diff --git a/client/web/web.go b/client/web/web.go
index 24fd71c8b..e4c5c68b1 100644
--- a/client/web/web.go
+++ b/client/web/web.go
@@ -965,6 +965,13 @@ func (s *Server) proxyRequestToLocalAPI(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 		http.Error(w, "invalid request", http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
 	}
+	if r.Method == httpm.PATCH {
+		// enforce that PATCH requests are always application/json
+		if ct := r.Header.Get("Content-Type"); ct != "application/json" {
+			http.Error(w, "invalid request", http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+	}
 	if !slices.Contains(localapiAllowlist, path) {
 		http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("%s not allowed from localapi proxy", path), http.StatusForbidden)
 		return
diff --git a/client/web/web_test.go b/client/web/web_test.go
index d37e3e00a..dc5670fbb 100644
--- a/client/web/web_test.go
+++ b/client/web/web_test.go
@@ -100,29 +100,44 @@ func TestServeAPI(t *testing.T) {
 	s := &Server{lc: &tailscale.LocalClient{Dial: lal.Dial}}
 
 	tests := []struct {
-		name       string
-		reqPath    string
-		wantResp   string
-		wantStatus int
+		name           string
+		reqMethod      string
+		reqPath        string
+		reqContentType string
+		wantResp       string
+		wantStatus     int
 	}{{
 		name:       "invalid_endpoint",
+		reqMethod:  httpm.POST,
 		reqPath:    "/not-an-endpoint",
 		wantResp:   "invalid endpoint",
 		wantStatus: http.StatusNotFound,
 	}, {
 		name:       "not_in_localapi_allowlist",
+		reqMethod:  httpm.POST,
 		reqPath:    "/local/v0/not-allowlisted",
 		wantResp:   "/v0/not-allowlisted not allowed from localapi proxy",
 		wantStatus: http.StatusForbidden,
 	}, {
 		name:       "in_localapi_allowlist",
+		reqMethod:  httpm.POST,
 		reqPath:    "/local/v0/logout",
 		wantResp:   "success", // Successfully allowed to hit localapi.
 		wantStatus: http.StatusOK,
+	}, {
+		name:           "patch_bad_contenttype",
+		reqMethod:      httpm.PATCH,
+		reqPath:        "/local/v0/prefs",
+		reqContentType: "multipart/form-data",
+		wantResp:       "invalid request",
+		wantStatus:     http.StatusBadRequest,
 	}}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			r := httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/api"+tt.reqPath, nil)
+			r := httptest.NewRequest(tt.reqMethod, "/api"+tt.reqPath, nil)
+			if tt.reqContentType != "" {
+				r.Header.Add("Content-Type", tt.reqContentType)
+			}
 			w := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 			s.serveAPI(w, r)