diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 1ae987ffc..f40055661 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ SQL_LOG=none
 
 VITE_SHOW_LUTI_NAV_ITEM=false
 
+// If false the scanner page and its ingest endpoint are admin only
+VITE_SCANNER_ENABLED=false
+
 // Push notification. Generate values here https://vapidkeys.com/
 VITE_VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY=
 VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY=
diff --git a/app/config.ts b/app/config.ts
index bae212fac..33fa59938 100644
--- a/app/config.ts
+++ b/app/config.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const values = {
 	VITE_PROD_MODE: stringBool("VITE_PROD_MODE"),
 	VITE_SHOW_LUTI_NAV_ITEM: stringBool("VITE_SHOW_LUTI_NAV_ITEM"),
 	VITE_FUSE_ENABLED: stringBool("VITE_FUSE_ENABLED"),
+	VITE_SCANNER_ENABLED: stringBool("VITE_SCANNER_ENABLED"),
 	VITE_LEAGUE_GOOGLE_FORM_URL: env.VITE_LEAGUE_GOOGLE_FORM_URL,
 	VITE_SHOW_BANNER_FOR_SEASON: env.VITE_SHOW_BANNER_FOR_SEASON,
 	VITE_SENTRY_DSN: env.VITE_SENTRY_DSN,
@@ -66,6 +67,8 @@ export const Config = {
 	/** Whether to show the LUTI navigation item. */
 	showLutiNavItem: values.VITE_SHOW_LUTI_NAV_ITEM,
 	fuseEnabled: values.VITE_FUSE_ENABLED,
+	/** Whether the scanner is available to everyone. While false only the admin can use the scanner page and its ingest endpoint. */
+	scannerEnabled: values.VITE_SCANNER_ENABLED,
 	/** Google Form URL for league registration, if configured. */
 	leagueGoogleFormUrl: values.VITE_LEAGUE_GOOGLE_FORM_URL,
 	/** Season identifier to show the registration banner for, if any. */
diff --git a/app/features/scanner-ingest/actions/scanner-ingest.server.ts b/app/features/scanner-ingest/actions/scanner-ingest.server.ts
index 44c2e9197..552670127 100644
--- a/app/features/scanner-ingest/actions/scanner-ingest.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/scanner-ingest/actions/scanner-ingest.server.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import type { ActionFunction } from "react-router";
+import { Config } from "~/config";
 import { requireUser } from "~/features/auth/core/user.server";
 import type { ScannerMatch } from "~/features/scanner/core/scanner-match";
 import * as UserRepository from "~/features/user-page/UserRepository.server";
+import { isAdmin } from "~/modules/permissions/utils";
 import { logger } from "~/utils/logger";
-import { badRequestIfFalsy, parseBody } from "~/utils/remix.server";
+import { badRequestIfFalsy, forbidden, parseBody } from "~/utils/remix.server";
 import * as Scoreboards from "../core/Scoreboards";
 import * as ScannerIngestRepository from "../ScannerIngestRepository.server";
 import { ingestBodySchema } from "../scanner-ingest-schemas";
@@ -15,6 +17,10 @@ import { ingestBodySchema } from "../scanner-ingest-schemas";
 export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request }) => {
 	const user = requireUser();
 
+	if (!Config.scannerEnabled && !isAdmin(user)) {
+		forbidden();
+	}
+
 	const data = await parseBody({ request, schema: ingestBodySchema });
 
