diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts
index 2537f12949e..6f0676661fd 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts
@@ -511,6 +511,11 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
 
   it("preserves new-agent approval gates during automatic Reflection Coach provisioning", async () => {
     const companyId = await seedCompany({ requireApproval: true });
+    const mutationPolicy = {
+      requiresDisplayedDiff: true,
+      requiresAcceptedTaskInteraction: true,
+      applyInSeparateFollowUpRun: true,
+    };
 
     const result = await reconcileBuiltInAgentsOnStartup(db);
 
@@ -526,6 +531,9 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
         name: "Reflection Coach",
         status: "pending_approval",
         budgetMonthlyCents: 0,
+        permissions: {
+          builtInMutationPolicy: mutationPolicy,
+        },
       },
     });
     expect(state.resources.map((resource) => resource.stockStatus)).toEqual(["missing", "missing", "missing"]);
@@ -538,6 +546,18 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("built-in agents", () => {
         agentId: state.agentId,
         sourceBuiltInAgentKey: "reflection-coach",
         featureKeys: ["reflection-coach"],
+        permissions: expect.objectContaining({
+          builtInMutationPolicy: mutationPolicy,
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    await approvalService(db).approve(approval.id, "board-user", "Approved Reflection Coach");
+    await expect(builtInAgentService(db).get(companyId, "reflection-coach")).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      agent: {
+        permissions: {
+          builtInMutationPolicy: mutationPolicy,
+        },
       },
     });
 
diff --git a/server/src/services/agents.ts b/server/src/services/agents.ts
index 72683199141..51546b911cc 100644
--- a/server/src/services/agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/agents.ts
@@ -176,6 +176,9 @@ function configPatchFromApprovalPayload(payload: Record<string, unknown>) {
   if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(payload, "metadata")) {
     patch.metadata = isPlainRecord(payload.metadata) ? payload.metadata : null;
   }
+  if (isPlainRecord(payload.permissions)) {
+    patch.permissions = payload.permissions;
+  }
   return patch;
 }
 
@@ -783,6 +786,12 @@ export function agentService(db: Db) {
             { adapterType: (patch.adapterType ?? existing.adapterType) as string },
           );
         }
+        if (patch.permissions !== undefined) {
+          patch.permissions = normalizeAgentPermissions(
+            patch.permissions,
+            (patch.role ?? existing.role) as string,
+          );
+        }
         const updated = await tx
           .update(agents)
           .set({ ...patch, status: "idle", updatedAt: new Date() })
diff --git a/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts b/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts
index c0502c526f9..8bd0b905ef2 100644
--- a/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/built-in-agents.ts
@@ -1416,7 +1416,7 @@ export function builtInAgentService(db: Db) {
       status: "pending_approval",
       metadata: builtInMetadata(definition),
       runtimeConfig: {},
-      permissions: {},
+      permissions: definition.defaultPermissions ?? {},
       spentMonthlyCents: 0,
       lastHeartbeatAt: null,
     }, { allowBuiltInAgentMetadata: true }) as Agent;
@@ -1436,6 +1436,7 @@ export function builtInAgentService(db: Db) {
         adapterType: pending.adapterType,
         adapterConfig: pending.adapterConfig,
         runtimeConfig: pending.runtimeConfig,
+        permissions: pending.permissions,
         budgetMonthlyCents: pending.budgetMonthlyCents,
         metadata: pending.metadata,
         agentId: pending.id,