diff --git a/internal/http/oauth.go b/internal/http/oauth.go
index 76a8440c..fa901647 100644
--- a/internal/http/oauth.go
+++ b/internal/http/oauth.go
@@ -59,27 +59,34 @@ func NewOAuthHandler(provStore store.ProviderStore, secretStore store.ConfigSecr
 
 // RegisterRoutes registers OAuth routes on the given mux.
 func (h *OAuthHandler) RegisterRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/status", h.auth(h.handleStatus))
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/quota", h.auth(h.handleQuota))
+	// Read-only status/quota — needed by /setup for browser-paired Operators
+	// (issue #1075). Managing OAuth (start/callback/logout) stays Admin-only.
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/status", h.readAuth(h.handleStatus))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/quota", h.readAuth(h.handleQuota))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/start", h.auth(h.handleStart))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/callback", h.auth(h.handleManualCallback))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/auth/chatgpt/{provider}/logout", h.auth(h.handleLogout))
 
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/openai/status", h.auth(h.handleStatus))
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/openai/quota", h.auth(h.handleQuota))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/openai/status", h.readAuth(h.handleStatus))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/auth/openai/quota", h.readAuth(h.handleQuota))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/auth/openai/start", h.auth(h.handleStart))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/auth/openai/callback", h.auth(h.handleManualCallback))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/auth/openai/logout", h.auth(h.handleLogout))
 }
 
-// auth requires RoleAdmin for all OAuth endpoints.
-// Breaking change from pre-#450: previously used requireAuth("", next) which
-// allowed any authenticated user including operators. Now only admins can
-// manage OAuth providers.
+// auth requires RoleAdmin for OAuth management (start/callback/logout).
+// Since #450 these mutating flows are admin-only; #1075 keeps that for writes
+// but splits reads out via readAuth so setup can check connection status.
 func (h *OAuthHandler) auth(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return requireAuth(permissions.RoleAdmin, next)
 }
 
+// readAuth gates read-only OAuth status/quota at the method-derived minimum
+// (GET→Viewer). Responses expose only connection state and quota, never tokens.
+func (h *OAuthHandler) readAuth(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
+	return requireAuth("", next)
+}
+
 func oauthTenantID(ctx context.Context) uuid.UUID {
 	if tid := store.TenantIDFromContext(ctx); tid != uuid.Nil {
 		return tid
diff --git a/internal/http/oauth_test.go b/internal/http/oauth_test.go
index 22cb3068..5eb2d113 100644
--- a/internal/http/oauth_test.go
+++ b/internal/http/oauth_test.go
@@ -420,8 +420,11 @@ func TestOAuthHandlerProviderLogoutRoute(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestProvidersHandlerRequiresAdmin(t *testing.T) {
-	token := "operator-key"
+// operatorAPIKeyRequest builds a request authenticated as a browser-pairing-style
+// Operator (operator.write scope → RoleOperator).
+func operatorAPIKeyRequest(t *testing.T, method, path string) *http.Request {
+	t.Helper()
+	token := "operator-key-" + method + path
 	setupTestCache(t, map[string]*store.APIKeyData{
 		crypto.HashAPIKey(token): {
 			ID:       uuid.New(),
@@ -429,41 +432,49 @@ func TestProvidersHandlerRequiresAdmin(t *testing.T) {
 			TenantID: store.MasterTenantID,
 		},
 	})
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(method, path, nil)
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token)
+	return req
+}
 
+// TestProvidersHandler_OperatorReadsButCannotMutate is a regression for issue #1075:
+// browser-paired Operators must read providers so /setup can proceed, while
+// create/update/delete stay Admin-only.
+func TestProvidersHandler_OperatorReadsButCannotMutate(t *testing.T) {
 	h := NewProvidersHandler(newMockProviderStore(), newMockSecretsStore(), nil, "")
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	h.RegisterRoutes(mux)
 
-	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/v1/providers", nil)
-	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token)
-	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
-	mux.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+	wGet := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	mux.ServeHTTP(wGet, operatorAPIKeyRequest(t, "GET", "/v1/providers"))
+	if wGet.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("operator GET /v1/providers = %d, want 200", wGet.Code)
+	}
 
-	if w.Code != http.StatusForbidden {
-		t.Fatalf("status code = %d, want %d", w.Code, http.StatusForbidden)
+	wPost := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	mux.ServeHTTP(wPost, operatorAPIKeyRequest(t, "POST", "/v1/providers"))
+	if wPost.Code != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Fatalf("operator POST /v1/providers = %d, want 403", wPost.Code)
 	}
 }
 
