diff --git a/packaging/config.example.yaml b/packaging/config.example.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a06d732
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/config.example.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# llmsproxy — 统一 OpenAI 兼容网关配置（示例模板）
+#
+# 这个是打包进发行包、供首次安装使用的模板。它故意不含任何可用的凭据：
+# 首次启动时程序会生成一个随机 admin key 并写入实际配置（WebUI「密钥」页可见）。
+#
+# ⚠ 不要在本文件里填一个写死的具体 key。示例文件是公开的，写进去的任何值
+#    都会成为一个全网皆知的 admin key（旧版示例里的 sk-gw-local-0001 就踩过
+#    这个坑：它被直接抄进生产配置并真实可用）。
+
+# 网关监听地址（默认 :8080，建议绑内网/回环）
+listen: 127.0.0.1:8080
+
+# 客户端访问本网关所需的 API Key（Bearer）。留空数组 = 不鉴权（仅内网）。
+gateway_keys: []
+
+# 默认模型选择：具体模型 id 或 AUTO（按各源模型的 priority 自动选最高可用源）
+default_model: AUTO
+
+# Lua 适配器目录（默认 adapters/，首次启动自动写入内置适配器）
+adapter_dir: adapters
+
+# 运行时持久化文件（WebUI 新增/编辑的源会写入此文件，重启后仍生效）
+runtime_file: runtime.json
+
+# 全局并发上限（0 = 不限）
+max_concurrent: 0
+
+# ---- 上游 LLM 源列表 ----
+# 留空：安装后到 WebUI 添加源，或从内置模板一键创建。
+sources: []
diff --git a/packaging/core-dist.sh b/packaging/core-dist.sh
index 514a2e5..5445fc4 100755
--- a/packaging/core-dist.sh
+++ b/packaging/core-dist.sh
@@ -68,7 +68,12 @@ log "packaging tar.gz..."
 TAR_DIR="$DIST/llmsproxy-$VERSION-linux-amd64"
 rm -rf "$TAR_DIR"; mkdir -p "$TAR_DIR"
 cp "$BUILD_BIN" "$TAR_DIR/llmsproxy"
-cp "$ROOT/config.yaml" "$TAR_DIR/config.example.yaml"
+# Use the tracked sanitised template, NOT the local config.yaml: that file is
+# gitignored and carries the operator's real gateway_keys / upstream keys. It
+# was previously copied verbatim as config.example.yaml, which shipped a real,
+# working admin key (sk-gw-local-0001) to every install — and postinst.sh copies
+# the example to /etc when none exists, so it ended up live in production.
+cp "$ROOT/packaging/config.example.yaml" "$TAR_DIR/config.example.yaml"
 cp "$ROOT/packaging/llmsproxy.service" "$TAR_DIR/llmsproxy.service"
 mkdir -p "$TAR_DIR/adapters"
 cp "$ROOT"/internal/lua/adapters/*.lua "$TAR_DIR/adapters/"
diff --git a/packaging/nfpm.yaml b/packaging/nfpm.yaml
index 618ab6e..efcbcb3 100644
--- a/packaging/nfpm.yaml
+++ b/packaging/nfpm.yaml
@@ -28,8 +28,11 @@ contents:
     dst: /etc/systemd/system/llmsproxy.service
     file_info:
       mode: 0644
-  # example config (seeded to /etc/llmsproxy on first install by postinst)
-  - src: ./config.yaml
+  # example config (seeded to /etc/llmsproxy on first install by postinst).
+  # Must be the tracked sanitised template: ./config.yaml is the operator's own
+  # gitignored config and shipping it would leak real credentials — it shipped a
+  # working admin key (sk-gw-local-0001) to every install for a while.
+  - src: ./packaging/config.example.yaml
     dst: /usr/share/llmsproxy/config.example.yaml
     file_info:
       mode: 0644
diff --git a/packaging/postinst.sh b/packaging/postinst.sh
index a41100d..63768d3 100755
--- a/packaging/postinst.sh
+++ b/packaging/postinst.sh
@@ -9,9 +9,19 @@ mkdir -p /etc/llmsproxy/adapters
 if [ -f /etc/llmsproxy/config.yaml ]; then
     echo "llmsproxy: keeping existing /etc/llmsproxy/config.yaml"
 else
-    # seed a starter config from the packaged example
-    cp -f /usr/share/llmsproxy/config.example.yaml /etc/llmsproxy/config.yaml 2>/dev/null || true
-    chmod 0644 /etc/llmsproxy/config.yaml
+    # Do NOT seed a starter config here. Packaging/installing one used to hand
+    # everyone the same file, and while it was copied from the maintainer's
+    # live config it shipped a real, working admin key (sk-gw-local-0001) to
+    # every install.
+    #
+    # Instead, leave the file absent: on first start the binary's EnsureDefault
+    # path creates config.yaml with a FRESH RANDOM admin key and logs it, which
+    # is both unique per install and actually usable. The packaged
+    # config.example.yaml stays in /usr/share as a reference template only.
+    #
+    # (Seeding it with gateway_keys: [] would be worse: the gateway would start
+    # but reject every request, with no way in except editing the file.)
+    echo "llmsproxy: no /etc/llmsproxy/config.yaml — a random admin key will be generated on first start"
 fi
 
 # systemd