diff --git a/apps/admin/vite.config.ts b/apps/admin/vite.config.ts
index e68c271..7811c04 100755
--- a/apps/admin/vite.config.ts
+++ b/apps/admin/vite.config.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ export default defineConfig({
         host: true,
         port: 3001,
         allowedHosts: ['manage.sauci.app'],
+        // The API has no CORS handling, so local development serves API calls
+        // same-origin and forwards them to the local API process.
+        proxy: {
+            '/v1': {
+                target: process.env.SAUCI_ADMIN_API_PROXY ?? 'http://127.0.0.1:3003',
+                changeOrigin: true,
+            },
+        },
         watch: {
             usePolling: true,
             interval: 100,
diff --git a/scripts/dev-local.sh b/scripts/dev-local.sh
index e99a629..a9b8926 100755
--- a/scripts/dev-local.sh
+++ b/scripts/dev-local.sh
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ SERVERS=(
   "api|PORT=$API_PORT DATABASE_URL=$LOCAL_DATABASE_URL MEDIA_ROOT=$ROOT/.local/media MEDIA_SIGNING_SECRET=local-media-signing-secret-change-me-123456 MEDIA_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:$API_PORT npm run dev -w @sauci/api"
   "worker|DATABASE_URL=$LOCAL_DATABASE_URL CLASSIFIER_ENABLED=false MEDIA_ROOT=$ROOT/.local/media MEDIA_SIGNING_SECRET=local-media-signing-secret-change-me-123456 MEDIA_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:$API_PORT npm run dev:worker -w @sauci/api"
   "web|env NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=$LOCAL_API_URL npm run dev -w @sauci/web -- --port $WEB_PORT"
-  "admin|env VITE_API_URL=$LOCAL_API_URL npm run dev -w @sauci/admin -- --host 127.0.0.1 --port $ADMIN_PORT"
+  "admin|env VITE_API_URL=/ SAUCI_ADMIN_API_PROXY=$LOCAL_API_URL npm run dev -w @sauci/admin -- --host 127.0.0.1 --port $ADMIN_PORT"
   "mcp|env PORT=$MCP_PORT npm run dev -w sauci-mcp-server"
   "mobile|npm run dev -w @sauci/mobile -- --port $METRO_PORT --localhost"
 )