diff --git a/src/barabadb/core/httpserver.nim b/src/barabadb/core/httpserver.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a8a7a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/barabadb/core/httpserver.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+## BaraDB HTTP Server — REST API with JSON responses
+import std/asynchttpserver
+import std/asyncdispatch
+import std/strutils
+import std/json
+import std/os
+import config
+import ../query/lexer
+import ../query/parser
+import ../query/executor
+import ../storage/lsm
+import ../core/mvcc
+import ../protocol/auth
+
+type
+  HttpServer* = ref object
+    config: BaraConfig
+    running: bool
+    db: LSMTree
+    ctx: ExecutionContext
+    authManager: AuthManager
+    metrics*: Metrics
+
+  Metrics* = ref object
+    queriesTotal*: int
+    queryErrors*: int
+    insertCount*: int
+    selectCount*: int
+    activeConnections*: int
+
+proc newHttpServer*(config: BaraConfig): HttpServer =
+  let dataDir = config.dataDir / "server"
+  let db = newLSMTree(dataDir)
+  let ctx = newExecutionContext(db)
+  ctx.txnManager = newTxnManager()
+  HttpServer(config: config, running: false, db: db, ctx: ctx,
+             authManager: newAuthManager(),
+             metrics: Metrics(queriesTotal: 0, queryErrors: 0,
+                              insertCount: 0, selectCount: 0, activeConnections: 0))
+
+proc newMetrics*(): Metrics =
+  Metrics()
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Authentication middleware
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+proc extractToken(headers: HttpHeaders): string =
+  let authHeader = headers.getOrDefault("Authorization")
+  if authHeader.startsWith("Bearer "):
+    return authHeader[7..^1]
+  return ""
+
+proc authorize(server: HttpServer, headers: HttpHeaders): (bool, JWTClaims) =
+  let token = extractToken(headers)
+  if token.len == 0:
+    return (true, JWTClaims(role: "anonymous"))
+  let (ok, claims) = server.authManager.verifyToken(token)
+  return (ok, claims)
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# JSON helpers
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+proc jsonError(code: int, message: string): JsonNode =
+  %* {"error": {"code": code, "message": message}}
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Request handler
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+proc handleRequest(server: HttpServer, req: Request) {.async, gcsafe.} =
+  {.cast(gcsafe).}:
+    inc server.metrics.queriesTotal
+    inc server.metrics.activeConnections
+
+    case req.url.path
+    of "/query":
+      if req.reqMethod != HttpPost:
+        await req.respond(Http405, $jsonError(405, "Method not allowed. Use POST."),
+                          newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+        return
+
+      let (authed, claims) = server.authorize(req.headers)
+      if not authed:
+        await req.respond(Http401, $jsonError(401, "Unauthorized"),
+                          newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+        return
+
+      let queryStr = req.body
+      if queryStr.len == 0:
+        await req.respond(Http400, $jsonError(400, "Missing query in request body"),
+                          newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+        return
+
+      var reqCtx = cloneForConnection(server.ctx)
+
+      let tokens = tokenize(queryStr)
+      let astNode = parse(tokens)
+
+      if astNode.stmts.len == 0:
+        await req.respond(Http200, $ %* {"rows": [], "affectedRows": 0, "columns": []},
+                          newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+        return
+
+      let (success, errMsg, affectedRows) = executor.executeQuery(reqCtx, astNode)
+
+      if success:
+        inc server.metrics.selectCount
+        await req.respond(Http200, $ %* {
+          "rows": newJArray(),
+          "affectedRows": affectedRows,
+          "columns": newJArray()
+        }, newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+      else:
+        inc server.metrics.queryErrors
+        await req.respond(Http400, $jsonError(400, errMsg),
+                          newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+
+    of "/health":
+      await req.respond(Http200, $ %* {"status": "ok", "version": "0.1.0"},
+                        newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+
+    of "/metrics":
+      let prometheus = "baradb_queries_total " & $server.metrics.queriesTotal & "\n" &
+                       "baradb_query_errors_total " & $server.metrics.queryErrors & "\n" &
+                       "baradb_inserts_total " & $server.metrics.insertCount & "\n" &
+                       "baradb_selects_total " & $server.metrics.selectCount & "\n" &
+                       "baradb_connections_active " & $server.metrics.activeConnections & "\n"
+      await req.respond(Http200, prometheus, newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "text/plain")]))
+
+    else:
+      await req.respond(Http404, $jsonError(404, "Not found: " & req.url.path),
+                        newHttpHeaders([("Content-Type", "application/json")]))
+
+  dec server.metrics.activeConnections
+
+proc run*(server: HttpServer, port: int = 8080) {.async.} =
+  server.running = true
+  var httpServer = newAsyncHttpServer()
+  let serverRef = server
+  await httpServer.serve(Port(port), proc (req: Request): Future[void] {.gcsafe.} =
+    serverRef.handleRequest(req))
+
+proc stop*(server: HttpServer) =
+  server.running = false
+  server.db.close()
diff --git a/src/barabadb/core/server.nim b/src/barabadb/core/server.nim
index 46d2610..e79585e 100644
--- a/src/barabadb/core/server.nim
+++ b/src/barabadb/core/server.nim
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import std/asyncnet
 import std/strutils
 import std/os
 import std/endians
-import std/tables
 import config
 import ../protocol/wire
 import ../query/lexer
diff --git a/src/barabadb/query/executor.nim b/src/barabadb/query/executor.nim
index e27096a..2bf930c 100644
--- a/src/barabadb/query/executor.nim
+++ b/src/barabadb/query/executor.nim
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import std/strutils
 import std/tables
 import std/hashes
+import std/sequtils
 import ast
 import ir
 import ../core/types
@@ -46,6 +47,26 @@ proc cloneForConnection*(ctx: ExecutionContext): ExecutionContext =
                    btrees: ctx.btrees, txnManager: ctx.txnManager,
                    pendingTxn: nil)
 
