diff --git a/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts b/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts
index 4327cd6..c634378 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts
@@ -38,8 +38,12 @@ function fakeForge(): Promise<Forge> {
     mints: 0,
     lastScopes: null as string[] | null,
     tokens: new Map<string, string>(), // name -> value
+    scopesOf: new Map<string, string[]>(), // value -> scopes, so a route can enforce them like gitea does
     admins: new Map([[ADMIN, PASSWORD]]),
   };
+  // write:X implies read:X — gitea's own rule (models/auth/access_token_scope.go).
+  const covers = (scopes: string[], required: string): boolean =>
+    scopes.includes(required) || scopes.includes(`write:${required.split(":")[1]}`);
   const json = (res: ServerResponse, status: number, body: unknown): void => {
     res.writeHead(status, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
     res.end(body === null ? "" : JSON.stringify(body));
@@ -70,6 +74,7 @@ function fakeForge(): Promise<Forge> {
         forge.lastScopes = scopes;
         const sha1 = `minted-${forge.mints}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2)}`;
         forge.tokens.set(name, sha1);
+        forge.scopesOf.set(sha1, scopes);
         return json(res, 201, { id: forge.mints, name, sha1, scopes, token_last_eight: sha1.slice(-8) });
       }
       if (req.method === "DELETE" && tokens[2]) {
@@ -84,6 +89,14 @@ function fakeForge(): Promise<Forge> {
       const h = req.headers.authorization ?? "";
       const value = h.startsWith("token ") ? h.slice(6) : "";
       if (![...forge.tokens.values()].includes(value)) return json(res, 401, { message: "token is required" });
+      // gitea 1.27.3: GET /user/repos sits under the `user` scope category, not `repository` —
+      // confirmed against the live forge. A token without read:user (or write:user) is refused here.
+      const scopes = forge.scopesOf.get(value) ?? [];
+      if (!covers(scopes, "read:user")) {
+        return json(res, 403, {
+          message: `token does not have at least one of required scope(s), required=[read:user]`,
+        });
+      }
       return json(res, 200, [
         { full_name: "novox/hq", name: "hq", owner: { login: "novox" }, private: true, html_url: "http://fake/novox/hq" },
       ]);
@@ -146,7 +159,7 @@ test("first start: mints with the admin account, keeps the token at 0600, asks f
 
   assert.equal(repos[0]?.full_name, "novox/hq");
   assert.equal(forge.mints, 1);
-  assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, ["write:repository", "write:issue"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user"]);
   assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, [...TOKEN_SCOPES]);
   const token = forge.tokens.get("mesh-tools")!;
   assert.equal(await readFile(file, "utf8"), token + "\n");
diff --git a/modules/gitea/token.ts b/modules/gitea/token.ts
index 732391b..e511eb9 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/token.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/token.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,15 @@ export const TOKEN_NAME = "mesh-tools";
 
 /**
  * The least the fifteen tools and the watcher need (gitea's route groups, 1.20+ scoped tokens):
- *   write:repository — list/create/delete repositories, pull requests (list/get/open/merge), and
- *                      the watcher's /user/repos poll;
- *   write:issue      — issues, comments, labels.
- * Nothing under /admin, /orgs or /users — the escape-hatch tool reaches only what these two cover.
+ *   write:repository — create/delete repositories, pull requests (list/get/open/merge);
+ *   write:issue      — issues, comments, labels;
+ *   read:user        — GET /user/repos, which the watcher's poll and gitea_list_repos both call.
+ *                      It sits under the `user` category despite listing repositories, not `repository`
+ *                      — confirmed against the running forge (1.27.3), which answered
+ *                      `required=[read:user]` to a token carrying only the other two.
+ * Nothing under /admin, /orgs or write:user — the escape-hatch tool reaches only what these three cover.
  */
-export const TOKEN_SCOPES: readonly string[] = ["write:repository", "write:issue"];
+export const TOKEN_SCOPES: readonly string[] = ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user"];
 
 /** Where a client's token comes from, and what to do when the forge says it is wrong. */
 export interface TokenSource {