diff --git a/.agents/rules/frontend/dashboard.md b/.agents/rules/frontend/dashboard.md
index a680ed67c4..97f419b762 100644
--- a/.agents/rules/frontend/dashboard.md
+++ b/.agents/rules/frontend/dashboard.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ The dashboard does **not** depend on react-hook-form or zod. Use controlled inpu
 
 The JWT carries **only role names**. `auth-context.tsx` fetches the effective permission list from `GET /api/v1/identity/permissions` (`getMyPermissions()` in `src/api/identity.ts`), caches it in `tokenStore` under `fsh.dashboard.permissions`, and exposes a `permissionsHydrated` flag so gated UI doesn't flash while the fetch is in flight (re-fetched on login/impersonation swaps; `refreshPermissions()` for role changes). Nav items are gated via `perm`/`anyPerm` in `src/components/layout/nav-data.ts`. `ProtectedRoute` is still **auth-only** (no per-route permission gating) — don't add `RouteGuard`-style gating here.
 
+A query that mounts outside its own nav-gated page (topbar badges, overview cards) must set `enabled: permissionsHydrated && user.permissions.includes(<the endpoint's RequirePermission>)` and hide or replace its UI without it; otherwise every poll is a 403 the API logs as an error. `refetch()` ignores `enabled`, so gate manual refetches too. Playwright: `installShellMocks` grants `SHELL_PERMISSIONS` (the Basic-role grants these queries need); specs testing the missing-permission path re-mock `/identity/permissions`.
+
 ## Routing & realtime/SSE
 
 - Every route element is wrapped in `withSuspense(node)` (per-route skeleton fallback). No per-route permission guards.
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/chat-unread-badge.tsx b/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/chat-unread-badge.tsx
index 2094f449a5..f6d4a3aec0 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/chat-unread-badge.tsx
+++ b/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/chat-unread-badge.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { MessageCircle } from "lucide-react";
 import { listMyChannels } from "@/api/chat";
+import { useAuth } from "@/auth/use-auth";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/cn";
 
 /**
@@ -17,11 +18,18 @@ import { cn } from "@/lib/cn";
  *   - markChannelRead (chat-page) invalidates it when the user reads
  *   - the composer invalidates it when the user sends
  */
+// GET /chat/channels requires this; without it every poll is a 403.
+const CHANNELS_VIEW_PERMISSION = "Permissions.Chat.Channels.View";
+
 export function ChatUnreadBadge() {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const { user, permissionsHydrated } = useAuth();
+  const canViewChannels =
+    permissionsHydrated && (user?.permissions.includes(CHANNELS_VIEW_PERMISSION) ?? false);
   const { data: channels } = useQuery({
     queryKey: ["chat", "my-channels"],
     queryFn: () => listMyChannels({ pageSize: 100 }),
+    enabled: canViewChannels,
     staleTime: 30_000,
   });
 
@@ -30,6 +38,8 @@ export function ChatUnreadBadge() {
     [channels],
   );
 
+  if (!canViewChannels) return null;
+
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/notification-bell.tsx b/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/notification-bell.tsx
index d6917f4d50..6c55fa0869 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/notification-bell.tsx
+++ b/clients/dashboard/src/components/notifications/notification-bell.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   markNotificationRead,
   type NotificationDto,
 } from "@/api/notifications";
+import { useAuth } from "@/auth/use-auth";
 import { useRealtimeEvent } from "@/realtime/realtime-context";
 import {
   DropdownMenu,
@@ -25,7 +26,13 @@ import { cn } from "@/lib/cn";
  * NotificationCreated event lands, we patch cache so the badge updates
  * without a refetch.
  */
+// GET /notifications/unread-count requires this; without it every poll is a 403.
+const INBOX_VIEW_PERMISSION = "Permissions.Notifications.Inbox.View";
+
 export function NotificationBell() {
+  const { user, permissionsHydrated } = useAuth();
+  const canViewInbox =
+    permissionsHydrated && (user?.permissions.includes(INBOX_VIEW_PERMISSION) ?? false);
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
@@ -33,6 +40,7 @@ export function NotificationBell() {
   const unreadQuery = useQuery({
     queryKey: ["notifications", "unread-count"],
     queryFn: getUnreadCount,
+    enabled: canViewInbox,
     staleTime: 30_000,
   });
 
@@ -84,6 +92,8 @@ export function NotificationBell() {
     }
   };
 
