diff --git a/src/service/node_service_impl.go b/src/service/node_service_impl.go
index 61884a9..34a4952 100644
--- a/src/service/node_service_impl.go
+++ b/src/service/node_service_impl.go
@@ -495,11 +495,14 @@ func (s *nodeServiceImpl) Add(input AddInput) (*models.Node, error) {
 			if nsRef == "" {
 				nsRef = s.userID
 			}
-			nsID, err := s.resolveNamespaceRef(st, nsRef)
+			nsID, nsCreated, err := s.resolveNamespaceRef(st, nsRef)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if input.Namespace != "" && !pc.canWrite(nsID) {
+			// Skip the write check when the namespace was just created — the
+			// current user is the creator/owner, but the permContext was built
+			// before the namespace existed and therefore doesn't reflect it.
+			if input.Namespace != "" && !nsCreated && !pc.canWrite(nsID) {
 				return fmt.Errorf("permission denied: no write access to namespace %q", input.Namespace)
 			}
 			ownerID = nsID
@@ -725,7 +728,7 @@ func (s *nodeServiceImpl) Update(id string, input UpdateInput) (*models.Node, er
 
 		// Namespace change: transfer ownership from the current namespace to the new one.
 		if input.Namespace != nil {
-			newNsID, err := s.resolveNamespaceRef(st, *input.Namespace)
+			newNsID, _, err := s.resolveNamespaceRef(st, *input.Namespace)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -973,11 +976,16 @@ func (s *nodeServiceImpl) ensureUser(st store.GraphStore, username string) (stri
 	return id, nil
 }
 
-func (s *nodeServiceImpl) resolveNamespaceRef(st store.GraphStore, ref string) (string, error) {
+// resolveNamespaceRef returns the namespace ID and whether it was newly created.
+func (s *nodeServiceImpl) resolveNamespaceRef(st store.GraphStore, ref string) (string, bool, error) {
 	if exists, _ := st.NodeExists(ref); exists {
-		return ref, nil
+		return ref, false, nil
 	}
-	return s.ensureNamespace(st, ref)
+	id, err := s.ensureNamespace(st, ref)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", false, err
+	}
+	return id, true, nil
 }
 
 func (s *nodeServiceImpl) ensureNamespace(st store.GraphStore, name string) (string, error) {