diff --git a/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_app_read.rs b/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_app_read.rs
index 218af77236e..e3b104125a9 100644
--- a/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_app_read.rs
+++ b/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_app_read.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ pub struct ReadSource {
     pub principal: String,
     pub token: Arc<String>,
     pub used_fallback: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    /// The installation token's permissions, as its sidecar records them.
+    pub permissions: Arc<BTreeMap<String, String>>,
+}
+
+impl ReadSource {
+    /// Whether the installation token may read `permission`.
+    pub fn grants(&self, permission: &str) -> bool {
+        self.permissions.get(permission).is_some_and(|level| level == "read" || level == "write")
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
@@ -130,17 +139,29 @@ pub fn load(root: &Path, owner: &str, app: &str) -> std::result::Result<ReadSour
     if token.is_empty() || token.bytes().any(|byte| byte.is_ascii_whitespace() || byte.is_ascii_control()) { return Err("unreadable"); }
     let principal = format!("app:{app}:{owner}:{}:{}:{}", metadata.installation_id, metadata.repository_selection,
         serde_json::to_string(&metadata.permissions).map_err(|_| "unreadable")?);
-    Ok(ReadSource { root: root.into(), owner: owner.into(), app: app.into(), principal, token: Arc::new(token), used_fallback: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)) })
+    Ok(ReadSource { root: root.into(), owner: owner.into(), app: app.into(), principal, token: Arc::new(token), used_fallback: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)), permissions: Arc::new(metadata.permissions) })
 }
 
 pub fn select(root: Option<&Path>, owner: &str, app: &str, pat: &GithubAuth) -> GithubAuth {
     let Some(root) = root else { fallback(owner, app, "missing"); return pat.clone(); };
-    match load(root, owner, app) {
+    match load(root, owner, app).or_else(|reason| substitute(root, owner, app, reason)) {
         Ok(source) => GithubAuth::Read { source, pat: Box::new(pat.clone()) },
         Err(reason) => { fallback(owner, app, reason); pat.clone() }
     }
 }
 
+/// Issue reads use the gh-ci installation when no github-ledger installation is published
+/// for the owner and gh-ci's token grants Issues read. Otherwise the original reason stands.
+fn substitute(root: &Path, owner: &str, app: &str, reason: &'static str) -> std::result::Result<ReadSource, &'static str> {
+    if app != "github-ledger" || !matches!(reason, "missing" | "no-installation") { return Err(reason); }
+    load(root, owner, "gh-ci").ok().filter(|source| source.grants("issues")).ok_or(reason)
+}
+
+/// The gh-ci installation for commit status reads, when its token grants Commit statuses read.
+pub fn statuses_source(root: &Path, owner: &str) -> Option<ReadSource> {
+    load(root, owner, "gh-ci").ok().filter(|source| source.grants("statuses"))
+}
+
 pub fn route(url: &reqwest::Url) -> Option<(&str, &'static str, bool)> {
     let mut segments = url.path().split_once("/repos/")?.1.split('/');
     let owner = segments.next()?;
@@ -263,7 +284,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         }).await
     }
 
-    async fn server_with_headers(handler: impl Fn(&reqwest::header::HeaderMap, &str, &str, &Value) -> (StatusCode, reqwest::header::HeaderMap, Value) + Send + Sync + 'static) -> Server {
+    pub(crate) async fn server_with_headers(handler: impl Fn(&reqwest::header::HeaderMap, &str, &str, &Value) -> (StatusCode, reqwest::header::HeaderMap, Value) + Send + Sync + 'static) -> Server {
         async fn handle(State(handler): State<Arc<Handler>>, request: axum::extract::Request) -> axum::response::Response {
             let authorization = request.headers().get("authorization").unwrap().to_str().unwrap().to_owned();
             let path = request.uri().to_string();
@@ -331,6 +352,52 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         assert_eq!(warnings.keys, 3);
     }
 
