diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index cb17209..3e4dae1 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -31,6 +31,16 @@ ADMIN_EMAILS=
 # Optional: origin of a separately-served frontend dev server (enables CORS). Leave empty in production.
 FRONTEND_ORIGIN=
 
+# Reverse-proxy trust for rate limiting. If you run the app behind a reverse proxy (Caddy/Nginx/
+# Traefik…) that terminates TLS, set this to the IP the proxy CONNECTS FROM as the app sees it — the
+# proxy's address on the app's network (e.g. the Docker/host/VPN IP), NOT the public client IP. Then
+# the login/registration/password-reset rate limiters key on the real client (read from the proxy's
+# X-Forwarded-For) instead of the proxy's own IP. Requests arriving from any OTHER peer (e.g. someone
+# hitting the container port directly) are not trusted and are rate-limited by their real socket IP,
+# so X-Forwarded-For can't be forged to dodge the limits. Comma-separated. Leave EMPTY if the app is
+# directly exposed with no proxy (then the direct socket IP is used). Example: TRUSTED_PROXY_IPS=10.10.0.1
+TRUSTED_PROXY_IPS=
+
 # Optional YouTube Data API key (Google Cloud Console -> Credentials -> Create API key).
 # When set, all public reads (channels/videos/playlist backfill + enrichment) use the key
 # instead of a user's OAuth token, so 24/7 backfill never depends on a refresh token that
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cd72694..22ef321 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ Port `8080` over plain HTTP is fine for a LAN or a quick trial. For public acces
 proxy (Caddy, Nginx, Traefik…) in front to terminate TLS, and set the **public URL** (the installer
 prompt, or `OAUTH_REDIRECT_URL` in `.env`) to your `https://…` address — this also marks the session
 cookie secure. Add that same `…/auth/callback` URL to your Google OAuth client's authorized redirect
-URIs.
+URIs. Behind a proxy, also set `TRUSTED_PROXY_IPS` so the rate limiters see the real client IP and
+can't be bypassed via a forged `X-Forwarded-For` — see [docs/self-hosting.md](docs/self-hosting.md#https--public-access).
 
 ## Updating & backups
 
diff --git a/backend/app/auth.py b/backend/app/auth.py
index edbb458..7a2f254 100644
--- a/backend/app/auth.py
+++ b/backend/app/auth.py
@@ -173,12 +173,19 @@ def get_or_create_demo_user(db: Session) -> User:
 
 
 def _client_ip(request: Request) -> str:
-    """Best-effort client IP for rate limiting. Behind our reverse proxy (Caddy/NPM) the
-    real client is the first X-Forwarded-For hop; fall back to the socket peer otherwise."""
-    xff = request.headers.get("x-forwarded-for")
-    if xff:
-        return xff.split(",")[0].strip()
-    return request.client.host if request.client else "unknown"
+    """Best-effort client IP for rate limiting. X-Forwarded-For is client-controlled, so we trust it
+    ONLY when the request actually arrived from a configured reverse proxy (settings.trusted_proxy_ips
+    — the address the proxy connects FROM, e.g. the VPS Caddy's WireGuard peer IP). Our proxy APPENDS
+    the client it saw to XFF, so the RIGHTMOST entry is the real client and can't be forged by a
+    client pre-seeding the header. Any other peer (someone hitting the app port directly, bypassing the
+    proxy) is untrusted — we use its real socket IP, so it can't spoof its rate-limit identity."""
+    peer = request.client.host if request.client else "unknown"
+    if peer in settings.trusted_proxy_ip_set:
+        xff = request.headers.get("x-forwarded-for")
+        parts = [p.strip() for p in (xff or "").split(",") if p.strip()]
+        if parts:
+            return parts[-1]
+    return peer
 
 
 def upsert_pending_invite(db: Session, email: str) -> Invite | None:
diff --git a/backend/app/config.py b/backend/app/config.py
index 3f75965..a4d6c10 100644
--- a/backend/app/config.py
+++ b/backend/app/config.py
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     # Origin of a separately served frontend dev server (enables CORS). Empty in production.
     frontend_origin: str = ""
 
+    # Reverse-proxy IPs whose X-Forwarded-For we trust for the real client IP (rate limiting). This
+    # is the address the proxy CONNECTS FROM as seen by the app — e.g. the WireGuard peer IP of the
+    # VPS Caddy front door. A request from any other peer (someone hitting the app port directly)
+    # is NOT trusted and its raw socket IP is used, so it can't spoof its rate-limit identity via
+    # XFF. Empty = trust no proxy (use the direct peer) — correct for a directly-exposed / local-dev
+    # deploy. Comma-separated. See auth._client_ip + the deploy docs.
+    trusted_proxy_ips: str = ""
+
     # --- Outbound email (onboarding: access-request + approval notices) ---
     # Gmail SMTP + App Password by default. All optional: if unset, email is skipped
     # (fail-soft) and onboarding still works via in-app notifications.
@@ -226,6 +234,10 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     def admin_email_set(self) -> set[str]:
         return {e.strip().lower() for e in self.admin_emails.split(",") if e.strip()}
 
+    @property
+    def trusted_proxy_ip_set(self) -> frozenset[str]:
+        return frozenset(p.strip() for p in self.trusted_proxy_ips.split(",") if p.strip())
+
     @property
     def app_base(self) -> str:
         """Public origin of the deployed app, derived from the OAuth redirect URL
diff --git a/docs/self-hosting.md b/docs/self-hosting.md
index 94d68b6..8997a3a 100644
--- a/docs/self-hosting.md
+++ b/docs/self-hosting.md
@@ -79,6 +79,21 @@ public access, put a reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, Traefik…) in front to termin
 secure). If you've already run the installer, edit `OAUTH_REDIRECT_URL` in `.env` to the https
 callback URL and `docker compose -f docker-compose.selfhost.yml up -d`.
 
+**Behind a proxy, set `TRUSTED_PROXY_IPS`.** The login / registration / password-reset rate limiters
+identify callers by IP. Behind a proxy every request arrives from the proxy, so without this the
+limits would apply to everyone together. Set `TRUSTED_PROXY_IPS` in `.env` to the address your proxy
+connects to the app *from* (as the app sees it — e.g. its Docker/host/LAN IP, **not** the public
+client address), and the app will read the real client IP from the proxy's `X-Forwarded-For` header:
+
+```bash
+TRUSTED_PROXY_IPS=172.18.0.1        # comma-separate multiple proxies
+```
+
+Only that peer is trusted, so a request sent straight to port `8080` (bypassing the proxy) can't forge
+`X-Forwarded-For` to dodge the limits — it's rate-limited by its real address. Leave it empty if the
+app is exposed directly with no proxy. Make sure your proxy actually sets `X-Forwarded-For` (Caddy's
+`reverse_proxy` and Nginx's `proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for` both do).
+
 ## Download Center (media storage)
 
 The stack includes a **Download Center**: an admin-enabled feature that saves videos to the server