diff --git a/adapter/sqs.go b/adapter/sqs.go
index acff4ff0..aaf15047 100644
--- a/adapter/sqs.go
+++ b/adapter/sqs.go
@@ -326,6 +326,18 @@ func (s *SQSServer) Run() error {
 	// request hot path never pays the O(N) sweep cost. Cleaned up by
 	// the same reaperCtx cancellation that stops the message reaper.
 	go s.throttle.runSweepLoop(s.reaperCtx)
+	if s.listen == nil {
+		// Listenless mode: the SQS adapter was constructed without a
+		// public HTTP listener (--sqsAddress empty). Admin endpoints
+		// in adapter/sqs_admin.go still work because they go through
+		// the coordinator/store — only the SigV4 wire surface is
+		// suppressed. Block until Stop() cancels reaperCtx so the
+		// errgroup task lifetime matches the listening branch
+		// (callers wait on Run() returning to know it's safe to tear
+		// down the underlying coordinator/store).
+		<-s.reaperCtx.Done()
+		return nil
+	}
 	if err := s.httpServer.Serve(s.listen); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
 		return errors.WithStack(err)
 	}
diff --git a/adapter/sqs_test.go b/adapter/sqs_test.go
index 3083119a..21ddd776 100644
--- a/adapter/sqs_test.go
+++ b/adapter/sqs_test.go
@@ -205,3 +205,33 @@ func TestSQSServer_StopShutsDown(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Run did not return within timeout after Stop")
 	}
 }
+
+// TestSQSServer_ListenlessRunStopRoundTrip pins the listenless
+// construction path used by startSQSServer when --sqsAddress is
+// empty: NewSQSServer must accept a nil net.Listener, Run() must
+// return cleanly when Stop() cancels the reaper context, and the
+// reaper / throttle-sweep goroutines must wind down with the same
+// cancellation. Regression guard for the admin-only deployment
+// shape — without this branch the SQS admin endpoints would be
+// dark on a build whose operator deliberately closed the public
+// SigV4 surface.
+func TestSQSServer_ListenlessRunStopRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	srv := NewSQSServer(nil, nil, nil)
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { done <- srv.Run() }()
+	// Give Run() a tick to enter the reaperCtx.Done() block. Unlike
+	// the listening path there's no socket Accept loop to enter, so
+	// a shorter pause is enough.
+	time.Sleep(20 * time.Millisecond)
+	srv.Stop()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("run: %v", err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("listenless Run did not return within timeout after Stop")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f94f6089..eae3ece1 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1469,9 +1469,11 @@ type runtimeServerRunner struct {
 	s3Server *adapter.S3Server
 
 	// sqsServer plays the same role for the SQS admin entrypoints
-	// (adapter/sqs_admin.go). Nil when --sqsAddress is empty; the
-	// admin listener then leaves /admin/api/v1/sqs/* off the wire
-	// (the mux 404s those paths).
+	// (adapter/sqs_admin.go). Always non-nil after startup —
+	// startSQSServer constructs a listenless SQSServer when
+	// --sqsAddress is empty (the public SigV4 listener is
+	// suppressed but the admin bridge stays wired since the admin
+	// handlers only need the coordinator/store, not the listener).
 	sqsServer *adapter.SQSServer
 
 	// sqsPartitionResolver is the concrete pointer to the same
diff --git a/main_sqs.go b/main_sqs.go
index 23ad1603..a47c17b7 100644
--- a/main_sqs.go
+++ b/main_sqs.go
@@ -11,11 +11,17 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
-// startSQSServer stands up the SQS adapter on sqsAddr and returns the
-// running *adapter.SQSServer so the admin listener can call SigV4-bypass
-// admin entrypoints against it (see adapter/sqs_admin.go). Returns
-// (nil, nil) when sqsAddr is empty — that is the "SQS disabled" branch
-// and the admin listener leaves /admin/api/v1/sqs/* off the wire.
+// startSQSServer constructs the SQS adapter and returns the running
+// *adapter.SQSServer. The admin listener calls SigV4-bypass admin
+// entrypoints against this server (see adapter/sqs_admin.go); those
+// admin methods only need the coordinator/store, NOT the public SQS
+// HTTP listener. So when sqsAddr is empty the function still
+// constructs the server (with a nil net.Listener) — Run() then skips
+// httpServer.Serve while the reaper and throttle-sweep goroutines
+// still run, keeping retention math behind the admin counters
+// correct. The admin bridge in main_admin.go therefore wires
+// /admin/api/v1/sqs/* on the wire even on builds that disabled the
+// public SigV4 endpoint.
 func startSQSServer(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	lc *net.ListenConfig,
@@ -30,16 +36,19 @@ func startSQSServer(
 	partitionObserver adapter.SQSPartitionObserver,
 ) (*adapter.SQSServer, error) {
 	sqsAddr = strings.TrimSpace(sqsAddr)
-	if sqsAddr == "" {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	sqsL, err := lc.Listen(ctx, "tcp", sqsAddr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to listen on %s", sqsAddr)
+	var sqsL net.Listener
+	if sqsAddr != "" {
+		var err error
+		sqsL, err = lc.Listen(ctx, "tcp", sqsAddr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to listen on %s", sqsAddr)
+		}
 	}
 	staticCreds, err := loadSigV4StaticCredentialsFile(credentialsFile, "sqs")
 	if err != nil {
-		_ = sqsL.Close()
+		if sqsL != nil {
+			_ = sqsL.Close()
+		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	sqsServer := adapter.NewSQSServer(