diff --git a/app/api/dx/[...path]/route.ts b/app/api/dx/[...path]/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac842cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/api/dx/[...path]/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// app/api/dx/[...path]/route.ts
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
+import { requireBearer } from "@/app/api/_lib/auth";
+
+const BASE = (process.env.DIRECTUS_URL || "").replace(/\/$/, "");
+
+export async function GET(req: Request, { params }: { params: { path: string[] } }) {
+    const bearer = requireBearer(req);
+    const search = new URL(req.url).search || "";
+    const path = params.path.join("/");
+    const url = `${BASE}/${path}${search}`;
+
+    const res = await fetch(url, {
+        headers: { Accept: "application/json", Authorization: `Bearer ${bearer}` },
+        cache: "no-store",
+    });
+
+    const body = await res.text();
+    return new NextResponse(body, {
+        status: res.status,
+        headers: { "content-type": res.headers.get("content-type") || "application/json" },
+    });
+}
diff --git a/app/settings/co2-galvo/[id]/co2-galvo.tsx b/app/settings/co2-galvo/[id]/co2-galvo.tsx
index 40933e12..f32a2169 100644
--- a/app/settings/co2-galvo/[id]/co2-galvo.tsx
+++ b/app/settings/co2-galvo/[id]/co2-galvo.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+// app/settings/co2-galvo/[id]/co2-galvo.tsx
 "use client";
 
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
@@ -20,8 +21,12 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingDetailPage() {
       "submission_id",
       "setting_title",
       "uploader",
+
+      // 👇 include parent + requested subfields
+      "owner",
       "owner.id",
       "owner.username",
+
       "setting_notes",
       "photo.filename_disk",
       "photo.title",
@@ -40,17 +45,19 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingDetailPage() {
       "lens_apt.name",
       "lens_exp.name",
       "focus",
+
+      // string-or-relation safe
       "laser_soft",
       "laser_soft.name",
+
       "repeat_all",
       "fill_settings",
       "line_settings",
       "raster_settings",
     ].join(",");
 
-    const url =
-    `/api/dx/items/settings_co2gal/${encodeURIComponent(String(id))}` +
-    `?fields=${encodeURIComponent(fields)}`;
+    // use the authenticated proxy (sends ma_at automatically)
+    const url = `/api/dx/items/settings_co2gal/${encodeURIComponent(String(id))}?fields=${fields}`;
 
     setLoading(true);
     fetch(url, { cache: "no-store", credentials: "include" })
@@ -72,6 +79,7 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingDetailPage() {
   if (loading) return <p className="p-6">Loading setting...</p>;
   if (!setting) return <p className="p-6">Setting not found.</p>;
 
+  // ---- display helpers ----
   const ownerDisplay: string =
   typeof setting?.owner === "object"
   ? (setting.owner?.username ?? setting.owner?.id ?? "—")
diff --git a/app/settings/co2-galvo/page.tsx b/app/settings/co2-galvo/page.tsx
index 5d7af485..59098a94 100644
--- a/app/settings/co2-galvo/page.tsx
+++ b/app/settings/co2-galvo/page.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useEffect, useState, useMemo } from "react";
-import { useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
 import Link from "next/link";
 import Image from "next/image";
+import { useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
 
 type Owner = {
   id?: string | number;
@@ -30,14 +30,13 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
   }, [query]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    // ✅ use the auth proxy + include cookie so expansions (owner.*) work
     const fields = [
       "submission_id",
       "setting_title",
       "uploader",
-      // ensure relation expands
       "owner.id",
       "owner.username",
-      // assets / denorms
       "photo.id",
       "photo.title",
       "mat.name",
@@ -46,8 +45,10 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
       "lens.field_size",
     ].join(",");
 
-    // IMPORTANT: go through our proxy so the user's ma_at cookie is used
-    const url = `/api/dx/items/settings_co2gal?fields=${encodeURIComponent(fields)}&limit=-1`;
+    const url =
+    `/api/dx/items/settings_co2gal` +
+    `?fields=${encodeURIComponent(fields)}` +
+    `&limit=-1`;
 
     fetch(url, { cache: "no-store", credentials: "include" })
     .then(async (res) => {
@@ -65,7 +66,9 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
     .finally(() => setLoading(false));
   }, []);
 