+  if (!canViewInbox) return null;
+
   return (
     <DropdownMenu open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen} modal={false}>
       <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/src/pages/overview.tsx b/clients/dashboard/src/pages/overview.tsx
index f1a1b1d241..42e0ee049e 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/src/pages/overview.tsx
+++ b/clients/dashboard/src/pages/overview.tsx
@@ -563,6 +563,9 @@ function recentEventTypeIcon(eventType: AuditEventType): React.ComponentType<{ c
 /** Mirrors the permission GET /api/v1/audits enforces server-side. */
 const AUDIT_VIEW_PERMISSION = "Permissions.AuditTrails.View";
 
+/** Mirrors the permission GET /api/v1/billing/usage enforces server-side. */
+const BILLING_VIEW_PERMISSION = "Permissions.Billing.View";
+
 function RecentAuditsSkeleton() {
   return (
     <ul className="space-y-2.5">
@@ -972,12 +975,16 @@ export function OverviewPage() {
   // hold it, so everyone else gets a quiet no-access state instead of a 403.
   const canViewAudits =
     permissionsHydrated && (user?.permissions.includes(AUDIT_VIEW_PERMISSION) ?? false);
+  // Same for GET /billing/usage and Billing.View.
+  const canViewUsage =
+    permissionsHydrated && (user?.permissions.includes(BILLING_VIEW_PERMISSION) ?? false);
   const { status: sseStatus, eventCount } = useSseStatus();
   const { events } = useSseEvents();
 
   const usage = useQuery({
     queryKey: ["billing", "usage"],
     queryFn: () => getUsageSnapshots(),
+    enabled: canViewUsage,
     staleTime: 60_000,
   });
 
@@ -1029,7 +1036,8 @@ export function OverviewPage() {
 
   const refreshing = usage.isFetching || subscription.isFetching || status.isFetching;
   const onRefresh = () => {
-    void usage.refetch();
+    // refetch() bypasses `enabled`, so it needs the same gate.
+    if (canViewUsage) void usage.refetch();
     void subscription.refetch();
     void status.refetch();
   };
@@ -1108,12 +1116,17 @@ export function OverviewPage() {
             ? `until ${new Date(validity.targetUtc).toLocaleDateString("en-US", validityDateFmt)}`
             : "no end date";
 
-  const resourcesValue = usage.isLoading ? (
+  const usageDenied = permissionsHydrated && !canViewUsage;
+  const resourcesValue = usageDenied ? (
+    "—"
+  ) : usage.isPending ? (
     <Skeleton className="h-5 w-10" />
   ) : (
     formatNumber(totalsView.resourceCount)
   );
-  const resourcesSub = (
+  const resourcesSub = usageDenied ? (
+    "No access"
+  ) : (
     <>
       <span className="tabular-nums">{totalsView.avgUtilization.toFixed(0)}%</span>{" "}
       avg utilization
@@ -1283,7 +1296,12 @@ export function OverviewPage() {
               totalsView.overage > 0 ? <Badge variant="danger">overage</Badge> : undefined
             }
           >
-            {usage.isLoading ? (
+            {usageDenied ? (
+              <UsageEmpty
+                title="No access to usage"
+                description="Usage needs the Billing permission. Ask an administrator if you need it."
+              />
+            ) : usage.isPending ? (
               <UsageSkeleton />
             ) : usage.isError ? (
               <UsageEmpty
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/tests/activity/activity.spec.ts b/clients/dashboard/tests/activity/activity.spec.ts
index 85ce30392a..51a8c0f713 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/tests/activity/activity.spec.ts
+++ b/clients/dashboard/tests/activity/activity.spec.ts
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ test.describe("activity (/activity)", () => {
   });
 
   test("without Audit trail access, no audits call and a live-only notice", async ({ page }) => {
-    // installShellMocks grants no permissions ([]).
+    // installShellMocks grants only SHELL_PERMISSIONS, not AuditTrails.View.
     await mockSseOnce(page);
     const audits = countAuditCalls(page);
 
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/auth-seed.ts b/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/auth-seed.ts
index 19b95541a2..4318ea3c02 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/auth-seed.ts
+++ b/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/auth-seed.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ import type { Page } from "@playwright/test";
  * decoder reads sub/email/given_name/family_name/tenant out of the
  * payload. Permissions are NOT read from the JWT: at runtime the app
  * fetches them from GET /api/v1/identity/permissions (installShellMocks
- * stubs that route to []; permission-gated specs re-mock it with the
- * grants they need — see tests/system/trash.spec.ts).
+ * stubs that route to SHELL_PERMISSIONS; permission-gated specs re-mock it
+ * with the grants they need — see tests/system/trash.spec.ts).
  */
 export type SeededUser = {
   sub: string;
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/shell-mocks.ts b/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/shell-mocks.ts
index 05bc0538d7..ce28a59507 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/shell-mocks.ts
+++ b/clients/dashboard/tests/helpers/shell-mocks.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ export const DEFAULT_PROFILE = {
   imageUrl: null,
 } as const;
 
