diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/provisioning/register.go b/pkg/registry/apis/provisioning/register.go
index ff29b948faa..4ed4594d391 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/provisioning/register.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/provisioning/register.go
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func (b *APIBuilder) GetAuthorizer() authorizer.Authorizer {
 //
 // Repositories:
 //   - CRUD: repositories:create/read/write/delete
-//   - Subresources (files, refs, resources, history, status): repositories:read
+//   - Subresources: files (any auth), refs (editor), resources/history/status (admin)
 //   - Test: repositories:write
 //   - Jobs subresource: jobs:create/read
 //
@@ -413,8 +413,18 @@ func (b *APIBuilder) authorizeRepositorySubresource(ctx context.Context, a autho
 	case "files":
 		return authorizer.DecisionAllow, "", nil
 
-	// Read-only subresources: refs, resources, history, status
-	case "refs", "resources", "history", "status":
+	// refs subresource - editors need to see branches to push changes
+	case "refs":
+		return toAuthorizerDecision(b.accessWithEditor.Check(ctx, authlib.CheckRequest{
+			Verb:      apiutils.VerbGet,
+			Group:     provisioning.GROUP,
+			Resource:  provisioning.RepositoryResourceInfo.GetName(),
+			Name:      a.GetName(),
+			Namespace: a.GetNamespace(),
+		}, ""))
+
+	// Read-only subresources: resources, history, status (admin only)
+	case "resources", "history", "status":
 		return toAuthorizerDecision(b.accessWithAdmin.Check(ctx, authlib.CheckRequest{
 			Verb:      apiutils.VerbGet,
 			Group:     provisioning.GROUP,
diff --git a/pkg/tests/apis/provisioning/repository_test.go b/pkg/tests/apis/provisioning/repository_test.go
index 877ed0d5f98..03fcb4394ca 100644
--- a/pkg/tests/apis/provisioning/repository_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tests/apis/provisioning/repository_test.go
@@ -950,3 +950,65 @@ func TestIntegrationProvisioning_JobPermissions(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, http.StatusAccepted, statusCode, "should return 202 Accepted")
 	})
 }
+
+func TestIntegrationProvisioning_RefsPermissions(t *testing.T) {
+	testutil.SkipIntegrationTestInShortMode(t)
+
+	helper := runGrafana(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	const repo = "refs-permissions-test"
+	testRepo := TestRepo{
+		Name:               repo,
+		Target:             "folder",
+		Copies:             map[string]string{}, // No files needed for this test
+		ExpectedDashboards: 0,
+		ExpectedFolders:    1, // Repository creates a folder
+	}
+	helper.CreateRepo(t, testRepo)
+
+	t.Run("editor can GET refs", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var statusCode int
+		result := helper.EditorREST.Get().
+			Namespace("default").
+			Resource("repositories").
+			Name(repo).
+			SubResource("refs").
+			Do(ctx).StatusCode(&statusCode)
+
+		require.NoError(t, result.Error(), "editor should be able to GET refs")
+		require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, statusCode, "should return 200 OK")
+
+		// Verify we can parse the refs
+		refs := &provisioning.RefList{}
+		err := result.Into(refs)
+		require.NoError(t, err, "should parse refs response")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("viewer cannot GET refs", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var statusCode int
+		result := helper.ViewerREST.Get().
+			Namespace("default").
+			Resource("repositories").
+			Name(repo).
+			SubResource("refs").
+			Do(ctx).StatusCode(&statusCode)
+
+		require.Error(t, result.Error(), "viewer should not be able to GET refs")
+		require.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, statusCode, "should return 403 Forbidden")
+		require.True(t, apierrors.IsForbidden(result.Error()), "error should be forbidden")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("admin can GET refs", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var statusCode int
+		result := helper.AdminREST.Get().
+			Namespace("default").
+			Resource("repositories").
+			Name(repo).
+			SubResource("refs").
+			Do(ctx).StatusCode(&statusCode)
+
+		require.NoError(t, result.Error(), "admin should be able to GET refs")
+		require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, statusCode, "should return 200 OK")
+	})
+}