diff --git a/api/server/routes/admin/skills.js b/api/server/routes/admin/skills.js
index 820b2e44c0..74a81059d9 100644
--- a/api/server/routes/admin/skills.js
+++ b/api/server/routes/admin/skills.js
@@ -1,14 +1,37 @@
 const express = require('express');
 const { createAdminSkillsSyncHandlers } = require('@librechat/api');
 const { SystemCapabilities } = require('@librechat/data-schemas');
-const { requireCapability } = require('~/server/middleware/roles/capabilities');
+const { hasCapability, requireCapability } = require('~/server/middleware/roles/capabilities');
 const { requireJwtAuth } = require('~/server/middleware');
 const { upsertSkillSyncCredential, deleteSkillSyncCredential } = require('~/models');
 const { getGitHubSkillSyncRunner } = require('~/server/services/Skills/sync');
 
 const router = express.Router();
 const requireAdminAccess = requireCapability(SystemCapabilities.ACCESS_ADMIN);
-const requireManageSkills = requireCapability(SystemCapabilities.MANAGE_SKILLS);
+
+function requirePlatformCapability(capability) {
+  return async (req, res, next) => {
+    try {
+      const id = req.user?.id ?? req.user?._id?.toString?.();
+      if (!id) {
+        return res.status(401).json({ message: 'Authentication required' });
+      }
+      const user = {
+        id,
+        role: req.user?.role ?? '',
+      };
+      if (await hasCapability(user, capability)) {
+        return next();
+      }
+      return res.status(403).json({ message: 'Forbidden' });
+    } catch {
+      return res.status(500).json({ message: 'Internal Server Error' });
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+const requirePlatformReadSkills = requirePlatformCapability(SystemCapabilities.READ_SKILLS);
+const requirePlatformManageSkills = requirePlatformCapability(SystemCapabilities.MANAGE_SKILLS);
 
 const handlers = createAdminSkillsSyncHandlers({
   runner: getGitHubSkillSyncRunner(),
@@ -18,9 +41,13 @@ const handlers = createAdminSkillsSyncHandlers({
 
 router.use(requireJwtAuth, requireAdminAccess);
 
-router.get('/sync/status', handlers.getSyncStatus);
-router.post('/sync/run', requireManageSkills, handlers.runSync);
-router.put('/sync/credentials/:credentialKey', requireManageSkills, handlers.setCredential);
-router.delete('/sync/credentials/:credentialKey', requireManageSkills, handlers.deleteCredential);
+router.get('/sync/status', requirePlatformReadSkills, handlers.getSyncStatus);
+router.post('/sync/run', requirePlatformManageSkills, handlers.runSync);
+router.put('/sync/credentials/:credentialKey', requirePlatformManageSkills, handlers.setCredential);
+router.delete(
+  '/sync/credentials/:credentialKey',
+  requirePlatformManageSkills,
+  handlers.deleteCredential,
+);
 
 module.exports = router;
diff --git a/api/server/routes/admin/skills.test.js b/api/server/routes/admin/skills.test.js
index 07471238b6..59fe33f529 100644
--- a/api/server/routes/admin/skills.test.js
+++ b/api/server/routes/admin/skills.test.js
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
 const express = require('express');
 const request = require('supertest');
 
-const mockRequireJwtAuth = jest.fn((req, res, next) => next());
+const mockRequireJwtAuth = jest.fn((req, res, next) => {
+  req.user = { id: 'user-1', role: 'ADMIN', tenantId: 'tenant-a' };
+  next();
+});
 const mockCapabilityMiddleware = jest.fn((req, res, next) => next());
 const mockRequireCapability = jest.fn(() => mockCapabilityMiddleware);
+const mockHasCapability = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(true);
 
 jest.mock('@librechat/data-schemas', () => ({
-  SystemCapabilities: { ACCESS_ADMIN: 'access:admin', MANAGE_SKILLS: 'manage:skills' },
+  SystemCapabilities: {
+    ACCESS_ADMIN: 'access:admin',
+    READ_SKILLS: 'read:skills',
+    MANAGE_SKILLS: 'manage:skills',
+  },
 }));
 
 jest.mock('@librechat/api', () => ({
@@ -19,6 +27,7 @@ jest.mock('@librechat/api', () => ({
 }));
 
 jest.mock('~/server/middleware/roles/capabilities', () => ({
+  hasCapability: mockHasCapability,
   requireCapability: mockRequireCapability,
 }));
 
@@ -51,8 +60,13 @@ describe('admin skills sync routes', () => {
     await request(app).delete('/api/admin/skills/sync/credentials/default').expect(200);
 
     expect(mockRequireCapability).toHaveBeenCalledWith('access:admin');
-    expect(mockRequireCapability).toHaveBeenCalledWith('manage:skills');
     expect(mockRequireJwtAuth).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(mockCapabilityMiddleware).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockHasCapability).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(4);
+    expect(mockHasCapability).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ id: 'user-1', role: 'ADMIN' }, 'read:skills');
+    expect(mockHasCapability).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      { id: 'user-1', role: 'ADMIN' },
+      'manage:skills',
+    );
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.spec.ts b/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.spec.ts
index ff5d47f190..46f7bccb11 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.spec.ts
@@ -432,6 +432,42 @@ describe('createGitHubSkillSyncRunner', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it('preserves slash-delimited refs when fetching the GitHub commit', async () => {
+    const baseFetch = githubFetch();
+    const fetchFn = jest.fn(async (input: RequestInfo | URL) => {
+      const url = input.toString();
+      if (url.includes('/commits/')) {
+        expect(url).toContain('/commits/heads/release/2026-05');
+        expect(url).not.toContain('heads%2Frelease%2F2026-05');
+      }
+      return baseFetch(input);
+    }) as unknown as typeof fetch;
+    const deps = createDeps({
+      fetchFn,
+      getConfig: () => ({
+        github: {
+          enabled: true,
+          intervalMinutes: 60,
+          runOnStartup: false,
+          sources: [
+            {
+              id: 'librechat-skills',
+              owner: 'LibreChat',
+              repo: 'skills',
+              ref: 'heads/release/2026-05',
+              paths: ['skills'],
+              credentialKey: 'github-skills-prod',
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      }),
+    });
+    const result = await createGitHubSkillSyncRunner(deps).runOnce();
+
+    expect(result.status).toBe('completed');
+    expect(fetchFn).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('runs a tenant-scoped source inside its tenant context and stamps the skill tenantId', async () => {
     let observedTenantId: string | undefined = 'unset';
     const deps = createDeps({
diff --git a/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.ts b/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.ts
index 1e326ad123..63f6967b3d 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/skills/sync/github.ts
@@ -439,6 +439,10 @@ function buildGitHubUrl(pathname: string): string {
   return `${GITHUB_API_BASE}${pathname}`;
 }
 
+function encodeGitHubPath(value: string): string {
+  return value.split('/').map(encodeURIComponent).join('/');
+}
+
 async function readGitHubErrorMessage(response: Response): Promise<string | undefined> {
   try {
     const body = (await response.json()) as { message?: unknown };
@@ -502,7 +506,7 @@ async function fetchCommit(params: {
 }): Promise<GitHubCommitResponse> {
   const owner = encodeURIComponent(params.source.owner);
   const repo = encodeURIComponent(params.source.repo);
-  const ref = encodeURIComponent(params.source.ref);
+  const ref = encodeGitHubPath(params.source.ref);
   return githubJson<GitHubCommitResponse>({
     fetchFn: params.fetchFn,
     token: params.token,