diff --git a/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/auth.rs b/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/auth.rs
index 8371bbd7d..7bc60e737 100644
--- a/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/auth.rs
+++ b/apps/aether-gateway/src/data/state/auth.rs
@@ -1781,20 +1781,13 @@ impl GatewayDataState {
         let Some(mut snapshot) = snapshot else {
             return Ok(None);
         };
-        if snapshot.user_role.eq_ignore_ascii_case("admin") && !snapshot.api_key_is_standalone {
-            apply_admin_unrestricted_auth_snapshot(&mut snapshot);
-            return Ok(Some(GatewayAuthApiKeySnapshot::from_stored(
-                snapshot,
-                now_unix_secs,
-            )));
-        }
         let Some(repository) = self.user_reader.as_ref() else {
             return Ok(Some(GatewayAuthApiKeySnapshot::from_stored(
                 snapshot,
                 now_unix_secs,
             )));
         };
-        let Some(user) = crate::request_diagnostics::observe_db_operation(
+        let Some(_) = crate::request_diagnostics::observe_db_operation(
             "auth_user_policy",
             self.database_pool_summary(),
             repository.find_user_auth_by_id(&snapshot.user_id),
@@ -1806,14 +1799,6 @@ impl GatewayDataState {
                 now_unix_secs,
             )));
         };
-        if user.role.eq_ignore_ascii_case("admin") && !snapshot.api_key_is_standalone {
-            snapshot.user_role = user.role;
-            apply_admin_unrestricted_auth_snapshot(&mut snapshot);
-            return Ok(Some(GatewayAuthApiKeySnapshot::from_stored(
-                snapshot,
-                now_unix_secs,
-            )));
-        }
         let groups = self
             .effective_user_groups_for_user(&snapshot.user_id)
             .await?;
@@ -1925,18 +1910,6 @@ impl GatewayDataState {
     }
 }
 
-fn apply_admin_unrestricted_auth_snapshot(snapshot: &mut StoredAuthApiKeySnapshot) {
-    snapshot.user_allowed_providers = None;
-    snapshot.user_allowed_api_formats = None;
-    snapshot.user_allowed_models = None;
-    snapshot.user_rate_limit = None;
-    snapshot.api_key_allowed_providers = None;
-    snapshot.api_key_allowed_api_formats = None;
-    snapshot.api_key_allowed_models = None;
-    snapshot.api_key_rate_limit = None;
-    snapshot.api_key_concurrent_limit = None;
-}
-
 // Per-user list policy columns are retained only for legacy import/export compatibility.
 // Runtime authorization and user-facing catalogs must both treat group policies as authoritative.
 fn resolve_group_effective_list_policies(
diff --git a/apps/aether-gateway/src/tests/control/admin/users.rs b/apps/aether-gateway/src/tests/control/admin/users.rs
index 75c8da4f2..86558d82e 100644
--- a/apps/aether-gateway/src/tests/control/admin/users.rs
+++ b/apps/aether-gateway/src/tests/control/admin/users.rs
@@ -1673,7 +1673,7 @@ async fn gateway_handles_admin_user_api_key_routes_locally_with_trusted_admin_pr
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
-async fn admin_created_user_key_inherits_target_user_policy_not_admin_policy() {
+async fn admin_created_user_keys_inherit_owner_group_policy() {
     let mut admin_snapshot = sample_admin_api_key_snapshot("admin-user", "admin-seed-key");
     admin_snapshot.user_role = "admin".to_string();
     let auth_repository = Arc::new(InMemoryAuthApiKeySnapshotRepository::seed(vec![
@@ -1855,6 +1855,44 @@ async fn admin_created_user_key_inherits_target_user_policy_not_admin_policy() {
         "an omitted key override must inherit target settings"
     );
 
+    let response = reqwest::Client::new()
+        .post(format!("{gateway_url}/api/admin/users/admin-user/api-keys"))
+        .header(crate::constants::GATEWAY_HEADER, "rust-phase3b")
+        .header(TRUSTED_ADMIN_USER_ID_HEADER, "admin-user")
+        .header(TRUSTED_ADMIN_USER_ROLE_HEADER, "admin")
+        .header(TRUSTED_ADMIN_SESSION_ID_HEADER, "admin-session")
+        .json(&json!({"name": "admin-user-key"}))
+        .send()
+        .await
+        .expect("request should succeed");
+    assert_eq!(response.status(), StatusCode::OK);
+    let payload: serde_json::Value = response.json().await.expect("response should parse");
+    let plaintext_key = payload["key"].as_str().expect("plaintext key should exist");
+
+    let resolved = inspection_state
+        .read_cached_auth_api_key_snapshot_by_key_hash(
+            &hash_api_key(plaintext_key),
+            chrono::Utc::now().timestamp().max(0) as u64,
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect("admin-owned user key snapshot should resolve")
+        .expect("admin-owned user key snapshot should exist");
+    assert_eq!(resolved.user_id, "admin-user");
+    assert!(!resolved.api_key_is_standalone);
+    assert_eq!(
+        resolved.effective_allowed_providers(),
+        Some(&["openai".to_string()][..])
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        resolved.effective_allowed_api_formats(),
+        Some(&["openai:responses".to_string()][..])
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        resolved.effective_allowed_models(),
+        Some(&["gpt-5.4".to_string()][..])
+    );
+    assert_eq!(resolved.user_rate_limit, Some(100));
+
     gateway_handle.abort();
 }