diff --git a/backend/models.py b/backend/models.py
index 8de63e8..888ca24 100644
--- a/backend/models.py
+++ b/backend/models.py
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from backend.database import Base
 
 
+def _utcnow_seconds():
+    """utcnow truncated to whole seconds — used as the default for
+    sessions_valid_from so a freshly-issued cookie (whose iat is a whole-second
+    epoch) never falls a few microseconds before it and self-invalidates."""
+    return datetime.utcnow().replace(microsecond=0)
+
+
 class Emitter(Base):
     __tablename__ = "emitters"
 
@@ -772,3 +779,27 @@ class ClientAccessToken(Base):
     created_at = Column(DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
     last_used_at = Column(DateTime, nullable=True)
     revoked_at = Column(DateTime, nullable=True)             # set = link no longer works
+
+
+# ============================================================================
+# OPERATOR AUTH — internal operator logins (see backend/operator_auth.py)
+# ============================================================================
+
+class OperatorUser(Base):
+    """An internal operator login. Roles: 'superadmin' (Brian, + account mgmt) and
+    'admin' (parents, full app). 'operator' is reserved (deferred). Brand-new table
+    → create_all builds it, no migration. Never store or log raw passwords."""
+    __tablename__ = "operator_users"
+
+    id = Column(String, primary_key=True, index=True)                 # UUID
+    email = Column(String, nullable=False, unique=True, index=True)   # login handle, lowercased
+    display_name = Column(String, nullable=False)                     # "Brian", "Dad"
+    password_hash = Column(String, nullable=False)                    # argon2id
+    role = Column(String, nullable=False, default="admin")            # superadmin | admin
+    active = Column(Boolean, default=True)                            # False = login disabled
+    must_change_password = Column(Boolean, default=False)             # forces a change next login
+    sessions_valid_from = Column(DateTime, default=_utcnow_seconds)   # bump = log out everywhere
+    failed_login_count = Column(Integer, default=0)                   # lockout counter
+    locked_until = Column(DateTime, nullable=True)                    # set after too many bad tries
+    created_at = Column(DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow)
+    last_login_at = Column(DateTime, nullable=True)
diff --git a/backend/operator_auth.py b/backend/operator_auth.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5927865
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/operator_auth.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# backend/operator_auth.py
+"""Operator authentication: the deny-by-default gate, session cookie, login +
+lockout, and the small data helpers shared by the routes and the CLI. Reuses the
+argon2 hasher (auth_passwords) and the HMAC signer (auth_cookies).
+
+The flag and SessionLocal are read as module globals at call time so tests can
+monkeypatch them."""
+import os
+import time
+import uuid
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+
+from backend.models import OperatorUser
+from backend.auth_passwords import hash_password, verify_password, generate_password
+
+# Feature flag — OFF by default. When off, the gate and require_role both pass
+# everything through and the app behaves exactly as it does today.
+OPERATOR_AUTH_ENABLED = os.getenv("OPERATOR_AUTH_ENABLED", "false").lower() in ("1", "true", "yes")
+
+COOKIE_NAME = "tv_session"
+COOKIE_MAX_AGE = 60 * 60 * 24 * 30  # 30 days ("remember this device")
+MAX_LOGIN_FAILURES = 5
+LOCK_MINUTES = 15
+
+# Role ladder — a rank map so checks read naturally and 'operator' slots in later.
+_ROLE_RANK = {"operator": 10, "admin": 20, "superadmin": 30}
+
+
+def role_at_least(role: str, minimum: str) -> bool:
+    """True iff `role` ranks at or above `minimum`. Unknown roles rank as 0."""
+    return _ROLE_RANK.get(role, 0) >= _ROLE_RANK[minimum]
+
+
+def _norm_email(email: str) -> str:
+    return (email or "").strip().lower()
diff --git a/tests/test_operator_model.py b/tests/test_operator_model.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88a157a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_operator_model.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# tests/test_operator_model.py
+import uuid
+from backend.models import OperatorUser
+from backend.operator_auth import role_at_least, _ROLE_RANK
+
+
+def test_operator_user_defaults(db_session):
+    u = OperatorUser(id=str(uuid.uuid4()), email="a@x.com", display_name="A",
+                     password_hash="h", role="admin")
+    db_session.add(u)
+    db_session.commit()
+    got = db_session.query(OperatorUser).filter_by(email="a@x.com").first()
+    assert got.active is True
+    assert got.must_change_password is False
+    assert got.failed_login_count == 0
+    assert got.locked_until is None
+    assert got.sessions_valid_from is not None
+    assert got.sessions_valid_from.microsecond == 0  # truncated to whole seconds
+
+
+def test_email_is_unique(db_session):
+    for i in range(2):
+        db_session.add(OperatorUser(id=str(uuid.uuid4()), email="dup@x.com",
+                                    display_name="d", password_hash="h", role="admin"))
+    import pytest
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):
+        db_session.commit()
+
+
+def test_role_ladder():
+    assert _ROLE_RANK == {"operator": 10, "admin": 20, "superadmin": 30}
+    assert role_at_least("superadmin", "admin") is True
+    assert role_at_least("admin", "admin") is True
+    assert role_at_least("admin", "superadmin") is False
+    assert role_at_least("operator", "admin") is False
+    assert role_at_least("nonsense", "admin") is False