diff --git a/web/src/app/api/library/import/route.ts b/web/src/app/api/library/import/route.ts
index b4e49e6..67656f4 100644
--- a/web/src/app/api/library/import/route.ts
+++ b/web/src/app/api/library/import/route.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { pipeline } from "node:stream/promises";
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
 import Busboy from "busboy";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
+import { isAuthed } from "@/lib/auth";
 
 // Manually import an album (a ripped CD / files already on the PC): upload the audio (+ an
 // optional cover) with artist/album/year, and Lyra writes it into the library. The web
@@ -25,6 +26,12 @@ function safeName(s: string): string {
 }
 
 export async function POST(request: Request) {
+  // This route is excluded from the auth middleware (to avoid the 10MB body cap), so it must
+  // authenticate itself.
+  if (!(await isAuthed(request))) {
+    return Response.json({ error: "unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
+  }
+
   const ct = request.headers.get("content-type") ?? "";
   if (!ct.includes("multipart/form-data") || !request.body) {
     return Response.json({ error: "expected multipart form data" }, { status: 400 });
diff --git a/web/src/lib/auth.ts b/web/src/lib/auth.ts
index edeb2b6..9c65f69 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/auth.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/auth.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ export async function expectedToken(): Promise<string> {
   return token;
 }
 
+/** Authenticate a request directly (for routes excluded from the auth middleware, e.g. large
+ *  uploads). Returns true when auth is disabled or the request carries a valid session cookie. */
+export async function isAuthed(request: Request): Promise<boolean> {
+  const token = await expectedToken();
+  if (!token) return true; // auth disabled
+  const cookie = request.headers.get("cookie") ?? "";
+  const m = cookie.match(new RegExp(`(?:^|;\\s*)${AUTH_COOKIE}=([^;]+)`));
+  return safeEqual(m ? decodeURIComponent(m[1]) : "", token);
+}
+
 /** Constant-time string compare (both operands are our own derived tokens). */
 export function safeEqual(a: string, b: string): boolean {
   if (a.length !== b.length) return false;
diff --git a/web/src/middleware.ts b/web/src/middleware.ts
index fa40c22..ee1df9f 100644
--- a/web/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/web/src/middleware.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ export async function middleware(req: NextRequest) {
 }
 
 export const config = {
-  // Run on everything except Next internals and static assets (which carry no secrets).
-  matcher: ["/((?!_next/static|_next/image|favicon.ico|icon.svg|fonts/).*)"],
+  // Run on everything except Next internals and static assets (which carry no secrets), plus
+  // /api/library/import — routing large album uploads through middleware caps the body at
+  // 10MB, so it's excluded here and authenticates itself inline instead.
+  matcher: ["/((?!_next/static|_next/image|favicon.ico|icon.svg|fonts/|api/library/import).*)"],
 };