diff --git a/web/sections/GalleriesPanel.tsx b/web/sections/GalleriesPanel.tsx
index 9c18566..9a3caab 100644
--- a/web/sections/GalleriesPanel.tsx
+++ b/web/sections/GalleriesPanel.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { ArrowDown, ArrowUp, FolderOpen, Images, Loader2, Plus, Trash2 } from 'l
 import { useClient } from 'hooks/useClient';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input';
+import { getHeaders } from 'hooks/useClient';
 import { readableError } from '../errors';
 import { MediaPicker } from '../MediaPicker';
 
@@ -27,6 +28,19 @@ import { MediaPicker } from '../MediaPicker';
 type Item = { id: number; url: string; alt: string | null; sort_order: number };
 type Gallery = { id: number; name: string; slug: string; items: Item[] };
 
+/**
+ * A thumbnail URL, authenticated by `?token=`.
+ *
+ * An `<img>` cannot send an Authorization header, which is why `user-middleware` and the permission
+ * gate both accept the token in the query string — the same thing the file browser's own thumbnails do.
+ * Built without it first, and every picture 401'd while the layout looked perfectly correct.
+ */
+const thumbUrl = (path: string): string => {
+  const token = getHeaders()['Authorization']?.replace('Bearer ', '') ?? '';
+  const encoded = path.split('/').map(encodeURIComponent).join('/');
+  return `/api/fofos-admin/derived/${encoded}/320.webp?token=${encodeURIComponent(token)}`;
+};
+
 export const GalleriesPanel = () => {
   const client = useClient();
   const clientRef = useRef(client);
@@ -203,7 +217,7 @@ export const GalleriesPanel = () => {
                         and still sharp at this size on a retina screen.
                       */}
                       <img
-                        src={`/api/fofos-admin/derived/${item.url.split('/').map(encodeURIComponent).join('/')}/320.webp`}
+                        src={thumbUrl(item.url)}
                         alt=""
                         loading="lazy"
                         className="size-20 shrink-0 rounded bg-muted object-cover"