diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/pull-detail-activity.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/pull-detail-activity.tsx
index 2513974..cf05c01 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/pull-detail-activity.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/pull-detail-activity.tsx
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import {
 	groupTimelineEvents,
 } from "#/components/details/grouped-label-event";
 import { LabelPill } from "#/components/details/label-pill";
+import { useMergeBypass } from "#/components/pulls/detail/use-merge-bypass";
 import { formatRelativeTime } from "#/lib/format-relative-time";
 import {
 	deleteBranch,
@@ -424,6 +425,7 @@ function MergeStatusCard({
 		baseRefName,
 		canUpdateBranch,
 		canBypassProtections,
+		canMerge,
 	} = status;
 
 	const approvedReviews = reviews.filter((r) => r.state === "APPROVED");
@@ -439,6 +441,17 @@ function MergeStatusCard({
 	const hasConflicts = mergeableState === "dirty";
 	const isMergeBlocked = mergeableState === "blocked" || mergeable === false;
 
+	const bypass = useMergeBypass({
+		isMergeBlocked,
+		canBypassProtections,
+		hasCheckFailures,
+		hasReviewIssue,
+		hasConflicts,
+		isBehind,
+		allChecksPassed,
+		totalChecks: checks.total,
+	});
+
 	return (
 		<div className="flex flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-lg border">
 			{/* Reviews section */}
@@ -490,7 +503,8 @@ function MergeStatusCard({
 			{/* Merge action footer */}
 			<MergeFooter
 				isMergeBlocked={isMergeBlocked}
-				canBypassProtections={canBypassProtections}
+				canMerge={canMerge}
+				bypass={bypass}
 				owner={owner}
 				repo={repo}
 				pullNumber={pullNumber}
@@ -990,13 +1004,15 @@ const MERGE_STRATEGIES = [
 
 function MergeFooter({
 	isMergeBlocked,
-	canBypassProtections,
+	canMerge,
+	bypass,
 	owner,
 	repo,
 	pullNumber,
 }: {
 	isMergeBlocked: boolean;
-	canBypassProtections: boolean;
+	canMerge: boolean;
+	bypass: ReturnType<typeof useMergeBypass>;
 	owner: string;
 	repo: string;
 	pullNumber: number;
@@ -1005,7 +1021,6 @@ function MergeFooter({
 		"squash",
 	);
 	const [isMerging, setIsMerging] = useState(false);
-	const [bypassChecks, setBypassChecks] = useState(false);
 	const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 
 	const currentStrategy =
@@ -1021,7 +1036,7 @@ function MergeFooter({
 					repo,
 					pullNumber,
 					mergeMethod,
-					bypassProtections: bypassChecks,
+					bypassProtections: bypass.shouldBypass,
 				},
 			});
 			if (result.ok) {
@@ -1037,7 +1052,8 @@ function MergeFooter({
 		}
 	};
 
-	const isDisabled = (isMergeBlocked && !bypassChecks) || isMerging;
+	const isDisabled =
+		!canMerge || (isMergeBlocked && !bypass.shouldBypass) || isMerging;
 
 	return (
 		<div className="flex flex-col gap-3 px-4 py-3">
@@ -1093,18 +1109,22 @@ function MergeFooter({
 						</DropdownMenu>
 					</div>
 				</div>
-				{isMergeBlocked && !bypassChecks && (
+				{!canMerge ? (
+					<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+						You don't have permission to merge this pull request.
+					</p>
+				) : isMergeBlocked && !bypass.shouldBypass ? (
 					<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
 						Merging is blocked — all required conditions have not been met.
 					</p>
-				)}
+				) : null}
 			</div>
-			{isMergeBlocked && canBypassProtections && (
+			{bypass.showOption && (
 				<div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-xs text-yellow-600 dark:text-yellow-500">
 					<Checkbox
 						id="bypass-checks"
-						checked={bypassChecks}
-						onCheckedChange={(checked) => setBypassChecks(checked === true)}
+						checked={bypass.checked}
+						onCheckedChange={(checked) => bypass.setChecked(checked === true)}
 					/>
 					<label htmlFor="bypass-checks">
 						Merge without waiting for requirements to be met (bypass branch
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/use-merge-bypass.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/use-merge-bypass.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3657dcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/pulls/detail/use-merge-bypass.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+
+export function useMergeBypass({
+	isMergeBlocked,
+	canBypassProtections,
+	hasCheckFailures,
+	hasReviewIssue,
+	hasConflicts,
+	isBehind,
+	allChecksPassed,
+	totalChecks,
+}: {
+	isMergeBlocked: boolean;
+	canBypassProtections: boolean;
+	hasCheckFailures: boolean;
+	hasReviewIssue: boolean;
+	hasConflicts: boolean;
+	isBehind: boolean;
+	allChecksPassed: boolean;
+	totalChecks: number;
+}) {
+	const [checked, setChecked] = useState(false);
+
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (!isMergeBlocked) setChecked(false);
+	}, [isMergeBlocked]);
+
+	const allCriteriaMet =
+		!hasCheckFailures &&
+		!hasReviewIssue &&
+		!hasConflicts &&
+		!isBehind &&
+		(totalChecks === 0 || allChecksPassed);
+
+	const auto = canBypassProtections && isMergeBlocked && allCriteriaMet;
+
+	return {
+		shouldBypass: auto || checked,
+		showOption: isMergeBlocked && canBypassProtections && !allCriteriaMet,
+		checked,
+		setChecked,
+	};
+}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.functions.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.functions.ts
index 4977474..f8928db 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.functions.ts
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.functions.ts
@@ -3199,7 +3199,14 @@ async function computePullStatus(
 		behindBy = null;
 	}
 
+	const viewer = await getViewer(userContext ?? context);
+	const isViewerAuthor = pull.user?.login === viewer.login;
 	const canUpdateBranch =
+		isViewerAuthor ||
+		!permissions ||
+		permissions.push === true ||
+		permissions.admin === true;
+	const canMerge =
 		!permissions || permissions.push === true || permissions.admin === true;
 	const canBypassProtections = await getPullRequestBypassState({
 		branch: pull.base.ref,
@@ -3236,6 +3243,7 @@ async function computePullStatus(
 		baseRefName: pull.base.ref,
 		canUpdateBranch,
 		canBypassProtections,
+		canMerge,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.types.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.types.ts
index 4f99973..199d0a4 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.types.ts
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/github.types.ts
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ export type PullStatus = {
 	baseRefName: string;
 	canUpdateBranch: boolean;
 	canBypassProtections: boolean;
+	canMerge: boolean;
 };
 
 export type PullCommit = {