diff --git a/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.test.ts b/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.test.ts
index fa04afe38..f9a0fd0aa 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.test.ts
@@ -215,6 +215,92 @@ describe('AppPermissionService — own-apps / own-subdomains implicator', () =>
             ),
         ).toBe(false);
     });
+
+    // `write` covers managing them, which includes reading them. Prefix
+    // implication only widens the other way, so this needs the exploder.
+    it.each([
+        ['apps-of-user'],
+        ['subdomains-of-user'],
+    ])('%s: a granted write satisfies a read check', async (namespace) => {
+        const user = await makeUser();
+        const app = await makeApp(user.user.id!);
+        const appActor: Actor = {
+            user: user.user,
+            app: { uid: app.uid, id: app.id },
+        };
+        const uuid = user.user.uuid;
+
+        expect(
+            await permissions.check(appActor, `${namespace}:${uuid}:read`),
+        ).toBe(false);
+
+        await runWithContext({ actor: user }, () =>
+            permissions.grantUserAppPermission(
+                user,
+                app.uid,
+                `${namespace}:${uuid}:write`,
+            ),
+        );
+
+        expect(
+            await permissions.check(appActor, `${namespace}:${uuid}:read`),
+        ).toBe(true);
+        expect(
+            await permissions.check(appActor, `${namespace}:${uuid}:write`),
+        ).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    // The widening runs one way only: a read grant is not a licence to manage.
+    it('does not let a granted read satisfy a write check', async () => {
+        const user = await makeUser();
+        const app = await makeApp(user.user.id!);
+        const appActor: Actor = {
+            user: user.user,
+            app: { uid: app.uid, id: app.id },
+        };
+        const uuid = user.user.uuid;
+
+        await runWithContext({ actor: user }, () =>
+            permissions.grantUserAppPermission(
+                user,
+                app.uid,
+                `apps-of-user:${uuid}:read`,
+            ),
+        );
+
+        expect(
+            await permissions.check(appActor, `apps-of-user:${uuid}:read`),
+        ).toBe(true);
+        expect(
+            await permissions.check(appActor, `apps-of-user:${uuid}:write`),
+        ).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    // Another user's namespace stays out of reach however wide the grant.
+    it("does not widen into another user's namespace", async () => {
+        const user = await makeUser();
+        const other = await makeUser();
+        const app = await makeApp(user.user.id!);
+        const appActor: Actor = {
+            user: user.user,
+            app: { uid: app.uid, id: app.id },
+        };
+
+        await runWithContext({ actor: user }, () =>
+            permissions.grantUserAppPermission(
+                user,
+                app.uid,
+                `apps-of-user:${user.user.uuid}:write`,
+            ),
+        );
+
+        expect(
+            await permissions.check(
+                appActor,
+                `apps-of-user:${other.user.uuid}:read`,
+            ),
+        ).toBe(false);
+    });
 });
 
 // -- app-root-dir:<app_uid>:<mode> → fs:<uuid>:<mode> ------------------
diff --git a/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.ts b/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.ts
index ae30decb6..2f7bb6ea1 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.ts
+++ b/src/backend/services/apps/AppPermissionService.ts
@@ -126,6 +126,29 @@ export class AppPermissionService extends PuterService {
             },
         });
 
+        // -- apps-of-user:<uuid>:read ← :write --------------------------
+        // `write` covers managing them, which includes reading them. Prefix
+        // implication only widens the other way — an `apps-of-user:<uuid>`
+        // grant covers both modes — so without this a scan for `read` misses
+        // a `write` grant, and `puter.perms.check('apps')` would report an
+        // app that holds write as holding nothing. Mirrors `fs-access-levels`.
+        permissions.registerExploder({
+            id: 'apps-of-user-access-levels',
+            matches: (permission: string) =>
+                (permission.startsWith('apps-of-user:') ||
+                    permission.startsWith('subdomains-of-user:')) &&
+                PermissionUtil.split(permission).length >= 3,
+            explode: ({ permission }) => {
+                const parts = PermissionUtil.split(permission);
+                if (parts[2] !== 'read') return [permission];
+                const [namespace, userUuid, , ...rest] = parts;
+                return [
+                    permission,
+                    PermissionUtil.join(namespace, userUuid, 'write', ...rest),
+                ];
+            },
+        });
+
         // -- app-root-dir:<app_uid>:<mode> → fs:<root_uid>:<mode> -------
         // Only rewrites while a user-app permission row is being written or
         // removed — `grantUserAppPermission` / `revokeUserAppPermission`, which