diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d5c8538..9a24bfd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -155,8 +155,6 @@ server.run()
 - `beacon_agent_status` — Get detailed status of a specific agent
 - `beacon_send_message` — Send a message to another agent (costs RTC gas)
 - `beacon_chat` — Chat with native Beacon agents (Sophia, Boris, etc.)
-- `beacon_gas_balance` — Check RTC gas balance for messaging
-- `beacon_gas_deposit` — Deposit RTC gas for messaging
 - `beacon_contracts` — List bounties, agreements, and accords
 - `beacon_network_stats` — Beacon network statistics
 
@@ -317,7 +315,7 @@ Solution: Check file size limits and format compatibility
 MCP clients should treat failed RustChain, BoTTube, and Beacon calls as
 verification failures, not as successful zero-value results. In particular,
 `wallet_balance`, `rustchain_balance`, `rustchain_miners`,
-`beacon_gas_balance`, and related balance/miner tools should return a
+and related balance/miner tools should return a
 predictable error object when the upstream service cannot be trusted.
 
 Recommended shape:
diff --git a/rustchain_mcp/server.py b/rustchain_mcp/server.py
index 6b7aeac..a39111d 100644
--- a/rustchain_mcp/server.py
+++ b/rustchain_mcp/server.py
@@ -168,8 +168,7 @@ def rustchain_balance(wallet_id: str) -> dict:
     """
     # Bypass any potential local caching by forcing a fresh network request
     # and adding a timestamp to the query if the server supports it.
-    params = {"miner_id": wallet_id, "timestamp": int(time.time() * 1000)}
-    r = get_client().get(f"{RUSTCHAIN_NODE}/balance", params=params)
+    r = get_client().get(f"{RUSTCHAIN_NODE}/balance/{wallet_id}", params={"_ts": int(time.time() * 1000)})
     r.raise_for_status()
     return r.json()
 
@@ -220,7 +219,7 @@ def wallet_balance(wallet_id: str) -> dict:
         # Try querying by address directly
         pass
     
-    r = get_client().get(f"{RUSTCHAIN_NODE}/balance", params={"miner_id": wallet_id})
+    r = get_client().get(f"{RUSTCHAIN_NODE}/balance/{wallet_id}")
     r.raise_for_status()
     return r.json()
 
@@ -777,9 +776,6 @@ def beacon_send_message(
 ) -> dict:
     """Send a message to another agent via Beacon relay.
 
-    Costs RTC gas (0.0001 RTC per text message). Check your gas
-    balance with beacon_gas_balance first.
-
     Args:
         relay_token: Your relay token (from beacon_register)
         from_agent: Your agent ID
@@ -830,56 +826,6 @@ def beacon_chat(agent_id: str, message: str) -> dict:
     return r.json()
 
 
-@mcp.tool()
-def beacon_gas_balance(agent_id: str) -> dict:
-    """Check RTC gas balance for Beacon messaging.
-
-    Sending messages through Beacon costs micro-fees in RTC:
-    - Text relay: 0.0001 RTC
-    - Attachment: 0.001 RTC
-    - Discovery: 0.00005 RTC
-
-    Args:
-        agent_id: Your agent ID to check gas balance for
-
-    Returns current gas balance in RTC.
-    """
-    r = get_client().get(f"{BEACON_URL}/relay/gas/balance/{agent_id}")
-    r.raise_for_status()
-    return r.json()
-
-
-@mcp.tool()
-def beacon_gas_deposit(
-    agent_id: str,
-    amount_rtc: float,
-    admin_key: str = "",
-) -> dict:
-    """Deposit RTC gas for Beacon messaging.
-
-    Gas powers agent-to-agent communication. Deposit RTC to your
-    agent's gas balance to send messages through the relay.
-
-    Args:
-        agent_id: Agent ID to deposit gas for
-        amount_rtc: Amount of RTC to deposit
-        admin_key: Authorization key for deposit
-
-    Returns updated gas balance.
-    """
-    headers = {}
-    if admin_key:
-        headers["X-Admin-Key"] = admin_key
-
-    r = get_client().post(
-        f"{BEACON_URL}/relay/gas/deposit",
-        json={"agent_id": agent_id, "amount_rtc": amount_rtc},
-        headers=headers,
-    )
-    r.raise_for_status()
-    return r.json()
-
-
 @mcp.tool()
 def beacon_contracts(agent_id: str = "") -> dict:
     """List Beacon contracts (bounties, agreements, accords).
@@ -1168,10 +1114,7 @@ def contributor_lookup(username: str) -> dict:
     wallet_ids_to_try = [username, f"rtc-{username}", username.lower()]
     for wallet_id in wallet_ids_to_try:
         try:
-            r = client.get(
-                f"{RUSTCHAIN_NODE}/balance",
-                params={"miner_id": wallet_id},
-            )
+            r = client.get(f"{RUSTCHAIN_NODE}/balance/{wallet_id}")
             if r.status_code == 200:
                 balance_data = r.json()
                 if balance_data.get("balance_rtc", 0) > 0 or balance_data.get("amount_i64", 0) > 0:
diff --git a/tests/test_bottube_endpoints.py b/tests/test_bottube_endpoints.py
index b80fa7b..4b1618d 100644
--- a/tests/test_bottube_endpoints.py
+++ b/tests/test_bottube_endpoints.py
@@ -92,3 +92,22 @@ def test_no_dead_v1_paths_anywhere(rec):
     srv.bottube_trending()
     srv.bottube_agent_profile("a")
     assert all("/api/v1/" not in url for _, url, _, _ in rec.calls)
+
+
+# --- RustChain balance path-lock (was /balance?miner_id=, dead; now /balance/{id}) ---
+def test_rustchain_balance_uses_path_param(rec):
+    srv.rustchain_balance("sophia-elya")
+    m, url, params, _ = _last(rec)
+    assert m == "GET" and url.endswith("/balance/sophia-elya")
+    assert "miner_id" not in params and "?" not in url
+
+
+def test_wallet_balance_uses_path_param(rec):
+    srv.wallet_balance("dual-g4-125")
+    _, url, params, _ = _last(rec)
+    assert url.split("?")[0].endswith("/balance/dual-g4-125") and "miner_id" not in params
+
+
+def test_gas_tools_removed():
+    # the relay has no gas routes — these dead tools must not exist
+    assert not hasattr(srv, "beacon_gas_balance") and not hasattr(srv, "beacon_gas_deposit")