diff --git a/scripts/setup-remote.ts b/scripts/setup-remote.ts
index 026b288..0812352 100644
--- a/scripts/setup-remote.ts
+++ b/scripts/setup-remote.ts
@@ -580,6 +580,95 @@ async function ensureCardsCreatedByRoleValues(pb: PocketBase): Promise<void> {
   console.log(`  + cards.created_by_role values: ${missing.join(", ")}`);
 }
 
+/**
+ * The intake_links schema first shipped with `submission_count` and
+ * `submission_count_today` as `required: true` and `min: 0`. PocketBase
+ * treats `0` as blank for required number fields, so any insert is rejected
+ * with `validation_required` until the field is marked optional. The
+ * counters default to 0 on creation; existing rows are unaffected.
+ */
+async function ensureIntakeLinkCountersOptional(pb: PocketBase): Promise<void> {
+  const links = await pb.collections.getOne("intake_links");
+  const fields = links.fields.map((f: { name: string; required?: boolean }) => {
+    if (
+      (f.name === "submission_count" || f.name === "submission_count_today") &&
+      f.required !== false
+    ) {
+      return { ...f, required: false };
+    }
+    return f;
+  });
+
+  const changed = fields.some(
+    (f: { name: string; required?: boolean }, i: number) =>
+      f.required !== links.fields[i].required
+  );
+  if (!changed) {
+    console.log("  = intake_links submission_counters already optional");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  await pb.collections.update(links.id, { fields });
+  console.log("  + intake_links submission_counters now optional");
+}
+
+/**
+ * The activity row for an anonymous public submission has no actor by
+ * definition. The route omits the field rather than sending an empty
+ * string (which the relation would reject). Making `actor` optional in
+ * the schema lets the route write that row cleanly.
+ */
+async function ensureActivityActorOptional(pb: PocketBase): Promise<void> {
+  const activity = await pb.collections.getOne("activity");
+  const fields = activity.fields.map((f: { name: string; required?: boolean }) => {
+    if (f.name === "actor" && f.required !== false) {
+      return { ...f, required: false };
+    }
+    return f;
+  });
+
+  const changed = fields.some(
+    (f: { name: string; required?: boolean }, i: number) =>
+      f.required !== activity.fields[i].required
+  );
+  if (!changed) {
+    console.log("  = activity.actor already optional");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  await pb.collections.update(activity.id, { fields });
+  console.log("  + activity.actor now optional");
+}
+
+/**
+ * `active: false` fails the same PocketBase quirk as `0` does for number
+ * fields and `""` does for relations — `required: true` rejects the falsy
+ * value. The owner can create an already-revoked link, so the field has to
+ * accept both values at insert time. Every code path that creates a link
+ * sets `active: true` explicitly.
+ */
+async function ensureIntakeLinkActiveOptional(pb: PocketBase): Promise<void> {
+  const links = await pb.collections.getOne("intake_links");
+  const fields = links.fields.map((f: { name: string; required?: boolean }) => {
+    if (f.name === "active" && f.required !== false) {
+      return { ...f, required: false };
+    }
+    return f;
+  });
+
+  const changed = fields.some(
+    (f: { name: string; required?: boolean }, i: number) =>
+      f.required !== links.fields[i].required
+  );
+  if (!changed) {
+    console.log("  = intake_links.active already optional");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  await pb.collections.update(links.id, { fields });
+  console.log("  + intake_links.active now optional");
+}
+
 async function ensureProjectKindField(pb: PocketBase): Promise<void> {
   const projects = await pb.collections.getOne("projects");
   const have = new Set(projects.fields.map((f: { name: string }) => f.name));
@@ -984,14 +1073,14 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
       {
         name: "submission_count",
         type: "number",
-        required: true,
+        required: false,
         onlyInt: true,
         min: 0,
       },
       {
         name: "submission_count_today",
         type: "number",
-        required: true,
+        required: false,
         onlyInt: true,
         min: 0,
       },
@@ -1255,6 +1344,19 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   // Extend cards.created_by_role to include "anonymous" for the public route.
   await ensureCardsCreatedByRoleValues(pb);
 
+  // PocketBase rejects inserts to intake_links unless the counter fields are
+  // optional — `required: true` + `min: 0` is contradictory there.
+  await ensureIntakeLinkCountersOptional(pb);
+
+  // The public route writes activity rows with no actor (the submitter is
+  // anonymous); the actor field must therefore be optional.
+  await ensureActivityActorOptional(pb);
+
+  // Same PocketBase quirk as submission_count: `required: true` on a bool
+  // field rejects `false` as blank. The owner can mint an already-revoked
+  // link, so the field has to be optional.
+  await ensureIntakeLinkActiveOptional(pb);
+
   console.log("Done.");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/api/public/intake/route.ts b/src/app/api/public/intake/route.ts
index f066ce1..f649d9c 100644
--- a/src/app/api/public/intake/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/public/intake/route.ts
@@ -125,10 +125,9 @@ export async function POST(request: Request): Promise<Response> {
   await pb.collection("activity").create({
     project: link.project,
     card: card.id,
-    // Empty actor on purpose — the schema requires the field, but the submitter
-    // is anonymous by construction. The card detail page distinguishes
-    // anonymous submissions in the UI rather than via the actor field.
-    actor: "",
+    // No actor — the submitter is anonymous by construction. The card detail
+    // page distinguishes anonymous submissions via the
+    // card_submitted_anonymously action rather than the actor field.
     action: "card_submitted_anonymously",
     field: "",
     old_value: "",