diff --git a/routes/_autoload.py b/routes/_autoload.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3815590
--- /dev/null
+++ b/routes/_autoload.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+"""
+routes/_autoload.py
+===================
+Optional zero-touch bootstrap for the routes package.
+
+If you don't want to modify lab_api.py at all, add one line
+anywhere after `app = FastAPI(...)` in lab_api.py::
+
+    from routes import _autoload  # noqa  — registers routers on startup
+
+This module registers a FastAPI startup event that imports routes._wire,
+which in turn calls _register_shared() and app.include_router() for all
+five routers.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+
+def register_startup(app):
+    """Attach the router-wiring startup event to a FastAPI app instance."""
+
+    @app.on_event("startup")
+    async def _wire_routers():
+        import routes._wire  # noqa — side-effect: registers shared + mounts routers