diff --git a/web/src/lib/auth/publicRoutes.test.ts b/web/src/lib/auth/publicRoutes.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1210eca8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/auth/publicRoutes.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import { isPublicRoute } from './publicRoutes';
+
+describe('isPublicRoute', () => {
+  test('/login is public — login form must render to unauthenticated visitors', () => {
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/login')).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  // Regression guard for #376: /register was previously bounced to /login
+  // by the layout guard, breaking bootstrap-admin self-registration on
+  // fresh deployments. Do NOT remove /register from the public set unless
+  // you have a deliberate replacement (e.g. invite-only landing page).
+  test('/register is public — bootstrap admin must reach the form', () => {
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/register')).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('/ is gated', () => {
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('/admin/users is gated', () => {
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/admin/users')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('/settings is gated', () => {
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/settings')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('paths that merely start with /login are not public', () => {
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/login/extra')).toBe(false);
+    expect(isPublicRoute('/loginx')).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/lib/auth/publicRoutes.ts b/web/src/lib/auth/publicRoutes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e79a9c31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/auth/publicRoutes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Routes that the +layout.svelte auth guard must NOT redirect away from
+// when the visitor is unauthenticated. Bootstrap-admin self-registration
+// (#376) requires /register to be reachable without a session — without
+// /register here, the login page's "Register" link bounces back to /login.
+const PUBLIC_ROUTES = new Set(['/login', '/register']);
+
+export function isPublicRoute(pathname: string): boolean {
+  return PUBLIC_ROUTES.has(pathname);
+}
diff --git a/web/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/web/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index 7d397225..d8d0f19f 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   import { QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/svelte-query';
   import { queryClient } from '$lib/query/client';
   import { user } from '$lib/auth/store.svelte';
+  import { isPublicRoute } from '$lib/auth/publicRoutes';
   import Shell from '$lib/components/Shell.svelte';
   import QueueDrawer from '$lib/components/QueueDrawer.svelte';
   import ToastHost from '$lib/components/ToastHost.svelte';
@@ -27,11 +28,11 @@
   // Reactive guard: runs every time page.url or user.value changes.
   $effect(() => {
     const path = page.url.pathname;
-    const isLogin = path === '/login';
-    if (user.value === null && !isLogin) {
+    const isPublic = isPublicRoute(path);
+    if (user.value === null && !isPublic) {
       const returnTo = path + page.url.search;
       goto('/login?returnTo=' + encodeURIComponent(returnTo), { replaceState: true });
-    } else if (user.value !== null && isLogin) {
+    } else if (user.value !== null && isPublic) {
       goto('/', { replaceState: true });
     }
   });