diff --git a/modules/gitea/client.ts b/modules/gitea/client.ts
index c8e5c28..aa86e75 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/client.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/client.ts
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ export class GiteaClient {
     if (res.status === 401) {
       token = await this.tokens.renew(token);
       res = await this.send(path, options, token);
+    } else if (res.status === 403) {
+      // A kept token minted before a scope was added lacks it. The forge says so; the source
+      // re-mints with the whole list and the call is retried once. Any other 403 stays a 403.
+      const text = await res.text();
+      if (!MintedToken.lacksScope(res.status, text)) throw new Error(`Gitea API ${path}: 403 ${text}`);
+      token = await this.tokens.renew(token);
+      res = await this.send(path, options, token);
     }
     if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Gitea API ${path}: ${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);
     if (res.status === 204) return null as T;
diff --git a/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts b/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts
index c634378..75a5bd2 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/test/token.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ interface Forge {
   mints: number;
   lastScopes: string[] | null;
   tokens: Map<string, string>;
+  scopesOf: Map<string, string[]>;
   admins: Map<string, string>;
   close(): Promise<void>;
 }
@@ -85,6 +86,20 @@ function fakeForge(): Promise<Forge> {
       }
       return json(res, 405, { message: "method not allowed" });
     }
+    if (url.pathname === "/api/v1/repos/search") {
+      // The client lists through the search endpoint since 2026-09-28 (the forge's whole view);
+      // it sits under `repository`, which write:repository covers.
+      const h = req.headers.authorization ?? "";
+      const value = h.startsWith("token ") ? h.slice(6) : "";
+      if (![...forge.tokens.values()].includes(value)) return json(res, 401, { message: "token is required" });
+      if (!covers(forge.scopesOf.get(value) ?? [], "read:repository")) {
+        return json(res, 403, { message: `token does not have at least one of required scope(s), required=[read:repository]` });
+      }
+      return json(res, 200, {
+        ok: true,
+        data: [{ full_name: "novox/hq", name: "hq", owner: { login: "novox" }, private: true, html_url: "http://fake/novox/hq" }],
+      });
+    }
     if (url.pathname === "/api/v1/user/repos") {
       const h = req.headers.authorization ?? "";
       const value = h.startsWith("token ") ? h.slice(6) : "";
@@ -101,6 +116,21 @@ function fakeForge(): Promise<Forge> {
         { full_name: "novox/hq", name: "hq", owner: { login: "novox" }, private: true, html_url: "http://fake/novox/hq" },
       ]);
     }
+    const adminUser = url.pathname.match(/^\/api\/v1\/admin\/users\/([^/]+)$/);
+    if (adminUser && req.method === "PATCH") {
+      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" });
+      if (!covers(forge.scopesOf.get(value) ?? [], "write:admin")) {
+        return json(res, 403, {
+          message: `token does not have at least one of required scope(s), required=[write:admin]`,
+        });
+      }
+      const login = decodeURIComponent(adminUser[1]);
+      if (login === "untouchable") return json(res, 403, { message: "user untouchable may not be edited" });
+      const patch = await body(req);
+      return json(res, 200, { login, is_admin: patch?.admin === true });
+    }
     return json(res, 404, { message: "no such route in the fake" });
   });
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
@@ -111,6 +141,7 @@ function fakeForge(): Promise<Forge> {
         get mints() { return forge.mints; },
         get lastScopes() { return forge.lastScopes; },
         tokens: forge.tokens,
+        scopesOf: forge.scopesOf,
         admins: forge.admins,
         close: () => new Promise((r) => server.close(() => r())),
       });
@@ -152,14 +183,14 @@ function minted(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv, logs: string[]): GiteaClient {
 const forge = await fakeForge();
 after(() => forge.close());
 
