diff --git a/internal/api/requests.go b/internal/api/requests.go
index 8c3e4e20..b5ac28bb 100644
--- a/internal/api/requests.go
+++ b/internal/api/requests.go
@@ -154,6 +154,32 @@ func (h *handlers) handleCreateRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Auto-approve flow (#355 / #376 U2.5): when the user has the
+	// auto_approve_requests flag set by an admin, transition the
+	// just-created pending row through Approve so it dispatches to
+	// Lidarr immediately. Failures here (Lidarr disabled, defaults
+	// missing, network error) leave the row pending — same fallback
+	// as a manual admin approve that hits the same error path. The
+	// user gets a 201 with whatever status Approve produced; admin
+	// can still resolve the row in /admin/requests if it stayed
+	// pending.
+	//
+	// The "actor" id passed to Approve is the user themselves — the
+	// auto-approval is the user acting under the privilege the admin
+	// granted them via the toggle. The trail of "admin set the flag"
+	// already lives in audit_log (ActionAutoApproveToggle from U2).
+	if user.AutoApproveRequests {
+		approved, aerr := h.lidarrRequests.Approve(r.Context(), row.ID, user.ID, lidarrrequests.ApproveOverrides{})
+		if aerr == nil {
+			row = approved
+		} else {
+			h.logger.Warn("api: auto-approve failed; request stays pending",
+				"user_id", uuidToString(user.ID),
+				"request_id", uuidToString(row.ID),
+				"err", aerr)
+		}
+	}
+
 	writeJSON(w, http.StatusCreated, requestViewFrom(row))
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/api/requests_test.go b/internal/api/requests_test.go
index b71ac9d5..c3f95a44 100644
--- a/internal/api/requests_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/requests_test.go
@@ -85,6 +85,45 @@ func createArtistRequest(t *testing.T, h *handlers, user dbq.User, artistMBID, a
 	return rv
 }
 
+// TestHandleCreateRequest_AutoApprove_LidarrDisabled_StaysPending verifies
+// that a user with auto_approve_requests=true still receives a 201 Created
+// when Lidarr is disabled in the test environment — the auto-approve attempt
+// fails inside Service.Approve with ErrLidarrDisabled, which the handler
+// catches and logs, leaving the row in pending state. This is the U2.5
+// fallback contract: a misconfigured Lidarr must not break request creation.
+func TestHandleCreateRequest_AutoApprove_LidarrDisabled_StaysPending(t *testing.T) {
+	h, pool := testHandlers(t)
+	resetLidarrState(t, h)
+
+	alice := seedUser(t, pool, "alice", "pw", false)
+	if _, err := pool.Exec(context.Background(),
+		"UPDATE users SET auto_approve_requests = true WHERE id = $1", alice.ID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set auto_approve: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Re-fetch so the User row carried into the request context has the flag.
+	refreshed, err := dbq.New(pool).GetUserByID(context.Background(), alice.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reload user: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !refreshed.AutoApproveRequests {
+		t.Fatalf("auto_approve flag did not persist — bailing")
+	}
+
+	body := `{"kind":"artist","lidarr_artist_mbid":"auto-mbid-1","artist_name":"Autoband"}`
+	w := doCreateRequest(h, refreshed, body)
+
+	if w.Code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("status = %d, want 201; body = %s", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+	var rv requestView
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &rv); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode: %v", err)
+	}
+	if rv.Status != "pending" {
+		t.Errorf("status = %q, want pending (auto-approve falls back when Lidarr disabled)", rv.Status)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestHandleCreateRequest_Artist_HappyPath verifies a valid artist request
 // returns 201 with kind=artist and status=pending.
 func TestHandleCreateRequest_Artist_HappyPath(t *testing.T) {