diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index f86a6aa..f503bad 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ REFRESH_EXPIRES_IN=7d
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5173
 
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Metrics
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Bearer token required to scrape /metrics. Leave unset only if the API port is
+# unreachable outside the scrape network -- /metrics exposes request, DB and
+# auth counters. Prometheus: use bearer_token_file in the scrape config.
+# METRICS_TOKEN=
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Admin
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/cmd/api/main.go b/cmd/api/main.go
index 88a4758..ceef3d5 100644
--- a/cmd/api/main.go
+++ b/cmd/api/main.go
@@ -355,7 +355,15 @@ func main() {
 		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"status": "ok"})
 	})
 
-	// Prometheus metrics endpoint (no auth required, alongside /health)
+	// Prometheus metrics endpoint.
+	//
+	// Previously unauthenticated. It exposes Go runtime stats, DB pool stats,
+	// per-path request counters and auth attempt/failure counters -- useful
+	// reconnaissance and a slow user-count oracle for anyone who can reach the
+	// port. Now gated on a bearer token when METRICS_TOKEN is set; when it is
+	// not set the endpoint stays open, which is correct for the intended
+	// topology (scraped over the internal Docker network, API port not
+	// published) but is warned about at startup so it is a deliberate choice.
 	if metricsEnabled {
 		appVersion := os.Getenv("APP_VERSION")
 		if appVersion == "" {
@@ -364,7 +372,15 @@ func main() {
 		middleware.RegisterAppMetrics(appVersion, startedAt)
 		prometheus.MustRegister(middleware.NewDBStatsCollector(db))
 
-		router.GET("/metrics", gin.WrapH(promhttp.Handler()))
+		metricsToken := os.Getenv("METRICS_TOKEN")
+		if metricsToken == "" {
+			slog.Warn("METRICS_TOKEN not set — /metrics is unauthenticated; " +
+				"set it, or ensure the API port is not reachable outside the scrape network")
+			router.GET("/metrics", gin.WrapH(promhttp.Handler()))
+		} else {
+			router.GET("/metrics", middleware.MetricsAuthMiddleware(metricsToken), gin.WrapH(promhttp.Handler()))
+			slog.Info("Prometheus metrics require a bearer token")
+		}
 		slog.Info("Prometheus metrics enabled at /metrics")
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/api/middleware/metrics_auth.go b/internal/api/middleware/metrics_auth.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..427770a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/api/middleware/metrics_auth.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package middleware
+
+import (
+	"crypto/subtle"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+// MetricsAuthMiddleware guards the Prometheus endpoint with a shared bearer
+// token.
+//
+// /metrics exposes Go runtime stats, DB pool stats, per-path request counters
+// and auth attempt/failure counters. That is useful reconnaissance for anyone
+// who can reach the port, and the user/registration counters make it a slow
+// enumeration oracle, so it should not be world-readable.
+//
+// The comparison is constant-time: a naive == leaks the token prefix-wise to an
+// attacker who can measure response timing across many requests.
+func MetricsAuthMiddleware(token string) gin.HandlerFunc {
+	expected := []byte(token)
+	return func(c *gin.Context) {
+		presented := c.GetHeader("Authorization")
+		if after, ok := strings.CutPrefix(presented, "Bearer "); ok {
+			presented = after
+		}
+		if subtle.ConstantTimeCompare([]byte(presented), expected) != 1 {
+			// Deliberately terse: no hint about whether a token was presented
+			// or merely wrong.
+			c.AbortWithStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			return
+		}
+		c.Next()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/api/middleware/metrics_auth_test.go b/internal/api/middleware/metrics_auth_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3218d3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/api/middleware/metrics_auth_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package middleware
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+)
+
+func metricsRouter(token string) *gin.Engine {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	r := gin.New()
+	r.GET("/metrics", MetricsAuthMiddleware(token), func(c *gin.Context) {
+		c.String(http.StatusOK, "go_goroutines 12")
+	})
+	return r
+}
+
+func getMetrics(r *gin.Engine, authHeader string) int {
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/metrics", nil)
+	if authHeader != "" {
+		req.Header.Set("Authorization", authHeader)
+	}
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	r.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+	return w.Code
+}
+
+func TestMetricsAuth(t *testing.T) {
+	r := metricsRouter("s3cret-scrape-token")
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name, header string
+		want         int
+	}{
+		{"no header", "", http.StatusUnauthorized},
+		{"wrong token", "Bearer nope", http.StatusUnauthorized},
+		{"empty bearer", "Bearer ", http.StatusUnauthorized},
+		{"token prefix only", "Bearer s3cret", http.StatusUnauthorized},
+		{"correct bearer", "Bearer s3cret-scrape-token", http.StatusOK},
+		// Prometheus' bearer_token_file sends the Bearer form, but accept a
+		// raw token too so simple scrape configs work.
+		{"raw token", "s3cret-scrape-token", http.StatusOK},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := getMetrics(r, tc.header); got != tc.want {
+				t.Errorf("status = %d, want %d", got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// A longer presented token must not be accepted just because it shares a prefix.
+func TestMetricsAuth_RejectsPrefixExtension(t *testing.T) {
+	r := metricsRouter("abc")
+	if got := getMetrics(r, "Bearer abcdef"); got != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Errorf("prefix-extended token accepted: %d", got)
+	}
+}