diff --git a/dashboard/dashboard.go b/dashboard/dashboard.go
index 7bd2be0..2b35d68 100644
--- a/dashboard/dashboard.go
+++ b/dashboard/dashboard.go
@@ -739,9 +739,10 @@ func (l *ipRateLimiter) middleware(maxReqs int, window time.Duration, next http.
 // requireAdminToken wraps next so it returns 401 Unauthorized to anyone
 // that doesn't present the operator-configured admin token. The token
 // may be supplied via X-Admin-Token header (preferred for write paths)
-// or admin_token=... query parameter (read-only convenience). When no
-// admin token is configured on the server the wrapped path is locked
-// shut entirely — operators must set -admin-token to enable access.
+// or admin_token=... query parameter (GET only — read-only convenience;
+// mutations require the header to prevent CSRF from leaked URLs).
+// When no admin token is configured on the server the wrapped path is
+// locked shut entirely — operators must set -admin-token to enable access.
 //
 // Used to lock down the previously-public stats / pulse / badge /
 // snapshot endpoints so polo.pilotprotocol.network can expose only the
@@ -750,7 +751,10 @@ func (l *ipRateLimiter) middleware(maxReqs int, window time.Duration, next http.
 func (h *Handler) requireAdminToken(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		token := r.Header.Get("X-Admin-Token")
-		if token == "" {
+		// Query-param fallback only for GET (read-only, no CSRF risk).
+		// POST/PUT/DELETE require the header so a leaked URL cannot
+		// be used for cross-site mutation attacks.
+		if token == "" && r.Method == http.MethodGet {
 			token = r.URL.Query().Get("admin_token")
 		}
 		adminToken := h.cb.GetAdminToken()
diff --git a/dashboard/zz_stats_auth_test.go b/dashboard/zz_stats_auth_test.go
index 4187ef7..53641ee 100644
--- a/dashboard/zz_stats_auth_test.go
+++ b/dashboard/zz_stats_auth_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package dashboard
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
@@ -99,3 +100,39 @@ func TestStatsAuth_UnconfiguredLocksShut(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unconfigured: status %d, want 401", resp.StatusCode)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestAdminToken_CSRF_MutationRejectsQueryParam confirms that
+// query-param admin_token is REJECTED on mutation endpoints (POST/PUT/...)
+// — these require the X-Admin-Token header to prevent CSRF from leaked URLs.
+func TestAdminToken_CSRF_MutationRejectsQueryParam(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	cb := minimalCallbacks()
+	cb.GetAdminToken = func() string { return "op-secret" }
+	h := NewHandler(cb)
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(h.buildMux())
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	// POST /api/admin/runtime/gc with query-param token — must 401.
+	body := bytes.NewBufferString("{}")
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", srv.URL+"/api/admin/runtime/gc?admin_token=op-secret", body)
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("POST /api/admin/runtime/gc (query-param): %v", err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Fatalf("query-param token on POST got %d, want 401", resp.StatusCode)
+	}
+
+	// POST with proper X-Admin-Token header — must succeed.
+	req2, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", srv.URL+"/api/admin/runtime/gc", body)
+	req2.Header.Set("X-Admin-Token", "op-secret")
+	resp2, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("POST /api/admin/runtime/gc (header): %v", err)
+	}
+	defer resp2.Body.Close()
+	if resp2.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("header token on POST got %d, want 200", resp2.StatusCode)
+	}
+}