 	const povUserId = data.povUserId ?? user?.id ?? null;
diff --git a/app/features/scanner/components/LivePage.tsx b/app/features/scanner/components/LivePage.tsx
index 21472af86..add8a92b4 100644
--- a/app/features/scanner/components/LivePage.tsx
+++ b/app/features/scanner/components/LivePage.tsx
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ import { EventCard } from "./EventCard";
 import { EventsSummary } from "./EventsSummary";
 import { downloadEventsCsv } from "./events-csv";
 import { type FixtureData, saveFixture } from "./fixture-export";
-import { SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED } from "./flags";
 import { MatchCard } from "./MatchCard";
 import { MatchLobbyTabs } from "./MatchLobbyTabs";
 import {
@@ -293,25 +292,21 @@ export function LivePage({
 			<div className="controls">
 				{!running ? (
 					<>
-						{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED ? (
-							<button
-								type="button"
-								disabled={!sendouUser}
-								title={sendouUser ? undefined : "log in on sendou.ink first"}
-								onClick={() => void start(true)}
-							>
-								<Send aria-hidden />
-								Start capture
-							</button>
-						) : null}
 						<button
 							type="button"
-							className={SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED ? "outlined" : undefined}
+							disabled={!sendouUser}
+							title={sendouUser ? undefined : "log in on sendou.ink first"}
+							onClick={() => void start(true)}
+						>
+							<Send aria-hidden />
+							Start capture
+						</button>
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							className="outlined"
 							onClick={() => void start(false)}
 						>
-							{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED
-								? "Start capture (no sending)"
-								: "Start capture"}
+							Start capture (no sending)
 						</button>
 					</>
 				) : (
@@ -319,21 +314,19 @@ export function LivePage({
 						<button type="button" onClick={stop}>
 							Stop
 						</button>
-						{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED ? (
-							<button
-								type="button"
-								className="outlined"
-								disabled={!sendouUser}
-								title={sendouUser ? undefined : "log in on sendou.ink first"}
-								onClick={() => {
-									liveSendRef.current = !liveSend;
-									setLiveSend(!liveSend);
-								}}
-							>
-								<Send aria-hidden />
-								{liveSend ? "Stop sending" : "Start sending"}
-							</button>
-						) : null}
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							className="outlined"
+							disabled={!sendouUser}
+							title={sendouUser ? undefined : "log in on sendou.ink first"}
+							onClick={() => {
+								liveSendRef.current = !liveSend;
+								setLiveSend(!liveSend);
+							}}
+						>
+							<Send aria-hidden />
+							{liveSend ? "Stop sending" : "Start sending"}
+						</button>
 					</>
 				)}
 				<select value={deviceId} onChange={(e) => setDeviceId(e.target.value)}>
@@ -411,7 +404,7 @@ export function LivePage({
 									justFormed={justFormed}
 									send={aggregateSendStatus(built.sources)}
 									onSend={
-										SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED && sendouUser && !skipReason
+										sendouUser && !skipReason
 											? () => void send(matchContaining(id), { manual: true })
 											: undefined
 									}
@@ -466,7 +459,6 @@ export function LivePage({
 									}
 									send={e.send}
 									onSend={
-										SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED &&
 										sendouUser &&
 										e.id !== undefined &&
 										INGESTABLE_TYPES.includes(e.type)
@@ -525,15 +517,13 @@ function LiveMenu({
 			>
 				CSV
 			</SendouMenuItem>
-			{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED ? (
-				<SendouMenuItem
-					icon={<Send />}
-					isDisabled={!canSend}
-					onAction={onSendUnsent}
-				>
-					Send unsent to sendou.ink
-				</SendouMenuItem>
-			) : null}
+			<SendouMenuItem
+				icon={<Send />}
+				isDisabled={!canSend}
+				onAction={onSendUnsent}
+			>
+				Send unsent to sendou.ink
+			</SendouMenuItem>
 			<SendouMenuItem
 				icon={<Trash2 />}
 				isDestructive
diff --git a/app/features/scanner/components/VodPage.tsx b/app/features/scanner/components/VodPage.tsx
index 96713e6f3..a3243a02f 100644
--- a/app/features/scanner/components/VodPage.tsx
+++ b/app/features/scanner/components/VodPage.tsx
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ import { EventCard, type GetFrame } from "./EventCard";
 import { EventsSummary } from "./EventsSummary";
 import { downloadEventsCsv } from "./events-csv";
 import type { FixtureData } from "./fixture-export";
-import { SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED } from "./flags";
 import { formatTime } from "./format";
 import { MatchCard } from "./MatchCard";
 import { MatchLobbyTabs } from "./MatchLobbyTabs";
@@ -602,18 +601,18 @@ export function VodPage({
 									` · ${progress.rate.toFixed(0)}× realtime`}
 							</span>
 						)}
-						{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED && upload?.url && (
+						{upload?.url && (
 							<Link to={upload.url} className="link-button">
 								<Video aria-hidden />
 								Add VoD
 							</Link>
 						)}
-						{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED && upload?.problem && (
+						{upload?.problem && (
 							<span className="score">
 								upload unavailable: {upload.problem}
 							</span>
 						)}
-						{SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED && resultsMatchCount > 0 && (
+						{resultsMatchCount > 0 && (
 							<button
 								type="button"
 								disabled={!sendouUser || resultsSend?.state === "sending"}
diff --git a/app/features/scanner/components/flags.ts b/app/features/scanner/components/flags.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 30057ad80..000000000
--- a/app/features/scanner/components/flags.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * WIP: sendou.ink uploading is not live yet — this hides every button that
- * sends data to sendou.ink (Live tab live send / send unsent / per-card Send,
- * VoD tab "Add VoD" and "Send results"). Flip to true to bring
- * them back.
- */
-export const SENDOU_UPLOAD_ENABLED = true;
diff --git a/app/features/scanner/routes/scanner.tsx b/app/features/scanner/routes/scanner.tsx
index fce26d20c..0877ded3f 100644
--- a/app/features/scanner/routes/scanner.tsx
+++ b/app/features/scanner/routes/scanner.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import { lazy } from "react";
 import type { MetaFunction } from "react-router";
 import { Main } from "~/components/Main";
 import { Placeholder } from "~/components/Placeholder";
+import { Redirect } from "~/components/Redirect";
+import { Config } from "~/config";
 import { useHydrated } from "~/hooks/useHydrated";
+import { useHasRole } from "~/modules/permissions/hooks";
 import { metaTags } from "~/utils/remix";
 import type { SendouRouteHandle } from "~/utils/remix.server";
 
@@ -31,6 +34,11 @@ const ScannerApp = lazy(() =>
 
 export default function ScannerPage() {
 	const isHydrated = useHydrated();
+	const isAdmin = useHasRole("ADMIN");
+
+	if (!Config.scannerEnabled && !isAdmin) {
+		return <Redirect to="/" />;
+	}
 
 	return <Main bigger>{isHydrated ? <ScannerApp /> : <Placeholder />}</Main>;
 }