diff --git a/.node-version b/.node-version
index 045200741c..5bf4400f22 100644
--- a/.node-version
+++ b/.node-version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-24.14.1
\ No newline at end of file
+24.15.0
diff --git a/.nvmrc b/.nvmrc
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000..070266a268
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nvmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.node-version
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.nx/workflows/agents.yaml b/.nx/workflows/agents.yaml
index 4007a327a2..14ccb307f5 100644
--- a/.nx/workflows/agents.yaml
+++ b/.nx/workflows/agents.yaml
@@ -23,10 +23,8 @@ launch-templates:
         uses: 'nrwl/nx-cloud-workflows/v5/workflow-steps/checkout/main.yaml'
 
       - name: Install Node
-        # Reads `.node-version` (24.11.0). The base image ships Node 24.14, so we
-        # install the pinned version to preserve the old `node-version-file`
-        # behavior. Verify this reusable step picks up `.node-version`; if not,
-        # pass the version explicitly via its inputs.
+        # This step reads .nvmrc, which points to the shared .node-version pin.
+        # Install Node 24.15.0 instead of falling back to the Node 24.14 image.
         uses: 'nrwl/nx-cloud-workflows/v5/workflow-steps/install-node/main.yaml'
 
       - name: Enable Corepack and pnpm
@@ -53,10 +51,6 @@ launch-templates:
           pnpm install --frozen-lockfile --prefer-offline
 
       - name: Install browsers
-        # Agents run both `test` (Vitest + Chromium shell) and `e2e` (Playwright
-        # + Cypress) tasks, so the full browser superset is installed once. This
-        # is heavier than either old job alone but is required because any agent
-        # may receive either task family.
+        # Vitest browser tests and Playwright E2E targets share these binaries.
         script: |
           pnpm playwright install --with-deps
-          pnpm cypress install
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d6fc23a601..fce99bc3f3 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ Source code for the Analog framework exists under the `packages/` folder. To con
 
 Analog uses [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) to manage its dependencies.
 
+Use the Node.js version pinned in `.node-version`. The `.nvmrc` symlink shares
+that pin with nvm and the Nx Agents installer.
+
 Before opening a pull request, run the following command from the root folder to make sure your development dependencies are up-to-date:
 
 ```shell
diff --git a/apps/analog-app-e2e/tests/ssr-policy.spec.ts b/apps/analog-app-e2e/tests/ssr-policy.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c1b5aa86b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/analog-app-e2e/tests/ssr-policy.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
+
+test('caller hints cannot disable SSR on an enabled route', async ({
+  request,
+}) => {
+  for (const supplied of [false, true]) {
+    const response = await request.get('/products/1?ssr-policy=1', {
+      headers: supplied ? { 'x-analog-no-ssr': 'true' } : {},
+    });
+    expect(response.status()).toBe(200);
+    const html = await response.text();
+    expect(html).toContain('Product Details');
+    expect(html).toContain('ng-server-context');
+  }
+});
+
+test('caller hints cannot enable SSR on a configured client route', async ({
+  request,
+}) => {
+  const response = await request.get('/cart', {
+    headers: { 'x-analog-no-ssr': 'false' },
+  });
+  expect(response.status()).toBe(200);
+  expect(await response.text()).not.toContain('ng-server-context');
+});
diff --git a/apps/analog-app/vite.config.ts b/apps/analog-app/vite.config.ts
index 1d24c4d51c..afa10a0491 100644
--- a/apps/analog-app/vite.config.ts
+++ b/apps/analog-app/vite.config.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ export default defineConfig(async ({ mode, command }) => {
       }),
       nitro({
         routeRules: {
+          '/products/**': { ssr: true },
           '/client': { ssr: false },
           '/cart/**': { ssr: false },
           '/404.html': { ssr: false },
diff --git a/apps/docs-analog/src/content/features/server/server-side-rendering.md b/apps/docs-analog/src/content/features/server/server-side-rendering.md
index a8864f824f..1971ddc9b5 100644
--- a/apps/docs-analog/src/content/features/server/server-side-rendering.md
+++ b/apps/docs-analog/src/content/features/server/server-side-rendering.md
@@ -28,8 +28,16 @@ For more information about externals with SSR, check out the [Vite documentation
 
 SSR is enabled by default. For a hybrid approach, you can specify some routes to only be rendered client-side, and not be server side rendered. This is done through the `routeRules` configuration object by specifying an `ssr` option.
 
+In Analog v3, configure these rules on the separate Nitro plugin. A more specific
+`ssr: true` rule enables server rendering under a parent rule that disables it.
+
 ```ts
 // https://vitejs.dev/config/
+import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
+import analog from '@analogjs/platform';
+import angular from '@analogjs/vite-plugin-angular';
+import { nitro } from 'nitro/vite';
+
 export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => ({
   // ...other config
   plugins: [
@@ -37,14 +45,18 @@ export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => ({
       prerender: {
         routes: ['/', '/404.html'],
       },
-      nitro: {
-        routeRules: {
-          // All admin URLs are only rendered on the client
-          '/admin/**': { ssr: false },
+    }),
+    angular(),
+    nitro({
+      routeRules: {
+        // All admin URLs are only rendered on the client
+        '/admin/**': { ssr: false },
 
