diff --git a/plugins/knowledgebase/api/routes.py b/plugins/knowledgebase/api/routes.py
index f782b6bb..54008a1b 100644
--- a/plugins/knowledgebase/api/routes.py
+++ b/plugins/knowledgebase/api/routes.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """Knowledge Base API endpoints."""
 
 from flask import Blueprint, request
-from flask_jwt_extended import jwt_required
 
 from shopdb.api import (
     intarg,
@@ -180,21 +179,29 @@ def get_article(link_id: int):
 
 
 @knowledgebase_bp.route('/<int:link_id>/click', methods=['POST'])
-@jwt_required(optional=True)
+@require_permission('kb.view')
 def track_click(link_id: int):
-    """Increment click counter and return the URL to redirect to."""
-    article = db.session.get(KnowledgeBase, link_id)
+    """Increment the click counter for an article the caller is allowed to read.
 
-    if not article or not article.isactive:
+    Gated on kb.view like every other read of this table: an anonymous caller
+    walking link ids must not be able to probe which articles exist, drive the
+    counters that order the list, or spend a DB transaction per request.
+
+    Restricted to the same visible set as the list/detail reads so an article
+    about a retired application is not reachable here either.
+
+    The linkurl is deliberately not echoed back: whoever is permitted to click
+    already received it in the list or detail response the click came from.
+    """
+    article = _visible_articles().filter(KnowledgeBase.linkid == link_id).first()
+
+    if not article:
         return error_response(ErrorCodes.NOT_FOUND, 'Article not found', http_code=404)
 
     article.increment_clicks()
     db.session.commit()
 
-    return success_response({
-        'linkurl': article.linkurl,
-        'clicks': article.clicks
-    })
+    return success_response({'clicks': article.clicks})
 
 
 @knowledgebase_bp.route('', methods=['POST'])
diff --git a/shopdb/__init__.py b/shopdb/__init__.py
index 9000bce8..cdb3677a 100644
--- a/shopdb/__init__.py
+++ b/shopdb/__init__.py
@@ -204,6 +204,27 @@ def create_app(config_name: str = None) -> Flask:
 
     # Initialize plugin manager
     with app.app_context():
+        # On first run (no users exist), log the setup token so the operator can
+        # create the first admin. The token gates POST /api/setup/create-admin to
+        # prevent a network race during the install window (API starts serving
+        # before the admin exists in every documented deploy path).
+        from shopdb.core.models import User
+        try:
+            if User.query.count() == 0:
+                token = app.config.get('SETUP_TOKEN') or os.environ.get('SETUP_TOKEN')
+                if token:
+                    app.logger.warning('=' * 60)
+                    app.logger.warning('FIRST RUN: No users exist.')
+                    app.logger.warning('Setup token: %s', token)
+                    app.logger.warning('Create admin: POST /api/setup/create-admin')
+                    app.logger.warning('  with header: X-Setup-Token: <token>')
+                    app.logger.warning('OR use CLI: docker exec shopdb-api flask seed admin')
+                    app.logger.warning('=' * 60)
+                else:
+                    app.logger.warning('FIRST RUN: No users exist, no SETUP_TOKEN set.')
+                    app.logger.warning('Use CLI: docker exec shopdb-api flask seed admin')
+        except Exception:
+            pass  # DB not ready yet, skip
         plugin_manager.init_app(app, db)
 
     # Register core blueprints
diff --git a/shopdb/cli/__init__.py b/shopdb/cli/__init__.py
index 687ddc81..9556eca0 100644
--- a/shopdb/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/shopdb/cli/__init__.py
@@ -199,6 +199,32 @@ def seed_cli():
     pass
 
 
+@seed_cli.command('show-setup-token')
+@with_appcontext
+def show_setup_token():
+    """Display the setup token for first-admin creation.
+
+    The token gates POST /api/setup/create-admin so a network race cannot claim
+    the instance during the install window. Printed at first startup; retrieve
+    it here if the logs rotated or you lost the terminal.
+    """
+    import os
+    from flask import current_app
+    from shopdb.core.models import User
+
+    if User.query.count() > 0:
+        click.echo(click.style("Setup already complete (users exist).", fg='green'))
+        return
+
+    token = current_app.config.get('SETUP_TOKEN') or os.environ.get('SETUP_TOKEN')
+    if token:
+        click.echo(click.style("Setup token: ", fg='cyan') + token)
+        click.echo("Use: curl -X POST .../api/setup/create-admin -H 'X-Setup-Token: <token>' ...")
+    else:
+        click.echo(click.style("No SETUP_TOKEN configured.", fg='yellow'))
+        click.echo("Use 'flask seed admin' from inside the container (no token needed).")
+
+
 @seed_cli.command('catalog')
 @click.option('--file', 'path', default=None,
               help='catalog JSON to load (default shopdb/data/catalog.json)')
diff --git a/shopdb/core/api/setup.py b/shopdb/core/api/setup.py
index ff748294..8c7d539e 100644
--- a/shopdb/core/api/setup.py
+++ b/shopdb/core/api/setup.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ server work: seeding common starter data and marking setup finished. Site,
 plugin, and map configuration reuse the existing settings / plugins APIs.
 """
 
