diff --git a/README-router.md b/README-router.md
index b215618..0fe1c83 100644
--- a/README-router.md
+++ b/README-router.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ $ docker run --name zerotier-one --device=/dev/net/tun \
   --env TZ=Etc/UTC --env PUID=999 -env PGID=994 \
   --env ZEROTIER_ONE_LOCAL_PHYS=eth0 \
   --env ZEROTIER_ONE_USE_IPTABLES_NFT=false \
+  --env ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=inbound \
   --env ZEROTIER_ONE_NETWORK_IDS=«yourDefaultNetworkID(s)» \
   -v /var/lib/zerotier-one:/var/lib/zerotier-one zyclonite/zerotier:router
 ```
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ services:
       - PGID=994
       - ZEROTIER_ONE_LOCAL_PHYS=eth0
       - ZEROTIER_ONE_USE_IPTABLES_NFT=false
+      - ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=inbound
     # - ZEROTIER_ONE_NETWORK_IDS=«yourDefaultNetworkID(s)»
 ```
 
@@ -130,6 +132,31 @@ Note:
 
 	Try `true` if NAT does not seem to be working. This is needed on Raspberry Pi Bullseye.
 	
+* `ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE` - controls the traffic direction. Examples:
+
+	- Only permit traffic *from* the ZeroTier cloud *to* the local physical interfaces:
+
+		``` yaml
+		environment:
+		- ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=inbound
+		```
+		
+	- Only permit traffic *from* the local physical interfaces *to* the ZeroTier cloud:
+
+		``` yaml
+		environment:
+		- ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=outbound
+		```
+
+	- Permit bi-directional traffic between the local physical interfaces and the ZeroTier cloud:
+
+		``` yaml
+		environment:
+		- ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=both
+		```
+
+	Defaults to `inbound` if omitted. Note that you will probably need one or more static routes configured in your local LAN router so that traffic originating in a local host which is not running the ZeroTier client can be directed to the gateway host.
+	
 * `ZEROTIER_ONE_NETWORK_IDS` – a space-separated list of ZeroTier network IDs.
 
 	This variable is *only* effective on first launch. There is no default if it is omitted. Examples:
diff --git a/docker-compose-router.yml b/docker-compose-router.yml
index 35dfcfa..c09319e 100644
--- a/docker-compose-router.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-router.yml
@@ -19,4 +19,5 @@ services:
       - PGID=994
       - ZEROTIER_ONE_LOCAL_PHYS=eth0
       - ZEROTIER_ONE_USE_IPTABLES_NFT=false
+      - ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=inbound
     # - ZEROTIER_ONE_NETWORK_IDS=yourNetworkID
diff --git a/scripts/entrypoint-router.sh b/scripts/entrypoint-router.sh
index f991a3b..8672be8 100755
--- a/scripts/entrypoint-router.sh
+++ b/scripts/entrypoint-router.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 set -Eeo pipefail
 
-echo "$(date) - launching ZeroTier-One in routing mode"
-
 if [ "${1:0:1}" = '-' ]; then
 	set -- zerotier-one "$@"
 fi
@@ -31,6 +29,19 @@ if [ "$(id -u)" = '0' -a -d "${CONFIG_DIR}" ]; then
 	chown -Rc "${PUID}:${PGID}" "${CONFIG_DIR}"
 fi
 
+# is routing enabled?
+if [ $(sysctl -n net.ipv4.ip_forward) -ne 1 ] ; then
+
+	# no! there is no point in setting up rules or termination handler
+	echo "$(date) - IPv4 forwarding not enabled - launching ZeroTier-One in non-routing mode"
+
+	# just exec the client (this script ends here)
+	exec "$@"
+
+fi
+
+echo "$(date) - launching ZeroTier-One in routing mode"
+
 # use an appropriate default for a local physical interface
 # (using eth0 maintains backwards compatibility)
 PHY_IFACES="${ZEROTIER_ONE_LOCAL_PHYS:-"eth0"}"
@@ -40,21 +51,50 @@ IPTABLES_CMD=iptables
 # but support an override to use iptables-nft
 [ "${ZEROTIER_ONE_USE_IPTABLES_NFT}" = "true" ] && IPTABLES_CMD=iptables-nft
 
+# the default forwarding mode is inbound (backwards compatible)
+GATEWAY_MODE="${ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE:-"inbound"}"
+
 # the wildcard for the local zerotier interface is
 ZT_IFACE="zt+"
 
 # function to add and remove the requisite rules
 # - $1 is either "A" (add) or "D" (delete)
+# - $2 is comment
 update_iptables() {
-	for PHY_IFACE in ${PHY_IFACES} ; do
-		${IPTABLES_CMD} -t nat -${1} POSTROUTING -o ${PHY_IFACE} -j MASQUERADE
-		${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${PHY_IFACE} -o ${ZT_IFACE} -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-		${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${ZT_IFACE} -o ${PHY_IFACE} -j ACCEPT
-	done
+	case "${GATEWAY_MODE}" in
+		"inbound" )
+			echo "$2 ${IPTABLES_CMD} rules for inbound traffic (ZeroTier to local interfaces ${PHY_IFACES})"
+			for PHY_IFACE in ${PHY_IFACES} ; do
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -t nat -${1} POSTROUTING -o ${PHY_IFACE} -j MASQUERADE
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${PHY_IFACE} -o ${ZT_IFACE} -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${ZT_IFACE} -o ${PHY_IFACE} -j ACCEPT
+			done
+			;;
+		"outbound" )
+			echo "$2 ${IPTABLES_CMD} rules for outbound traffic (local interfaces ${PHY_IFACES} to ZeroTier)"
+			${IPTABLES_CMD} -t nat -${1} POSTROUTING -o ${ZT_IFACE} -j MASQUERADE
+			for PHY_IFACE in ${PHY_IFACES} ; do
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${ZT_IFACE} -o ${PHY_IFACE} -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${PHY_IFACE} -o ${ZT_IFACE} -j ACCEPT
+			done
+			;;
+		"both" )
+			echo "$2 ${IPTABLES_CMD} rules for bi-directional traffic (local interfaces ${PHY_IFACES} to/from ZeroTier)"
+			${IPTABLES_CMD} -t nat -${1} POSTROUTING -o ${ZT_IFACE} -j MASQUERADE
+			for PHY_IFACE in ${PHY_IFACES} ; do
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -t nat -${1} POSTROUTING -o ${PHY_IFACE} -j MASQUERADE
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${ZT_IFACE} -o ${PHY_IFACE} -j ACCEPT
+				${IPTABLES_CMD} -${1} FORWARD -i ${PHY_IFACE} -o ${ZT_IFACE} -j ACCEPT
+			done
+			;;
+		* )
+			echo "Warning: ZEROTIER_ONE_GATEWAY_MODE=${GATEWAY_MODE} is not supported - ignored"
+			;;
+	esac
 }
 
 # add rules to set up NAT-routing
-update_iptables "A"
+update_iptables "A" "adding"
 
 # define where the ZeroTier daemon will write its output (if any)
 TAIL_PIPE=$(mktemp /tmp/zerotier-ipc-XXXXXX)
@@ -80,7 +120,7 @@ termination_handler() {
 	echo "$(date) - terminating ZeroTier-One"
 
 	# remove rules
-	update_iptables "D"
+	update_iptables "D" "removing"
 
 	# relay the termination message to the daemon
 	if [ -d "/proc/${ZEROTIER_DAEMON_PID}" ] ; then