diff --git a/internal/config/config_core.go b/internal/config/config_core.go
index 1630c4a9..f559a9a9 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_core.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_core.go
@@ -263,6 +263,11 @@ func LoadFromFile(path string) (*Config, error) {
 		cfg.Gateway = &GatewayConfig{}
 	}
 
+	// Validate trusted_bots per spec §4.1.3.4: must be non-empty array when present
+	if err := validateTrustedBots(cfg.Gateway.TrustedBots); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Apply core gateway defaults
 	applyGatewayDefaults(cfg.Gateway)
 
diff --git a/internal/config/config_stdin.go b/internal/config/config_stdin.go
index 70c8c866..03561388 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_stdin.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_stdin.go
@@ -281,7 +281,10 @@ func convertStdinConfig(stdinCfg *StdinConfig) (*Config, error) {
 		if stdinCfg.Gateway.PayloadDir != "" {
 			cfg.Gateway.PayloadDir = stdinCfg.Gateway.PayloadDir
 		}
-		if len(stdinCfg.Gateway.TrustedBots) > 0 {
+		if stdinCfg.Gateway.TrustedBots != nil {
+			if err := validateTrustedBots(stdinCfg.Gateway.TrustedBots); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 			cfg.Gateway.TrustedBots = stdinCfg.Gateway.TrustedBots
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/internal/config/config_stdin_test.go b/internal/config/config_stdin_test.go
index b79b1ebe..4db148f8 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_stdin_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_stdin_test.go
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ func TestConvertStdinConfig_TrustedBots(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, []string{"copilot-swe-agent[bot]", "my-org-bot"}, cfg.Gateway.TrustedBots)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("empty trustedBots not propagated", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("empty trustedBots rejected per spec §4.1.3.4", func(t *testing.T) {
 		stdinCfg := &StdinConfig{
 			MCPServers: map[string]*StdinServerConfig{},
 			Gateway: &StdinGatewayConfig{
@@ -996,10 +996,9 @@ func TestConvertStdinConfig_TrustedBots(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}
 
-		cfg, err := convertStdinConfig(stdinCfg)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		require.NotNil(t, cfg.Gateway)
-		assert.Nil(t, cfg.Gateway.TrustedBots)
+		_, err := convertStdinConfig(stdinCfg)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "trusted_bots must be a non-empty array when present")
 	})
 
 	t.Run("nil trustedBots not propagated", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/config/config_test.go b/internal/config/config_test.go
index c39d94e4..46747326 100644
--- a/internal/config/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -1701,6 +1701,7 @@ args = ["run", "--rm", "-i", "test/container:latest"]
 	_, err = LoadFromFile(tmpFile)
 	require.Error(t, err)
 }
+
 // TestLoadFromStdin_WithTrustedBots verifies JSON stdin parsing of trustedBots.
 // Covers spec §4.1.3.4 (Trusted Bot Identity Configuration).
 func TestLoadFromStdin_WithTrustedBots(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1737,3 +1738,38 @@ func TestLoadFromStdin_WithTrustedBots(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"github-actions[bot]", "copilot-swe-agent[bot]"}, cfg.Gateway.TrustedBots)
 }
+
+// TestLoadFromStdin_WithEmptyTrustedBots verifies JSON stdin parsing rejects trustedBots: [].
+// Covers spec §4.1.3.4 (trustedBots MUST be a non-empty array when present).
+func TestLoadFromStdin_WithEmptyTrustedBots(t *testing.T) {
+	stdinJSON := `{
+		"mcpServers": {
+			"test": {
+				"container": "test/container:latest",
+				"type": "stdio"
+			}
+		},
+		"gateway": {
+			"port": 8080,
+			"domain": "localhost",
+			"apiKey": "test-key",
+			"trustedBots": []
+		}
+	}`
+
+	oldStdin := os.Stdin
+	defer func() { os.Stdin = oldStdin }()
+
+	r, w, err := os.Pipe()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	os.Stdin = r
+
+	go func() {
+		defer w.Close()
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(stdinJSON))
+	}()
+
+	_, err = LoadFromStdin()
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "trustedBots")
+}
diff --git a/internal/config/validation.go b/internal/config/validation.go
index f91eced4..57c156ff 100644
--- a/internal/config/validation.go
+++ b/internal/config/validation.go
@@ -365,10 +365,32 @@ func validateGatewayConfig(gateway *StdinGatewayConfig) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Validate trustedBots per spec §4.1.3.4: must be non-empty array when present
+	if err := validateTrustedBots(gateway.TrustedBots); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	logValidation.Print("Gateway config validation passed")
 	return nil
 }
 
+// validateTrustedBots checks that the trusted_bots/trustedBots list conforms to spec §4.1.3.4:
+// when present, it must be a non-empty array of non-empty strings.
+func validateTrustedBots(bots []string) error {
+	if bots == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if len(bots) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("trusted_bots must be a non-empty array when present (spec §4.1.3.4)")
+	}
+	for i, bot := range bots {
+		if strings.TrimSpace(bot) == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("trusted_bots[%d] must be a non-empty string", i)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // validateTOMLStdioContainerization validates that TOML stdio servers use Docker for containerization.
 // This enforces MCP Gateway Specification Section 3.2.1: "Stdio-based MCP servers MUST be containerized."
 func validateTOMLStdioContainerization(servers map[string]*ServerConfig) error {