diff --git a/internal/handlers/scanner.go b/internal/handlers/scanner.go
index 126c21c9..5aa526ef 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/scanner.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/scanner.go
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"bookhoard/internal/rls"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
 	"github.com/labstack/echo/v5"
 )
@@ -127,6 +129,11 @@ func (h *Handler) ScanLibrary(c *echo.Context) error {
 
 	jobID := uuid.New().String()
 
+	// RLS plan §6: the scan job's media reads run under the triggering
+	// admin's identity. h.ctx is a handler-lifetime Background context
+	// (outlives the request), so the identity is stamped explicitly —
+	// a bare context makes governed reads raise (placeholder reverting
+	// to '' on reused connections, or 42704 on fresh ones).
 	job := &services.Job{
 		ID:     jobID,
 		Type:   services.JobTypeScan,
@@ -140,7 +147,7 @@ func (h *Handler) ScanLibrary(c *echo.Context) error {
 			"trigger":    "admin",
 		},
 		Status:  services.JobStatusPending,
-		Context: h.ctx,
+		Context: rls.WithUser(h.ctx, pgtype.UUID{Bytes: userUUID, Valid: true}),
 	}
 
 	if err := h.worker.EnqueueJob(job); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/handlers/websocket.go b/internal/handlers/websocket.go
index 6899509d..1c850cfe 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/websocket.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/websocket.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 
 	jwt "github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"bookhoard/internal/rls"
 	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
 	"github.com/labstack/echo/v5"
@@ -201,7 +203,10 @@ func (h *WSHandler) getInitialState(userID string) map[string]interface{} {
 
 	pgUserID := pgtype.UUID{Bytes: userUUID, Valid: true}
 
-	mediaItems, err := h.db.GetUserMediaItemsForSync(context.Background(), pgUserID)
+	// RLS plan §6: this read is the connection's OWN user's media —
+	// declare that identity explicitly (context.Background() carries
+	// nothing through ScopedDB, and media_items is RLS-governed).
+	mediaItems, err := h.db.GetUserMediaItemsForSync(rls.WithUser(context.Background(), pgUserID), pgUserID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return map[string]interface{}{"error": "failed to fetch initial state"}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/router/router.go b/internal/router/router.go
index 0f142825..695fe34b 100644
--- a/internal/router/router.go
+++ b/internal/router/router.go
@@ -427,7 +427,15 @@ func RegisterRoutes(cfg *Config) *handlers.Handler {
 	// startup scans for disk I/O.
 	go func() {
 		time.Sleep(30 * time.Second)
-		services.NewHashBackfillService(cfg.Queries).Run(context.Background())
+		// RLS plan §6: this self-heal sweeps ALL media — run it as the
+		// first admin (the scanner's documented fallback identity);
+		// a bare Background context makes governed reads raise.
+		adminID, err := cfg.Queries.GetFirstAdmin(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[HASH-BACKFILL] no admin found, skipping backfill: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+		services.NewHashBackfillService(cfg.Queries).Run(rls.WithUser(context.Background(), adminID))
 	}()
 
 	// Register progress routes with actual handler
diff --git a/internal/services/media_scanner.go b/internal/services/media_scanner.go
index f3ca45b4..0dc958ae 100644
--- a/internal/services/media_scanner.go
+++ b/internal/services/media_scanner.go
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ import (
 	epub "github.com/ArcadiaLin/go-epub"
 	"github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+
+	"bookhoard/internal/rls"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
 	"github.com/nwaples/rardecode"
@@ -621,17 +623,23 @@ func (s *MediaScanner) enqueueLibraryScan(rootFolder, trigger string) {
 		folderPaths[i] = f.FolderPath
 	}
 
+	// The acting admin: the library owner, or the first admin as the
+	// documented fallback (existing pattern). Used BOTH for the job's
+	// UserID and — since RLS (plan §6) — as the identity the job's
+	// media reads run under via its Context.
 	adminIDStr := ""
-	if libRow.CreatedByAdminID.Valid {
-		adminIDStr = uuid.UUID(libRow.CreatedByAdminID.Bytes).String()
+	adminUUID := libRow.CreatedByAdminID
+	if adminUUID.Valid {
+		adminIDStr = uuid.UUID(adminUUID.Bytes).String()
 	}
-	if adminIDStr == "" {
+	if !adminUUID.Valid {
 		fmt.Printf("[MTIME-POLL] Library has no owner, falling back to first admin\n")
 		fallbackAdmin, err := s.db.GetFirstAdmin(context.Background())
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Printf("[MTIME-POLL] Warning: no admin found in database, skipping scan\n")
 			return
 		}
+		adminUUID = fallbackAdmin
 		adminIDStr = uuid.UUID(fallbackAdmin.Bytes).String()
 	}
 
@@ -650,7 +658,7 @@ func (s *MediaScanner) enqueueLibraryScan(rootFolder, trigger string) {
 		Type:    JobTypeScan,
 		Status:  JobStatusPending,
 		UserID:  adminIDStr,
-		Context: context.Background(),
+		Context: rls.WithUser(context.Background(), adminUUID),
 		Params: map[string]any{
 			"library_id": libraryIDStr,
 			"folders":    folderPaths,
@@ -4771,7 +4779,7 @@ func (s *MediaScanner) performInitialScan(ctx context.Context) {
 			Type:    JobTypeScan,
 			Status:  JobStatusPending,
 			UserID:  adminIDStr,
-			Context: context.Background(),
+			Context: rls.WithUser(ctx, s.adminID), // RLS plan §6: startup scans run as the configured admin
 			Params: map[string]any{
 				"library_id": libraryIDStr,
 				"folders":    folderPaths,