+    fn grant(root: &Path, owner: &str, app: &str, permissions: Value) {
+        let path = root.join(app).join(format!("{owner}.json"));
+        let mut sidecar: Value = serde_json::from_slice(&std::fs::read(&path).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        sidecar["permissions"] = permissions;
+        std::fs::write(path, serde_json::to_vec(&sidecar).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn issue_reads_use_gh_ci_only_when_it_grants_issues_and_no_ledger_is_published() {
+        let root = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let owner = "issue-substitute";
+        let pat = GithubAuth::test("fixture-pat");
+        let expires = chrono::Utc::now() + chrono::Duration::minutes(60);
+        install(root.path(), owner, "gh-ci", "fixture-ci", expires);
+        assert_eq!(select(Some(root.path()), owner, "github-ledger", &pat).cache_principal(), "pat");
+        assert_eq!(count(owner, "github-ledger", "no-installation"), 1);
+        grant(root.path(), owner, "gh-ci", json!({"metadata": "read", "issues": "read"}));
+        let substituted = select(Some(root.path()), owner, "github-ledger", &pat);
+        assert!(matches!(&substituted, GithubAuth::Read { source, .. } if source.app == "gh-ci"));
+        assert_eq!(substituted.local_token().as_str(), "fixture-ci");
+        assert_eq!(count(owner, "github-ledger", "no-installation"), 1, "a substitute is not a fallback");
+        install(root.path(), owner, "github-ledger", "fixture-ledger", expires);
+        assert_eq!(select(Some(root.path()), owner, "github-ledger", &pat).local_token().as_str(), "fixture-ledger");
+        // A published but expired ledger installation is a fault, not a reason to substitute.
+        install(root.path(), owner, "github-ledger", "fixture-ledger", chrono::Utc::now() - chrono::Duration::seconds(1));
+        assert_eq!(select(Some(root.path()), owner, "github-ledger", &pat).cache_principal(), "pat");
+        assert_eq!(count(owner, "github-ledger", "expired"), 1);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn status_reads_use_gh_ci_once_it_grants_statuses() {
+        let root = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let owner = "status-route";
+        let pat = GithubAuth::test("fixture-pat");
+        install(root.path(), owner, "gh-ci", "fixture-ci", chrono::Utc::now() + chrono::Duration::minutes(60));
+        let auth = select(Some(root.path()), owner, "gh-ci", &pat);
+        let url = format!("https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/repo/commits/abc/status");
+        assert_eq!(crate::github_http::read_auth_for_url(&url, &auth).cache_principal(), "pat");
+        assert_eq!(count(owner, "gh-ci", "statuses"), 1);
+        grant(root.path(), owner, "gh-ci", json!({"metadata": "read", "statuses": "read"}));
+        let selected = crate::github_http::read_auth_for_url(&url, &auth);
+        assert!(matches!(&selected, GithubAuth::Read { source, .. } if source.grants("statuses")));
+        assert_eq!(selected.local_token().as_str(), "fixture-ci");
+        assert_eq!(count(owner, "gh-ci", "statuses"), 1);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn supplied_root_rotation_expiry_permissions_and_reason_counters() {
         let root = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_http.rs b/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_http.rs
index 9bcf2c53efe..56fa9a33756 100644
--- a/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_http.rs
+++ b/crates/fractal-github-base/src/github_http.rs
@@ -427,13 +427,22 @@ fn request_resource(path: &str) -> &'static str {
     }
 }
 
-/// Select from the supplied root only. Token files are reopened for each read batch.
-pub fn read_auth(owner: &str, app: &str, pat: &GithubAuth) -> GithubAuth {
-    let root = match pat {
+fn token_root(pat: &GithubAuth) -> Option<&std::path::Path> {
+    match pat {
         GithubAuth::Read { source, .. } => Some(source.root.as_path()),
         _ => SOURCE.get().and_then(|config| config.github.app_token_root.as_deref()),
-    };
-    app_read::select(root, owner, app, pat.pat())
+    }
+}
+
+/// Select from the supplied root only. Token files are reopened for each read batch.
+pub fn read_auth(owner: &str, app: &str, pat: &GithubAuth) -> GithubAuth {
+    app_read::select(token_root(pat), owner, app, pat.pat())
+}
+
+/// The installation that may read `owner`'s commit statuses, if its token grants them.
+pub fn statuses_auth(owner: &str, pat: &GithubAuth) -> Option<GithubAuth> {
+    let source = app_read::statuses_source(token_root(pat)?, owner)?;
+    Some(GithubAuth::Read { source, pat: Box::new(pat.pat().clone()) })
 }
 
