diff --git a/src/web/api/session.test.ts b/src/web/api/session.test.ts
index 1a0e76a..f327685 100644
--- a/src/web/api/session.test.ts
+++ b/src/web/api/session.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { createUserStore, type UserStore } from "../../data/users.js";
 import { createSessionStore, type SessionStore } from "../../data/sessions.js";
 import { createAuditStore } from "../../data/audit.js";
 import { createPermissionStore } from "../../data/permissions.js";
+import { getDefaultConfig, type GuestModeConfig } from "../../data/config.js";
+import type { GuestPermissions, BotAccess } from "../../data/permissions.js";
 import { createSessionRouter } from "./session.js";
 import { SESSION_COOKIE_NAME } from "../auth/validateSession.js";
 
@@ -17,7 +19,17 @@ function makeApp(botDb: BotDatabase, users: UserStore, sessions: SessionStore) {
   app.use(cookieParser());
   const audit = createAuditStore(botDb.db);
   const permissions = createPermissionStore(botDb.db);
-  app.use("/api/session", createSessionRouter(users, sessions, audit, pino({ level: "silent" }), permissions));
+  app.use(
+    "/api/session",
+    createSessionRouter(
+      users,
+      sessions,
+      audit,
+      pino({ level: "silent" }),
+      permissions,
+      () => getDefaultConfig().guestMode
+    )
+  );
   return app;
 }
 
@@ -47,7 +59,7 @@ describe("session router", () => {
   it("GET /needs-setup returns true on an empty db", async () => {
     const res = await request(app).get("/api/session/needs-setup");
     expect(res.status).toBe(200);
-    expect(res.body).toEqual({ needsSetup: true });
+    expect(res.body).toEqual({ needsSetup: true, guestAllowed: false });
   });
 
   it("POST /setup creates the first admin, logs them in, and returns false from /needs-setup afterwards", async () => {
@@ -59,7 +71,7 @@ describe("session router", () => {
     extractCookie(setupRes);
 
     const needs = await request(app).get("/api/session/needs-setup");
-    expect(needs.body).toEqual({ needsSetup: false });
+    expect(needs.body).toEqual({ needsSetup: false, guestAllowed: false });
   });
 
   it("POST /setup returns 409 once a user already exists", async () => {
@@ -157,3 +169,71 @@ describe("session router", () => {
     expect(u.id).toBe(meA.body.id);
   });
 });
+
+describe("session router — guest mode", () => {
+  let botDb: BotDatabase;
+
+  afterEach(() => botDb.close());
+
+  function makeApp(opts: {
+    guestEnabled: boolean;
+    guestPermissions?: GuestPermissions;
+    guestBots?: BotAccess;
+  }) {
+    botDb = createDatabase(":memory:");
+    const users = createUserStore(botDb.db);
+    const sessions = createSessionStore(botDb.db);
+    const audit = createAuditStore(botDb.db);
+    const permissions = createPermissionStore(botDb.db);
+    const guestCfg: GuestModeConfig = {
+      enabled: opts.guestEnabled,
+      bots: opts.guestBots ?? getDefaultConfig().guestMode.bots,
+      permissions: opts.guestPermissions ?? getDefaultConfig().guestMode.permissions,
+    };
+    const app = express();
+    app.use(express.json());
+    app.use(cookieParser());
+    app.use(
+      "/api/session",
+      createSessionRouter(users, sessions, audit, pino({ level: "silent" }), permissions, () => guestCfg)
+    );
+    return { app, users, sessions };
+  }
+
+  it("POST /guest is 403 when guest mode disabled", async () => {
+    const { app } = makeApp({ guestEnabled: false });
+    const res = await request(app).post("/api/session/guest");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(403);
+  });
+
+  it("POST /guest mints a guest session when enabled, and /me reports role guest + flags", async () => {
+    const { app } = makeApp({
+      guestEnabled: true,
+      guestPermissions: {
+        addToQueue: true,
+        playNext: true,
+        playNow: false,
+        skip: false,
+        transport: false,
+        removeClear: false,
+        playMode: false,
+      },
+      guestBots: "all",
+    });
+    const login = await request(app).post("/api/session/guest");
+    expect(login.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(login.body.role).toBe("guest");
+    const cookie = login.headers["set-cookie"];
+    const me = await request(app).get("/api/session/me").set("Cookie", cookie);
+    expect(me.body.role).toBe("guest");
+    expect(me.body.guest.addToQueue).toBe(true);
+    expect(me.body.guest.playNext).toBe(true);
+    expect(me.body.capabilities).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("GET /needs-setup exposes guestAllowed", async () => {
+    const { app } = makeApp({ guestEnabled: true });
+    const res = await request(app).get("/api/session/needs-setup");
+    expect(res.body.guestAllowed).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/web/api/session.ts b/src/web/api/session.ts
index 85b26b6..1d67b89 100644
--- a/src/web/api/session.ts
+++ b/src/web/api/session.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import type { UserStore } from "../../data/users.js";
 import type { SessionStore } from "../../data/sessions.js";
 import type { AuditStore } from "../../data/audit.js";
 import { resolvePermissionContext, type PermissionStore } from "../../data/permissions.js";
-import { SESSION_TTL_MS } from "../../data/sessions.js";
+import { SESSION_TTL_MS, GUEST_SESSION_TTL_MS } from "../../data/sessions.js";
+import { GUEST_USER_ID, GUEST_USERNAME } from "../../data/users.js";
+import type { GuestModeConfig } from "../../data/config.js";
 import { SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, validateSessionFromHeaders, extractSessionToken } from "../auth/validateSession.js";
 
