diff --git a/src/app/memories/page.tsx b/src/app/memories/page.tsx
index cd0dfd2..5b2cec4 100644
--- a/src/app/memories/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/memories/page.tsx
@@ -84,17 +84,26 @@ export default function MemoriesPage() {
 
     setUploading(true);
     try {
-      // Step 1: Get presigned URL + memoryId
+      // Step 1: Get key + memoryId from server
       const initRes = await fetch("/api/upload", {
         method: "POST",
         headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
         body: JSON.stringify({ filename: file.name, contentType: file.type, childId, sizeBytes: file.size }),
       });
-      const { uploadUrl, memoryId, publicUrl, error } = await initRes.json();
+      const { key, memoryId, publicUrl, error } = await initRes.json();
       if (error) { alert("Error: " + error); return; }
 
-      // Step 2: Upload directly to R2
-      await fetch(uploadUrl, { method: "PUT", body: file, headers: { "Content-Type": file.type } });
+      // Step 2: Upload via server proxy — avoids cross-origin CORS restriction on R2
+      const putParams = new URLSearchParams({ key, contentType: file.type });
+      const putRes = await fetch(`/api/upload?${putParams}`, {
+        method: "PUT",
+        body: file,
+        headers: { "Content-Type": file.type },
+      });
+      if (!putRes.ok) {
+        const e = await putRes.json().catch(() => ({})) as { error?: string };
+        throw new Error(e.error ?? `Upload failed (${putRes.status})`);
+      }
 
       // Step 3: Confirm upload → fires thumbnail + vision pipeline
       await fetch(`/api/memories/${memoryId}/confirm`, { method: "POST" });
@@ -102,7 +111,7 @@ export default function MemoriesPage() {
       // Optimistic add
       const optimistic: Memory = {
         id: memoryId,
-        key: "",
+        key,
         url: publicUrl,
         thumbnailUrl: null,
         sizeBytes: file.size,