diff --git a/src/lib/server/admin/session.ts b/src/lib/server/admin/session.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd1f1a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/server/admin/session.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+import { dev } from '$app/environment'
+import type { Cookies } from '@sveltejs/kit'
+import { createHmac, timingSafeEqual } from 'node:crypto'
+import type { SessionUser } from '$lib/types/session'
+
+const SESSION_COOKIE_NAME = 'admin_session'
+const SESSION_TTL_SECONDS = 60 * 60 * 12 // 12 hours
+
+interface SessionPayload {
+	username: string
+	exp: number
+}
+
+function adminPassword(): string {
+	return process.env.ADMIN_PASSWORD ?? 'changeme'
+}
+
+function sessionSecret(): string {
+	return process.env.ADMIN_SESSION_SECRET ?? process.env.ADMIN_PASSWORD ?? 'changeme'
+}
+
+function signPayload(payload: string): Buffer {
+	const hmac = createHmac('sha256', sessionSecret())
+	hmac.update(payload)
+	hmac.update(adminPassword())
+	return hmac.digest()
+}
+
+function buildToken(payload: SessionPayload): string {
+	const payloadStr = JSON.stringify(payload)
+	const signature = signPayload(payloadStr).toString('base64url')
+	return `${Buffer.from(payloadStr, 'utf8').toString('base64url')}.${signature}`
+}
+
+function parseToken(token: string): SessionPayload | null {
+	const [encodedPayload, encodedSignature] = token.split('.')
+	if (!encodedPayload || !encodedSignature) return null
+
+	const payloadStr = Buffer.from(encodedPayload, 'base64url').toString('utf8')
+	let payload: SessionPayload
+	try {
+		payload = JSON.parse(payloadStr)
+		if (!payload || typeof payload.username !== 'string' || typeof payload.exp !== 'number') {
+			return null
+		}
+	} catch {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	const expectedSignature = signPayload(payloadStr)
+	let providedSignature: Buffer
+	try {
+		providedSignature = Buffer.from(encodedSignature, 'base64url')
+	} catch {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	if (expectedSignature.length !== providedSignature.length) {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	try {
+		if (!timingSafeEqual(expectedSignature, providedSignature)) {
+			return null
+		}
+	} catch {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	if (Date.now() > payload.exp) {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	return payload
+}
+
+export function validateAdminPassword(password: string): SessionUser | null {
+	const expected = adminPassword()
+	const providedBuf = Buffer.from(password)
+	const expectedBuf = Buffer.from(expected)
+
+	if (providedBuf.length !== expectedBuf.length) {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	try {
+		if (!timingSafeEqual(providedBuf, expectedBuf)) {
+			return null
+		}
+	} catch {
+		return null
+	}
+
+	return { username: 'admin' }
+}
+
+export function createSessionToken(user: SessionUser): string {
+	const payload: SessionPayload = {
+		username: user.username,
+		exp: Date.now() + SESSION_TTL_SECONDS * 1000
+	}
+	return buildToken(payload)
+}
+
+export function readSessionToken(token: string | undefined): SessionUser | null {
+	if (!token) return null
+	const payload = parseToken(token)
+	if (!payload) return null
+	return { username: payload.username }
+}
+
+export function setSessionCookie(cookies: Cookies, user: SessionUser) {
+	const token = createSessionToken(user)
+	cookies.set(SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, token, {
+		path: '/admin',
+		httpOnly: true,
+		secure: !dev,
+		sameSite: 'lax',
+		maxAge: SESSION_TTL_SECONDS
+	})
+}
+
+export function clearSessionCookie(cookies: Cookies) {
+	cookies.delete(SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, {
+		path: '/admin'
+	})
+}
+
+export function getSessionUser(cookies: Cookies): SessionUser | null {
+	const token = cookies.get(SESSION_COOKIE_NAME)
+	return readSessionToken(token)
+}
+
+export const ADMIN_SESSION_COOKIE = SESSION_COOKIE_NAME
diff --git a/src/lib/server/api-utils.ts b/src/lib/server/api-utils.ts
index 8273860..8d3a144 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/api-utils.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/api-utils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { RequestEvent } from '@sveltejs/kit'
+import { getSessionUser } from '$lib/server/admin/session'
 
 // Response helpers
 export function jsonResponse(data: any, status = 200): Response {
@@ -72,6 +73,11 @@ export function toISOString(date: Date | string | null | undefined): string | nu
 
 // Basic auth check (temporary until proper auth is implemented)
 export function checkAdminAuth(event: RequestEvent): boolean {
+	const sessionUser = getSessionUser(event.cookies)
+	if (sessionUser) {
+		return true
+	}
+
 	const authHeader = event.request.headers.get('Authorization')
 	if (!authHeader) return false
 
diff --git a/src/lib/types/session.ts b/src/lib/types/session.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb0d0d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/types/session.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export interface SessionUser {
+	username: string
+}
+
+export interface AdminSession {
+	user: SessionUser
+	expiresAt: number
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/admin/+layout.server.ts b/src/routes/admin/+layout.server.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb2aa05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/admin/+layout.server.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { redirect } from '@sveltejs/kit'
+import type { LayoutServerLoad } from './$types'
+import { getSessionUser } from '$lib/server/admin/session'
+
+const LOGIN_PATH = '/admin/login'
+const DASHBOARD_PATH = '/admin'
+
+function isLoginRoute(pathname: string) {
+	return pathname === LOGIN_PATH
+}
+
+export const load = (async (event) => {
+	const user = getSessionUser(event.cookies)
+	const pathname = event.url.pathname
+
+	if (!user && !isLoginRoute(pathname)) {
+		throw redirect(303, LOGIN_PATH)
+	}
+
+	if (user && isLoginRoute(pathname)) {
+		throw redirect(303, DASHBOARD_PATH)
+	}
+
+	return { user }
+}) satisfies LayoutServerLoad
diff --git a/src/routes/admin/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/admin/+layout.svelte
index c97d63b..a8257a9 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/admin/+layout.svelte
@@ -1,42 +1,24 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { page } from '$app/stores'
-	import { onMount } from 'svelte'
-	import { goto } from '$app/navigation'
 	import AdminNavBar from '$lib/components/admin/AdminNavBar.svelte'
+	import type { LayoutData } from './$types'
 