 impl GithubAuth {
@@ -481,6 +490,9 @@ pub fn read_auth_for_url(url: &str, auth: &GithubAuth) -> GithubAuth {
         return auth.pat().clone();
     };
     if statuses {
+        if let Some(selected) = statuses_auth(owner, auth) {
+            return selected;
+        }
         if matches!(auth, GithubAuth::Read { .. }) || SOURCE.get().is_some_and(|config| config.github.app_token_root.is_some()) {
             app_read::fallback(owner, app, "statuses");
         }
diff --git a/crates/fractal-github-base/src/resource/github_repository.rs b/crates/fractal-github-base/src/resource/github_repository.rs
index df6a7839be1..77f398f1040 100644
--- a/crates/fractal-github-base/src/resource/github_repository.rs
+++ b/crates/fractal-github-base/src/resource/github_repository.rs
@@ -1829,7 +1829,7 @@ async fn observe_poll(
     })
 }
 
-/// Neither installation has statuses:read. An app-only rollup is not complete.
+/// An installation without statuses:read sees an app-only rollup, which is not complete.
 fn merge_legacy_statuses(node: &mut Value, combined: &Value) -> Result<()> {
     let statuses = combined.get("statuses").and_then(Value::as_array)
         .context("the GitHub combined status response has no statuses")?;
@@ -2036,7 +2036,8 @@ async fn open_pull_requests(
             .min(PULL_REQUEST_PAGE_SIZE)
             .min(failed_size_ceiling - 1);
     }
-    if matches!(read_token, GithubAuth::Read { .. }) {
+    // With statuses:read the GraphQL rollup already carries StatusContext entries.
+    if matches!(&read_token, GithubAuth::Read { source, .. } if !source.grants("statuses")) {
         let mut statuses = BTreeMap::new();
         for node in &mut nodes {
             let Some(head) = node.get("headRefOid").and_then(Value::as_str).map(str::to_owned) else { continue; };
@@ -2379,6 +2380,45 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(requests.iter().filter(|(_, path, _)| path.contains("/status")).count(), 1);
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn pat_legacy_status_reads_revalidate_with_their_etag() {
+        use crate::github_http::app_read::{select, tests::{install, server_with_headers}};
+        use reqwest::StatusCode;
+        let root = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let owner = "status-etag-fixture";
+        install(root.path(), owner, "gh-ci", "fixture-ci", chrono::Utc::now() + chrono::Duration::minutes(60));
+        let auth = select(Some(root.path()), owner, "gh-ci", &GithubAuth::test("fixture-pat"));
+        let mut pull = open_pull(1, "status-head", "SUCCESS");
+        pull.pointer_mut("/commits/nodes/0/commit/statusCheckRollup/contexts/nodes")
+            .unwrap().as_array_mut().unwrap().retain(|context| context["__typename"] == "CheckRun");
+        let revalidations = Arc::new(parking_lot::Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+        let recorded = revalidations.clone();
+        let fixture = server_with_headers(move |headers, authorization, path, _| {
+            if !path.contains("/commits/") {
+                return (StatusCode::OK, Default::default(), json!({"data":{"repository":{"pullRequests":{
+                    "pageInfo":{"hasNextPage":false}, "nodes":[pull.clone()]}}}}));
+            }
+            assert_eq!(authorization, "Bearer fixture-pat");
+            let validator = headers.get("if-none-match").map(|value| value.to_str().unwrap().to_owned());
+            recorded.lock().push(validator.clone());
+            let mut response = reqwest::header::HeaderMap::new();
+            response.insert("etag", "\"status-etag\"".parse().unwrap());
+            if validator.as_deref() == Some("\"status-etag\"") {
+                return (StatusCode::NOT_MODIFIED, response, Value::Null);
+            }
+            (StatusCode::OK, response, json!({"state":"success","total_count":1,
+                "statuses":[{"context":"legacy/build","state":"success"}]}))
+        }).await;
+        for _ in 0..2 {
+            let details = open_pull_requests(&reqwest::Client::new(), &fixture.base, &auth,
+                Duration::ZERO, "status-etag-fixture/repo", (owner, "repo"), true, true,
+                &BTreeSet::new(), true, &[]).await.unwrap();
+            assert!(details.open[0]["checks"].as_array().unwrap().iter().any(|check| check["name"] == "legacy/build"));
+        }
+        assert_eq!(*revalidations.lock(), [None, Some("\"status-etag\"".to_owned())],
+            "the second status read must be conditional, so an unchanged head costs no PAT quota");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn legacy_status_merge_preserves_checks_and_refuses_truncation() {
         let mut pull = open_pull(1, "head", "SUCCESS");
diff --git a/docs/st3/github-observer-admission.md b/docs/st3/github-observer-admission.md
index ace072685fc..926dc585c33 100644
--- a/docs/st3/github-observer-admission.md
+++ b/docs/st3/github-observer-admission.md
@@ -259,7 +259,11 @@ For a repository's owner, read `ROOT/gh-ci/OWNER.token` and `OWNER.json` for
 metadata, branches/contents, PRs/reviews, checks/actions and open-PR GraphQL.
 Use `ROOT/github-ledger/OWNER.token` and `OWNER.json` for issue lists, issue
 comments/excerpts, issue watch preflight and Issue identity GraphQL. PR watch
-preflight and review excerpts use gh-ci. When either installation is selected,
+preflight and review excerpts use gh-ci. When no github-ledger installation is
+published for the owner (reason `missing` or `no-installation`) and the gh-ci
+sidecar's `permissions` grant `issues` read, issue reads use the gh-ci token
+instead and record no fallback; an expired or unreadable ledger installation
+still falls back to the PAT. When either installation is selected,
 remembered opaque node IDs are partitioned by their recorded `ItemIdentity.pull`,
 never guessed from their bytes, and each partition gets its own minimal identity
 query and authorization. PAT-only batches retain the prior single mixed Issue/PR
@@ -290,16 +294,17 @@ These count source-selection fallback events, not GitHub charges; conditional
 cache hits can still encounter a missing source. Remove transition fallback only
 after one week with zero unintentional fallback across the enrolled owners.
 