-test("first start: mints with the admin account, keeps the token at 0600, asks for two scopes only", async () => {
+test("first start: mints with the admin account, keeps the token at 0600, asks for the tools' scopes only", async () => {
   const { env, file, logs } = await delivered(forge);
 
   const repos = await minted(env, logs).listRepos();
 
   assert.equal(repos[0]?.full_name, "novox/hq");
   assert.equal(forge.mints, 1);
-  assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user", "write:admin"]);
   assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, [...TOKEN_SCOPES]);
   const token = forge.tokens.get("mesh-tools")!;
   assert.equal(await readFile(file, "utf8"), token + "\n");
@@ -197,6 +228,34 @@ test("the forge rejects the kept token (its data was restored): minted afresh, o
   assert.ok(logs.some((l) => l.startsWith("the forge rejected the kept token")), logs.join("\n"));
 });
 
+test("a kept token from before write:admin: the forge refuses the admin route for the scope, the token is re-minted with the whole list, and the call goes through", async () => {
+  const { env, file, logs } = await delivered(forge);
+  const client = minted(env, logs);
+  await client.listRepos();
+  const before = forge.mints;
+  const old = forge.tokens.get("mesh-tools")!;
+  forge.scopesOf.set(old, ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user"]); // minted by the previous build
+
+  const user = await client.api<{ login: string; is_admin: boolean }>("/admin/users/mesh_novox_builder", {
+    method: "PATCH",
+    body: JSON.stringify({ admin: true }),
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(user.is_admin, true);
+  assert.equal(forge.mints, before + 1);
+  assert.deepEqual(forge.lastScopes, [...TOKEN_SCOPES]);
+  assert.notEqual(forge.tokens.get("mesh-tools"), old);
+  assert.equal(await readFile(file, "utf8"), forge.tokens.get("mesh-tools") + "\n");
+  assert.ok(logs.some((l) => l.startsWith("the forge rejected the kept token")), logs.join("\n"));
+  // A 403 that is not about scopes is the forge's answer, not a reason to mint.
+  const again = forge.mints;
+  await assert.rejects(
+    client.api("/admin/users/untouchable", { method: "PATCH", body: JSON.stringify({ admin: true }) }),
+    /403 .*untouchable/,
+  );
+  assert.equal(forge.mints, again);
+});
+
 test("the kept file is gone but the forge still holds a token by that name: replaced, not refused", async () => {
   const { env, file, logs } = await delivered(forge);
   await minted(env, logs).listRepos();
diff --git a/modules/gitea/token.ts b/modules/gitea/token.ts
index e511eb9..fb1e53a 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/token.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/token.ts
@@ -34,15 +34,21 @@ export const TOKEN_NAME = "mesh-tools";
  *                      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.
+ *   write:admin      — /admin/users: the forge's own users are the mesh's to settle, such as making
+ *                      the builder's login a site admin so every repository the mesh may build is
+ *                      clonable (novox/hq 229). Nothing under /orgs or write:user.
+ *
+ * A token kept from before a scope was added lacks it: the forge answers such a call with
+ * `403 token does not have at least one of required scope(s)`, and the client treats that like a
+ * 401 — the source re-mints by name, with the whole list, and the call is retried once.
  */
-export const TOKEN_SCOPES: readonly string[] = ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user"];
+export const TOKEN_SCOPES: readonly string[] = ["write:repository", "write:issue", "read:user", "write:admin"];
 
 /** Where a client's token comes from, and what to do when the forge says it is wrong. */
 export interface TokenSource {
   /** The token to authenticate with now; minted, read or configured. */
   current(): Promise<string>;
-  /** The forge answered 401 to `rejected`. A fresh token, or a plain error when there is nothing to renew with. */
+  /** The forge answered 401 to `rejected`, or 403 for a scope it lacks. A fresh token, or a plain error when there is nothing to renew with. */
   renew(rejected: string): Promise<string>;
 }
 
@@ -170,6 +176,11 @@ export class MintedToken implements TokenSource {
     return this.mint("the forge rejected the kept token — minting a fresh one");
   }
 
+  /** What the forge's scoped tokens say when a kept token predates a scope the tools now need. */
+  static lacksScope(status: number, body: string): boolean {
+    return status === 403 && /required scope/i.test(body);
+  }
+
   /** One mint at a time: concurrent first calls share it, rather than each minting its own. */
   private mint(why: string): Promise<string> {
     if (this.inflight === null) {