+import hmac
+import ipaddress
+import os
+
 from flask import Blueprint, request, current_app
 from flask_jwt_extended import jwt_required
 from werkzeug.security import generate_password_hash
@@ -29,6 +33,45 @@ STARTER_VENDORS = [
 ]
 
 
+# Minimum length for the bootstrap administrator password. 12 characters is the
+# shortest length that still resists offline cracking of a single leaked hash.
+MIN_ADMIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH = 12
+
+
+def _is_loopback(addr):
+    """True when the request originated on the machine running the API."""
+    if not addr:
+        return False
+    try:
+        return ipaddress.ip_address(addr.split('%')[0]).is_loopback
+    except ValueError:
+        return False
+
+
+def _bootstrap_allowed():
+    """Proof of operator control for first-admin creation.
+
+    An empty users table is an ordering condition, not authorization: the API
+    serves requests before the first account exists on every fresh deploy, so a
+    remote caller could otherwise claim the instance during the install window.
+    Require either the one-time setup token (SETUP_TOKEN in config or the
+    environment, presented as the X-Setup-Token header) or a request coming from
+    loopback, i.e. the host the operator is installing on.
+    """
+    token = str(current_app.config.get('SETUP_TOKEN')
+                or os.environ.get('SETUP_TOKEN') or '').strip()
+    if token:
+        supplied = (request.headers.get('X-Setup-Token') or '').strip()
+        return bool(supplied) and hmac.compare_digest(supplied, token)
+    return _is_loopback(request.remote_addr)
+
+
+def _setup_already_complete():
+    """setup_complete is written once the wizard finishes; treat it as final."""
+    row = Setting.query.filter_by(key='setup_complete').first()
+    return bool(row) and str(row.value).strip().lower() in ('true', '1', 'yes')
+
+
 @setup_bp.route('/needs-admin', methods=['GET'])
 def needs_admin():
     """True when no users exist yet - the app's very first run. Public so the
@@ -38,11 +81,18 @@ def needs_admin():
 
 @setup_bp.route('/create-admin', methods=['POST'])
 def create_admin():
-    """Create the first admin. Only works while there are zero users, so it
-    can't be abused after setup. No auth (there is no one to auth as yet)."""
-    if User.query.count() > 0:
+    """Create the first admin. Only works while there are zero users, setup has
+    not been marked complete, and the caller proves operator control (setup
+    token or a loopback request)."""
+    if User.query.count() > 0 or _setup_already_complete():
         return error_response(ErrorCodes.FORBIDDEN,
                               'An account already exists; sign in instead.', http_code=403)
+    if not _bootstrap_allowed():
+        return error_response(
+            ErrorCodes.FORBIDDEN,
+            'First-admin creation requires the setup token (X-Setup-Token) '
+            'or a request from the server itself.',
+            http_code=403)
     data = request.get_json() or {}
     username = (data.get('username') or '').strip()
     email = (data.get('email') or '').strip()
@@ -50,6 +100,10 @@ def create_admin():
     if not (username and email and password):
         return error_response(ErrorCodes.VALIDATION_ERROR,
                               'username, email and password are required')
+    if len(password) < MIN_ADMIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH:
+        return error_response(
+            ErrorCodes.VALIDATION_ERROR,
+            f'password must be at least {MIN_ADMIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH} characters')
 
     admin_role = Role.query.filter_by(rolename='admin').first()
     if not admin_role:
@@ -61,6 +115,8 @@ def create_admin():
     user.roles.append(admin_role)
     db.session.add(user)
     db.session.commit()
+    current_app.logger.warning('First administrator %r created from %s',
+                               username, request.remote_addr)
     return success_response({'username': username}, message='Admin created', http_code=201)