diff --git a/pkg/routes/api/v2/huma.go b/pkg/routes/api/v2/huma.go
index ce8614a03..7ad6f18f6 100644
--- a/pkg/routes/api/v2/huma.go
+++ b/pkg/routes/api/v2/huma.go
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ func NewAPI(e *echo.Echo, g *echo.Group) huma.API {
 	cfg.OpenAPIPath = "/openapi"
 	// Huma's built-in docs would load from unpkg.com — we serve Scalar locally instead.
 	cfg.DocsPath = ""
-	// Match v1's permissive partial-update convention; govalidator enforces real rules.
+	// Real presence/format rules live in `valid:` tags, enforced by govalidator in
+	// the Register wrapper; leave the schema permissive so partial updates match v1.
 	cfg.FieldsOptionalByDefault = true
 
 	api := humaecho5.NewWithGroup(e, g, GroupPrefix, cfg)
@@ -86,6 +87,9 @@ func NewAPI(e *echo.Echo, g *echo.Group) huma.API {
 
 // Register wraps huma.Register with verb-based DefaultStatus: POST → 201,
 // DELETE → 204. Anything else (including an explicit op.DefaultStatus) is untouched.
+//
+// It also runs govalidator before the handler — i.e. before handler.Do*'s
+// permission check — so v2 validates-then-authorizes like v1.
 func Register[I, O any](api huma.API, op huma.Operation, handler func(context.Context, *I) (*O, error)) {
 	if op.DefaultStatus == 0 {
 		switch op.Method {
@@ -95,7 +99,13 @@ func Register[I, O any](api huma.API, op huma.Operation, handler func(context.Co
 			op.DefaultStatus = http.StatusNoContent
 		}
 	}
-	huma.Register(api, op, handler)
+	wrapped := func(ctx context.Context, in *I) (*O, error) {
+		if err := validateInputBody(in); err != nil {
+			return nil, translateDomainError(err)
+		}
+		return handler(ctx, in)
+	}
+	huma.Register(api, op, wrapped)
 }
 
 // EnableAutoPatch synthesises a PATCH for every resource that already
diff --git a/pkg/routes/api/v2/validation.go b/pkg/routes/api/v2/validation.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f9d14bbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/routes/api/v2/validation.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Vikunja is a to-do list application to facilitate your life.
+// Copyright 2018-present Vikunja and contributors. All rights reserved.
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package apiv2
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"sort"
+
+	"code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/models"
+
+	"github.com/asaskevich/govalidator"
+)
+
+// validateInputBody runs govalidator over the request body so v2 enforces the
+// `valid:` tag rules (required, url, …) that Huma's schema validation doesn't,
+// matching v1. The payload sits in an input field named Body by convention;
+// inputs without one (read/list/delete) validate to nil.
+func validateInputBody(in any) error {
+	v := reflect.Indirect(reflect.ValueOf(in))
+	if v.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
+		return nil
+	}
+	body := v.FieldByName("Body")
+	if !body.IsValid() || !body.CanInterface() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Only struct bodies carry `valid:` tags. Binary/primitive bodies (e.g. the
+	// avatar endpoint's []byte) would make govalidator.ValidateStruct error out.
+	if reflect.Indirect(body).Kind() != reflect.Struct {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if _, err := govalidator.ValidateStruct(body.Interface()); err != nil {
+		byField := govalidator.ErrorsByField(err)
+		fields := make([]string, 0, len(byField))
+		for field, msg := range byField {
+			fields = append(fields, field+": "+msg)
+		}
+		// Map iteration order is non-deterministic; sort for a stable errors[].
+		sort.Strings(fields)
+		return models.InvalidFieldError(fields)
+	}
+	return nil
+}