-          // Render a 404 page as a fallback page
-          '/404.html': { ssr: false },
-        },
+        // A specific child can opt back into server rendering
+        '/admin/help': { ssr: true },
+
+        // Render a 404 page as a fallback page
+        '/404.html': { ssr: false },
       },
     }),
   ],
diff --git a/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.spec.ts b/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.spec.ts
index b01d874839..af13bbdfa0 100644
--- a/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.spec.ts
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ describe('analogNitroPlugin', () => {
         routeRules: {
           '/buffered': { streaming: false },
           '/no-ssr': { ssr: false },
+          '/no-ssr/help': {
+            ssr: true,
+            headers: { 'x-analog-no-ssr': 'true', 'x-example': 'retained' },
+          },
           '/default': {},
         },
       },
@@ -255,6 +259,10 @@ describe('analogNitroPlugin', () => {
     expect(nitroMock.options.routeRules['/no-ssr'].headers).toEqual({
       'x-analog-no-ssr': 'true',
     });
+    expect(nitroMock.options.routeRules['/no-ssr/help'].headers).toEqual({
+      'x-analog-no-ssr': 'false',
+      'x-example': 'retained',
+    });
     expect(nitroMock.options.routeRules['/default'].headers).toBeUndefined();
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.ts b/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.ts
index 87bfeadaf2..426ed46c15 100644
--- a/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/analog-nitro-plugin.ts
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ export function analogNitroPlugin(options: Options = {}): Plugin {
  * the env-runner and in prod via the `__nitro_vite_envs__` global set up by
  * nitro/vite's `prodSetup`).
  */
-function generateSsrRendererVirtual(template: string): string {
+export function generateSsrRendererVirtual(template: string): string {
   return `
 import { defineHandler } from 'nitro/h3';
 import ssr from '#analog/ssr';
@@ -600,14 +600,26 @@ const TEMPLATE = ${JSON.stringify(template)};
 
 export default defineHandler(async (event) => {
   event.res.headers.set('content-type', 'text/html; charset=utf-8');
-  // 'x-analog-no-ssr' is stamped on response headers by
-  // injectAnalogRouteRuleHeaders for routeRules with \`ssr: false\`. Nitro
-  // applies routeRule headers to the response before the renderer fires,
-  // so we can short-circuit by reading them here.
-  if (event.res.headers.get('x-analog-no-ssr') === 'true') {
+  // Matched header rules are available before response middleware applies them.
+  const noSsr = event.context.routeRules?.headers?.['x-analog-no-ssr']
+    ?? event.res.headers.get('x-analog-no-ssr');
+  if (noSsr === 'true') {
     return TEMPLATE;
   }
   const service = ssr.default ?? ssr;
+  if (event.req.headers.has('x-analog-no-ssr')) {
+    const headers = new Headers(event.req.headers);
+    headers.delete('x-analog-no-ssr');
+    // Copy public fields because server Request adapters lack native constructor state.
+    const request = new Request(event.req.url, {
+      method: event.req.method,
+      headers,
+      signal: event.req.signal,
+      ...(event.req.method === 'GET' || event.req.method === 'HEAD' ? {} : { body: event.req.body, duplex: 'half' }),
+    });
+    if (event.req.runtime) Object.defineProperty(request, 'runtime', { value: event.req.runtime });
+    return service.fetch(request);
+  }
   return service.fetch(event.req);
 });
 `;
@@ -748,7 +760,8 @@ function sanitizeNitroBundlerConfig(rollupConfig: { output?: unknown }): void {
 
 /**
  * Walks Nitro's resolved routeRules and stamps `x-analog-no-ssr: true` onto
- * any rule with `ssr: false`, and `x-analog-no-streaming: true` onto any rule
+ * any rule with `ssr: false`, resetting it for explicit `ssr: true`, and
+ * `x-analog-no-streaming: true` onto any rule
  * with `streaming: false`. Kept as response-header hints for downstream
  * consumers (CDN, edge logic); the actual SSR short-circuit happens inside
  * the SSR renderer virtual above, and the router falls back to a buffered
@@ -768,8 +781,11 @@ export function injectAnalogRouteRuleHeaders(nitro: Nitro): void {
   if (!routeRules) return;
 
