diff --git a/.github/workflows/canary-staging.yml b/.github/workflows/canary-staging.yml
index 37037156..5f1384dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/canary-staging.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/canary-staging.yml
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ jobs:
       # full_saas.sh branches SECRETS_JSON on which key is present —
       # MiniMax wins when set.
       E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY }}
+      # Direct-Anthropic alternative for operators who don't want to
+      # set up a MiniMax account (priority below MiniMax — first
+      # non-empty wins in test_staging_full_saas.sh's secrets-injection
+      # block). See #2578 PR comment for the rationale.
+      E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
       # OpenAI fallback — kept wired so an operator-dispatched run with
       # E2E_RUNTIME=hermes overridden via workflow_dispatch can still
       # exercise the OpenAI path without re-editing the workflow.
@@ -97,8 +102,20 @@ jobs:
           # missing" message at the top.
           case "${E2E_RUNTIME}" in
             claude-code)
-              required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY"
-              required_secret_value="${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}"
+              # Either MiniMax OR direct-Anthropic works — first
+              # non-empty wins in the test script's secrets-injection
+              # priority chain. Operators only need to set ONE of these
+              # secrets; we don't force a choice between them.
+              if [ -n "${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value="${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY}"
+              elif [ -n "${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value="${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
+              else
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY or MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value=""
+              fi
               ;;
             langgraph|hermes)
               required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/continuous-synth-e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/continuous-synth-e2e.yml
index 5964693f..b9759c59 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continuous-synth-e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continuous-synth-e2e.yml
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ jobs:
       # tests/e2e/test_staging_full_saas.sh branches SECRETS_JSON on
       # which key is present — MiniMax wins when set.
       E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY }}
+      # Direct-Anthropic alternative for operators who don't want to
+      # set up a MiniMax account (priority below MiniMax — first
+      # non-empty wins in test_staging_full_saas.sh's secrets-injection
+      # block). See #2578 PR comment for the rationale.
+      E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
       # OpenAI fallback — kept wired so operators can dispatch with
       # E2E_RUNTIME=langgraph or =hermes and still have a working
       # canary path. The script picks the right blob shape based on
@@ -149,13 +154,21 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-          # LLM-key requirement is per-runtime: claude-code uses MiniMax
-          # (MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY), langgraph + hermes use
-          # OpenAI (MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY).
+          # LLM-key requirement is per-runtime: claude-code accepts
+          # EITHER MiniMax OR direct-Anthropic (whichever is set first),
+          # langgraph + hermes use OpenAI (MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY).
           case "${E2E_RUNTIME}" in
             claude-code)
-              required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY"
-              required_secret_value="${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}"
+              if [ -n "${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value="${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY}"
+              elif [ -n "${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value="${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
+              else
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY or MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value=""
+              fi
               ;;
             langgraph|hermes)
               required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-saas.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-saas.yml
index 2c252d10..8cbe468b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-saas.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-staging-saas.yml
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ jobs:
       # OpenAI quota collapse no longer wedges the gate. Mirrors the
       # canary-staging.yml + continuous-synth-e2e.yml migrations.
       E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY }}
+      # Direct-Anthropic alternative for operators who don't want to
+      # set up a MiniMax account (priority below MiniMax — first
+      # non-empty wins in test_staging_full_saas.sh's secrets-injection
+      # block). See #2578 PR comment for the rationale.
+      E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
       # OpenAI fallback — kept wired so an operator-dispatched run with
       # E2E_RUNTIME=hermes or =langgraph via workflow_dispatch can still
       # exercise the OpenAI path.
@@ -128,8 +133,19 @@ jobs:
           # clean "secret missing" message at the top.
           case "${E2E_RUNTIME}" in
             claude-code)
-              required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY"
-              required_secret_value="${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}"
+              # Either MiniMax OR direct-Anthropic works — first
+              # non-empty wins in the test script's secrets-injection
+              # priority chain.
+              if [ -n "${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value="${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY}"
+              elif [ -n "${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value="${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
+              else
+                required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_MINIMAX_API_KEY or MOLECULE_STAGING_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+                required_secret_value=""
+              fi
               ;;
             langgraph|hermes)
               required_secret_name="MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_staging_full_saas.sh b/tests/e2e/test_staging_full_saas.sh
index 5754b04d..ec6bbf5e 100755
--- a/tests/e2e/test_staging_full_saas.sh
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_staging_full_saas.sh
@@ -321,8 +321,9 @@ tenant_call() {
 
 # ─── 5. Provision parent workspace ─────────────────────────────────────
 # Inject the LLM provider key so the runtime can authenticate at boot.
-# Branch by which secret is set so the script supports both paths
-# without forcing every dispatch to ship both keys:
+# Branch by which secret is set so the script supports multiple paths
+# without forcing every dispatch to ship them all. Priority order
+# matters — first non-empty wins:
 #
 #   E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY → claude-code MiniMax path. Cheapest, default
 #     for the cron canary post-2026-05-03. Routes via the claude-code
@@ -334,6 +335,15 @@ tenant_call() {
 #     collisions when a user runs MiniMax + Z.ai workspaces side-by-
 #     side).
 #
+#   E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY → claude-code direct-Anthropic path (added
+#     2026-05-04 after #2578 left the operator with an awkward choice
+#     between paying OpenAI's billing top-up and registering a new
+#     MiniMax account). Lower friction than MiniMax for operators
+#     who already have an Anthropic API key for their own Claude
+#     Code session. Pricier per-token than MiniMax but billing is
+#     still independent of MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY. Pinned to the
+#     claude-code runtime — hermes/langgraph use OpenAI-shaped envs.
+#
 #   E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY → langgraph + hermes paths. Kept as fallback
 #     for operator dispatches that explicitly want to exercise the
 #     OpenAI path. The HERMES_* fields pin hermes-agent's bridge to
@@ -341,7 +351,7 @@ tenant_call() {
 #     resolves openai/* → openrouter.ai and 401s). MODEL_PROVIDER
 #     follows workspace/config.py:258's 'provider:model' format.
 #
-# Both empty → '{}' (workspace will fail at first turn with an
+# All empty → '{}' (workspace will fail at first turn with an
 # expected, actionable auth error rather than masking the test).
 SECRETS_JSON='{}'
 if [ -n "${E2E_MINIMAX_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
@@ -352,6 +362,25 @@ print(json.dumps({
     'MINIMAX_API_KEY': k,
 }))
 ")
+elif [ -n "${E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
+  # Direct Anthropic path — claude-code adapter reads ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
+  # natively when ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL is unset. Useful for operators
+  # who already have an Anthropic API key (e.g. for their own Claude
+  # Code session) and want to avoid setting up a separate MiniMax
+  # account just for E2E. Pricier per-token than MiniMax but billing
+  # is still independent of MOLECULE_STAGING_OPENAI_KEY, so an OpenAI
+  # quota collapse doesn't wedge this path. Pinned to the claude-code
+  # runtime: hermes/langgraph use OpenAI-shaped envs and won't honour
+  # ANTHROPIC_API_KEY without further wiring (out of scope for this
+  # branch; if you need a hermes/Anthropic path, dispatch with
+  # E2E_RUNTIME=hermes + E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY pointing at a working key).
+  SECRETS_JSON=$(python3 -c "
+import json, os
+k = os.environ['E2E_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY']
+print(json.dumps({
+    'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY': k,
+}))
+")
 elif [ -n "${E2E_OPENAI_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
   SECRETS_JSON=$(python3 -c "
 import json, os