diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index aeeb219a..ccfb536b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ PyPI version — not the changelog header.
   leaking into the repo. (4) **prax-monitor** — `log_streamer` tailed a hardcoded
   `~/system_logs` while prax writes to the repo-root `system_logs`; now resolves the
   repo root (honoring `AIPASS_TEST_LOG_DIR`) so the log stream actually delivers.
+  (5) **auto-create (GAP1)** — `create_bot` wrote a new bot's config only to a disk
+  shadow file while the runtime loads its token exclusively from the @api store, so
+  a minted bot started then exited with no config; `create_bot` now calls
+  `set_secret('telegram', bot_id, config, as_json=True)` (fail-loud) so the
+  create→@api→load round-trip works and the mother-bot can mint startable bots. New
+  round-trip + fail-loud tests; telegram suite 454/454.
   (DPLAN-0220)
 
 - **seedgo CLI help checkers green-lit non-compliant `--help` output** — the
diff --git a/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/apps/handlers/bot_factory.py b/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/apps/handlers/bot_factory.py
index be0b3365..0d8292f9 100644
--- a/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/apps/handlers/bot_factory.py
+++ b/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/apps/handlers/bot_factory.py
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ from aipass.prax import logger
 from aipass.skills.apps.handlers.json import json_handler  # noqa: F401
 
 # Internal imports
+from aipass.api.apps.modules.secrets import set_secret as _api_set_secret
+
 from .bot_registry import (
     deregister_bot,
     ensure_registry,
@@ -441,11 +443,7 @@ def create_bot(
             )
             return None
 
-    # Step 4: Write per-bot config to local shadow file.
-    # This is intentional: create_bot writes here first, then the config is
-    # imported into @api (drone @api set-secret) as a separate step. At runtime,
-    # load_bot_config reads exclusively from @api — the local file is the
-    # create-then-import staging artifact, not a runtime config source.
+    # Step 4: Build config and persist to @api secrets store + local shadow.
     ensure_registry()
     _BOT_CONFIG_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
@@ -462,15 +460,23 @@ def create_bot(
         "created_at": datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat(),
     }
 
+    # Step 4a: Write to @api secrets store (load_bot_config reads from here)
+    try:
+        _api_set_secret("telegram", bot_id, config_data, as_json=True)
+        logger.info("Persisted bot config to @api secrets: telegram/%s", bot_id)
+    except OSError as e:
+        logger.error("create_bot failed: could not persist config to @api for '%s': %s", bot_id, e)
+        return None
+
+    # Step 4b: Write local shadow file (staging artifact, not runtime source)
     try:
         CONFIG_PATH.write_text(
             json.dumps(config_data, indent=2),
             encoding="utf-8",
         )
-        logger.info("Wrote bot config: %s", CONFIG_PATH)
+        logger.info("Wrote bot config shadow: %s", CONFIG_PATH)
     except OSError as e:
-        logger.warning("Failed to write bot config: %s", e)
-        return None
+        logger.warning("Failed to write shadow config (non-fatal): %s", e)
 
     # Step 5: Register in bot registry
     registered = register_bot(
@@ -479,6 +485,7 @@ def create_bot(
         branch_name=branch_name,
         work_dir=RESOLVED_WORK_DIR,
         config_path=str(CONFIG_PATH),
+        bot_token_ref=f"@api:telegram/{bot_id}",
     )
     if not registered:
         CONFIG_PATH.unlink(missing_ok=True)
diff --git a/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/tests/test_multibot_config.py b/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/tests/test_multibot_config.py
index a2197524..f0356ad3 100644
--- a/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/tests/test_multibot_config.py
+++ b/src/aipass/skills/lib/telegram/tests/test_multibot_config.py
@@ -792,3 +792,93 @@ class TestGetStatusAndGetAllBots:
         result = bot_operations.get_all_bots()
         assert result == expected
         mock_list_bots.assert_called_once()
+
+
+# =============================================
+# CREATE_BOT -> LOAD_BOT_CONFIG ROUND-TRIP
+# =============================================
+
+
+class TestCreateBotRoundTrip:
+    """Prove GAP1 is closed: create_bot persists config that load_bot_config reads."""
+
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.start_bot_process", return_value=True)
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.enable_service", return_value=True)
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.set_bot_commands", return_value=True)
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.validate_token")
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.ensure_registry")
+    def test_create_then_load_roundtrip(
+        self,
+        mock_ensure_registry,
+        mock_validate_token,
+        mock_set_commands,
+        mock_enable,
+        mock_start,
+        tmp_path,
+        monkeypatch,
+    ):
+        """After create_bot, load_bot_config returns the persisted config."""
+        from apps.handlers import bot_factory, config as tg_config
+
+        mock_validate_token.return_value = {"username": "test_bot", "id": 123}
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(bot_factory, "_BOT_CONFIG_DIR", tmp_path)
+
+        secrets_store = {}
+
+        def fake_set_secret(provider, slug, value, *, as_json=False):
+            secrets_store[f"{provider}/{slug}"] = value
+            return tmp_path / f"{slug}.json"
+
+        def fake_get_secret(provider, slug, *, as_json=False):
+            return secrets_store.get(f"{provider}/{slug}")
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(bot_factory, "_api_set_secret", fake_set_secret)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(tg_config, "_api_get_secret", fake_get_secret)
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr("apps.handlers.bot_registry.REGISTRY_DIR", tmp_path / "state")
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "apps.handlers.bot_registry.REGISTRY_FILE",
+            tmp_path / "state" / "_registry.json",
+        )
+
+        result = bot_factory.create_bot(
+            bot_id="roundtrip_bot",
+            bot_token="111:AAA-test-token",
+            branch_name=None,
+            allowed_user_ids=[42],
+        )
+        assert result is not None
+        assert result["bot_id"] == "roundtrip_bot"
+
+        loaded = tg_config.load_bot_config("roundtrip_bot")
+        assert loaded is not None
+        assert loaded["bot_id"] == "roundtrip_bot"
+        assert loaded["bot_token"] == "111:AAA-test-token"
+        assert loaded["allowed_user_ids"] == [42]
+
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.validate_token")
+    @patch("apps.handlers.bot_factory.ensure_registry")
+    def test_create_fails_loud_on_set_secret_error(
+        self,
+        mock_ensure_registry,
+        mock_validate_token,
+        tmp_path,
+        monkeypatch,
+    ):
+        """create_bot returns None and logs error if set_secret raises."""
+        from apps.handlers import bot_factory
+
+        mock_validate_token.return_value = {"username": "test_bot", "id": 123}
+        monkeypatch.setattr(bot_factory, "_BOT_CONFIG_DIR", tmp_path)
+
+        def failing_set_secret(*args, **kwargs):
+            raise OSError("permission denied")
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(bot_factory, "_api_set_secret", failing_set_secret)
+
+        result = bot_factory.create_bot(
+            bot_id="fail_bot",
+            bot_token="222:BBB-test-token",
+        )
+        assert result is None