers") and not inc_env.get("servers"):
                     inc_env["servers"] = disk_env["servers"]
                     logger.warning("cookbook state POST: incoming env.servers empty; preserved on-disk servers (anti-wipe guard)")
+                if disk_env.get("hfToken") and not inc_env.get("hfToken"):
+                    inc_env["hfToken"] = disk_env["hfToken"]
+                    logger.debug("cookbook state POST: incoming env missing hfToken; preserved on-disk token (anti-wipe guard)")
 
             disk_tasks = on_disk.get("tasks") or [] if isinstance(on_disk, dict) else []
             incoming_tasks = data.get("tasks") if isinstance(data.get("tasks"), list) else []