+/** Basic-role grants behind the shell's own queries. */
+export const SHELL_PERMISSIONS = [
+  "Permissions.Notifications.Inbox.View",
+  "Permissions.Chat.Channels.View",
+  "Permissions.Billing.View",
+];
+
 /**
  * Mock every API call the authenticated AppShell fires on load so any
  * protected page can be visited in isolation without hanging on the
@@ -43,9 +50,12 @@ export async function installShellMocks(page: Page): Promise<void> {
   // Topbar chat unread badge.
   await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/chat/channels**", []);
 
-  // Defensive: profile + permissions (harmless if a page re-reads them).
+  // Profile + permissions. The default grants match the Basic role and are
+  // the ones the shell's own queries need (topbar badges, overview usage);
+  // without them those queries never fire. Permission-gated specs re-mock
+  // this route with the exact grants they need.
   await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/identity/profile", DEFAULT_PROFILE);
-  await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/identity/permissions", []);
+  await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/identity/permissions", SHELL_PERMISSIONS);
 
   // Tenant status drives the global expiry/grace banner mounted in the
   // AppShell. Default to a healthy, far-future tenant so the banner stays
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/tests/layout/permission-gated-queries.spec.ts b/clients/dashboard/tests/layout/permission-gated-queries.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9c92bee60b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clients/dashboard/tests/layout/permission-gated-queries.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { expect, test, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import { mockJsonResponse } from "../helpers/api-mocks";
+import { installShellMocks } from "../helpers/shell-mocks";
+import { seedAuthedSession, TEST_USER } from "../helpers/auth-seed";
+
+// The topbar badges and the overview usage card query endpoints that each
+// require a permission. A user without it must not fire the request at all:
+// every attempt is a 403 the API logs as an error.
+
+const GATED_ENDPOINTS = [
+  "/api/v1/notifications/unread-count",
+  "/api/v1/chat/channels",
+  "/api/v1/billing/usage",
+] as const;
+
+const GRANTS = [
+  "Permissions.Notifications.Inbox.View",
+  "Permissions.Chat.Channels.View",
+  "Permissions.Billing.View",
+];
+
+function countGatedRequests(page: Page): Record<string, number> {
+  const counts: Record<string, number> = Object.fromEntries(GATED_ENDPOINTS.map((p) => [p, 0]));
+  page.on("request", (req) => {
+    const path = new URL(req.url()).pathname;
+    if (path in counts) counts[path]++;
+  });
+  return counts;
+}
+
+test.describe("permission-gated background queries", () => {
+  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    await seedAuthedSession(page, TEST_USER);
+    await installShellMocks(page);
+    await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/billing/usage**", []);
+    await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/billing/subscriptions/me**", null);
+  });
+
+  test("without the permissions, none of the gated endpoints is called", async ({ page }) => {
+    await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/identity/permissions", []);
+    const counts = countGatedRequests(page);
+
+    await page.goto("/");
+    // Only renders once permissions are hydrated, so every query the page
+    // mounts has had its chance to fire by now.
+    await expect(page.getByText("No access to audits")).toBeVisible();
+
+    expect(counts).toEqual(Object.fromEntries(GATED_ENDPOINTS.map((p) => [p, 0])));
+    await expect(page.getByText("No access to usage")).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: /^notifications/i })).toHaveCount(0);
+    await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: /^chat/i })).toHaveCount(0);
+  });
+
+  test("with the permissions, each gated endpoint is called and its UI renders", async ({ page }) => {
+    await mockJsonResponse(page, "**/api/v1/identity/permissions", GRANTS);
+    const counts = countGatedRequests(page);
+
+    await page.goto("/");
+    await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: /^notifications/i })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: /^chat/i })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByText(/no usage captured yet/i)).toBeVisible();
+
+    for (const path of GATED_ENDPOINTS) {
+      await expect.poll(() => counts[path], { message: path }).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/clients/dashboard/tests/overview/overview.spec.ts b/clients/dashboard/tests/overview/overview.spec.ts
index eae5827e79..94d6b4f31b 100644
--- a/clients/dashboard/tests/overview/overview.spec.ts
+++ b/clients/dashboard/tests/overview/overview.spec.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ test.describe("overview (/)", () => {
     await expect(page.getByText(/no usage captured yet/i)).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  // GET /audits requires AuditTrails.View; installShellMocks grants no permissions.
+  // GET /audits requires AuditTrails.View; installShellMocks does not grant it.
   test("recent audits: without Audit trail access, no /audits call and a no-access state", async ({ page }) => {
     let auditCalls = 0;
     page.on("request", (req) => {