diff --git a/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.js b/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.js
index 534a4f2a..6d866483 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.js
+++ b/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.js
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ export const smsGlobalDailyLimiter = new RateLimiter({
 	windowMs: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000
 });
 
+export function parseTrustedProxyCount(value = process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT) {
+	const raw = String(value ?? '0').trim();
+	if (!/^\d+$/.test(raw)) return 0;
+	const count = Number(raw);
+	return Number.isSafeInteger(count) ? count : 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * Extract client IP from a Next.js Request object.
  *
@@ -121,7 +128,7 @@ export const smsGlobalDailyLimiter = new RateLimiter({
  * @returns {string}
  */
 export function getClientIp(request) {
-	const trustedProxyCount = parseInt(process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT ?? '0', 10);
+	const trustedProxyCount = parseTrustedProxyCount();
 
 	if (trustedProxyCount > 0) {
 		// Take the Nth-from-right entry in X-Forwarded-For where N = trustedProxyCount.
diff --git a/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.test.js b/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e63c034
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/server/rate-limiter.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { getClientIp, parseTrustedProxyCount } from './rate-limiter.js';
+
+function requestWithHeaders(headers) {
+	return {
+		headers: {
+			get(name) {
+				return headers[name.toLowerCase()] ?? null;
+			}
+		}
+	};
+}
+
+describe('trusted proxy parsing', () => {
+	const original = process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT;
+
+	afterEach(() => {
+		if (original === undefined) {
+			delete process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT;
+		} else {
+			process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT = original;
+		}
+	});
+
+	it('accepts only unsigned integer proxy counts', () => {
+		expect(parseTrustedProxyCount('2')).toBe(2);
+		expect(parseTrustedProxyCount(' 01 ')).toBe(1);
+		expect(parseTrustedProxyCount('1abc')).toBe(0);
+		expect(parseTrustedProxyCount('-1')).toBe(0);
+		expect(parseTrustedProxyCount('')).toBe(0);
+	});
+
+	it('does not trust X-Forwarded-For when the proxy count is malformed', () => {
+		process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT = '1abc';
+		const request = requestWithHeaders({
+			'x-forwarded-for': '203.0.113.9, 198.51.100.10',
+			'x-real-ip': '192.0.2.55'
+		});
+
+		expect(getClientIp(request)).toBe('192.0.2.55');
+	});
+
+	it('uses the nth trusted hop from the right when configured', () => {
+		process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT = '2';
+		const request = requestWithHeaders({
+			'x-forwarded-for': '203.0.113.9, 198.51.100.10, 192.0.2.55'
+		});
+
+		expect(getClientIp(request)).toBe('198.51.100.10');
+	});
+});
diff --git a/src/middleware.js b/src/middleware.js
index 70d8b915..478ec159 100644
--- a/src/middleware.js
+++ b/src/middleware.js
@@ -1,33 +1,11 @@
 import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
-import { RateLimiter } from '@/lib/server/rate-limiter.js';
+import { getClientIp, RateLimiter } from '@/lib/server/rate-limiter.js';
 
 const authRateLimiter = new RateLimiter({ maxRequests: 10, windowMs: 60 * 1000 });
 const webhookRateLimiter = new RateLimiter({ maxRequests: 100, windowMs: 60 * 1000 });
 const apiRateLimiter = new RateLimiter({ maxRequests: 60, windowMs: 60 * 1000 });
 const keyBackupRateLimiter = new RateLimiter({ maxRequests: 10, windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000 });
 
-function getClientIp(request) {
-  // See the detailed note in src/lib/server/rate-limiter.js.
-  // X-Forwarded-For is user-controllable unless a trusted proxy strips/rewrites it.
-  // Honour TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT when set; otherwise fall back to X-Real-IP only.
-  const trustedProxyCount = parseInt(process.env.TRUSTED_PROXY_COUNT ?? '0', 10);
-
-  if (trustedProxyCount > 0) {
-    const xff = request.headers.get('x-forwarded-for');
-    if (xff) {
-      const parts = xff.split(',').map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
-      if (parts.length >= trustedProxyCount) {
-        return parts[parts.length - trustedProxyCount];
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  return (
-    request.headers.get('x-real-ip') ??
-    'unknown'
-  );
-}
-
 function rateLimitedResponse() {
   return NextResponse.json(
     { error: 'Too many requests. Please try again later.' },