diff --git a/lib/chats/__tests__/getChatArtistHandler.test.ts b/lib/chats/__tests__/getChatArtistHandler.test.ts
index c88ce650..7bbf0d38 100644
--- a/lib/chats/__tests__/getChatArtistHandler.test.ts
+++ b/lib/chats/__tests__/getChatArtistHandler.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/chats/buildGetChatsParams", () => ({
   buildGetChatsParams: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
+vi.mock("@/lib/admins/checkIsAdmin", () => ({
+  checkIsAdmin: vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve(false)),
+}));
+
 const createRequest = () => new NextRequest("http://localhost/api/chats/chat-id/artist");
 
 describe("getChatArtistHandler", () => {
diff --git a/lib/chats/__tests__/validateChatAccess.test.ts b/lib/chats/__tests__/validateChatAccess.test.ts
index 4c925544..cac17ccf 100644
--- a/lib/chats/__tests__/validateChatAccess.test.ts
+++ b/lib/chats/__tests__/validateChatAccess.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { validateChatAccess } from "../validateChatAccess";
 import { validateAuthContext } from "@/lib/auth/validateAuthContext";
 import selectRoom from "@/lib/supabase/rooms/selectRoom";
 import { buildGetChatsParams } from "@/lib/chats/buildGetChatsParams";
+import { checkIsAdmin } from "@/lib/admins/checkIsAdmin";
 
 vi.mock("@/lib/networking/getCorsHeaders", () => ({
   getCorsHeaders: vi.fn(() => ({ "Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "*" })),
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/chats/buildGetChatsParams", () => ({
   buildGetChatsParams: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
+vi.mock("@/lib/admins/checkIsAdmin", () => ({
+  checkIsAdmin: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
 describe("validateChatAccess", () => {
   const roomId = "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000";
   const accountId = "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174001";
@@ -30,6 +35,7 @@ describe("validateChatAccess", () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    vi.mocked(checkIsAdmin).mockResolvedValue(false);
   });
 
   it("returns 400 when roomId is invalid uuid", async () => {
@@ -159,4 +165,58 @@ describe("validateChatAccess", () => {
     const result = await validateChatAccess(request, roomId);
     expect(result).toEqual({ roomId, room, accountId });
   });
+
+  it("grants a Recoup admin access to a room they don't own (admin checked after ownership fails)", async () => {
+    const room = {
+      id: roomId,
+      account_id: "another-account",
+      artist_id: null,
+      topic: "Topic",
+      updated_at: "2026-03-30T00:00:00Z",
+    };
+
+    vi.mocked(validateAuthContext).mockResolvedValue({
+      accountId,
+      orgId: null,
+      authToken: "test-key",
+    });
+    vi.mocked(selectRoom).mockResolvedValue(room);
+    vi.mocked(buildGetChatsParams).mockResolvedValue({
+      params: { account_ids: [accountId] },
+      error: null,
+    });
+    vi.mocked(checkIsAdmin).mockResolvedValue(true);
+
+    const result = await validateChatAccess(request, roomId);
+
+    expect(buildGetChatsParams).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(checkIsAdmin).toHaveBeenCalledWith(accountId);
+    expect(result).toEqual({ roomId, room, accountId: "another-account" });
+  });
+
+  it("does not consult admin status when the caller owns the room", async () => {
+    const room = {
+      id: roomId,
+      account_id: accountId,
+      artist_id: null,
+      topic: "Topic",
+      updated_at: "2026-03-30T00:00:00Z",
+    };
+
+    vi.mocked(validateAuthContext).mockResolvedValue({
+      accountId,
+      orgId: null,
+      authToken: "test-key",
+    });
+    vi.mocked(selectRoom).mockResolvedValue(room);
+    vi.mocked(buildGetChatsParams).mockResolvedValue({
+      params: { account_ids: [accountId] },
+      error: null,
+    });
+
+    const result = await validateChatAccess(request, roomId);
+
+    expect(checkIsAdmin).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result).toEqual({ roomId, room, accountId });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/lib/chats/validateChatAccess.ts b/lib/chats/validateChatAccess.ts
index 30f89e5d..de663fea 100644
--- a/lib/chats/validateChatAccess.ts
+++ b/lib/chats/validateChatAccess.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import { getCorsHeaders } from "@/lib/networking/getCorsHeaders";
 import { validateAuthContext } from "@/lib/auth/validateAuthContext";
+import { checkIsAdmin } from "@/lib/admins/checkIsAdmin";
 import selectRoom from "@/lib/supabase/rooms/selectRoom";
 import { buildGetChatsParams } from "@/lib/chats/buildGetChatsParams";
 import type { Tables } from "@/types/database.types";
@@ -18,6 +19,11 @@ const chatIdSchema = z.string().uuid("id must be a valid UUID");
 /**
  * Validates that the authenticated caller can access a chat room.
  *
+ * The room is fully identified by `roomId`, so no account override is accepted.
+ * Access is granted to the room's owner; a Recoup admin (`RECOUP_ORG_ID` member)
+ * may access any room. The admin check runs only when the ownership check fails,
+ * so the common owner path never pays the extra lookup.
+ *
  * @param request - The incoming request (used for auth context)
  * @param roomId - The room/chat UUID to validate access for
  * @returns NextResponse on auth/access failure, or validated access data
@@ -49,23 +55,22 @@ export async function validateChatAccess(
     );
   }
 
-  const { params, error } = await buildGetChatsParams({
-    account_id: accountId,
-  });
+  const { params } = await buildGetChatsParams({ account_id: accountId });
 
-  if (!params) {
-    return NextResponse.json(
-      { status: "error", error: error ?? "Access denied" },
-      { status: 403, headers: getCorsHeaders() },
-    );
+  const isOwner = !!params && !!room.account_id && params.account_ids.includes(room.account_id);
+  if (isOwner) {
+    return { roomId: room.id, room, accountId };
   }
 
-  if (!room.account_id || !params.account_ids.includes(room.account_id)) {
-    return NextResponse.json(
-      { status: "error", error: "Access denied to this chat" },
-      { status: 403, headers: getCorsHeaders() },
-    );
+  // Non-owner: a Recoup admin may access any chat (read or write). The owner is
+  // resolved server-side, so no account_id input is needed. Checked only here so
+  // the owner path above never pays the lookup.
+  if (await checkIsAdmin(accountId)) {
+    return { roomId: room.id, room, accountId: room.account_id ?? accountId };
   }
 
-  return { roomId: room.id, room, accountId };
+  return NextResponse.json(
+    { status: "error", error: "Access denied to this chat" },
+    { status: 403, headers: getCorsHeaders() },
+  );
 }