diff --git a/agent/middleware/workflow_push_guard.py b/agent/middleware/workflow_push_guard.py
index 50b8b0b5..ccaab820 100644
--- a/agent/middleware/workflow_push_guard.py
+++ b/agent/middleware/workflow_push_guard.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ from ..utils.github_app import (
     RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS,
     WORKFLOW_RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS,
 )
-from ..utils.github_proxy import refresh_proxy_token
+from ..utils.github_proxy import get_recorded_proxy_permissions, refresh_proxy_token
 from ..utils.sandbox_state import SANDBOX_BACKENDS
 from ..utils.slack import post_slack_thread_reply_with_ts
 
@@ -876,6 +876,13 @@ async def _run_with_workflow_token(
     if sandbox_type != "langsmith":
         return await run()
 
+    # Capture the run's standing scope *before* elevating so we restore exactly
+    # what the install resolved to (RUNTIME, or CORE when actions:read is absent)
+    # rather than a hardcoded RUNTIME that 422s on installs lacking actions:read.
+    # The standing ladder never carries workflows:write, so this is always a real
+    # downscope. Fall back to RUNTIME if nothing was recorded yet.
+    baseline_scope = get_recorded_proxy_permissions(thread_id) or RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS
+
     elevated = await refresh_proxy_token(
         thread_id, permissions=WORKFLOW_RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS
     )
@@ -904,21 +911,22 @@ async def _run_with_workflow_token(
     try:
         return await run()
     finally:
-        restored = await refresh_proxy_token(thread_id, permissions=RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS)
-        if not restored:
+        restored = await refresh_proxy_token(thread_id, permissions=baseline_scope)
+        if not restored and baseline_scope != CORE_RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS:
             logger.error(
-                "SECURITY: failed to downscope proxy token for thread %s after an approved "
-                "workflow push; retrying without actions:read.",
+                "SECURITY: failed to restore baseline proxy scope for thread %s after an "
+                "approved workflow push; retrying at the guaranteed core scope.",
                 thread_id,
             )
-            if not await refresh_proxy_token(
+            restored = await refresh_proxy_token(
                 thread_id, permissions=CORE_RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS
-            ):
-                logger.error(
-                    "SECURITY: proxy token downscope fully failed for thread %s; the sandbox "
-                    "may retain workflows:write for the remainder of this run.",
-                    thread_id,
-                )
+            )
+        if not restored:
+            logger.error(
+                "SECURITY: proxy token downscope fully failed for thread %s; the sandbox "
+                "may retain workflows:write for the remainder of this run.",
+                thread_id,
+            )
 
 
 class WorkflowPushGuardMiddleware(AgentMiddleware):
diff --git a/agent/server.py b/agent/server.py
index 0fe3beab..72658ec7 100644
--- a/agent/server.py
+++ b/agent/server.py
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@ async def _resolve_proxy_token(
             continue
         if index:
             logger.warning(
-                "GitHub proxy token minted with reduced scope %s; installation is "
-                "missing higher-privilege grants",
+                "GitHub proxy token minted with reduced scope %s; a higher-privilege "
+                "scope was unavailable (missing grant or transient mint failure)",
                 sorted(scope),
             )
         return token, expires_at, scope
diff --git a/agent/utils/github_app.py b/agent/utils/github_app.py
index f6907c98..3a488683 100644
--- a/agent/utils/github_app.py
+++ b/agent/utils/github_app.py
@@ -189,9 +189,32 @@ async def get_github_app_installation_token_with_expiry(
             if isinstance(token, str) and token and parsed is not None:
                 _TOKEN_CACHE[key] = (token, expires_at, parsed - _TOKEN_CACHE_MARGIN)
             return token, expires_at
+    except httpx.HTTPStatusError as exc:
+        status = exc.response.status_code if exc.response is not None else None
+        if status == 422:
+            # Expected when the installation hasn't granted a requested permission:
+            # the ladder caller descends to a smaller scope. Not a transient error,
+            # so keep it at debug even on the terminal rung.
+            logger.debug(
+                "GitHub App token mint rejected for requested scope (HTTP 422)", exc_info=True
+            )
+        elif log_errors:
+            logger.exception("Failed to get GitHub App installation token")
+        else:
+            # A non-422 failure is NOT a missing grant; surface it so a transient
+            # error doesn't silently downscope a run that would otherwise qualify.
+            logger.warning(
+                "GitHub App token mint failed (HTTP %s); scope may degrade transiently",
+                status,
+                exc_info=True,
+            )
+        return None, None
     except Exception:
         if log_errors:
             logger.exception("Failed to get GitHub App installation token")
         else:
-            logger.debug("Failed to get GitHub App installation token", exc_info=True)
+            logger.warning(
+                "GitHub App token mint failed unexpectedly; scope may degrade transiently",
+                exc_info=True,
+            )
         return None, None
diff --git a/agent/utils/github_proxy.py b/agent/utils/github_proxy.py
index c92762a7..20e6f89f 100644
--- a/agent/utils/github_proxy.py
+++ b/agent/utils/github_proxy.py
@@ -91,6 +91,23 @@ def clear_proxy_token_expiry(thread_id: str | None) -> None:
         _PROXY_TOKEN_EXPIRY.pop(thread_id, None)
 
