diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 7700b81..ae09049 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ Examples: `getAutotaskClient()`, `getMsgraphClient()`, `getDattoRmmClient()`,
 | Veeam VSPC | `VEEAM_VSPC_*` |
 | Auvik / Addigy / IT Glue / Mimecast / S1 / Duo / Zoom / QBO / Zabbix / Salesbldr | `<NAME>_*` |
 | PAX8 | `PAX8_*` (OAuth2 client-credentials, read-only partner/reseller API) |
+| AWS Route 53 | `AWS_*` (literal `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID` / `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` / `AWS_REGION` — intentional exception to the per-service prefix convention; the AWS SDK's default credential chain hardcodes these names. Injected by BWS at the container entrypoint, never in `.env`) |
 | Anthropic | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` (analyzer pipeline + `ai-triage-service.ts`) |
 | OpenRouter | `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` (alternate analyzer provider, opt-in per request) |
 | Backblaze B2 | `B2_*` (LogLift evidence storage) |
diff --git a/lib/services/route53-factory.ts b/lib/services/route53-factory.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b3c1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/services/route53-factory.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { Route53Client } from '@aws-sdk/client-route-53';
+
+let route53ClientInstance: Route53Client | null = null;
+
+/**
+ * Check if AWS Route 53 credentials are configured.
+ */
+export function isRoute53Configured(): boolean {
+  return !!(process.env.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID && process.env.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get or create the Route 53 client singleton instance.
+ *
+ * Intentionally does NOT pass an explicit `credentials` option — omitting it
+ * lets @aws-sdk/credential-provider-node's default credential chain read
+ * AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID / AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY / AWS_SESSION_TOKEN from
+ * process.env automatically (fromEnv() is first in the chain). This is
+ * exactly how Bitwarden Secrets Manager (`bws run`) injects credentials at
+ * the docker-entrypoint.sh layer. Do NOT "fix" this by adding an explicit
+ * credentials object — see 24-RESEARCH.md Pitfall 1.
+ */
+export function getRoute53Client(): Route53Client {
+  if (!route53ClientInstance) {
+    if (!isRoute53Configured()) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'AWS credentials missing. Please set AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID and AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY (and AWS_REGION) environment variables.'
+      );
+    }
+
+    // Route 53 is a global service but the SDK still requires a signing
+    // region; us-east-1 is the conventional default AWS's own CLI/console use.
+    route53ClientInstance = new Route53Client({
+      region: process.env.AWS_REGION || 'us-east-1',
+    });
+    console.log('Route 53 client initialized');
+  }
+
+  return route53ClientInstance;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reset the singleton instance (useful for testing).
+ */
+export function resetRoute53Client(): void {
+  route53ClientInstance = null;
+}