diff --git a/api/controllers/adminController.js b/api/controllers/adminController.js
index 89b29cbd..61378a84 100644
--- a/api/controllers/adminController.js
+++ b/api/controllers/adminController.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
+const jwt = require("jsonwebtoken");
+const bcrypt = require("bcryptjs");
 
 function login(req, res) {
   const { username, password } = req.body || {};
@@ -6,31 +7,46 @@ function login(req, res) {
   const ADMIN_USERNAME = process.env.ADMIN_USERNAME;
   const ADMIN_PASSWORD = process.env.ADMIN_PASSWORD;
   const ADMIN_JWT_SECRET = process.env.ADMIN_JWT_SECRET;
-  const ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN = process.env.ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN || '2h';
+  const ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN = process.env.ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN || "2h";
 
   if (!ADMIN_USERNAME || !ADMIN_PASSWORD || !ADMIN_JWT_SECRET) {
-    return res.status(500).json({ success: false, message: 'Admin auth not configured' });
+    return res
+      .status(500)
+      .json({ success: false, message: "Admin auth not configured" });
+  }
+
+  // Fail fast (and loudly, in the server logs) if ADMIN_PASSWORD isn't a bcrypt
+  // hash. This removes the old plaintext-comparison fallback entirely, so a
+  // misconfigured .env can no longer silently downgrade auth to `===`.
+  const isBcryptHash = /^\$2[aby]\$\d{2}\$/.test(ADMIN_PASSWORD);
+  if (!isBcryptHash) {
+    console.error(
+      "[admin-auth] ADMIN_PASSWORD is not a bcrypt hash. Generate one with " +
+        "`node -e \"console.log(require('bcryptjs').hashSync(process.argv[1], 12))\" yourPassword` " +
+        "and set the result as ADMIN_PASSWORD.",
+    );
+    return res
+      .status(500)
+      .json({ success: false, message: "Admin auth not configured" });
   }
 
   if (!username || !password) {
-    return res.status(400).json({ success: false, message: 'Username and password are required' });
+    return res
+      .status(400)
+      .json({ success: false, message: "Username and password are required" });
   }
 
-  const bcrypt = require('bcryptjs');
-  const isBcrypt = ADMIN_PASSWORD.startsWith('$2a$') || ADMIN_PASSWORD.startsWith('$2b$');
-  const passwordMatch = isBcrypt 
-    ? bcrypt.compareSync(password, ADMIN_PASSWORD) 
-    : password === ADMIN_PASSWORD;
+  const passwordMatch = bcrypt.compareSync(password, ADMIN_PASSWORD);
 
   if (username !== ADMIN_USERNAME || !passwordMatch) {
-    return res.status(401).json({ success: false, message: 'Invalid credentials' });
+    return res
+      .status(401)
+      .json({ success: false, message: "Invalid credentials" });
   }
 
-  const token = jwt.sign(
-    { username: ADMIN_USERNAME },
-    ADMIN_JWT_SECRET,
-    { expiresIn: ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN }
-  );
+  const token = jwt.sign({ username: ADMIN_USERNAME }, ADMIN_JWT_SECRET, {
+    expiresIn: ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN,
+  });
 
   return res.json({ success: true, token, expiresIn: ADMIN_JWT_EXPIRES_IN });
 }
diff --git a/api/middlewares/adminLoginLimiter.js b/api/middlewares/adminLoginLimiter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8f58f72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/middlewares/adminLoginLimiter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+const rateLimit = require("express-rate-limit");
+
+// Throttles the admin login endpoint so a leaked/plaintext password (or just
+// a weak one) can't be brute-forced. Keyed on IP; tune window/max to taste.
+const adminLoginLimiter = rateLimit({
+  windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
+  max: 10, // 10 attempts per IP per window
+  standardHeaders: true,
+  legacyHeaders: false,
+  message: {
+    success: false,
+    message: "Too many login attempts. Please try again later.",
+  },
+});
+
+module.exports = { adminLoginLimiter };
diff --git a/api/routes/adminRoutes.js b/api/routes/adminRoutes.js
index d1c5c176..fef2c4ab 100644
--- a/api/routes/adminRoutes.js
+++ b/api/routes/adminRoutes.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-const express = require('express');
+const express = require("express");
 const router = express.Router();
-const { login } = require('../controllers/adminController');
+const { login } = require("../controllers/adminController");
+const { adminLoginLimiter } = require("../middlewares/adminLoginLimiter");
 
-router.post('/login', login);
+router.post("/login", adminLoginLimiter, login);
 
 module.exports = router;
diff --git a/middlewares/adminLoginLimiter.js b/middlewares/adminLoginLimiter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8f58f72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middlewares/adminLoginLimiter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+const rateLimit = require("express-rate-limit");
+
+// Throttles the admin login endpoint so a leaked/plaintext password (or just
+// a weak one) can't be brute-forced. Keyed on IP; tune window/max to taste.
+const adminLoginLimiter = rateLimit({
+  windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
+  max: 10, // 10 attempts per IP per window
+  standardHeaders: true,
+  legacyHeaders: false,
+  message: {
+    success: false,
+    message: "Too many login attempts. Please try again later.",
+  },
+});
+
+module.exports = { adminLoginLimiter };