diff --git a/src/api/api-error.ts b/src/api/api-error.ts
index d9dabc83..3fdabbb3 100644
--- a/src/api/api-error.ts
+++ b/src/api/api-error.ts
@@ -10,11 +10,21 @@ export class ApiError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+export const REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE =
+  "Your role can't request uplifts on this work order.";
+
 export function mapHttpStatusToMessage(status: number, data?: unknown): string {
   if (status === 401) {
     return "You are not authorized to access this page.";
   }
   if (status === 403) {
+    if (data && typeof data === "object") {
+      const record = data as Record<string, unknown>;
+      const message = record.message ?? record.Message ?? record.error;
+      if (message === REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE) {
+        return REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE;
+      }
+    }
     return "You do not have permission to perform this action.";
   }
   if (status === 404) {
diff --git a/src/domain/work-orders/use-cases/use-work-order-uplifts.ts b/src/domain/work-orders/use-cases/use-work-order-uplifts.ts
index eb16a041..368a6767 100644
--- a/src/domain/work-orders/use-cases/use-work-order-uplifts.ts
+++ b/src/domain/work-orders/use-cases/use-work-order-uplifts.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { isHTTPError, isNetworkError, isTimeoutError } from "ky";
 import { toast } from "react-toastify";
-import { mapHttpStatusToMessage } from "@/api/api-error";
+import { mapHttpStatusToMessage, REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE } from "@/api/api-error";
 import { workOrderUpliftsApi } from "@/domain/work-orders/api/work-order-uplifts-api";
 import type {
   CreateWorkOrderUpliftInput,
@@ -16,15 +16,14 @@ import type {
 import { queryKeys } from "@/infra/query-key/query-key";
 import { requireQueryParam } from "@/lib/query/require-query-param";
 
-const CREATE_PERMISSION_DENIED_MESSAGE = "Your role can't request uplifts on this work order.";
 const CREATE_UPLIFT_ERROR_FALLBACK = "Failed to create uplift";
-const CREATE_UPLIFT_FIXED_STATUS_COPY = new Set([401, 404, 500]);
+const CREATE_UPLIFT_FIXED_STATUS_COPY = new Set([401, 403, 404, 500]);
 
 function createUpliftErrorMessage(error: unknown): string {
   if (isHTTPError(error)) {
     const status = error.response.status;
-    if (status === 403) {
-      return CREATE_PERMISSION_DENIED_MESSAGE;
+    if (status === 403 && error.message === REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE) {
+      return REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE;
     }
     return CREATE_UPLIFT_FIXED_STATUS_COPY.has(status)
       ? mapHttpStatusToMessage(status)
diff --git a/src/test/api/api-error.test.ts b/src/test/api/api-error.test.ts
index 71c3d1c9..af435ad9 100644
--- a/src/test/api/api-error.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/api/api-error.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import ky from "ky";
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { normalizeApiRequestError } from "@/api/api-error";
+import { normalizeApiRequestError, REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE } from "@/api/api-error";
 
 const RESOURCE_URL = "https://example.test/api/resource";
 
@@ -29,6 +29,32 @@ describe("normalizeApiRequestError", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("preserves only the allowlisted public denial for 403 responses", async () => {
+    const allowedFetch = vi.fn(() =>
+      Promise.resolve(
+        new Response(JSON.stringify({ message: REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE }), {
+          status: 403,
+          headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+        }),
+      ),
+    ) as unknown as typeof fetch;
+    const unrelatedFetch = vi.fn(() =>
+      Promise.resolve(
+        new Response(JSON.stringify({ message: "accountId 42 is forbidden" }), {
+          status: 403,
+          headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+        }),
+      ),
+    ) as unknown as typeof fetch;
+
+    await expect(createClient(allowedFetch).get(RESOURCE_URL).json()).rejects.toThrow(
+      REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE,
+    );
+    await expect(createClient(unrelatedFetch).get(RESOURCE_URL).json()).rejects.toThrow(
+      "You do not have permission to perform this action.",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("reports a connection failure for network errors", async () => {
     const fetchImpl = vi.fn(() =>
       Promise.reject(new TypeError("fetch failed")),
diff --git a/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/work-order-uplift-create-permissions.test.tsx b/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/work-order-uplift-create-permissions.test.tsx
index 8859512c..41c11c17 100644
--- a/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/work-order-uplift-create-permissions.test.tsx
+++ b/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/work-order-uplift-create-permissions.test.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { toast } from "react-toastify";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import { WorkOrderUpliftsDialog } from "@/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/uplifts/work-order-uplifts-dialog";
+import { REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE } from "@/api/api-error";
 import type { WorkOrderTableRow } from "@/domain/work-orders/types/work-order-table-row";
 import { renderWithProviders } from "@/test/test-utils";
 
@@ -67,9 +68,15 @@ async function submitInternalCreate(status: number, serverMessage: string) {
 
 describe("internal work-order uplift create error copy", () => {
   it("shows the exact role denial for a 403", async () => {
+    const message = await submitInternalCreate(403, REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE);
+
+    expect(message).toBe(REQUEST_UPLIFTS_ROLE_DENIAL_MESSAGE);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps unrelated 403 permission denials generic", async () => {
     const message = await submitInternalCreate(403, "accountId 42 is forbidden");
 
-    expect(message).toBe("Your role can't request uplifts on this work order.");
+    expect(message).toBe("You do not have permission to perform this action.");
   });
 
   it("keeps unknown non-403 server diagnostics generic", async () => {