diff --git a/packages/server/src/db/migrate.ts b/packages/server/src/db/migrate.ts
index 4866fb9a..920732f3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/db/migrate.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/db/migrate.ts
@@ -368,6 +368,9 @@ export function runMigrations(db: Database.Database): void {
   // ─── Clean up stale attachment records for profile images ───────────────
   migrateCleanupProfileAttachmentRecords(db);
 
+  // ─── Add category_overrides table ────────────────────────────────────────
+  migrateCategoryOverrides(db);
+
   console.log('Migrations complete.');
 }
 
@@ -1003,6 +1006,26 @@ function migrateCleanupProfileAttachmentRecords(db: Database.Database): void {
   db.prepare('UPDATE instance_settings SET profile_attachments_cleaned = 1 WHERE id = 1').run();
 }
 
+function migrateCategoryOverrides(db: Database.Database): void {
+  const exists = db.prepare(
+    "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='category_overrides'"
+  ).get();
+  if (exists) return;
+
+  console.log('Migrating: Adding category_overrides table...');
+  db.exec(`
+    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS category_overrides (
+        category_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES channel_categories(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
+        target_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+        target_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+        allow TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
+        deny TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
+        PRIMARY KEY (category_id, target_type, target_id)
+    );
+    CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_category_overrides_category_id ON category_overrides(category_id);
+  `);
+}
+
 /**
  * Async backfill: generate thumbnails for all existing image attachments that
  * don't have one yet. Runs once after server startup, gated by a persistent
diff --git a/packages/server/src/db/schema.ts b/packages/server/src/db/schema.ts
index 8721d19c..85c351dd 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/db/schema.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/db/schema.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ export const channelOverrides = sqliteTable('channel_overrides', {
   pk: primaryKey({ columns: [table.channelId, table.targetType, table.targetId] }),
 }));
 
+export const categoryOverrides = sqliteTable('category_overrides', {
+  categoryId: text('category_id').notNull().references(() => channelCategories.id, { onDelete: 'cascade' }),
+  targetType: text('target_type').notNull(),
+  targetId: text('target_id').notNull(),
+  allow: text('allow').notNull().default('0'),
+  deny: text('deny').notNull().default('0'),
+}, (table) => ({
+  pk: primaryKey({ columns: [table.categoryId, table.targetType, table.targetId] }),
+}));
+
 export const readStates = sqliteTable('read_states', {
   userId: text('user_id').notNull().references(() => users.id, { onDelete: 'cascade' }),
   channelId: text('channel_id').notNull(),