diff --git a/backend/novasonic-server.js b/backend/novasonic-server.js
index 2d97ad3..50006d3 100644
--- a/backend/novasonic-server.js
+++ b/backend/novasonic-server.js
@@ -327,7 +327,9 @@ app.get('/api/itunes/:endpoint', (req, res) => {
 // Deezer API proxy — the search source (Apple's /search returns 403 from server IPs). Deezer is
 // free, needs no key, and returns explicit versions + artist images + track durations. Covers
 // /search, /search/album, /search/artist, /album/{id}, /album/{id}/tracks, /artist/{id}/albums, …
-app.get('/api/deezer/*', (req, res) => {
+// Regex route (not '/api/deezer/*') — a bare "*" is an invalid path pattern in Express 5 and
+// crashes the server at startup, taking every endpoint down with it.
+app.get(/^\/api\/deezer\/(.+)/, (req, res) => {
   const sub = String(req.params[0] || '').replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9/_-]/g, '');
   const qs  = new URLSearchParams(req.query).toString();
   const target = `https://api.deezer.com/${sub}${qs ? '?' + qs : ''}`;