diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index f65dd37..4b39d05 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.87.2"
+version = "0.87.3"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index b9ad188..caca5e2 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.87.2"
+version = "0.87.3"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/backend/src/api/mangas.rs b/backend/src/api/mangas.rs
index d1befb2..10ea644 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/mangas.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api/mangas.rs
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ async fn update(
     if !repo::manga::exists(&state.db, id).await? {
         return Err(AppError::NotFound);
     }
-    require_can_edit(&state, id, user.id).await?;
+    require_can_edit(&state, id, user.id, user.is_admin).await?;
 
     if let Some(ref status) = patch.status {
         let trimmed = status.trim();
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ async fn put_cover(
     if !repo::manga::exists(&state.db, id).await? {
         return Err(AppError::NotFound);
     }
-    require_can_edit(&state, id, user.id).await?;
+    require_can_edit(&state, id, user.id, user.is_admin).await?;
 
     let mut cover: Option<UploadedImage> = None;
     while let Some(field) = next_field(&mut multipart).await? {
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ async fn delete_cover(
     if !repo::manga::exists(&state.db, id).await? {
         return Err(AppError::NotFound);
     }
-    require_can_edit(&state, id, user.id).await?;
+    require_can_edit(&state, id, user.id, user.is_admin).await?;
     if let Some(key) = repo::manga::get(&state.db, id).await?.cover_image_path {
         match state.storage.delete(&key).await {
             Ok(()) | Err(StorageError::NotFound) => {}
@@ -467,11 +467,16 @@ fn validate_new_manga(input: &NewManga) -> AppResult<()> {
 /// exist (the caller runs [`repo::manga::exists`] first so a missing id
 /// surfaces as `NotFound`, not `Forbidden`).
 ///
-/// Rule: a non-NULL `uploaded_by` must match the current user. Legacy
-/// rows with `uploaded_by IS NULL` (pre-migration-0011) are still
-/// editable by any signed-in user — there's nobody to gate on yet, and
-/// the historical-data note in 0011 acknowledges the gap. Once an
-/// admin role lands the NULL case can flip to admin-only.
+/// Rule: a non-NULL `uploaded_by` must match the current user, OR the
+/// caller is an admin. Rows with `uploaded_by IS NULL` (crawler-imported
+/// + legacy pre-0011) are admin-only.
+///
+/// Why: every crawler row has NULL `uploaded_by` (see
+/// `repo::crawler::upsert_manga`). The earlier "any signed-in user can
+/// edit a NULL row" rule meant `register → PATCH /api/v1/mangas/<id>`
+/// rewrote the catalog for free, and `delete_cover` removed blobs from
+/// `storage`. Now that the admin role exists (migration 0018), gate
+/// crawler/legacy rows on it.
 ///
 /// Returns `Forbidden` (not `NotFound`) on owner mismatch — mangas
 /// are listable via `GET /mangas`, so existence isn't a secret and
@@ -479,11 +484,18 @@ fn validate_new_manga(input: &NewManga) -> AppResult<()> {
 /// `repo::collection::require_owner`, which collapses both states to
 /// `NotFound` because collections are private to a user and existence
 /// itself is information worth hiding from non-owners.
-async fn require_can_edit(state: &AppState, manga_id: Uuid, user_id: Uuid) -> AppResult<()> {
+async fn require_can_edit(
+    state: &AppState,
+    manga_id: Uuid,
+    user_id: Uuid,
+    is_admin: bool,
+) -> AppResult<()> {
     match repo::manga::uploaded_by(&state.db, manga_id).await? {
-        Some(owner) if owner != user_id => Err(AppError::Forbidden),
-        // Some(owner) == user_id (good) or None (legacy row, no owner).
-        _ => Ok(()),
+        Some(owner) if owner == user_id => Ok(()),
+        Some(_) if is_admin => Ok(()),
+        Some(_) => Err(AppError::Forbidden),
+        None if is_admin => Ok(()),
+        None => Err(AppError::Forbidden),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/tests/api_mangas_metadata.rs b/backend/tests/api_mangas_metadata.rs
index 107f9d2..13db87c 100644
--- a/backend/tests/api_mangas_metadata.rs
+++ b/backend/tests/api_mangas_metadata.rs
@@ -611,18 +611,18 @@ async fn patch_allowed_for_uploader(pool: PgPool) {
     assert_eq!(resp.status(), StatusCode::OK);
 }
 
-/// Legacy rows with `uploaded_by IS NULL` (created before migration
-/// 0011) remain editable by any signed-in user. Without this carve-out
-/// the historical-data note in 0011 would be broken.
+/// Rows with `uploaded_by IS NULL` — crawler-imported plus any pre-0011
+/// legacy rows — are admin-only. A regular user editing them used to be
+/// allowed; that meant `register → PATCH /mangas/<id>` rewrote the
+/// catalog for free.
 #[sqlx::test(migrations = "./migrations")]
-async fn patch_allowed_on_legacy_null_uploader(pool: PgPool) {
+async fn patch_null_uploader_rejected_for_non_admin(pool: PgPool) {
     let h = common::harness(pool.clone());
     let (_, cookie) = common::register_user(&h.app).await;
-    let created = create_manga(&h.app, &cookie, json!({ "title": "Legacy" })).await;
+    let created = create_manga(&h.app, &cookie, json!({ "title": "Catalog" })).await;
     let id = id_of(&created);
 
-    // Simulate a row uploaded before the column existed: clear
-    // uploaded_by directly via SQL.
+    // Simulate a crawler-imported / pre-0011 row: clear uploaded_by.
     sqlx::query("UPDATE mangas SET uploaded_by = NULL WHERE id = $1")
         .bind(id)
         .execute(&pool)
@@ -639,5 +639,42 @@ async fn patch_allowed_on_legacy_null_uploader(pool: PgPool) {
         ))
         .await
         .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(resp.status(), StatusCode::FORBIDDEN);
+}
+
+/// Admins CAN edit NULL-`uploaded_by` rows, since they're the operators
+/// curating the crawled catalog. Mirror of the test above with the
+/// caller promoted.
+#[sqlx::test(migrations = "./migrations")]
+async fn patch_null_uploader_allowed_for_admin(pool: PgPool) {
+    let h = common::harness(pool.clone());
+    let (_, cookie) = common::register_user(&h.app).await;
+    let created = create_manga(&h.app, &cookie, json!({ "title": "Catalog" })).await;
+    let id = id_of(&created);
+
+    sqlx::query("UPDATE mangas SET uploaded_by = NULL WHERE id = $1")
+        .bind(id)
+        .execute(&pool)
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Mint an admin and let them edit the row.
+    let (admin_name, admin_cookie) = common::register_user(&h.app).await;
+    let admin = mangalord::repo::user::find_by_username(&pool, &admin_name)
+        .await
+        .unwrap()
+        .unwrap();
+    mangalord::repo::user::set_is_admin_unchecked(&pool, admin.id, true)
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let resp = h
+        .app
+        .oneshot(common::patch_json_with_cookie(
+            &format!("/api/v1/mangas/{id}"),
+            json!({ "status": "completed" }),
+            &admin_cookie,
+        ))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
     assert_eq!(resp.status(), StatusCode::OK);
 }
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index f9b4fa6..f06abe1 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.87.2",
+  "version": "0.87.3",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {