diff --git a/changelog.d/tsk-wwqlgh-dbus-fast-core-dep.md b/changelog.d/tsk-wwqlgh-dbus-fast-core-dep.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9bbbf7a8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/tsk-wwqlgh-dbus-fast-core-dep.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+### Fixed
+- Declare dbus-fast as a core dependency on Linux for Wi-Fi PSK connect over the system bus.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9f61f6fb1..7ed5c0cac 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ dependencies = [
     # relicence or CVE reached users without tripping any gate. Declared here so
     # it goes through the lockfile like everything else.
     "yt-dlp>=2025.1.15",
+    # needed by the hardware Wi-Fi connect route (PSK over the system bus in-process, never on a busctl argv).
+    "dbus-fast>=5.0.22; sys_platform == 'linux'",
     "pypdf>=6.17",
 ]
 
diff --git a/scripts/install-constraints.txt b/scripts/install-constraints.txt
index 048722153..33d0ed2c7 100644
--- a/scripts/install-constraints.txt
+++ b/scripts/install-constraints.txt
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ colorama==0.4.6
 croniter==6.2.4
 cryptography==50.0.1
 cssselect==1.3.0
+dbus-fast==5.0.22
 diff-match-patch==20241021
 fastapi==0.136.3
 filelock==4.0.5
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 9b9f211ff..aa78b3c34 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -2796,6 +2796,7 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "argon2-cffi" },
     { name = "croniter" },
     { name = "cryptography" },
+    { name = "dbus-fast", marker = "sys_platform == 'linux'" },
     { name = "diff-match-patch" },
     { name = "fastapi" },
     { name = "filelock" },
@@ -2860,6 +2861,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "bleak", marker = "extra == 'ble'", specifier = ">=0.22.0" },
     { name = "croniter", specifier = ">=6.2.4" },
     { name = "cryptography", specifier = ">=50.0.0" },
+    { name = "dbus-fast", marker = "sys_platform == 'linux'", specifier = ">=5.0.22" },
     { name = "diff-match-patch", specifier = ">=20230430" },
     { name = "fastapi", specifier = ">=0.115.0,<0.137" },
     { name = "filelock", specifier = ">=3.12" },