diff --git a/src/import/RomImporter.lua b/src/import/RomImporter.lua
index a235441c..d60df0e7 100644
--- a/src/import/RomImporter.lua
+++ b/src/import/RomImporter.lua
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ local function commandOutput(command)
 end
 
 local IMPORTS_DIR = "imports"
+local MODS_INBOX_DIR = "imports/mods"
 local ROM_BYTES = 1024 * 1024
 
 -- Strip only a validated sdmc:/ prefix for OpenMTP/DBI relative paths.
@@ -349,6 +350,19 @@ function RomImporter:ensureImportsDir()
   return false
 end
 
+-- NX mod zip inbox (separate from ROM imports/). Parent imports/ first —
+-- love.filesystem.createDirectory does not create nested parents.
+function RomImporter:ensureModsInboxDir()
+  self:ensureImportsDir()
+  local info = love.filesystem.getInfo(MODS_INBOX_DIR)
+  if info and info.type == "directory" then return true end
+  if info then return false end
+  if love.filesystem.createDirectory then
+    return love.filesystem.createDirectory(MODS_INBOX_DIR)
+  end
+  return false
+end
+
 function RomImporter:_setNxInboxNotice(version)
   version = version or self.tab or "red"
   local saveDir = love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory()
@@ -361,6 +375,17 @@ function RomImporter:_setNxInboxNotice(version)
   }
 end
 
+function RomImporter:_setNxModsInboxNotice()
+  local saveDir = love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory()
+  local rel = RomImporter.mtpHintPath(saveDir)
+  if rel ~= "" and rel:sub(-1) ~= "/" then rel = rel .. "/" end
+  self.modNotice = {
+    ok = true,
+    text = Strings("Copy your .zip into:\n%s/imports/mods/\nDBI MTP → 1: SD Card/%simports/mods/",
+      saveDir, rel),
+  }
+end
+
 local function listRomPaths(dir)
   local paths = {}
   for _, name in ipairs(love.filesystem.getDirectoryItems(dir)) do
diff --git a/tests/rom_importer_nx_mods_inbox_test.lua b/tests/rom_importer_nx_mods_inbox_test.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..352dd86e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rom_importer_nx_mods_inbox_test.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+-- NX mods zip inbox: ensure imports/mods/, MTP hint (NXMOD-01..05).
+package.path = "./?.lua;./?/init.lua;" .. package.path
+if not _G.love then _G.love = require("tests.love_stub") end
+
+local S = require("tests.harness").suite("rom importer NX mods inbox")
+local eq = S.eq
+local check = S.check
+
+local RomImporter = require("src.import.RomImporter")
+
+love.system = love.system or {}
+love.filesystem = love.filesystem or {}
+
+local saved = {
+  getOS = love.system.getOS,
+  getSaveDirectory = love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory,
+  createDirectory = love.filesystem.createDirectory,
+  remove = love.filesystem.remove,
+}
+
+love.system.getOS = function() return "NX" end
+love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory = function()
+  return "sdmc:/switch/gen1recomp/pokemon-love2d"
+end
+
+local createdDirs = {}
+love.filesystem.createDirectory = function(name)
+  createdDirs[name] = true
+  return true
+end
+
+local removed = {}
+love.filesystem.remove = function(name)
+  removed[name] = true
+  return saved.remove(name)
+end
+
+package.loaded["src.core.Platform"] = nil
+package.loaded["src.import.RomImporter"] = nil
+RomImporter = require("src.import.RomImporter")
+
+local function clearModsInbox()
+  for _, name in ipairs(love.filesystem.getDirectoryItems("imports/mods") or {}) do
+    love.filesystem.remove("imports/mods/" .. name)
+  end
+  for _, name in ipairs(love.filesystem.getDirectoryItems("imports") or {}) do
+    love.filesystem.remove("imports/" .. name)
+  end
+end
+
+local function freshImporter()
+  clearModsInbox()
+  createdDirs = {}
+  removed = {}
+  package.loaded["src.import.RomImporter"] = nil
+  RomImporter = require("src.import.RomImporter")
+  return setmetatable({
+    isNX = true,
+    android = false,
+    launcher = true,
+    workState = nil,
+    tab = "mods",
+    modNotice = nil,
+    mods = {},
+    ensureImportsDir = RomImporter.ensureImportsDir,
+    ensureModsInboxDir = RomImporter.ensureModsInboxDir,
+    _setNxModsInboxNotice = RomImporter._setNxModsInboxNotice,
+  }, RomImporter)
+end
+
+-- NXMOD-01: ensureModsInboxDir creates imports/mods/ under save FS
+createdDirs = {}
+local ri = freshImporter()
+ri:ensureModsInboxDir()
+check(createdDirs.imports or createdDirs["imports/mods"],
+  "ensureModsInboxDir creates parent imports/ or nested path")
+check(createdDirs["imports/mods"],
+  "ensureModsInboxDir creates imports/mods/")
+
+-- NXMOD-01: notice/hint includes save dir + relative imports/mods/ MTP path
+ri = freshImporter()
+ri:_setNxModsInboxNotice()
+check(ri.modNotice ~= nil, "NX mods inbox notice is set")
+check(ri.modNotice.text:find("sdmc:/switch/gen1recomp/pokemon-love2d/imports/mods/", 1, true),
+  "mods notice contains runtime save path + imports/mods/")
+check(ri.modNotice.text:find("DBI MTP", 1, true) ~= nil,
+  "mods notice contains OpenMTP-oriented hint")
+check(ri.modNotice.text:find("switch/gen1recomp/pokemon-love2d/imports/mods/", 1, true),
+  "hint uses sdmc-stripped relative imports/mods/ path")
+
+-- Cleanup + restore stubs
+clearModsInbox()
+love.system.getOS = saved.getOS
+love.filesystem.getSaveDirectory = saved.getSaveDirectory
+love.filesystem.createDirectory = saved.createDirectory
+love.filesystem.remove = saved.remove
+package.loaded["src.core.Platform"] = nil
+package.loaded["src.import.RomImporter"] = nil
+
+S.finish()
diff --git a/tests/run_tests.lua b/tests/run_tests.lua
index 7d9f0588..d8a85a42 100644
--- a/tests/run_tests.lua
+++ b/tests/run_tests.lua
@@ -3375,6 +3375,7 @@ runSuites({ "tests/platform_nx_shell_gate_test.lua" })
 runSuites({ "tests/platform_nx_network_gate_test.lua" })
 runSuites({ "tests/rom_importer_nx_flags_test.lua" })
 runSuites({ "tests/rom_importer_nx_inbox_test.lua" })
+runSuites({ "tests/rom_importer_nx_mods_inbox_test.lua" })
 -- ---------------------------------------------- parity workstream tests
 -- Each tests/parity_*.lua is a self-contained file (own bootstrap + check,
 -- error()s if any assertion fails).  Globbed, so dropping a new parity