+proc getTableDef(ctx: ExecutionContext, tableName: string): TableDef =
+  if tableName in ctx.tables:
+    return ctx.tables[tableName]
+  var tbl = TableDef(name: tableName, columns: @[], pkColumns: @[])
+  return tbl
+
+proc getColumnDef(tbl: TableDef, colName: string): ColumnDef =
+  for col in tbl.columns:
+    if col.name.toLower() == colName.toLower():
+      return col
+
+proc getValue(values: seq[string], fields: seq[string], colName: string): string =
+  for i, f in fields:
+    if f.toLower() == colName.toLower() and i < values.len:
+      return values[i]
+  return ""
+
+proc isNull(value: string): bool =
+  result = value.len == 0 or value.toLower() == "null"
+
 proc execScan(ctx: ExecutionContext, table: string): seq[Row] =
   ## Full table scan via LSM-Tree memtable scan.
   ## Rows are stored as: "{table}.{key}" -> value
@@ -99,13 +120,13 @@ proc execInsert(ctx: ExecutionContext, table: string, fields: seq[string], value
       ctx.db.put(fullKey, cast[seq[byte]](valStr))
 
     # Populate B-Tree indexes (always direct, not transactional for now)
-    for colName, btIdx in ctx.btrees:
+    for colName in ctx.btrees.keys.toSeq():
       if colName.startsWith(table & "."):
         let colOnly = colName[table.len + 1..^1]
         let colVal = getValue(rowVals, fields, colOnly)
         if colVal.len > 0 and not isNull(colVal):
           let entry = IndexEntry(lsmKey: fullKey, rowValue: valStr)
-          btIdx.insert(colVal, entry)
+          ctx.btrees[colName].insert(colVal, entry)
 
     inc count
   return count
@@ -140,26 +161,6 @@ proc execUpdateRow(ctx: ExecutionContext, table: string, key: string, sets: seq[
 # Constraint Validation
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-proc getTableDef(ctx: ExecutionContext, tableName: string): TableDef =
-  if tableName in ctx.tables:
-    return ctx.tables[tableName]
-  var tbl = TableDef(name: tableName, columns: @[], pkColumns: @[])
-  return tbl
-
-proc getColumnDef(tbl: TableDef, colName: string): ColumnDef =
-  for col in tbl.columns:
-    if col.name.toLower() == colName.toLower():
-      return col
-
-proc getValue(values: seq[string], fields: seq[string], colName: string): string =
-  for i, f in fields:
-    if f.toLower() == colName.toLower() and i < values.len:
-      return values[i]
-  return ""
-
-proc isNull(value: string): bool =
-  result = value.len == 0 or value.toLower() == "null"
-
 proc validateConstraints*(ctx: ExecutionContext, tableName: string,
     fields: seq[string], values: seq[seq[string]]): (bool, string) =
   ## Validate INSERT/UPDATE constraints.