diff --git a/admin/src/lib/api.ts b/admin/src/lib/api.ts
index 594c1e8..c5194f6 100644
--- a/admin/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/admin/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class ApiClient {
 
   // Auth
   async login(email: string, password: string) {
-    const data = await this.request<{ access_token: string; user: any }>('/api/v1/auth/login', {
+    const data = await this.request<{ access_token: string; user: any }>('/api/v1/admin/login', {
       method: 'POST',
       body: JSON.stringify({ email, password }),
     });
diff --git a/go-backend/cmd/api/main.go b/go-backend/cmd/api/main.go
index 5d5a6e0..bca2015 100644
--- a/go-backend/cmd/api/main.go
+++ b/go-backend/cmd/api/main.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func main() {
 	settingsHandler := handlers.NewSettingsHandler(userRepo, notifRepo)
 	analysisHandler := handlers.NewAnalysisHandler()
 	appealHandler := handlers.NewAppealHandler(appealService)
-	adminHandler := handlers.NewAdminHandler(dbPool, moderationService, appealService)
+	adminHandler := handlers.NewAdminHandler(dbPool, moderationService, appealService, cfg.JWTSecret)
 
 	var s3Client *s3.Client
 	if cfg.R2AccessKey != "" && cfg.R2SecretKey != "" && cfg.R2Endpoint != "" {
@@ -340,6 +340,9 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Admin login (no auth middleware - this IS the auth step)
+	r.POST("/api/v1/admin/login", adminHandler.AdminLogin)
+
 	// ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 	// Admin Panel API (requires auth + admin role)
 	// ──────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/go-backend/internal/handlers/admin_handler.go b/go-backend/internal/handlers/admin_handler.go
index 09087aa..40406f3 100644
--- a/go-backend/internal/handlers/admin_handler.go
+++ b/go-backend/internal/handlers/admin_handler.go
@@ -5,29 +5,112 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgxpool"
 	"github.com/patbritton/sojorn-backend/internal/services"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
 )
 
 type AdminHandler struct {
 	pool              *pgxpool.Pool
 	moderationService *services.ModerationService
 	appealService     *services.AppealService
+	jwtSecret         string
 }
 
-func NewAdminHandler(pool *pgxpool.Pool, moderationService *services.ModerationService, appealService *services.AppealService) *AdminHandler {
+func NewAdminHandler(pool *pgxpool.Pool, moderationService *services.ModerationService, appealService *services.AppealService, jwtSecret string) *AdminHandler {
 	return &AdminHandler{
 		pool:              pool,
 		moderationService: moderationService,
 		appealService:     appealService,
+		jwtSecret:         jwtSecret,
 	}
 }
 
+// ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Admin Login (no Turnstile required)
+// ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func (h *AdminHandler) AdminLogin(c *gin.Context) {
+	ctx := c.Request.Context()
+
+	var req struct {
+		Email    string `json:"email" binding:"required,email"`
+		Password string `json:"password" binding:"required"`
+	}
+	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&req); err != nil {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
+		return
+	}
+	req.Email = strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(req.Email))
+
+	// Look up user
+	var userID uuid.UUID
+	var passwordHash, status string
+	err := h.pool.QueryRow(ctx,
+		`SELECT id, encrypted_password, COALESCE(status, 'active') FROM users WHERE email = $1 AND deleted_at IS NULL`,
+		req.Email).Scan(&userID, &passwordHash, &status)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, gin.H{"error": "Invalid credentials"})
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(passwordHash), []byte(req.Password)); err != nil {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, gin.H{"error": "Invalid credentials"})
+		return
+	}
+
+	if status != "active" {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{"error": "Account is not active"})
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Check admin role
+	var role string
+	err = h.pool.QueryRow(ctx,
+		`SELECT COALESCE(role, 'user') FROM profiles WHERE id = $1`, userID).Scan(&role)
+	if err != nil || role != "admin" {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, gin.H{"error": "Admin access required"})
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Generate JWT
+	token := jwt.NewWithClaims(jwt.SigningMethodHS256, jwt.MapClaims{
+		"sub":  userID.String(),
+		"exp":  time.Now().Add(24 * time.Hour).Unix(),
+		"role": "authenticated",
+	})
+	tokenString, err := token.SignedString([]byte(h.jwtSecret))
+	if err != nil {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": "Failed to generate token"})
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Get profile info
+	var handle, displayName string
+	var avatarURL *string
+	h.pool.QueryRow(ctx,
+		`SELECT handle, display_name, avatar_url FROM profiles WHERE id = $1`, userID).Scan(&handle, &displayName, &avatarURL)
+
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{
+		"access_token": tokenString,
+		"user": gin.H{
+			"id":           userID,
+			"email":        req.Email,
+			"handle":       handle,
+			"display_name": displayName,
+			"avatar_url":   avatarURL,
+			"role":         role,
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 // ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Dashboard / Stats
 // ──────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -716,14 +799,14 @@ func (h *AdminHandler) GetModerationQueue(c *gin.Context) {
 			"id": fID, "post_id": postID, "comment_id": commentID,
 			"flag_reason": flagReason, "scores": scores, "status": fStatus,
 			"reviewed_by": reviewedBy, "reviewed_at": reviewedAt, "created_at": fCreatedAt,
-			"content_type":    contentType,
-			"post_body":       postBody,
-			"post_image":      postImage,
-			"post_video":      postVideo,
-			"comment_body":    commentBody,
-			"author_handle":   authorHandle,
-			"author_name":     authorDisplayName,
-			"post_author_id":  postAuthorID,
+			"content_type":      contentType,
+			"post_body":         postBody,
+			"post_image":        postImage,
+			"post_video":        postVideo,
+			"comment_body":      commentBody,
+			"author_handle":     authorHandle,
+			"author_name":       authorDisplayName,
+			"post_author_id":    postAuthorID,
 			"comment_author_id": commentAuthorID,
 		})
 	}