diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/pets.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/pets.ts
index a6b9982..2264e6c 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/pets.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/pets.ts
@@ -213,7 +213,11 @@ petsRouter.post(
 
     // Delete the previous photo from storage to avoid orphaned objects
     if (pet.photoKey) {
-      await deleteObject(pet.photoKey);
+      try {
+        await deleteObject(pet.photoKey);
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.warn(`Failed to delete previous photo ${pet.photoKey}, orphaned object may remain:`, err);
+      }
     }
 
     const [row] = await db
@@ -240,7 +244,11 @@ petsRouter.delete("/:petId/photo", async (c) => {
   if (!pet) return c.json({ error: "Pet not found" }, 404);
   if (!pet.photoKey) return c.json({ error: "No photo on file" }, 404);
 
-  await deleteObject(pet.photoKey);
+  try {
+    await deleteObject(pet.photoKey);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.warn(`Failed to delete photo ${pet.photoKey} from S3, orphaned object may remain:`, err);
+  }
   await db
     .update(pets)
     .set({ photoKey: null, photoUploadedAt: null, updatedAt: new Date() })
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/portal.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/portal.ts
index d768bc8..dc556c8 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/portal.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/portal.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,68 @@ import type { PortalEnv } from "../middleware/portalSession.js";
 
 export const portalRouter = new Hono<PortalEnv>();
 
+// Dev-mode session creation — must be registered BEFORE the /* middleware so it is
+// NOT subject to validatePortalSession/portalAudit (GRO-778 fix). This endpoint creates
+// the impersonation session and has no X-Impersonation-Session-Id header yet.
+const devSessionSchema = z.object({
+  clientId: z.string().uuid(),
+});
+
+portalRouter.post(
+  "/dev-session",
+  zValidator("json", devSessionSchema),
+  async (c) => {
+    if (process.env.AUTH_DISABLED !== "true") {
+      return c.json({ error: "Not available when auth is enabled" }, 403);
+    }
+
+    const db = getDb();
+    const body = c.req.valid("json");
+
+    const [client] = await db
+      .select()
+      .from(clients)
+      .where(eq(clients.id, body.clientId))
+      .limit(1);
+    if (!client) {
+      return c.json({ error: "Client not found" }, 404);
+    }
+
+    const DEMO_STAFF_ID = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001";
+
+    let staffId = DEMO_STAFF_ID;
+    const [demoStaff] = await db
+      .select({ id: staff.id })
+      .from(staff)
+      .where(eq(staff.id, DEMO_STAFF_ID))
+      .limit(1);
+
+    if (!demoStaff) {
+      const [firstStaff] = await db
+        .select({ id: staff.id })
+        .from(staff)
+        .where(eq(staff.active, true))
+        .limit(1);
+      if (!firstStaff) {
+        return c.json({ error: "No staff records found. Run the database seed." }, 500);
+      }
+      staffId = firstStaff.id;
+    }
+
+    const [session] = await db
+      .insert(impersonationSessions)
+      .values({
+        staffId,
+        clientId: body.clientId,
+        reason: "dev-mode-client-portal",
+        expiresAt: new Date(Date.now() + 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000),
+      })
+      .returning();
+
+    return c.json(session, 201);
+  }
+);
+
 // Apply middleware to all portal routes
 portalRouter.use("/*", validatePortalSession, portalAudit);
 
@@ -460,73 +522,4 @@ portalRouter.delete("/payment-methods/:id", async (c) => {
   const ok = await detachPaymentMethod(paymentMethodId);
   if (!ok) return c.json({ error: "Failed to detach payment method" }, 500);
   return c.json({ ok: true });
-});
-
-// ─── Dev-mode session creation ──────────────────────────────────────────────
-// Allows the dev login selector to vend an impersonation session for a client
-// without requiring manager auth. Only available when AUTH_DISABLED=true.
-
-const devSessionSchema = z.object({
-  clientId: z.string().uuid(),
-});
-
-portalRouter.post(
-  "/dev-session",
-  zValidator("json", devSessionSchema),
-  async (c) => {
-    if (process.env.AUTH_DISABLED !== "true") {
-      return c.json({ error: "Not available when auth is enabled" }, 403);
-    }
-
-    const db = getDb();
-    const body = c.req.valid("json");
-
-    // Verify client exists
-    const [client] = await db
-      .select()
-      .from(clients)
-      .where(eq(clients.id, body.clientId))
-      .limit(1);
-    if (!client) {
-      return c.json({ error: "Client not found" }, 404);
-    }
-
-    // Find a staff record to associate with the dev impersonation session.
-    // Use the demo-manager if it exists (created by seed with known ID),
-    // otherwise fall back to the first active staff record.
-    // This avoids hardcoding a UUID that may not exist in all environments.
-    const DEMO_STAFF_ID = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001";
-
-    let staffId = DEMO_STAFF_ID;
-    const [demoStaff] = await db
-      .select({ id: staff.id })
-      .from(staff)
-      .where(eq(staff.id, DEMO_STAFF_ID))
-      .limit(1);
-
-    if (!demoStaff) {
-      // Fall back to any active staff member
-      const [firstStaff] = await db
-        .select({ id: staff.id })
-        .from(staff)
-        .where(eq(staff.active, true))
-        .limit(1);
-      if (!firstStaff) {
-        return c.json({ error: "No staff records found. Run the database seed." }, 500);
-      }
-      staffId = firstStaff.id;
-    }
-
-    const [session] = await db
-      .insert(impersonationSessions)
-      .values({
-        staffId,
-        clientId: body.clientId,
-        reason: "dev-mode-client-portal",
-        expiresAt: new Date(Date.now() + 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000), // 24 hours
-      })
-      .returning();
-
-    return c.json(session, 201);
-  }
-);
\ No newline at end of file
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/db/src/schema.ts b/packages/db/src/schema.ts
index 0ef3ca6..0a5eaef 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/schema.ts
@@ -200,51 +200,60 @@ export const appointmentGroups = pgTable("appointment_groups", {
   updatedAt: timestamp("updated_at").notNull().defaultNow(),
 });
 
