diff --git a/tests/requests.test.ts b/tests/requests.test.ts
index 983e49e..24bbc63 100644
--- a/tests/requests.test.ts
+++ b/tests/requests.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,34 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { Mock } from "vitest";
+import type { Session } from "next-auth";
+
+// The route handlers call auth() (src/auth.ts) directly to gate access (see
+// src/app/api/requests/route.ts). That auth() reads cookies via
+// next/headers under the hood, which only works inside Next.js's own
+// request-handling machinery — not when these tests import and call
+// GET()/POST() directly, bypassing Next entirely (the same reason
+// middleware.ts itself isn't tested here; see CLAUDE.md's task notes).
+// Mocking @/auth sidesteps next/headers altogether and lets each test
+// control the session directly: a valid session by default (so the
+// existing business-logic tests below are unaffected), and no session for
+// the dedicated "returns 401" tests.
+vi.mock("@/auth", () => ({ auth: vi.fn() }));
+
 import { GET, POST } from "@/app/api/requests/route";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/prisma";
+import { auth } from "@/auth";
+
+// auth's real type is next-auth's overloaded call signature (RSC helper,
+// middleware wrapper, API-route form, ...) — vi.mocked() picks the wrong
+// overload to infer mock*Value's parameter type from, so cast to the one
+// shape actually used here: the no-arg session-helper call the route
+// handlers make.
+const mockedAuth = auth as unknown as Mock<() => Promise<Session | null>>;
+
+const testSession: Session = {
+  user: { id: "test-user-id" },
+  expires: new Date(Date.now() + 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString(),
+};
 
 function postRequest(body: unknown): Request {
   return new Request("http://localhost/api/requests", {
@@ -14,6 +42,10 @@ beforeEach(async () => {
   // Each test starts from an empty table so listing/order assertions are
   // deterministic.
   await prisma.request.deleteMany();
+  // Default to a logged-in session — the tests below exercise request
+  // business logic, not auth gating (that's covered by the "auth gating"
+  // describe block further down).
+  mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(testSession);
 });
 
 describe("POST /api/requests", () => {
@@ -91,3 +123,36 @@ describe("GET /api/requests", () => {
     expect(body).toEqual([]);
   });
 });
+
+describe("auth gating on /api/requests", () => {
+  // Route-level coverage for the "logged in or not" gate added alongside
+  // middleware.ts (src/middleware.ts) — see that file's comment for why
+  // page routes are gated via middleware but API routes gate themselves.
+  // No role/permission logic here, per the flat permission model (any
+  // logged-in user can do anything) — this only checks session presence.
+  it("POST /api/requests returns 401 without a session", async () => {
+    mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    const res = await POST(
+      postRequest({ employee_id: "emp-1", type: "asset", reason: "New laptop for onboarding" })
+    );
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body).toEqual({ error: "Unauthorized" });
+
+    // And it must not have created anything.
+    const remaining = await prisma.request.findMany();
+    expect(remaining).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("GET /api/requests returns 401 without a session", async () => {
+    mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    const res = await GET();
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+    const body = await res.json();
+    expect(body).toEqual({ error: "Unauthorized" });
+  });
+});