diff --git a/muxplex/main.py b/muxplex/main.py
index 0d188e3..953cfc6 100644
--- a/muxplex/main.py
+++ b/muxplex/main.py
@@ -21,13 +21,16 @@ import websockets
 import websockets.exceptions
 from websockets.typing import Subprotocol
 
-from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException, WebSocket
+from fastapi import FastAPI, Form, HTTPException, Request, WebSocket
 from fastapi.responses import HTMLResponse
 from fastapi.staticfiles import StaticFiles
 from pydantic import BaseModel
+from starlette.responses import RedirectResponse
 
 from muxplex.auth import (
     AuthMiddleware,
+    authenticate_pam,
+    create_session_cookie,
     generate_and_save_password,
     load_or_create_secret,
     load_password,
@@ -485,6 +488,42 @@ async def login_page():
     )
 
 
+@app.post("/login")
+async def post_login(
+    request: Request,
+    username: str = Form(default=""),
+    password: str = Form(default=""),
+) -> RedirectResponse:
+    """Validate credentials and issue a session cookie on success.
+
+    In PAM mode, delegates to authenticate_pam(username, password).
+    In password mode, compares the submitted password to _auth_password.
+
+    On success: redirect to / with a signed muxplex_session cookie.
+    On failure: redirect to /login?error=1.
+    """
+    # Validate credentials
+    if _auth_mode == "pam":
+        valid = authenticate_pam(username, password)
+    else:
+        valid = password == _auth_password
+
+    if not valid:
+        return RedirectResponse("/login?error=1", status_code=303)
+
+    # Issue session cookie
+    cookie_value = create_session_cookie(_auth_secret, _auth_ttl)
+    response = RedirectResponse("/", status_code=303)
+    response.set_cookie(
+        "muxplex_session",
+        cookie_value,
+        httponly=True,
+        samesite="strict",
+        max_age=_auth_ttl if _auth_ttl > 0 else None,
+    )
+    return response
+
+
 @app.get("/auth/mode")
 async def auth_mode_endpoint():
     """Return the current auth mode and running username."""
diff --git a/muxplex/tests/test_api.py b/muxplex/tests/test_api.py
index 45cafc0..4bad798 100644
--- a/muxplex/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/muxplex/tests/test_api.py
@@ -705,3 +705,72 @@ def test_get_auth_mode_returns_json(client):
     data = response.json()
     assert "mode" in data
     assert data["mode"] in ("pam", "password")
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# POST /login
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_post_login_correct_password_redirects_to_root(monkeypatch):
+    """POST /login with correct password: 303 redirect to / with muxplex_session cookie."""
+    import muxplex.main as main_module
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("MUXPLEX_PASSWORD", "test-password")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_module, "_auth_mode", "password")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_module, "_auth_password", "test-password")
+
+    with TestClient(app, follow_redirects=False) as c:
+        response = c.post(
+            "/login", data={"username": "user", "password": "test-password"}
+        )
+
+    assert response.status_code == 303
+    assert response.headers["location"] == "/"
+    assert "muxplex_session" in response.cookies
+
+
+def test_post_login_wrong_password_redirects_to_login_error(monkeypatch):
+    """POST /login with wrong password: 303 redirect to /login?error=1."""
+    import muxplex.main as main_module
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("MUXPLEX_PASSWORD", "test-password")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_module, "_auth_mode", "password")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_module, "_auth_password", "test-password")
+
+    with TestClient(app, follow_redirects=False) as c:
+        response = c.post(
+            "/login", data={"username": "user", "password": "wrong-password"}
+        )
+
+    assert response.status_code == 303
+    assert "error=1" in response.headers["location"]
+
+
+def test_post_login_pam_mode_correct_creds(monkeypatch):
+    """POST /login in PAM mode with correct creds: 303 to / with muxplex_session cookie."""
+    import muxplex.main as main_module
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_module, "_auth_mode", "pam")
+    monkeypatch.setattr("muxplex.main.authenticate_pam", lambda u, p: True)
+
+    with TestClient(app, follow_redirects=False) as c:
+        response = c.post("/login", data={"username": "user", "password": "correct"})
+
+    assert response.status_code == 303
+    assert response.headers["location"] == "/"
+    assert "muxplex_session" in response.cookies
+
+
+def test_post_login_pam_mode_wrong_creds(monkeypatch):
+    """POST /login in PAM mode with wrong creds: 303 redirect to /login?error=1."""
+    import muxplex.main as main_module
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_module, "_auth_mode", "pam")
+    monkeypatch.setattr("muxplex.main.authenticate_pam", lambda u, p: False)
+
+    with TestClient(app, follow_redirects=False) as c:
+        response = c.post("/login", data={"username": "user", "password": "wrong"})
+
+    assert response.status_code == 303
+    assert "error=1" in response.headers["location"]