-export const appointments = pgTable("appointments", {
-  id: uuid("id").primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
-  clientId: uuid("client_id")
-    .notNull()
-    .references(() => clients.id, { onDelete: "restrict" }),
-  petId: uuid("pet_id")
-    .notNull()
-    .references(() => pets.id, { onDelete: "restrict" }),
-  serviceId: uuid("service_id")
-    .notNull()
-    .references(() => services.id, { onDelete: "restrict" }),
-  staffId: uuid("staff_id").references(() => staff.id, {
-    onDelete: "set null",
-  }),
-  // Optional secondary staff (bather/assistant) for tip-split tracking
-  batherStaffId: uuid("bather_staff_id").references(() => staff.id, {
-    onDelete: "set null",
-  }),
-  status: appointmentStatusEnum("status").notNull().default("scheduled"),
-  startTime: timestamp("start_time").notNull(),
-  endTime: timestamp("end_time").notNull(),
-  notes: text("notes"),
-  // Override price at time of booking (null = use service base price)
-  priceCents: integer("price_cents"),
-  // Recurring series support
-  seriesId: uuid("series_id").references(() => recurringSeries.id, {
-    onDelete: "set null",
-  }),
-  seriesIndex: integer("series_index"),
-  // Multi-pet group booking: links this appointment to others in the same visit
-  groupId: uuid("group_id").references(() => appointmentGroups.id, {
-    onDelete: "set null",
-  }),
-  // Customer confirmation/cancellation tracking
-  // Values: "pending" | "confirmed" | "cancelled"
-  confirmationStatus: text("confirmation_status").notNull().default("pending"),
-  confirmedAt: timestamp("confirmed_at"),
-  cancelledAt: timestamp("cancelled_at"),
-  // Token for tokenized email confirm/cancel links (no auth required)
-  confirmationToken: text("confirmation_token").unique(),
-  // Customer-provided note visible to groomer (500 char max, editable until appointment starts)
-  customerNotes: text("customer_notes"),
-  createdAt: timestamp("created_at").notNull().defaultNow(),
-  updatedAt: timestamp("updated_at").notNull().defaultNow(),
-});
+export const appointments = pgTable(
+  "appointments",
+  {
+    id: uuid("id").primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
+    clientId: uuid("client_id")
+      .notNull()
+      .references(() => clients.id, { onDelete: "restrict" }),
+    petId: uuid("pet_id")
+      .notNull()
+      .references(() => pets.id, { onDelete: "restrict" }),
+    serviceId: uuid("service_id")
+      .notNull()
+      .references(() => services.id, { onDelete: "restrict" }),
+    staffId: uuid("staff_id").references(() => staff.id, {
+      onDelete: "set null",
+    }),
+    // Optional secondary staff (bather/assistant) for tip-split tracking
+    batherStaffId: uuid("bather_staff_id").references(() => staff.id, {
+      onDelete: "set null",
+    }),
+    status: appointmentStatusEnum("status").notNull().default("scheduled"),
+    startTime: timestamp("start_time").notNull(),
+    endTime: timestamp("end_time").notNull(),
+    notes: text("notes"),
+    // Override price at time of booking (null = use service base price)
+    priceCents: integer("price_cents"),
+    // Recurring series support
+    seriesId: uuid("series_id").references(() => recurringSeries.id, {
+      onDelete: "set null",
+    }),
+    seriesIndex: integer("series_index"),
+    // Multi-pet group booking: links this appointment to others in the same visit
+    groupId: uuid("group_id").references(() => appointmentGroups.id, {
+      onDelete: "set null",
+    }),
+    // Customer confirmation/cancellation tracking
+    // Values: "pending" | "confirmed" | "cancelled"
+    confirmationStatus: text("confirmation_status").notNull().default("pending"),
+    confirmedAt: timestamp("confirmed_at"),
+    cancelledAt: timestamp("cancelled_at"),
+    // Token for tokenized email confirm/cancel links (no auth required)
+    confirmationToken: text("confirmation_token").unique(),
+    // Customer-provided note visible to groomer (500 char max, editable until appointment starts)
+    customerNotes: text("customer_notes"),
+    createdAt: timestamp("created_at").notNull().defaultNow(),
+    updatedAt: timestamp("updated_at").notNull().defaultNow(),
+  },
+  (t) => [
+    index("idx_appointments_client_id").on(t.clientId),
+    index("idx_appointments_staff_id").on(t.staffId),
+    index("idx_appointments_start_time").on(t.startTime),
+    index("idx_appointments_status").on(t.status),
+  ]
+);
 
 export const invoices = pgTable(
   "invoices",