-func TestOAuthHandlerRequiresAdmin(t *testing.T) {
-	token := "operator-key"
-	setupTestCache(t, map[string]*store.APIKeyData{
-		crypto.HashAPIKey(token): {
-			ID:       uuid.New(),
-			Scopes:   []string{"operator.write"},
-			TenantID: store.MasterTenantID,
-		},
-	})
+// TestOAuthHandler_OperatorReadsStatusButCannotManage: Operator can read OAuth
+// status for setup; managing OAuth (start) remains Admin-only (issue #1075, #450).
+func TestOAuthHandler_OperatorReadsStatusButCannotManage(t *testing.T) {
 	h := newTestOAuthHandler(t, "")
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	h.RegisterRoutes(mux)
 
-	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/v1/auth/openai/status", nil)
-	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token)
-	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
-	mux.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+	wGet := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	mux.ServeHTTP(wGet, operatorAPIKeyRequest(t, "GET", "/v1/auth/openai/status"))
+	if wGet.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("operator GET oauth status = %d, want 200", wGet.Code)
+	}
 
-	if w.Code != http.StatusForbidden {
-		t.Fatalf("status code = %d, want %d", w.Code, http.StatusForbidden)
+	wPost := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	mux.ServeHTTP(wPost, operatorAPIKeyRequest(t, "POST", "/v1/auth/openai/start"))
+	if wPost.Code != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Fatalf("operator POST oauth start = %d, want 403", wPost.Code)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/http/providers.go b/internal/http/providers.go
index 9539d631..b35848d1 100644
--- a/internal/http/providers.go
+++ b/internal/http/providers.go
@@ -158,35 +158,45 @@ func providerCacheTenantID(ctx context.Context, tenantID uuid.UUID) uuid.UUID {
 
 // RegisterRoutes registers all provider management routes on the given mux.
 func (h *ProvidersHandler) RegisterRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
-	// Provider CRUD
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers", h.auth(h.handleListProviders))
+	// Provider CRUD — reads are needed by /setup for browser-paired Operators
+	// (issue #1075), so GET routes use read-level auth (GET→Viewer) while
+	// mutations stay Admin-only.
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers", h.readAuth(h.handleListProviders))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/providers", h.auth(h.handleCreateProvider))
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/{id}", h.auth(h.handleGetProvider))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/{id}", h.readAuth(h.handleGetProvider))
 	mux.HandleFunc("PUT /v1/providers/{id}", h.auth(h.handleUpdateProvider))
 	mux.HandleFunc("DELETE /v1/providers/{id}", h.auth(h.handleDeleteProvider))
 
 	// Model listing (proxied to upstream provider API)
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/{id}/models", h.auth(h.handleListProviderModels))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/{id}/models", h.readAuth(h.handleListProviderModels))
 
-	// Provider + model verification (pre-flight check)
+	// Provider + model verification (pre-flight check) — mutating actions, Admin.
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/providers/{id}/reconnect", h.auth(h.handleReconnectProvider))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/providers/{id}/verify", h.auth(h.handleVerifyProvider))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/providers/{id}/verify-embedding", h.auth(h.handleVerifyEmbedding))
 
-	// Provider-scoped Codex pool activity monitor
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/{id}/codex-pool-activity", h.auth(h.handleProviderCodexPoolActivity))
+	// Provider-scoped Codex pool activity monitor (read-only status)
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/{id}/codex-pool-activity", h.readAuth(h.handleProviderCodexPoolActivity))
 
-	// Embedding system status
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/embedding/status", h.auth(h.handleEmbeddingStatus))
+	// Embedding system status (read-only)
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/embedding/status", h.readAuth(h.handleEmbeddingStatus))
 
-	// Claude CLI auth status (global — not per-provider)
-	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/claude-cli/auth-status", h.auth(h.handleClaudeCLIAuthStatus))
+	// Claude CLI auth status (global — not per-provider; read-only status)
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /v1/providers/claude-cli/auth-status", h.readAuth(h.handleClaudeCLIAuthStatus))
 }
 
+// auth gates provider mutations at Admin.
 func (h *ProvidersHandler) auth(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return requireAuth(permissions.RoleAdmin, next)
 }
 
+// readAuth gates read-only provider endpoints at the method-derived minimum
+// (GET→Viewer), so browser-paired Operators can complete /setup (issue #1075).
+// Responses already mask API keys, and provider queries stay tenant-scoped.
+func (h *ProvidersHandler) readAuth(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
+	return requireAuth("", next)
+}
+
 // maskAPIKey replaces non-empty API keys with "***".
 func maskAPIKey(p *store.LLMProviderData) {
 	if p.APIKey != "" {