 const FAILED_LOGIN_DELAY_MS = 250;
@@ -51,7 +53,8 @@ export function createSessionRouter(
   sessions: SessionStore,
   audit: AuditStore,
   logger: Logger,
-  permissions: PermissionStore
+  permissions: PermissionStore,
+  getGuestConfig: () => GuestModeConfig
 ): Router {
   const router = Router();
 
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@ export function createSessionRouter(
   };
 
   router.get("/needs-setup", (_req, res) => {
-    res.json({ needsSetup: users.countUsers() === 0 });
+    res.json({ needsSetup: users.countUsers() === 0, guestAllowed: getGuestConfig().enabled });
   });
 
   router.post("/setup", async (req, res) => {
@@ -125,6 +128,17 @@ export function createSessionRouter(
     res.json({ id: user.id, username: user.username, role: user.role });
   });
 
+  router.post("/guest", (_req, res) => {
+    const cfg = getGuestConfig();
+    if (!cfg.enabled) {
+      res.status(403).json({ error: "guest mode disabled" });
+      return;
+    }
+    const { token } = sessions.createSession(GUEST_USER_ID, { ttlMs: GUEST_SESSION_TTL_MS, skipCap: true });
+    setSessionCookie(res, token);
+    res.json({ id: GUEST_USER_ID, username: GUEST_USERNAME, role: "guest" });
+  });
+
   router.post("/logout", (req, res) => {
     const token = parseTokenFromCookie(req.headers.cookie);
     if (token) {
@@ -136,13 +150,20 @@ export function createSessionRouter(
 
   router.get("/me", requireAuthInline, (req, res) => {
     const user = req.user!;
-    const ctx = resolvePermissionContext(user.role, user.id, permissions);
+    const cfg = getGuestConfig();
+    const ctx = resolvePermissionContext(
+      user.role,
+      user.id,
+      permissions,
+      user.role === "guest" ? { bots: cfg.bots, permissions: cfg.permissions } : undefined
+    );
     res.json({
       id: user.id,
       username: user.username,
       role: user.role,
       capabilities: [...ctx.capabilities],
       bots: ctx.bots === "all" ? "all" : [...ctx.bots],
+      guest: ctx.guest ?? null,
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/web/server.ts b/src/web/server.ts
index b1d5809..716c4b5 100755
--- a/src/web/server.ts
+++ b/src/web/server.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export function createWebServer(options: WebServerOptions): WebServer {
   app.use("/api/session/login", loginLimit);
   app.use("/api/session/setup", setupLimit);
 
-  app.use("/api/session", createSessionRouter(users, sessions, audit, logger, permissions));
+  app.use("/api/session", createSessionRouter(users, sessions, audit, logger, permissions, () => options.config.guestMode));
 
   // ─── Gates for everything else under /api ───────────────────────────────
   const requireAuth = createRequireAuth(sessions, permissions, () => options.config.guestMode);