diff --git a/server/app/face_labels.py b/server/app/face_labels.py
index a049cb4..f5e2a44 100644
--- a/server/app/face_labels.py
+++ b/server/app/face_labels.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import io
 
 from PIL import Image, ImageOps
 
-from .image_pipeline import _placement_transform, logical_render_size, logical_to_native
+from .image_pipeline import _has_bounding_box, _placement_transform, logical_render_size, logical_to_native
 
 # Small caps, not arbitrary: each label is its own malloc'd overlay
 # buffer on the device (see firmware/main/manage_qr_overlay.c), and the
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ def compute_face_labels(preview_bytes: bytes, faces: list[dict], display_mode: s
 
     labels = []
     for face in named[:MAX_LABELED_FACES]:
+        if not _has_bounding_box(face):
+            continue
         face_w = face.get("imageWidth") or fitted.width
         face_h = face.get("imageHeight") or fitted.height
         img_scale_x = fitted.width / face_w
diff --git a/server/app/image_pipeline.py b/server/app/image_pipeline.py
index 794568b..ae7a1f6 100644
--- a/server/app/image_pipeline.py
+++ b/server/app/image_pipeline.py
@@ -118,6 +118,16 @@ def _plain_center_crop_box(
     return left, top, crop_w, crop_h
 
 
+def _has_bounding_box(face: dict) -> bool:
+    """Immich has occasionally been observed to return a face entry with
+    a still-pending or otherwise incomplete bounding box (a null field)
+    -- treat it as undetected rather than crash on arithmetic with None."""
+    return all(
+        face.get(k) is not None
+        for k in ("boundingBoxX1", "boundingBoxX2", "boundingBoxY1", "boundingBoxY2")
+    )
+
+
 def _face_aware_crop_box(
     img_width: int, img_height: int, target_width: int, target_height: int, faces: list[dict]
 ) -> tuple[int, int, int, int]:
@@ -138,6 +148,8 @@ def _face_aware_crop_box(
     min_x = min_y = float("inf")
     max_x = max_y = float("-inf")
     for face in faces:
+        if not _has_bounding_box(face):
+            continue
         face_w = face.get("imageWidth") or img_width
         face_h = face.get("imageHeight") or img_height
         scale_x = img_width / face_w
diff --git a/server/app/routers/api_frames.py b/server/app/routers/api_frames.py
index fc60f27..4697ec1 100644
--- a/server/app/routers/api_frames.py
+++ b/server/app/routers/api_frames.py
@@ -457,15 +457,22 @@ def _apply_gitea_update(db: Session, frame: Frame) -> str:
     return version
 
 
-@router.get("/api/frames/{frame_id}/firmware/check")
+@router.post("/api/frames/{frame_id}/firmware/check")
 def api_firmware_check(
-    force: bool = False, frame: Frame = Depends(require_frame_view), db: Session = Depends(get_db)
+    force: bool = False, frame: Frame = Depends(require_frame_control), db: Session = Depends(get_db)
 ):
     """Throttled check of the configured Gitea repo's latest release
     (gitea_releases.UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL_S). If firmware_auto_update is
     on and a newer version is found, applies it immediately; otherwise
     just reports it so the UI can offer the "Update frame" button.
-    force=true (the "Check now" button) bypasses the throttle."""
+    force=true (the "Check now" button) bypasses the throttle.
+
+    require_frame_control (not view), and POST (not GET): this can
+    silently stage new firmware as a side effect (the auto-apply path
+    below) exactly like /firmware/apply-latest, so it needs the same
+    guard that route has -- a linked viewer without control shouldn't be
+    able to trigger that, and as a GET it would've been exempt from the
+    CSRF check require_user_api only applies to non-GET/HEAD/OPTIONS."""
     if not frame.firmware_update_repo_url:
         return {"enabled": False}
 
diff --git a/server/app/static/frame_config.js b/server/app/static/frame_config.js
index f29d128..6b5d97c 100644
--- a/server/app/static/frame_config.js
+++ b/server/app/static/frame_config.js
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ async function loadFirmwareCheck(force) {
   const btn = document.getElementById('firmware-update-btn');
   const boardEl = document.getElementById('firmware-board');
   try {
-    const resp = await fetch(`${window.FRAME_API}/firmware/check` + (force ? '?force=true' : ''));
+    const resp = await fetch(`${window.FRAME_API}/firmware/check` + (force ? '?force=true' : ''), { method: 'POST' });
     if (!resp.ok) {
       if (force) {
         showStatus(false, await apiError(resp));