-	let { children } = $props()
-
-	// Check if user is authenticated
-	let isAuthenticated = $state(false)
-	let isLoading = $state(true)
-
-	onMount(() => {
-		// Check localStorage for auth token
-		const auth = localStorage.getItem('admin_auth')
-		if (auth) {
-			isAuthenticated = true
-		} else if ($page.url.pathname !== '/admin/login') {
-			// Redirect to login if not authenticated
-			goto('/admin/login')
-		}
-		isLoading = false
-	})
+	const { children, data } = $props<{ children: any; data: LayoutData }>()
 
 	const currentPath = $derived($page.url.pathname)
+	const isLoginRoute = $derived(currentPath === '/admin/login')
 
 	// Pages that should use the card metaphor (no .admin-content wrapper)
 	const cardLayoutPages = ['/admin']
 	const useCardLayout = $derived(cardLayoutPages.includes(currentPath))
 </script>
 
-{#if isLoading}
-	<div class="loading">Loading...</div>
-{:else if !isAuthenticated && currentPath !== '/admin/login'}
-	<!-- Not authenticated and not on login page, redirect will happen in onMount -->
-	<div class="loading">Redirecting to login...</div>
-{:else if currentPath === '/admin/login'}
+{#if isLoginRoute}
 	<!-- On login page, show children without layout -->
 	{@render children()}
+{:else if !data.user}
+	<!-- Server loader should redirect, but provide fallback -->
+	<div class="loading">Redirecting to login...</div>
 {:else}
 	<!-- Authenticated, show admin layout -->
 	<div class="admin-container">
diff --git a/src/routes/admin/login/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/admin/login/+page.server.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33a2a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/admin/login/+page.server.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { fail, redirect } from '@sveltejs/kit'
+import type { Actions, PageServerLoad } from './$types'
+import { clearSessionCookie, setSessionCookie, validateAdminPassword } from '$lib/server/admin/session'
+
+export const load = (async ({ cookies }) => {
+	// Ensure we start with a clean session when hitting the login page
+	clearSessionCookie(cookies)
+
+	return {
+		form: {
+			message: null
+		}
+	}
+}) satisfies PageServerLoad
+
+export const actions = {
+	default: async ({ request, cookies }) => {
+		const formData = await request.formData()
+		const password = formData.get('password')
+
+		if (typeof password !== 'string' || password.trim().length === 0) {
+			return fail(400, {
+				message: 'Password is required'
+			})
+		}
+
+		const user = validateAdminPassword(password)
+		if (!user) {
+			return fail(401, {
+				message: 'Invalid password'
+			})
+		}
+
+		setSessionCookie(cookies, user)
+
+		throw redirect(303, '/admin')
+	}
+} satisfies Actions
diff --git a/src/routes/admin/login/+page.svelte b/src/routes/admin/login/+page.svelte
index c237452..82630eb 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin/login/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/admin/login/+page.svelte
@@ -1,39 +1,11 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-	import { goto } from '$app/navigation'
 	import Input from '$lib/components/admin/Input.svelte'
+	import type { PageData } from './$types'
+
+	const { form } = $props<{ form: PageData['form'] | undefined }>()
 
 	let password = $state('')
-	let error = $state('')
-	let isLoading = $state(false)
-
-	async function handleLogin(e: Event) {
-		e.preventDefault()
-		error = ''
-		isLoading = true
-
-		try {
-			// Test the password by making an authenticated request
-			const response = await fetch('/api/media', {
-				headers: {
-					Authorization: `Basic ${btoa(`admin:${password}`)}`
-				}
-			})
-
-			if (response.ok) {
-				// Store auth in localStorage
-				localStorage.setItem('admin_auth', btoa(`admin:${password}`))
-				goto('/admin')
-			} else if (response.status === 401) {
-				error = 'Invalid password'
-			} else {
-				error = 'Something went wrong'
-			}
-		} catch (err) {
-			error = 'Failed to connect to server'
-		} finally {
-			isLoading = false
-		}
-	}
+	const errorMessage = $derived(form?.message ?? null)
 </script>
 
 <svelte:head>
@@ -42,24 +14,23 @@
 
 <div class="login-page">
 	<div class="login-card">
-		<form onsubmit={handleLogin}>
+		<form method="POST">
 			<Input
 				type="password"
 				label="Password"
+				name="password"
 				bind:value={password}
 				required
 				autofocus
 				placeholder="Enter password"
-				disabled={isLoading}
+				autocomplete="current-password"
 			/>
 
-			{#if error}
-				<div class="error-message">{error}</div>
+			{#if errorMessage}
+				<div class="error-message">{errorMessage}</div>
 			{/if}
 
-			<button type="submit" disabled={isLoading} class="login-btn">
-				{isLoading ? 'Logging in...' : 'Login'}
-			</button>
+			<button type="submit" class="login-btn">Login</button>
 		</form>
 	</div>
 </div>