diff --git a/deploys/cell/README.md b/deploys/cell/README.md
index 2986919..1383479 100644
--- a/deploys/cell/README.md
+++ b/deploys/cell/README.md
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ installs `go-sip-asterisk.service` under `systemd --user`. Production requires
 `loginctl enable-linger rogee` and a verified reboot-persistent `enabled+active`
 service; `--nonprod` allows a session-scoped Debian 12 native build but does
 not certify reboot persistence. The management-approved static `pjsip.conf`,
-ARI and RTP configuration must be supplied separately. The bundled stage has
-no live SIP trunk or dialing authorization; verify loaded endpoints and contacts
+ARI and RTP configuration must be supplied separately. For the isolated
+nonproduction user service only, `configure-asterisk-user-ari.sh` creates
+private `ari.conf`, loopback-only `http.conf` and an owner-only `ari-secret`
+without printing credentials, overwriting existing files or restarting the
+service. Restart the user service only after separately verifying zero active
+calls, then read back ARI HTTP and both `enabled`/`active` state. Do not treat
+this local test setup as a management-approved production configuration.
+The bundled stage has no live SIP trunk or dialing authorization; verify loaded endpoints and contacts
 before any call. Do not substitute another Asterisk version or a container image.
 The Go Agent package only consumes the resulting approved Cell artifact and
 reports its applied revision. Local Mock fixtures do not prove real services.
diff --git a/deploys/cell/configure-asterisk-user-ari.sh b/deploys/cell/configure-asterisk-user-ari.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..617a414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploys/cell/configure-asterisk-user-ari.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Prepare private ARI/HTTP config for the native nonproduction user service.
+# Does not change the service state; restart only after confirming zero calls.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+config="$HOME/.config/go-sip-asterisk"
+[[ -d "$config" && -r "$config/asterisk.conf" ]] || { echo 'user Asterisk config missing; fail-closed' >&2; exit 1; }
+for name in ari.conf http.conf ari-secret; do
+  [[ ! -e "$config/$name" && ! -L "$config/$name" ]] || { echo "$name already exists; refusing to overwrite" >&2; exit 1; }
+done
+umask 077
+stage="$(mktemp -d "$config/.ari-setup.XXXXXXXX")"
+cleanup() {
+  rm -f -- "$stage/ari.conf" "$stage/http.conf" "$stage/ari-secret"
+  rmdir -- "$stage"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+secret="$(openssl rand -hex 32)"
+[[ "$secret" =~ ^[0-9a-f]{64}$ ]] || { echo 'could not generate ARI credential' >&2; exit 1; }
+printf '%s' "$secret" >"$stage/ari-secret"
+printf '[general]\nenabled = yes\npretty = no\n\n[go-sip-agent]\ntype = user\nread_only = no\npassword = %s\npassword_format = plain\n' "$secret" >"$stage/ari.conf"
+printf '[general]\nenabled = yes\nbindaddr = 127.0.0.1\nbindport = 8088\n' >"$stage/http.conf"
+
+created=()
+for name in ari-secret ari.conf http.conf; do
+  if ! ln -- "$stage/$name" "$config/$name"; then
+    for own_file in "${created[@]}"; do rm -f -- "$config/$own_file"; done
+    echo "cannot create $name without overwriting another file; fail-closed" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  created+=("$name")
+done
+echo 'private Asterisk ARI/HTTP configuration created; service not restarted'
diff --git a/internal/config/asterisk_user_ari_test.go b/internal/config/asterisk_user_ari_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8677978
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/config/asterisk_user_ari_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+package config_test
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestConfigureUserAsteriskARIPrivateAndNoOverwrite(t *testing.T) {
+	home := t.TempDir()
+	root := filepath.Join(home, ".config", "go-sip-asterisk")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(root, "asterisk.conf"), []byte("[directories]\n"), 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	path := "../../deploys/cell/configure-asterisk-user-ari.sh"
+	run := func() (string, error) {
+		command := exec.Command("bash", path)
+		command.Env = append(os.Environ(), "HOME="+home)
+		output, err := command.CombinedOutput()
+		return string(output), err
+	}
+	if output, err := run(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("private ARI configuration failed: %v %s", err, output)
+	}
+	for _, name := range []string{"ari.conf", "http.conf", "ari-secret"} {
+		info, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(root, name))
+		if err != nil || info.Mode().Perm() != 0600 {
+			t.Fatalf("ARI file %s must be private: info=%v err=%v", name, info, err)
+		}
+	}
+	password, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "ari-secret"))
+	if err != nil || len(password) != 64 {
+		t.Fatalf("ARI credential must be a generated 32-byte hex secret: err=%v length=%d", err, len(password))
+	}
+	ari, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "ari.conf"))
+	if err != nil || !strings.Contains(string(ari), "password = "+string(password)) || !strings.Contains(string(ari), "read_only = no") {
+		t.Fatalf("ARI config did not bind generated credential: err=%v", err)
+	}
+	http, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "http.conf"))
+	if err != nil || !strings.Contains(string(http), "bindaddr = 127.0.0.1") || !strings.Contains(string(http), "bindport = 8088") {
+		t.Fatalf("HTTP must be explicitly restricted to the local Cell: err=%v", err)
+	}
+	if output, err := run(); err == nil || !strings.Contains(output, "already exists") {
+		t.Fatalf("repeat install must not overwrite private credentials: err=%v output=%s", err, output)
+	}
+	again, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "ari-secret"))
+	if err != nil || string(again) != string(password) {
+		t.Fatal("existing ARI credential was changed by a repeat install")
+	}
+}