   for (const rule of Object.values(routeRules)) {
-    if (rule?.ssr === false) {
-      rule.headers = { ...rule.headers, 'x-analog-no-ssr': 'true' };
+    if (typeof rule?.ssr === 'boolean') {
+      rule.headers = {
+        ...rule.headers,
+        'x-analog-no-ssr': String(!rule.ssr),
+      };
     }
     if (rule?.streaming === false) {
       rule.headers = { ...rule.headers, 'x-analog-no-streaming': 'true' };
diff --git a/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/ssr-renderer.spec.ts b/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/ssr-renderer.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f2821c130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/platform/src/lib/nitro/ssr-renderer.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { generateSsrRendererVirtual } from './analog-nitro-plugin';
+
+const template = '<html><body><app-root></app-root></body></html>';
+
+function createRenderer(fetch: (request: Request) => Promise<Response>) {
+  const source = generateSsrRendererVirtual(template)
+    .replace("import { defineHandler } from 'nitro/h3';", '')
+    .replace("import ssr from '#analog/ssr';", '')
+    .replace('export default', 'return');
+  const evaluate = new Function('defineHandler', 'ssr', source);
+  return evaluate((handler: unknown) => handler, { fetch });
+}
+
+function createEvent(ssr?: boolean) {
+  return {
+    req: new Request('http://localhost/client'),
+    res: { headers: new Headers() },
+    context: {
+      routeRules: {
+        headers: ssr === undefined ? {} : { 'x-analog-no-ssr': String(!ssr) },
+      },
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+describe('SSR renderer route rules', () => {
+  it.each([undefined, true])(
+    'strips caller SSR hints with rule %s',
+    async (ssr) => {
+      const fetch = vi.fn(
+        async (_request: Request) => new Response('rendered'),
+      );
+      const event = createEvent(ssr);
+      event.req.headers.set('X-Analog-No-SSR', 'true');
+
+      await createRenderer(fetch)(event);
+
+      expect(fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(fetch.mock.calls[0][0].headers.has('x-analog-no-ssr')).toBe(false);
+      expect(event.req.headers.get('x-analog-no-ssr')).toBe('true');
+    },
+  );
+
+  it.each(['GET', 'HEAD', 'POST'])(
+    'preserves a %s request adapter when filtering',
+    async (method) => {
+      const fetch = vi.fn(
+        async (_request: Request) => new Response('rendered'),
+      );
+      const abort = new AbortController();
+      const runtime = { node: { req: {}, res: {} } };
+      const event = {
+        ...createEvent(true),
+        req: {
+          url: 'http://localhost/page?query=1',
+          method,
+          headers: new Headers({
+            'x-analog-no-ssr': 'true',
+            'x-custom': 'retained',
+          }),
+          body: method === 'POST' ? new Response('request payload').body : null,
+          signal: abort.signal,
+          runtime,
+        },
+      };
+
+      await createRenderer(fetch)(event);
+
+      const forwarded = fetch.mock.calls[0][0];
+      expect(forwarded).toBeInstanceOf(Request);
+      expect(forwarded.url).toBe(event.req.url);
+      expect(forwarded.method).toBe(method);
+      expect(forwarded.headers.get('x-custom')).toBe('retained');
+      expect(forwarded.headers.has('x-analog-no-ssr')).toBe(false);
+      expect(Reflect.get(forwarded, 'runtime')).toBe(runtime);
+      expect(await forwarded.text()).toBe(
+        method === 'POST' ? 'request payload' : '',
+      );
+      const reason = new Error('disconnected');
+      abort.abort(reason);
+      expect(forwarded.signal.aborted).toBe(true);
+      expect(forwarded.signal.reason).toBe(reason);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('returns the client template before response headers are applied', async () => {
+    const fetch = vi.fn(async () => new Response('server-rendered content'));
+    const render = createRenderer(fetch);
+    const event = createEvent(false);
+    event.req.headers.set('x-analog-no-ssr', 'false');
+
+    expect(await render(event)).toBe(template);
+    expect(fetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(event.res.headers.get('content-type')).toBe(
+      'text/html; charset=utf-8',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('honors explicit SSR over an inherited no-SSR header', async () => {
+    const response = new Response('server-rendered content');
+    const fetch = vi.fn(async () => response);
+    const render = createRenderer(fetch);
+    const event = createEvent(true);
+    event.res.headers.set('x-analog-no-ssr', 'true');
+
+    expect(await render(event)).toBe(response);
+    expect(fetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(event.req);
+  });
+
+  it('retains the header fallback when no SSR rule is resolved', async () => {
+    const fetch = vi.fn(async () => new Response('server-rendered content'));
+    const render = createRenderer(fetch);
+    const event = createEvent();
+    event.res.headers.set('x-analog-no-ssr', 'true');
+
+    expect(await render(event)).toBe(template);
+    expect(fetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('renders normally when no rule disables SSR', async () => {
+    const response = new Response('server-rendered content');
+    const fetch = vi.fn(async () => response);
+    const render = createRenderer(fetch);
+    const event = createEvent();
+
+    expect(await render(event)).toBe(response);
+    expect(fetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(event.req);
+  });
+});