diff --git a/crates/headroom-core/src/profile.rs b/crates/headroom-core/src/profile.rs
index 65c0002..0b456e1 100644
--- a/crates/headroom-core/src/profile.rs
+++ b/crates/headroom-core/src/profile.rs
@@ -239,8 +239,16 @@ impl Default for CompressorSection {
 }
 
 /// `makeup_db` field: either an explicit number of dB or `"auto"`.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
-#[serde(untagged)]
+///
+/// De/serialization is hand-rolled rather than derived. A derived
+/// `#[serde(untagged)]` enum cannot deserialize the unit variant
+/// `Auto` from the string `"auto"` (untagged matches unit variants
+/// against `null`, not a name), so every shipped profile carrying
+/// `makeup_db = "auto"` silently failed to parse under the `toml`
+/// crate and got skipped. We accept a number → `Db`, or the
+/// case-insensitive string `"auto"` → `Auto`, and serialize back to
+/// the same shapes.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Default)]
 pub enum MakeupGain {
     /// Numeric dB value.
     Db(f32),
@@ -249,6 +257,34 @@ pub enum MakeupGain {
     Auto,
 }
 
+impl Serialize for MakeupGain {
+    fn serialize<S: serde::Serializer>(&self, ser: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error> {
+        match self {
+            MakeupGain::Db(v) => ser.serialize_f32(*v),
+            MakeupGain::Auto => ser.serialize_str("auto"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for MakeupGain {
+    fn deserialize<D: serde::Deserializer<'de>>(de: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error> {
+        // Buffer into an untagged number-or-string, then interpret.
+        #[derive(Deserialize)]
+        #[serde(untagged)]
+        enum Repr {
+            Num(f32),
+            Str(String),
+        }
+        match Repr::deserialize(de)? {
+            Repr::Num(v) => Ok(MakeupGain::Db(v)),
+            Repr::Str(s) if s.eq_ignore_ascii_case("auto") => Ok(MakeupGain::Auto),
+            Repr::Str(s) => Err(serde::de::Error::custom(format!(
+                "invalid makeup_db {s:?}: expected a number or \"auto\""
+            ))),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// `[limiter]` section.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(default)]
@@ -517,11 +553,10 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn makeup_gain_serialises_as_string_or_number() {
+        // Auto serialises to the lowercase string `"auto"` — the same
+        // token profiles use on disk — and round-trips.
         let auto = serde_json::to_string(&MakeupGain::Auto).unwrap();
-        // Untagged enum: Auto serialises as its discriminant variant —
-        // serde_json renders unit variant Auto as `"Auto"`. We don't
-        // promise wire-format here; this is a profile concern. Just
-        // verify round-trip works.
+        assert_eq!(auto, "\"auto\"");
         let back: MakeupGain = serde_json::from_str(&auto).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(back, MakeupGain::Auto));
 
@@ -529,4 +564,20 @@ mod tests {
         let back: MakeupGain = serde_json::from_str(&db).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(back, MakeupGain::Db(v) if (v - 3.0).abs() < 1e-6));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn makeup_gain_parses_auto_from_toml_case_insensitively() {
+        #[derive(Deserialize)]
+        struct Holder {
+            makeup_db: MakeupGain,
+        }
+        for tok in ["\"auto\"", "\"Auto\"", "\"AUTO\""] {
+            let h: Holder = toml::from_str(&format!("makeup_db = {tok}")).unwrap();
+            assert!(matches!(h.makeup_db, MakeupGain::Auto), "token {tok}");
+        }
+        let h: Holder = toml::from_str("makeup_db = -3.5").unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(h.makeup_db, MakeupGain::Db(v) if (v + 3.5).abs() < 1e-6));
+        // A bogus string is a hard error, not a silent skip.
+        assert!(toml::from_str::<Holder>("makeup_db = \"loud\"").is_err());
+    }
 }