diff --git a/PROJECT.md b/PROJECT.md
index 1e009a8..7095f83 100644
--- a/PROJECT.md
+++ b/PROJECT.md
@@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ CREATE TABLE config (
 INSERT INTO config (key, value) VALUES
     ('max_image_size_mb',       '20'),
     ('max_video_size_mb',       '500'),
-    ('upload_rate_per_hour',    '10'),
+    ('upload_rate_per_hour',    '100'),  -- raised from 10 in migration 015 (guests upload bursts of 10-20)
     ('feed_rate_per_min',       '60'),
     ('export_rate_per_day',     '3'),
     ('quota_tolerance',         '0.75'),
diff --git a/backend/migrations/015_raise_upload_rate.down.sql b/backend/migrations/015_raise_upload_rate.down.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17946c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/migrations/015_raise_upload_rate.down.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+-- Revert the default upload rate to 10/hour for installs still on the raised
+-- default (preserves any explicit admin override at another value).
+UPDATE config SET value = '10' WHERE key = 'upload_rate_per_hour' AND value = '100';
diff --git a/backend/migrations/015_raise_upload_rate.up.sql b/backend/migrations/015_raise_upload_rate.up.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..677f524
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/migrations/015_raise_upload_rate.up.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+-- Raise the default per-guest upload rate from 10/hour to 100/hour.
+--
+-- Rationale: guests routinely upload a burst of 10-20 photos at once (phone
+-- multi-select). At the old default of 10/hour a real guest's first burst was
+-- throttled — surfaced by the 2026-07-18 load test. 100/hour comfortably covers
+-- several bursts across an event while still bounding abuse.
+--
+-- Only bump installs still on the old default; an admin who deliberately set a
+-- different value keeps it (migration 005 seeded 10; this UPDATE is scoped to '10').
+UPDATE config SET value = '100' WHERE key = 'upload_rate_per_hour' AND value = '10';
diff --git a/backend/src/handlers/test_admin.rs b/backend/src/handlers/test_admin.rs
index 917ccbf..7e44c7c 100644
--- a/backend/src/handlers/test_admin.rs
+++ b/backend/src/handlers/test_admin.rs
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ pub async fn truncate_all(
     .execute(&state.pool)
     .await?;
 
-    // Reseed config — mirrors migrations 005 and 009. Kept in sync by hand
+    // Reseed config — mirrors migrations 005, 009 and 015. Kept in sync by hand
     // because pulling SQL out of the migration files at runtime is fragile.
     sqlx::query(
         r#"INSERT INTO config (key, value) VALUES
             ('max_image_size_mb',          '20'),
             ('max_video_size_mb',          '500'),
-            ('upload_rate_per_hour',       '10'),
+            ('upload_rate_per_hour',       '100'),
             ('feed_rate_per_min',          '60'),
             ('export_rate_per_day',        '3'),
             ('quota_tolerance',            '0.75'),
diff --git a/backend/src/handlers/upload.rs b/backend/src/handlers/upload.rs
index aabf8a6..0e84f6a 100644
--- a/backend/src/handlers/upload.rs
+++ b/backend/src/handlers/upload.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ pub async fn upload(
     let upload_rate_on = config::get_bool(&state.config_cache, "upload_rate_enabled", true).await;
     if rate_limits_on && upload_rate_on {
         let upload_rate =
-            config::get_i64(&state.config_cache, "upload_rate_per_hour", 10).await as usize;
+            config::get_i64(&state.config_cache, "upload_rate_per_hour", 100).await as usize;
         if let Err(retry_after_secs) = state.rate_limiter.check_with_retry(
             format!("upload:{}", auth.user_id),
             upload_rate,
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/diashow/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/diashow/+page.svelte
index 1419d1f..1ed41ff 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/diashow/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/diashow/+page.svelte
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 	import { getToken } from '$lib/auth';
 	import { showBottomNav } from '$lib/ui-store';
 	import { dataMode, pickMediaUrl } from '$lib/data-mode-store';
-	import { onSseEvent } from '$lib/sse';
+	import { connectSse, disconnectSse, onSseEvent } from '$lib/sse';
 	import { SlideQueue } from '$lib/diashow/queue';
 	import { transitions, findTransition } from '$lib/diashow/transitions';
 	import { acquireWakeLock, releaseWakeLock } from '$lib/diashow/wakelock';
@@ -233,6 +233,13 @@
 		unsubs.push(onSseEvent('upload-deleted', handleUploadDeleted));
 		unsubs.push(onSseEvent('user-hidden', handleUserHidden));
 		unsubs.push(onSseEvent('feed-delta', handleFeedDelta));
+		// Open the stream ourselves — a kiosk/projector loads /diashow directly (never
+		// via /feed), so we can't rely on another page having opened the singleton
+		// EventSource. Without this the show only ever gets its one-time /feed snapshot
+		// and never receives live `upload-processed` events. connectSse() is idempotent
+		// (no-ops if the feed page already opened it). Subscriptions are registered above
+		// first so no early event is missed.
+		connectSse();
 		void loadInitial();
 	});
 
@@ -243,6 +250,7 @@
 		if (processedDebounce) clearTimeout(processedDebounce);
 		void releaseWakeLock();
 		for (const unsub of unsubs) unsub();
+		disconnectSse();
 	});
 </script>