-  const ownerLabel = (o?: Owner) => (o?.username ?? "—");
+  // robust owner label
+  const ownerLabel = (o?: Owner) =>
+  (o && (o.username || String(o.id || ""))) || "—";
 
   const highlight = (text?: string) => {
     if (!debouncedQuery) return text || "";
@@ -92,7 +95,9 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
   }, [settings, debouncedQuery]);
 
   const total = settings.length;
-  const uniqueMaterials = new Set(settings.map((s) => s.mat?.name).filter(Boolean)).size;
+  const uniqueMaterials = new Set(
+    settings.map((s) => s.mat?.name).filter(Boolean)
+  ).size;
 
   const lensCounts = settings.reduce((acc: Record<string, number>, cur) => {
     const v = cur.lens?.field_size;
@@ -101,7 +106,9 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
     return acc;
   }, {});
   const mostCommonLens =
-  Object.entries(lensCounts).sort((a, b) => (Number(b[1]) || 0) - (Number(a[1]) || 0))[0]?.[0] || "—";
+  Object.entries(lensCounts).sort(
+    (a, b) => (Number(b[1]) || 0) - (Number(a[1]) || 0)
+  )[0]?.[0] || "—";
 
   const srcCounts = settings.reduce((acc: Record<string, number>, cur) => {
     const v = cur.source?.model;
@@ -110,9 +117,13 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
     return acc;
   }, {});
   const mostCommonSource =
-  Object.entries(srcCounts).sort((a, b) => (Number(b[1]) || 0) - (Number(a[1]) || 0))[0]?.[0] || "—";
+  Object.entries(srcCounts).sort(
+    (a, b) => (Number(b[1]) || 0) - (Number(a[1]) || 0)
+  )[0]?.[0] || "—";
 
-  const recent = [...settings].sort((a, b) => Number(b.submission_id) - Number(a.submission_id)).slice(0, 5);
+  const recent = [...settings]
+  .sort((a, b) => Number(b.submission_id) - Number(a.submission_id))
+  .slice(0, 5);
 
   return (
     <div className="p-6 max-w-7xl mx-auto">
@@ -167,7 +178,10 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
       <ul className="text-sm space-y-1">
       {recent.map((s) => (
         <li key={s.submission_id}>
-        <Link href={detailHref(s.submission_id)} className="underline text-accent">
+        <Link
+        href={detailHref(s.submission_id)}
+        className="underline text-accent"
+        >
         {s.setting_title || "Untitled"}
         </Link>{" "}
         <span className="text-muted-foreground">
@@ -220,32 +234,46 @@ export default function CO2GalvoSettingsPage() {
           <Link
           href={detailHref(s.submission_id)}
           className="text-accent underline"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(s.setting_title || "—") }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(s.setting_title || "—"),
+          }}
           />
           </td>
           <td
           className="px-2 py-2 whitespace-nowrap"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(ownerLabel(s.owner)) }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(ownerLabel(s.owner)),
+          }}
           />
           <td
           className="px-2 py-2 whitespace-nowrap"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(s.uploader || "—") }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(s.uploader || "—"),
+          }}
           />
           <td
           className="px-2 py-2 whitespace-nowrap"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(s.mat?.name || "—") }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(s.mat?.name || "—"),
+          }}
           />
           <td
           className="px-2 py-2 whitespace-nowrap"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(s.mat_coat?.name || "—") }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(s.mat_coat?.name || "—"),
+          }}
           />
           <td
           className="px-2 py-2 whitespace-nowrap"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(s.source?.model || "—") }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(s.source?.model || "—"),
+          }}
           />
           <td
           className="px-2 py-2 whitespace-nowrap"
-          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: highlight(s.lens?.field_size || "—") }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            __html: highlight(s.lens?.field_size || "—"),
+          }}
           />
           </tr>
         ))}