-**Legacy status qualification:** neither app has statuses:read. An app GraphQL
-`statusCheckRollup` returns check runs without legacy `StatusContext` data, so
-repository PR detail reads retain a PAT-only combined commit-status GET, once
-per distinct head SHA in a read, through the existing ETag cache. Its source
+**Legacy status qualification:** an installation without statuses:read sees a
+GraphQL `statusCheckRollup` of check runs without legacy `StatusContext` data,
+so repository PR detail reads then add a PAT-only combined commit-status GET,
+once per distinct head SHA in a read, through the existing ETag cache. Its source
 exception is observable as fallback reason `statuses`. Legacy status contexts
 are merged with app check runs before deriving check facts and required-check
 outcomes. Truncated status responses fail visibly rather than asserting missing
-contexts passed. This intentional status exception must be excluded from the
-one-week unintentional-fallback gate until installation permissions are separately
-approved and qualified. No statuses permission is assumed or added here.
+contexts passed. When the gh-ci sidecar grants `statuses` read, the rollup already
+carries `StatusContext` entries, so the extra GET is skipped, and any commit-status
+read routes to gh-ci without a fallback. Until then this intentional status
+exception is excluded from the one-week unintentional-fallback gate.
 
 REST cache keys include the stable installation principal, permissions and
 repository-selection scope, not token bytes; rotation preserves cache identity.
diff --git a/release-notes/gh-ci-issue-status-reads.json b/release-notes/gh-ci-issue-status-reads.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7bfe04af234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-notes/gh-ci-issue-status-reads.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "version": 1,
+  "summary": "GitHub issue and commit-status reads use the gh-ci installation once its token grants them",
+  "replay": {"status": "none", "detail": "No replay or projection changes."},
+  "schema": {"status": "none", "detail": "No persistent schema changes."},
+  "rules": {"status": "none", "detail": "No runtime or policy rule changes."},
+  "compatibility": {"status": "none", "detail": "Behaviour is unchanged until an operator-published gh-ci sidecar grants issues or statuses read; forbidden installation reads still replay with the PAT."},
+  "downtime": {"status": "none", "detail": "No runtime deployment or migration changes."},
+  "manual": {"status": "none", "detail": "Granting Issues and Commit statuses read to the gh-ci App moves those reads off the PAT; no action is required otherwise."},
+  "recovery": {"status": "none", "detail": "Revoking the permissions returns those reads to the PAT on the next token refresh."}
+}