diff --git a/.crow/auto-apply-patches.yaml b/.crow/auto-apply-patches.yaml
index 15cc1ee..2ac6886 100644
--- a/.crow/auto-apply-patches.yaml
+++ b/.crow/auto-apply-patches.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
 # human reviews the PR. Novel source diffs / unknown signatures are never
 # proposed. Global across platforms, so a single job -- no matrix.
 #
-# Needs a write token (REPO_RW_TOKEN) to push and FORGEJO_TOKEN to open the PR.
-# Register the `auto-apply-patches` cron in the crow UI, or run manually:
+# FORGEJO_TOKEN is used for both the branch push and opening the PR (no separate
+# write-scoped secret needed). Register the `auto-apply-patches` cron in the crow
+# UI, or run manually:
 #   woodpecker-cli pipeline create --var task=auto-apply-patches --branch=main 7
 variables:
   patch_limit:
@@ -34,8 +35,6 @@ steps:
         from_secret: PGPASS
       REPO_RO_TOKEN:
         from_secret: REPO_RO_TOKEN
-      REPO_RW_TOKEN:
-        from_secret: REPO_RW_TOKEN
       FORGEJO_TOKEN:
         from_secret: FORGEJO_TOKEN
       GIT_USER: devxy-bot
diff --git a/local/patches/README.md b/local/patches/README.md
index 455a96c..ce60c9a 100644
--- a/local/patches/README.md
+++ b/local/patches/README.md
@@ -84,11 +84,12 @@ Rscript local/trial-build-patch.R <package>
 #### Autonomous PR + trial-build gate
 
 `--open-pr` closes the loop: it writes the top-N candidates (by failure volume) onto the reused `auto/registry-patch-proposals` branch and opens/updates a single PR.
-`.crow/auto-apply-patches.yaml` runs this on a cron (needs `FORGEJO_TOKEN` and a write-scoped `REPO_RW_TOKEN`).
+`.crow/auto-apply-patches.yaml` runs this on a cron.
+`FORGEJO_TOKEN` is used for both the branch push and the PR (no separate write-scoped secret).
 
 ```bash
 # Bounded batch; opens/updates one PR.
-PGPASS=... FORGEJO_TOKEN=... REPO_RW_TOKEN=... Rscript local/propose-patches.R --open-pr --limit 10
+PGPASS=... FORGEJO_TOKEN=... Rscript local/propose-patches.R --open-pr --limit 10
 ```
 
 The merge gate is `.crow/trial-build-registry.yaml`: matrixed over the build-env images, each platform trial-builds only the entries the branch **adds** (`local/trial-build-registry.R`, which diffs the registry against `main`) and is green only if every new entry builds.
diff --git a/local/propose-patches.R b/local/propose-patches.R
index fb45ea9..11085f0 100644
--- a/local/propose-patches.R
+++ b/local/propose-patches.R
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 #                        the proposals ledger (commit + open a PR yourself)
 #       --open-issue     post/update a Forgejo tracking issue (needs FORGEJO_TOKEN)
 #       --open-pr        write the entries, push the `auto/registry-patch-proposals`
-#                        branch, and open/update a PR autonomously (needs
-#                        FORGEJO_TOKEN, and REPO_RW_TOKEN to push in CI). The
+#                        branch, and open/update a PR autonomously. Uses
+#                        FORGEJO_TOKEN for both the push and the PR API. The
 #                        `trial-build-registry` pipeline is the merge gate.
 #       --limit N        only act on the top-N candidates by failure volume
 #                        (bounded batch; the rest are picked up on the next run)
@@ -466,18 +466,15 @@ if (do_write) {
       if (length(candidate_entries) == 1L) "entry" else "entries"
     )
   )
-  # Push with a write token when provided (CI); otherwise rely on origin creds.
-  rw_token <- Sys.getenv("REPO_RW_TOKEN")
-  push_target <- if (nchar(rw_token) > 0L) {
-    sprintf(
-      "https://%s:%s@git.devxy.io/%s.git",
-      Sys.getenv("GIT_USER", "devxy-bot"),
-      rw_token,
-      repo
-    )
-  } else {
-    "origin"
-  }
+  # Push over HTTPS with FORGEJO_TOKEN (same token used for the PR API), so no
+  # separate write-scoped secret is needed. The read-only `origin` clone URL
+  # can't push, so build an authenticated URL explicitly.
+  push_target <- sprintf(
+    "https://%s:%s@git.devxy.io/%s.git",
+    Sys.getenv("GIT_REMOTE_USER", "pat-s"),
+    forgejo_token,
+    repo
+  )
   git("push", "-f", push_target, sprintf("HEAD:refs/heads/%s", pr_branch))
 
   pr_title <- sprintf(