 
+def get_recorded_proxy_permissions(thread_id: str | None) -> dict[str, str] | None:
+    """The permission scope last minted for ``thread_id``'s proxy token, if any.
+
+    Lets a caller that temporarily elevates the proxy scope restore the exact
+    baseline the run resolved to (e.g. an install granted workflows:write but not
+    actions:read resolves to core), instead of guessing a fixed scope that may
+    422 on restore.
+    """
+    if not thread_id:
+        return None
+    record = _PROXY_TOKEN_EXPIRY.get(thread_id)
+    if record is None:
+        return None
+    *_, permission_key = _unpack_proxy_token_record(record)
+    return dict(permission_key) if permission_key else None
+
+
 def _unpack_proxy_token_record(record: tuple[Any, ...]) -> ProxyTokenRecord:
     expires_at, recorded_at, repositories, *rest = record
     permissions = rest[0] if rest else ()
diff --git a/tests/test_github_app.py b/tests/test_github_app.py
index f5f923d1..ec3e43ec 100644
--- a/tests/test_github_app.py
+++ b/tests/test_github_app.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import logging
 from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Any
 
+import httpx
 import pytest
 
 from agent.utils import github_app
@@ -183,6 +185,68 @@ def test_proxy_token_ladder_descends_to_core() -> None:
     )
 
 
+class _HTTPStatusErrorClient:
+    """Raises an ``HTTPStatusError`` with a configurable status on mint."""
+
+    status = 500
+
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    async def __aenter__(self) -> _HTTPStatusErrorClient:
+        return self
+
+    async def __aexit__(self, exc_type: object, exc: object, tb: object) -> None:
+        return None
+
+    async def post(self, url: str, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
+        request = httpx.Request("POST", url)
+        response = httpx.Response(type(self).status, request=request)
+        raise httpx.HTTPStatusError("mint failed", request=request, response=response)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_missing_grant_422_descends_quietly(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+) -> None:
+    """A 422 (ungranted permission) is the ladder's expected descend signal, so it
+    must not be logged as a transient failure even on a non-terminal rung."""
+
+    class Client(_HTTPStatusErrorClient):
+        status = 422
+
+    _configure(monkeypatch, Client)
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG, logger="agent.utils.github_app"):
+        token, _ = await github_app.get_github_app_installation_token_with_expiry(
+            permissions={"actions": "read"}, log_errors=False
+        )
+
+    assert token is None
+    assert not any(r.levelno >= logging.WARNING for r in caplog.records)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_transient_mint_error_warns_even_when_errors_suppressed(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+) -> None:
+    """A non-422 failure is not a missing grant; it must surface at WARNING even on
+    a non-terminal rung so a blip doesn't silently downscope a whole run."""
+
+    class Client(_HTTPStatusErrorClient):
+        status = 503
+
+    _configure(monkeypatch, Client)
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG, logger="agent.utils.github_app"):
+        token, _ = await github_app.get_github_app_installation_token_with_expiry(
+            permissions={"actions": "read"}, log_errors=False
+        )
+
+    assert token is None
+    assert any(r.levelno == logging.WARNING for r in caplog.records)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_installation_token_includes_permissions(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     monkeypatch.setattr(github_app, "GITHUB_APP_ID", "1")
diff --git a/tests/test_workflow_push_guard.py b/tests/test_workflow_push_guard.py
index b6737810..3ce890a2 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflow_push_guard.py
+++ b/tests/test_workflow_push_guard.py
@@ -420,6 +420,47 @@ async def test_workflow_push_restoration_falls_back_when_actions_read_unavailabl
     assert "workflows" not in refreshed[2]
 
 
+async def test_workflow_push_restores_recorded_baseline_scope(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    """Restore targets the run's recorded baseline scope (here: core, because the
+    install never granted actions:read) — not a hardcoded RUNTIME that would 422."""
+    guard.SANDBOX_BACKENDS["thread-1"] = _Backend()
+    refreshed: list[dict[str, str]] = []
+
+    async def fake_approved(thread_id: str, fingerprint: str) -> bool:
+        return True
+
+    async def fake_refresh(thread_id: str | None, *, permissions: dict[str, str]) -> bool:
+        refreshed.append(dict(permissions))
+        return True
+
+    async def fake_find_approval(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+        return None
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(guard, "workflow_push_approved", fake_approved)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(guard, "find_workflow_push_approval", fake_find_approval)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(guard, "refresh_proxy_token", fake_refresh)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        guard,
+        "get_recorded_proxy_permissions",
+        lambda _thread_id: dict(guard.CORE_RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS),
+    )
+
+    async def handler(_request: Any) -> ToolMessage:
+        return ToolMessage(content="pushed", tool_call_id="call-1")
+
+    await guard.WorkflowPushGuardMiddleware().awrap_tool_call(_Request(), handler)
+
+    # Elevate to workflows:write, then restore straight to the recorded core scope:
+    # no spurious RUNTIME attempt (which would 422 for this install) and no false
+    # "failed to downscope" error.
+    assert refreshed[0]["workflows"] == "write"
+    assert refreshed[1] == guard.CORE_RUNTIME_PROXY_TOKEN_PERMISSIONS
+    assert "workflows" not in refreshed[1]
+    assert len(refreshed) == 2
+
+
 async def test_non_workflow_push_runs_without_approval(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     # Head contains workflow files, but they are identical to the trusted remote base,
     # so no approval is required for a code-only change.