diff --git a/client/src/lib/api.ts b/client/src/lib/api.ts
index e80588b..9e7c849 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -105,12 +105,16 @@ export interface ListMeta {
   perPage: number;
   total: number;
   totalPages: number;
+  /** all | category (hard filter) | view (audience prioritization) */
+  mode?: "all" | "category" | "view";
+  category?: Category;
   view?: {
     slug: string;
     name: string;
     description?: string | null;
     categories?: Category[];
   };
+  search?: boolean;
 }
 
 async function request<T>(path: string, init?: RequestInit): Promise<T> {
diff --git a/client/src/pages/PortfolioPage.tsx b/client/src/pages/PortfolioPage.tsx
index 469d554..1362205 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/PortfolioPage.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/PortfolioPage.tsx
@@ -53,13 +53,21 @@ export function PortfolioPage() {
     setSearchParams(next);
   }
 
-  const title = meta?.view?.name || (category ? categories.find((c) => c.slug === category)?.name : null) || "Portfolio";
+  const mode = meta?.mode;
+  const title =
+    meta?.view?.name ||
+    meta?.category?.name ||
+    (category ? categories.find((c) => c.slug === category)?.name : null) ||
+    "Portfolio";
   const description =
     meta?.view?.description ||
-    "Browse projects by category, tag, or search. Share tailored views with clients and collaborators.";
+    meta?.category?.description ||
+    (mode === "category"
+      ? `Only projects tagged ${title}.`
+      : "Browse projects by category, tag, or search. Share tailored views with clients and collaborators.");
 
   const tabTitle = viewSlug
-    ? meta?.view?.name || viewSlug
+    ? meta?.view?.name || meta?.category?.name || viewSlug
     : category
       ? categories.find((c) => c.slug === category)?.name || category
       : q
@@ -67,6 +75,10 @@ export function PortfolioPage() {
         : "Portfolio";
   usePageTitle(tabTitle);
 
+  const activeSlug = viewSlug || category;
+  const isCategoryMode = mode === "category" || (!!viewSlug && categories.some((c) => c.slug === viewSlug));
+  const isViewMode = mode === "view";
+
   return (
     <div className="portfolio page-enter container">
       <header className="portfolio__header">
@@ -74,11 +86,19 @@ export function PortfolioPage() {
           <p className="portfolio__eyebrow">Work</p>
           <h1>{title}</h1>
           <p className="portfolio__desc">{description}</p>
-          {viewSlug && (
+          {activeSlug && (
             <p className="portfolio__view-note">
-              Viewing curated list <code>/portfolio/{viewSlug}</code>
+              {isCategoryMode && !isViewMode ? (
+                <>
+                  Filtered by category <code>/portfolio/{activeSlug}</code>
+                </>
+              ) : (
+                <>
+                  Viewing curated list <code>/portfolio/{activeSlug}</code>
+                </>
+              )}
               {" · "}
-              <Link to="/portfolio">clear view</Link>
+              <Link to="/portfolio">show all</Link>
             </p>
           )}
         </div>
@@ -96,10 +116,19 @@ export function PortfolioPage() {
           aria-label="Search projects"
         />
         <select
-          value={category}
-          onChange={(e) => updateParam("category", e.target.value)}
+          value={viewSlug && isCategoryMode ? viewSlug : category}
+          onChange={(e) => {
+            const slug = e.target.value;
+            if (!slug) {
+              // clear path filter → all portfolio
+              window.location.href = "/portfolio";
+              return;
+            }
+            // Category hard-filter via path
+            window.location.href = `/portfolio/${slug}`;
+          }}
           aria-label="Filter by category"
-          disabled={!!viewSlug}
+          disabled={isViewMode}
         >
           <option value="">All categories</option>
           {categories.map((c) => (
@@ -124,9 +153,10 @@ export function PortfolioPage() {
           <Link
             key={c.id}
             to={`/portfolio/${c.slug}`}
-            className={viewSlug === c.slug ? "is-active" : ""}
+            className={viewSlug === c.slug || category === c.slug ? "is-active" : ""}
           >
             {c.name}
+            {typeof c.projectCount === "number" ? ` (${c.projectCount})` : ""}
           </Link>
         ))}
       </div>
@@ -135,7 +165,11 @@ export function PortfolioPage() {
       {error && <p className="portfolio__status portfolio__status--err">{error}</p>}
 
       {!loading && !error && projects.length === 0 && (
-        <p className="portfolio__status">No published projects match these filters.</p>
+        <p className="portfolio__status">
+          {isCategoryMode
+            ? `No published projects in ${title} yet.`
+            : "No published projects match these filters."}
+        </p>
       )}
 
       <div className="project-grid">
diff --git a/server/src/routes/public.ts b/server/src/routes/public.ts
index e3b4aa4..6ed909b 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/public.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/public.ts
@@ -69,15 +69,41 @@ export async function publicRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
     const page = Math.max(1, parseInt(req.query.page || "1", 10) || 1);
     const perPage = Math.min(100, Math.max(1, parseInt(req.query.perPage || "24", 10) || 24));
     const sort = req.query.sort || "priority";
-    const category = req.query.category;
+    let category = req.query.category;
     const tag = req.query.tag;
     const featured =
       req.query.featured === "true" ? true : req.query.featured === "false" ? false : undefined;
     const q = req.query.q;
     const viewSlug = req.query.view;
 
-    // Portfolio view prioritization
+    /**
+     * /portfolio/:slug resolution:
+     * 1) If slug matches a **category** → hard filter to only that category
+     *    (empty categories return zero results — used by category chips)
+     * 2) Else if slug matches an audience **portfolio view** (game-dev, etc.)
+     *    → prioritize ordered categories; optionally include the rest
+     */
+    let matchedCategory:
+      | { id: string; name: string; slug: string; description: string | null }
+      | null = null;
+
     if (viewSlug && !category) {
+      matchedCategory = await prisma.category.findFirst({
+        where: {
+          OR: [
+            { slug: viewSlug },
+            { name: { equals: viewSlug, mode: "insensitive" } },
+          ],
+        },
+        select: { id: true, name: true, slug: true, description: true },
+      });
+      if (matchedCategory) {
+        category = matchedCategory.slug;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Audience portfolio view prioritization (only when not a category slug)
+    if (viewSlug && !matchedCategory && !req.query.category) {
       const view = await prisma.portfolioView.findFirst({
         where: { slug: viewSlug, isActive: true },
         include: {
@@ -141,6 +167,7 @@ export async function publicRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
             perPage,
             total,
             totalPages: Math.ceil(total / perPage),
+            mode: "view" as const,
             view: {
               slug: view.slug,
               name: view.name,
@@ -233,6 +260,21 @@ export async function publicRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
         perPage,
         total,
         totalPages: Math.ceil(total / perPage),
+        ...(matchedCategory
+          ? {
+              mode: "category" as const,
+              category: matchedCategory,
+              view: {
+                slug: matchedCategory.slug,
+                name: matchedCategory.name,
+                description:
+                  matchedCategory.description ||
+                  `Projects in ${matchedCategory.name}.`,
+              },
+            }
+          : category
+            ? { mode: "category" as const }
+            : { mode: "all" as const }),
       },
     };
   });