diff --git a/lib/api/api.js b/lib/api/api.js
index f299ff8..2ba75c5 100644
--- a/lib/api/api.js
+++ b/lib/api/api.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { getDirName } from '../utils.js';
 import { demoRouter } from './routes/demoRouter.js';
 import logger from '../services/logger.js';
 import { listingsRouter } from './routes/listingsRouter.js';
-import { getSettings } from '../services/storage/settingsStorage.js';
+import { getSettings, getOrCreateSessionSecret } from '../services/storage/settingsStorage.js';
 import { dashboardRouter } from './routes/dashboardRouter.js';
 import { backupRouter } from './routes/backupRouter.js';
 import { trackingRouter } from './routes/trackingRoute.js';
@@ -28,9 +28,10 @@ import { registerMcpRoutes } from '../mcp/mcpHttpRoute.js';
 const service = restana();
 const staticService = files(path.join(getDirName(), '../ui/public'));
 const PORT = (await getSettings()).port || 9998;
+const sessionSecret = await getOrCreateSessionSecret();
 
 service.use(bodyParser.json());
-service.use(cookieSession());
+service.use(cookieSession(sessionSecret));
 service.use(staticService);
 service.use('/api/admin', authInterceptor());
 service.use('/api/jobs', authInterceptor());
diff --git a/lib/api/routes/loginRoute.js b/lib/api/routes/loginRoute.js
index 228a43a..15f4aac 100644
--- a/lib/api/routes/loginRoute.js
+++ b/lib/api/routes/loginRoute.js
@@ -9,6 +9,27 @@ import * as hasher from '../../services/security/hash.js';
 import { trackDemoAccessed } from '../../services/tracking/Tracker.js';
 import logger from '../../services/logger.js';
 import { getSettings } from '../../services/storage/settingsStorage.js';
+
+const MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS = 10;
+const LOGIN_WINDOW_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000; // 15 minutes
+const loginAttempts = new Map(); // ip -> { count, firstAttempt }
+
+function getClientIp(req) {
+  const forwarded = req.headers['x-forwarded-for'];
+  return (forwarded ? forwarded.split(',')[0] : req.socket?.remoteAddress) || 'unknown';
+}
+
+function isRateLimited(ip) {
+  const now = Date.now();
+  const record = loginAttempts.get(ip);
+  if (!record || now - record.firstAttempt > LOGIN_WINDOW_MS) {
+    loginAttempts.set(ip, { count: 1, firstAttempt: now });
+    return false;
+  }
+  record.count++;
+  return record.count > MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS;
+}
+
 const service = restana();
 const loginRouter = service.newRouter();
 loginRouter.get('/user', async (req, res) => {
@@ -25,6 +46,12 @@ loginRouter.get('/user', async (req, res) => {
   res.send();
 });
 loginRouter.post('/', async (req, res) => {
+  const ip = getClientIp(req);
+  if (isRateLimited(ip)) {
+    logger.error(`Login rate limit exceeded for IP ${ip}`);
+    res.send(429);
+    return;
+  }
   const settings = await getSettings();
   const { username, password } = req.body;
   const user = userStorage.getUsers(true).find((user) => user.username === username);
@@ -38,6 +65,8 @@ loginRouter.post('/', async (req, res) => {
     }
 
     req.session.currentUser = user.id;
+    req.session.createdAt = Date.now();
+    loginAttempts.delete(ip);
     userStorage.setLastLoginToNow({ userId: user.id });
     res.send(200);
     return;
diff --git a/lib/api/security.js b/lib/api/security.js
index 73a1610..6edf986 100644
--- a/lib/api/security.js
+++ b/lib/api/security.js
@@ -5,12 +5,17 @@
 
 import * as userStorage from '../services/storage/userStorage.js';
 import cookieSession from 'cookie-session';
-import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
+const SESSION_MAX_AGE = 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 2 hours
 const unauthorized = (res) => {
   return res.send(401);
 };
 const isUnauthorized = (req) => {
-  return req.session.currentUser == null;
+  if (req.session.currentUser == null) return true;
+  if (Date.now() - req.session.createdAt > SESSION_MAX_AGE) {
+    req.session = null;
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
 };
 const isAdmin = (req) => {
   if (!isUnauthorized(req)) {
@@ -37,12 +42,11 @@ const adminInterceptor = () => {
     }
   };
 };
-const cookieSession$0 = (userId) => {
+const cookieSession$0 = (secret) => {
   return cookieSession({
     name: 'fredy-admin-session',
-    keys: ['fredy', 'super', 'fancy', 'key', nanoid()],
-    userId,
-    maxAge: 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 2 hours
+    keys: [secret],
+    maxAge: SESSION_MAX_AGE,
   });
 };
 export { cookieSession$0 as cookieSession };
diff --git a/lib/services/storage/settingsStorage.js b/lib/services/storage/settingsStorage.js
index 5f09fbc..a75e8a3 100644
--- a/lib/services/storage/settingsStorage.js
+++ b/lib/services/storage/settingsStorage.js
@@ -67,6 +67,19 @@ export async function getSettings() {
   return cachedSettingsConfig;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get or create a persistent session signing secret.
+ * Generated once and stored in the settings table under the key 'session_secret'.
+ * @returns {Promise<string>}
+ */
+export async function getOrCreateSessionSecret() {
+  const settings = await getSettings();
+  if (settings.session_secret) return settings.session_secret;
+  const secret = nanoid(64);
+  upsertSettings({ session_secret: secret });
+  return secret;
+}
+
 /**
  * Upsert settings rows.
  * - Accepts an object map of name -> value, or an entry {name, value}.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d33da2d..2bd1a64 100755
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fredy",
-  "version": "20.1.1",
+  "version": "20.1.2",
   "description": "[F]ind [R]eal [E]states [d]amn eas[y].",
   "scripts": {
     "prepare": "husky",