diff --git a/muxplex/__pycache__/main.cpython-312.pyc b/muxplex/__pycache__/main.cpython-312.pyc
index 1ebf0a8..517376b 100644
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diff --git a/muxplex/__pycache__/settings.cpython-312.pyc b/muxplex/__pycache__/settings.cpython-312.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eee7081
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diff --git a/muxplex/main.py b/muxplex/main.py
index 80c6f67..7ad253d 100644
--- a/muxplex/main.py
+++ b/muxplex/main.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import pathlib
 import pwd
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import time
 from typing import Literal
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ from websockets.typing import Subprotocol
 from fastapi import FastAPI, Form, HTTPException, Request, WebSocket
 from fastapi.responses import HTMLResponse
 from fastapi.staticfiles import StaticFiles
-from pydantic import BaseModel
+from pydantic import BaseModel, field_validator
 from starlette.responses import RedirectResponse
 
 from muxplex.auth import (
@@ -268,6 +269,18 @@ class HeartbeatPayload(BaseModel):
     last_interaction_at: float
 
 
+class CreateSessionPayload(BaseModel):
+    name: str
+
+    @field_validator("name")
+    @classmethod
+    def name_must_not_be_blank(cls, v: str) -> str:
+        stripped = v.strip()
+        if not stripped:
+            raise ValueError("name must not be empty or whitespace")
+        return stripped
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Frontend directory
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -323,6 +336,31 @@ async def get_sessions() -> list[dict]:
     return result
 
 
+@app.post("/api/sessions")
+async def create_session(payload: CreateSessionPayload) -> dict:
+    """Create a new tmux session using the new_session_template from settings.
+
+    Substitutes {name} in the template with the validated payload name, then
+    runs the command as a fire-and-forget subprocess (stdout/stderr discarded).
+
+    Returns {name: name} regardless of outcome.
+    Raises HTTP 422 if name is empty or whitespace (handled by Pydantic).
+    """
+    name = payload.name
+    settings = load_settings()
+    command = settings["new_session_template"].replace("{name}", name)
+    try:
+        subprocess.Popen(
+            command,
+            shell=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        )
+    except Exception:
+        _log.warning("Failed to launch new-session command: %r", command)
+    return {"name": name}
+
+
 @app.post("/api/sessions/{name}/connect")
 async def connect_session(name: str) -> dict:
     """Connect to a tmux session via ttyd.
diff --git a/muxplex/tests/__pycache__/test_api.cpython-312-pytest-9.0.2.pyc b/muxplex/tests/__pycache__/test_api.cpython-312-pytest-9.0.2.pyc
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diff --git a/muxplex/tests/__pycache__/test_settings.cpython-312-pytest-9.0.2.pyc b/muxplex/tests/__pycache__/test_settings.cpython-312-pytest-9.0.2.pyc
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index 0000000..2787a19
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diff --git a/muxplex/tests/test_api.py b/muxplex/tests/test_api.py
index 0c9880c..a6049de 100644
--- a/muxplex/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/muxplex/tests/test_api.py
@@ -966,3 +966,57 @@ def test_patch_settings_ignores_unknown_keys(client, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert response.status_code == 200
     data = response.json()
     assert "unknown_key" not in data
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# POST /api/sessions (create new session)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_create_session_returns_200_with_name(client, monkeypatch):
+    """POST /api/sessions with valid name returns 200 with {name: name}."""
+    from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+    mock_popen = MagicMock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr("muxplex.main.subprocess.Popen", mock_popen)
+
+    response = client.post("/api/sessions", json={"name": "my-project"})
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    data = response.json()
+    assert data["name"] == "my-project"
+
+
+def test_create_session_substitutes_name_in_template(client, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """POST /api/sessions substitutes {name} with actual name in new_session_template."""
+    import json
+
+    import muxplex.settings as settings_mod
+
+    settings_path = tmp_path / "settings.json"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings_mod, "SETTINGS_PATH", settings_path)
+    settings_path.write_text(json.dumps({"new_session_template": "echo {name}"}))
+
+    popen_calls = []
+
+    def mock_popen(cmd, **kwargs):
+        popen_calls.append(cmd)
+        return object()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("muxplex.main.subprocess.Popen", mock_popen)
+
+    response = client.post("/api/sessions", json={"name": "my-project"})
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert len(popen_calls) == 1
+    assert popen_calls[0] == "echo my-project"
+
+
+def test_create_session_rejects_empty_name(client):
+    """POST /api/sessions with empty name returns 422."""
+    response = client.post("/api/sessions", json={"name": ""})
+    assert response.status_code == 422
+
+
+def test_create_session_rejects_missing_name(client):
+    """POST /api/sessions with missing name returns 422."""
+    response = client.post("/api/sessions", json={})
+    assert response.status_code == 422