diff --git a/src/app/api/requests/route.ts b/src/app/api/requests/route.ts
index 952e3fa..930b40a 100644
--- a/src/app/api/requests/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/requests/route.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,18 @@
 import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
+import { auth } from "@/auth";
 import { createRequest, listRequests, validateCreateRequestInput } from "@/lib/requests";
 
+// middleware.ts's config.matcher deliberately excludes /api from route
+// protection (see its comment) — API routes verify the session themselves,
+// here, rather than relying on middleware alone. Permission model is flat
+// (CLAUDE.md): this only checks "logged in or not", no role/permission
+// check.
 export async function POST(request: Request): Promise<NextResponse> {
+  const session = await auth();
+  if (!session) {
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
+  }
+
   let body: unknown;
   try {
     body = await request.json();
@@ -25,6 +36,11 @@ export async function POST(request: Request): Promise<NextResponse> {
 }
 
 export async function GET(): Promise<NextResponse> {
+  const session = await auth();
+  if (!session) {
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
+  }
+
   const requests = await listRequests();
   return NextResponse.json(requests, { status: 200 });
 }