diff --git a/mempalace/palace_graph.py b/mempalace/palace_graph.py
index 125ec0d4a..0e22d4cf4 100644
--- a/mempalace/palace_graph.py
+++ b/mempalace/palace_graph.py
@@ -313,8 +313,20 @@ def _save_tunnels(tunnels):
     Writes to ``tunnels.json.tmp`` then ``os.replace``s it into place, so
     a crash mid-write can never leave a partial/empty tunnels.json that
     silently wipes every tunnel on next read.
+
+    Also restricts the parent directory to 0o700 and the file to 0o600 —
+    tunnels reveal cross-wing connections (which projects/people/rooms
+    the user has explicitly linked) and should not be world-readable on
+    shared Linux/multi-user systems. Matches the file-permission pattern
+    established by #814 for the other sensitive palace files.
     """
-    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(_TUNNEL_FILE), exist_ok=True)
+    parent = os.path.dirname(_TUNNEL_FILE)
+    os.makedirs(parent, exist_ok=True)
+    try:
+        os.chmod(parent, 0o700)
+    except (OSError, NotImplementedError):
+        # Windows / unsupported filesystems — tolerate.
+        pass
     tmp_path = _TUNNEL_FILE + ".tmp"
     with open(tmp_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
         json.dump(tunnels, f, indent=2)
@@ -325,6 +337,10 @@ def _save_tunnels(tunnels):
             # Not all filesystems (or Windows file handles) support fsync — tolerate.
             pass
     os.replace(tmp_path, _TUNNEL_FILE)
+    try:
+        os.chmod(_TUNNEL_FILE, 0o600)
+    except (OSError, NotImplementedError):
+        pass
 
 
 def _endpoint_key(wing: str, room: str) -> str:
diff --git a/tests/test_palace_graph_tunnels.py b/tests/test_palace_graph_tunnels.py
index 00c74003d..6668dc4d9 100644
--- a/tests/test_palace_graph_tunnels.py
+++ b/tests/test_palace_graph_tunnels.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 """Tests for explicit tunnel helpers in mempalace.palace_graph."""
 
+import os
+import stat
+import sys
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 import pytest
@@ -37,6 +40,33 @@ def test_save_and_load_round_trip(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         palace_graph._save_tunnels(tunnels)
         assert palace_graph._load_tunnels() == tunnels
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(
+        sys.platform == "win32",
+        reason="POSIX file-permission bits only apply on Unix-like systems",
+    )
+    def test_save_tunnels_restricts_permissions(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """Regression for #1165 — tunnels.json reveals cross-wing links and
+        must not be world-readable on shared Linux/multi-user systems."""
+        tunnel_file = _use_tmp_tunnel_file(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+        palace_graph._save_tunnels(
+            [
+                {
+                    "id": "x",
+                    "source": {"wing": "a", "room": "r1"},
+                    "target": {"wing": "b", "room": "r2"},
+                    "label": "",
+                }
+            ]
+        )
+
+        file_mode = stat.S_IMODE(os.stat(tunnel_file).st_mode)
+        assert file_mode == 0o600, f"tunnels.json mode is {oct(file_mode)}, expected 0o600"
+
+        parent_mode = stat.S_IMODE(os.stat(tunnel_file.parent).st_mode)
+        assert (
+            parent_mode == 0o700
+        ), f"tunnels.json parent dir mode is {oct(parent_mode)}, expected 0o700"
+
 
 class TestExplicitTunnels:
     def test_create_tunnel_deduplicates_reverse_order_and_updates_label(