diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts
index 9df6ef2bc63..1e833c412d2 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,31 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(params: {
     wasMentioned: typeof ctx.WasMentioned === "boolean" ? ctx.WasMentioned : undefined,
   });
 
+  // Run before_dispatch plugin hooks (blocking — can abort dispatch before LLM).
+  // This lets security plugins (e.g. authentication gates) prevent LLM invocation
+  // entirely for unauthenticated sessions, saving tokens and enforcing access.
+  if (hookRunner?.hasHooks("before_dispatch") && sessionKey) {
+    const beforeDispatchResult = await hookRunner.runBeforeDispatch(
+      {
+        sessionKey,
+        channelId: channel,
+        senderId: ctx.SenderId,
+        conversationId: hookContext.conversationId,
+        isGroup,
+        content: hookContext.content,
+        messageId: messageIdForHook,
+      },
+      toPluginMessageContext(hookContext),
+    );
+    if (beforeDispatchResult?.block) {
+      const queuedFinal = beforeDispatchResult.replyText
+        ? dispatcher.sendFinalReply({ text: beforeDispatchResult.replyText })
+        : false;
+      recordProcessed("skipped", { reason: "before_dispatch_blocked" });
+      return { queuedFinal, counts: dispatcher.getQueuedCounts() };
+    }
+  }
+
   // Check if we should route replies to originating channel instead of dispatcher.
   // Only route when the originating channel is DIFFERENT from the current surface.
   // This handles cross-provider routing (e.g., message from Telegram being processed
diff --git a/src/plugins/hooks.ts b/src/plugins/hooks.ts
index e8e1e2aa163..bb220f957c2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/hooks.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/hooks.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ import type {
   PluginHookToolResultPersistResult,
   PluginHookBeforeMessageWriteEvent,
   PluginHookBeforeMessageWriteResult,
+  PluginHookBeforeDispatchEvent,
+  PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult,
 } from "./types.js";
 
 // Re-export types for consumers
@@ -87,6 +89,8 @@ export type {
   PluginHookToolResultPersistResult,
   PluginHookBeforeMessageWriteEvent,
   PluginHookBeforeMessageWriteResult,
+  PluginHookBeforeDispatchEvent,
+  PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult,
   PluginHookSessionContext,
   PluginHookSessionStartEvent,
   PluginHookSessionEndEvent,
@@ -622,6 +626,55 @@ export function createHookRunner(registry: PluginRegistry, options: HookRunnerOp
     return runVoidHook("message_sent", event, ctx);
   }
 
+  // =========================================================================
+  // Dispatch Hooks
+  // =========================================================================
+
+  /**
+   * Run before_dispatch hook.
+   * Allows plugins to block the entire message dispatch before LLM invocation
+   * and optionally send a reply text directly to the user.
+   * Runs sequentially — first handler that returns { block: true } wins.
+   *
+   * **Error semantics:** Like all hooks, errors are caught and logged when
+   * `catchErrors` is true (the default). This means a throwing handler
+   * results in permit-by-default (fail-open). Security-critical plugins
+   * should handle errors internally to implement fail-closed behavior.
+   */
+  async function runBeforeDispatch(
+    event: PluginHookBeforeDispatchEvent,
+    ctx: PluginHookMessageContext,
+  ): Promise<PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult | undefined> {
+    const hooks = getHooksForName(registry, "before_dispatch");
+    if (hooks.length === 0) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    logger?.debug?.(`[hooks] running before_dispatch (${hooks.length} handlers, sequential)`);
+
+    for (const hook of hooks) {
+      try {
+        const result = await (
+          hook.handler as (
+            event: PluginHookBeforeDispatchEvent,
+            ctx: PluginHookMessageContext,
+          ) =>
+            | Promise<PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult | void>
+            | PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult
+            | void
+        )(event, ctx);
+
+        if (result?.block) {
+          return result;
+        }
+      } catch (err) {
+        handleHookError({ hookName: "before_dispatch", pluginId: hook.pluginId, error: err });
+      }
+    }
+
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
   // =========================================================================
   // Tool Hooks
   // =========================================================================
@@ -936,6 +989,8 @@ export function createHookRunner(registry: PluginRegistry, options: HookRunnerOp
     runMessageReceived,
     runMessageSending,
     runMessageSent,
+    // Dispatch hooks
+    runBeforeDispatch,
     // Tool hooks
     runBeforeToolCall,
     runAfterToolCall,
diff --git a/src/plugins/types.ts b/src/plugins/types.ts
index 343a338c4f8..1ba7cd7e3a7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/types.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/types.ts
@@ -1391,6 +1391,7 @@ export type PluginHookName =
   | "subagent_delivery_target"
   | "subagent_spawned"
   | "subagent_ended"
+  | "before_dispatch"
   | "gateway_start"
   | "gateway_stop";
 
@@ -1418,6 +1419,7 @@ export const PLUGIN_HOOK_NAMES = [
   "subagent_delivery_target",
   "subagent_spawned",
   "subagent_ended",
+  "before_dispatch",
   "gateway_start",
   "gateway_stop",
 ] as const satisfies readonly PluginHookName[];
@@ -1750,6 +1752,26 @@ export type PluginHookBeforeMessageWriteResult = {
   message?: AgentMessage; // Optional: modified message to write instead
 };
 
+// before_dispatch hook — fired in dispatchReplyFromConfig before LLM invocation.
+// Allows plugins to block the entire dispatch (preventing LLM processing) and
+// optionally send a direct reply to the user.
+export type PluginHookBeforeDispatchEvent = {
+  sessionKey: string;
+  channelId: string;
+  senderId?: string;
+  conversationId?: string;
+  isGroup: boolean;
+  content: string;
+  messageId?: string;
+};
+
+export type PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult = {
+  /** If true, the dispatch is aborted — no LLM invocation occurs. */
+  block?: boolean;
+  /** If block is true, this text is sent as a direct reply to the user. */
+  replyText?: string;
+};
+
 // Session context
 export type PluginHookSessionContext = {
   agentId?: string;
@@ -1959,6 +1981,10 @@ export type PluginHookHandlerMap = {
     event: PluginHookSubagentEndedEvent,
     ctx: PluginHookSubagentContext,
   ) => Promise<void> | void;
+  before_dispatch: (
+    event: PluginHookBeforeDispatchEvent,
+    ctx: PluginHookMessageContext,
+  ) => Promise<PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult | void> | PluginHookBeforeDispatchResult | void;
   gateway_start: (
     event: PluginHookGatewayStartEvent,
     ctx: PluginHookGatewayContext,