diff --git a/api/index.php b/api/index.php
index 43e69b5..6dfa575 100644
--- a/api/index.php
+++ b/api/index.php
@@ -21,6 +21,28 @@ function isValidLocation(PDO $db, string $location): bool {
     return isset($cache[$location]);
 }
 
+function isValidSubcategory(PDO $db, string $category, string $subcategory): bool {
+    static $cache = [];
+    if (!isset($cache[$category])) {
+        $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT key FROM subcategories WHERE category = ?");
+        $stmt->execute([$category]);
+        $cache[$category] = array_flip($stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_COLUMN));
+    }
+    return isset($cache[$category][$subcategory]);
+}
+
+function getRequiredSubcategoryCategories(PDO $db): array {
+    static $cache = null;
+    if ($cache === null) {
+        $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT value FROM app_settings WHERE key = 'subcategory_required_categories'");
+        $stmt->execute();
+        $row = $stmt->fetch();
+        $decoded = $row ? json_decode($row['value'], true) : null;
+        $cache = is_array($decoded) ? $decoded : ['bevande'];
+    }
+    return $cache;
+}
+
 const RECIPE_PANTRY_MIN_MATCH_SCORE = 80;
 const RECENTLY_EXHAUSTED_DAYS = 30;
 /** How long to suppress auto-re-add after user bought an item (ms, synced with client blocklist). */
@@ -942,6 +964,18 @@ try {
         case 'locations_update':
             locationsUpdate($db);
             break;
+        case 'subcategories_list':
+            subcategoriesList($db);
+            break;
+        case 'subcategories_add':
+            subcategoriesAdd($db);
+            break;
+        case 'subcategories_remove':
+            subcategoriesRemove($db);
+            break;
+        case 'subcategories_update':
+            subcategoriesUpdate($db);
+            break;
         case 'recipes_list':
             recipesList($db);
             break;
@@ -2703,19 +2737,18 @@ function saveProduct(PDO $db): void {
         ? $input['shopping_name']
         : computeShoppingName($input['name'], $input['category'] ?? '', $input['brand'] ?? '');
 
-    // Sous-catégorie obligatoire uniquement pour les boissons
+    // Sous-catégorie : validée et rendue obligatoire dynamiquement selon la config en base
     $category = $input['category'] ?? '';
     $subcategory = trim($input['subcategory'] ?? '');
-    $validSubcategories = ['vin', 'biere', 'spiritueux', 'soda', 'jus', 'eau', 'autre'];
-    if ($category === 'bevande') {
-        if ($subcategory === '' || !in_array($subcategory, $validSubcategories, true)) {
-            http_response_code(400);
-            echo json_encode(['error' => 'subcategory_required', 'message' => 'Sous-catégorie requise pour les boissons']);
-            return;
-        }
-    } else {
-        $subcategory = null;
+    if ($subcategory !== '' && !isValidSubcategory($db, $category, $subcategory)) {
+        $subcategory = ''; // invalide pour cette catégorie -> ignorée plutôt que de planter
     }
+    if (in_array($category, getRequiredSubcategoryCategories($db), true) && $subcategory === '') {
+        http_response_code(400);
+        echo json_encode(['error' => 'subcategory_required', 'message' => 'Sous-catégorie requise pour cette catégorie']);
+        return;
+    }
+    $subcategory = $subcategory !== '' ? $subcategory : null;
 
     $barcode = normalizeProductBarcode($input['barcode'] ?? null);
 
@@ -12082,6 +12115,95 @@ function locationsUpdate(PDO $db): void {
     echo json_encode(['success' => true]);
 }
 
+function subcategoriesList(PDO $db): void {
+    $rows = $db->query("SELECT id, category, key, label, sort_order FROM subcategories ORDER BY category ASC, sort_order ASC, id ASC")->fetchAll();
+    echo json_encode(['success' => true, 'subcategories' => $rows]);
+}
+
+function subcategoriesAdd(PDO $db): void {
+    $input = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true) ?? [];
+    $category = trim($input['category'] ?? '');
+    $label = trim($input['label'] ?? '');
+
+    if ($category === '' || $label === '') {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'category and label required']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $key = mb_strtolower(trim($label));
+    $key = preg_replace('/[^a-z0-9]+/u', '_', $key);
+    $key = trim($key, '_');
+    if ($key === '') {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'invalid label']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT id FROM subcategories WHERE category = ? AND key = ?");
+    $stmt->execute([$category, $key]);
+    if ($stmt->fetch()) {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'subcategory already exists for this category']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT COALESCE(MAX(sort_order), 0) FROM subcategories WHERE category = ?");
+    $stmt->execute([$category]);
+    $maxOrder = (int)$stmt->fetchColumn();
+
+    $stmt = $db->prepare("INSERT INTO subcategories (category, key, label, sort_order) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)");
+    $stmt->execute([$category, $key, $label, $maxOrder + 1]);
+
+    echo json_encode(['success' => true, 'id' => (int)$db->lastInsertId(), 'key' => $key]);
+}
+
+function subcategoriesRemove(PDO $db): void {
+    $input = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true) ?? [];
+    $id = (int)($input['id'] ?? 0);
+
+    if ($id <= 0) {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'id required']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT category, key FROM subcategories WHERE id = ?");
+    $stmt->execute([$id]);
+    $row = $stmt->fetch();
+    if (!$row) {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'subcategory not found']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM products WHERE category = ? AND subcategory = ?");
+    $stmt->execute([$row['category'], $row['key']]);
+    if ((int)$stmt->fetchColumn() > 0) {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'subcategory still used by products']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $db->prepare("DELETE FROM subcategories WHERE id = ?")->execute([$id]);
+    echo json_encode(['success' => true]);
+}
+
+function subcategoriesUpdate(PDO $db): void {
+    $input = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true) ?? [];
+    $id = (int)($input['id'] ?? 0);
+    $label = trim($input['label'] ?? '');
+
+    if ($id <= 0 || $label === '') {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'id and label required']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT id FROM subcategories WHERE id = ?");
+    $stmt->execute([$id]);
+    if (!$stmt->fetch()) {
+        echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'subcategory not found']);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    $db->prepare("UPDATE subcategories SET label = ? WHERE id = ?")->execute([$label, $id]);
+    echo json_encode(['success' => true]);
+}
+
 // ===== SHARED APP DATA FUNCTIONS =====
 
 function appSettingsGet(PDO $db): void {