diff --git a/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/protocol.ts b/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/protocol.ts
index e31d1007..6911f763 100644
--- a/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/protocol.ts
+++ b/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/protocol.ts
@@ -1190,17 +1190,23 @@ router.post(
       return;
     }
 
-    // Internal bookings must also land on the configured slot grid (when one
-    // exists), but staff are deliberately NOT bound by the public lead-time
-    // setting — the lead time exists to give the protocol team room to
-    // prepare, and the team itself can book at short notice.
-    const activeSlotsForCreate = await getActiveSlots(db);
+    // Internal bookings must land on the configured slot grid (when one
+    // exists) AND respect the minimum lead time — the same rules the public
+    // endpoint enforces, so the rule cannot be bypassed internally.
+    const [activeSlotsForCreate, minLeadForCreate] = await Promise.all([
+      getActiveSlots(db),
+      getMinLeadMinutes(db),
+    ]);
     if (!matchesActiveSlot(activeSlotsForCreate, startsAt, endsAt)) {
       res
         .status(400)
         .json({ error: INVALID_SLOT_MESSAGE_AR, code: "invalid_slot" });
       return;
     }
+    if (startsAt.getTime() - Date.now() < minLeadForCreate * 60_000) {
+      res.status(400).json({ error: LEAD_TIME_MESSAGE_AR, code: "lead_time" });
+      return;
+    }
 
     // Non-approvers submit requests as "pending"; users with the approve
     // permission may create an already-approved booking directly. Either way
@@ -1306,16 +1312,25 @@ router.patch(
       return;
     }
     // If the edit changes the meeting time, the new time must still land on
-    // the configured slot grid (when one exists). Same staff exemption from
-    // the lead-time rule as on create.
+    // the configured slot grid (when one exists) and respect the minimum
+    // lead time — same rules as create, no internal bypass.
     if (body.startsAt !== undefined || body.endsAt !== undefined) {
-      const activeSlotsForPatch = await getActiveSlots(db);
+      const [activeSlotsForPatch, minLeadForPatch] = await Promise.all([
+        getActiveSlots(db),
+        getMinLeadMinutes(db),
+      ]);
       if (!matchesActiveSlot(activeSlotsForPatch, startsAt, endsAt)) {
         res
           .status(400)
           .json({ error: INVALID_SLOT_MESSAGE_AR, code: "invalid_slot" });
         return;
       }
+      if (startsAt.getTime() - Date.now() < minLeadForPatch * 60_000) {
+        res
+          .status(400)
+          .json({ error: LEAD_TIME_MESSAGE_AR, code: "lead_time" });
+        return;
+      }
     }
     try {
       const updated = await db.transaction(async (tx) => {
diff --git a/artifacts/api-server/tests/protocol-booking-slots.test.mjs b/artifacts/api-server/tests/protocol-booking-slots.test.mjs
index 631a7f84..c1c9fc9d 100644
--- a/artifacts/api-server/tests/protocol-booking-slots.test.mjs
+++ b/artifacts/api-server/tests/protocol-booking-slots.test.mjs
@@ -344,8 +344,9 @@ test("a deactivated slot no longer accepts public requests", async () => {
   assert.equal(undo.status, 200);
 });
 
-test("staff bookings must match a slot but ignore the lead time", async () => {
-  // Restore a large lead time; staff must NOT be blocked by it.
+test("internal bookings enforce both the slot grid and the lead time", async () => {
+  // Large lead time: internal bookings inside the window must be rejected
+  // just like public ones (no internal bypass).
   const patch = await api(adminCookie, "PATCH", "/protocol/settings", {
     minLeadMinutes: 10080,
   });
@@ -361,7 +362,7 @@ test("staff bookings must match a slot but ignore the lead time", async () => {
   assert.equal(offSlot.status, 400, "staff off-slot booking should 400");
   assert.equal((await offSlot.json()).code, "invalid_slot");
 
-  const onSlot = await api(adminCookie, "POST", "/protocol/bookings", {
+  const insideLead = await api(adminCookie, "POST", "/protocol/bookings", {
     roomId,
     title: "Staff on-slot inside lead window",
     requesterName: "Staff",
@@ -369,10 +370,25 @@ test("staff bookings must match a slot but ignore the lead time", async () => {
     endsAt: isoAt(SLOT_B, DURATION),
   });
   assert.equal(
-    onSlot.status,
-    201,
-    "staff on-slot booking should succeed despite lead time",
+    insideLead.status,
+    400,
+    "internal booking inside the lead window must be rejected",
   );
+  assert.equal((await insideLead.json()).code, "lead_time");
+
+  // Outside the lead window (lead back to 0) the same booking succeeds.
+  const reset = await api(adminCookie, "PATCH", "/protocol/settings", {
+    minLeadMinutes: 0,
+  });
+  assert.equal(reset.status, 200);
+  const onSlot = await api(adminCookie, "POST", "/protocol/bookings", {
+    roomId,
+    title: "Staff on-slot outside lead window",
+    requesterName: "Staff",
+    startsAt: isoAt(SLOT_B),
+    endsAt: isoAt(SLOT_B, DURATION),
+  });
+  assert.equal(onSlot.status, 201, "on-slot booking outside lead should 201");
   created.bookingIds.push((await onSlot.json()).id);
 });
 
diff --git a/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/ar.json b/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/ar.json
index 732d3939..bab4b984 100644
--- a/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/ar.json
+++ b/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/ar.json
@@ -1905,7 +1905,7 @@
       "activate": "تفعيل",
       "deactivate": "تعطيل",
       "leadTitle": "مهلة الحجز المسبق",
-      "leadHint": "الحد الأدنى بالدقائق قبل بداية الموعد لقبول الطلبات العامة (0 لتعطيل الشرط). لا تنطبق المهلة على موظفي المراسم.",
+      "leadHint": "الحد الأدنى بالدقائق قبل بداية الموعد لقبول أي حجز — عام أو داخلي (0 لتعطيل الشرط).",
       "leadLabel": "المهلة (دقيقة)",
       "leadSaved": "تم حفظ المهلة",
       "dateLabel": "التاريخ",
diff --git a/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/en.json b/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/en.json
index 949a1b34..e2b53f04 100644
--- a/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/en.json
+++ b/artifacts/tx-os/src/locales/en.json
@@ -1758,7 +1758,7 @@
       "activate": "Activate",
       "deactivate": "Deactivate",
       "leadTitle": "Advance booking lead time",
-      "leadHint": "Minimum minutes before the start time for public requests to be accepted (0 disables the rule). Does not apply to protocol staff.",
+      "leadHint": "Minimum minutes before the start time for any booking — public or internal — to be accepted (0 disables the rule).",
       "leadLabel": "Lead time (min)",
       "leadSaved": "Lead time saved",
       "dateLabel": "Date",