diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
index 7ee92ce..e8864f2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,35 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup kubectl
         uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v4
 
+      - name: Apply RBAC for E2E pipeline
+        run: |
+          set -x
+          kubectl apply -f deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml --dry-run=server 2>&1 || true
+          kubectl apply -f deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml 2>&1
+          echo "exit code: $?"
+          echo "Waiting for RBAC propagation (Kubernetes subject access review caching)..."
+          sleep 5
+          echo "Verifying CI runner permissions..."
+          kubectl auth can-i create roles -n headlamp-dev --as="system:serviceaccount:arc-runners:runners-privilegedescalation-gha-rs-no-permission" 2>&1 || { echo "::error::CI runner still lacks roles permission after propagation wait"; exit 1; }
+          set +x
+
+      - name: Apply Polaris dashboard RBAC
+        run: kubectl apply -f deployment/polaris-rbac.yaml
+
+      - name: RBAC pre-flight check
+        run: |
+          echo "Checking RBAC resources..."
+          MISSING=0
+          kubectl get role polaris-dashboard-proxy-reader -n polaris -o name >/dev/null 2>&1 || MISSING=1
+          kubectl get rolebinding polaris-dashboard-proxy-reader -n polaris -o name >/dev/null 2>&1 || MISSING=1
+          kubectl auth can-i delete configmaps -n "$E2E_NAMESPACE" --quiet 2>/dev/null || MISSING=1
+          if [ "$MISSING" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "RBAC pre-flight check passed."
+          else
+            echo "::error::RBAC pre-flight check failed. Missing required permissions."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: npm ci
 
diff --git a/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml b/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
index e6bf4ff..069c5ee 100644
--- a/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
+++ b/deployment/e2e-ci-runner-rbac.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,34 @@ rules:
   - apiGroups: [""]
     resources: ["serviceaccounts/token"]
     verbs: ["create"]
+  # Apply Polaris dashboard RBAC in the polaris namespace
+  - apiGroups: ["rbac.authorization.k8s.io"]
+    resources: ["roles", "rolebindings"]
+    verbs: ["get", "list", "create", "update", "patch", "delete"]
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: Role
+metadata:
+  name: e2e-ci-runner-polaris
+  namespace: polaris
+rules:
+  - apiGroups: ["rbac.authorization.k8s.io"]
+    resources: ["roles", "rolebindings"]
+    verbs: ["get", "list", "create", "update", "patch", "delete"]
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: RoleBinding
+metadata:
+  name: e2e-ci-runner-polaris
+  namespace: polaris
+subjects:
+  - kind: ServiceAccount
+    name: runners-privilegedescalation-gha-rs-no-permission
+    namespace: arc-runners
+roleRef:
+  kind: Role
+  name: e2e-ci-runner-polaris
+  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
 ---
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 kind: RoleBinding