diff --git a/client/src/lib/api.ts b/client/src/lib/api.ts
index aef23cd..ad2b1bd 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -118,12 +118,15 @@ export interface ListMeta {
 }
 
 async function request<T>(path: string, init?: RequestInit): Promise<T> {
+  const headers = new Headers(init?.headers);
+  // Only set JSON content-type when we actually send a body (DELETE/GET have none —
+  // Fastify rejects empty body + application/json).
+  if (init?.body && !(init.body instanceof FormData) && !headers.has("Content-Type")) {
+    headers.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
+  }
   const res = await fetch(path, {
     ...init,
-    headers: {
-      ...(init?.body instanceof FormData ? {} : { "Content-Type": "application/json" }),
-      ...init?.headers,
-    },
+    headers,
   });
   if (!res.ok) {
     let msg = res.statusText;
@@ -136,7 +139,10 @@ async function request<T>(path: string, init?: RequestInit): Promise<T> {
     throw new Error(msg || `HTTP ${res.status}`);
   }
   if (res.status === 204) return undefined as T;
-  return res.json() as Promise<T>;
+  // Some DELETEs return empty body
+  const text = await res.text();
+  if (!text) return undefined as T;
+  return JSON.parse(text) as T;
 }
 
 export const api = {