diff --git a/pkg/connector/helpers.go b/pkg/connector/helpers.go
index 59d2ee588..c0b477bca 100644
--- a/pkg/connector/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/connector/helpers.go
@@ -235,6 +235,19 @@ func namespaceAccessPermissionFromString(in string) identityv1.NamespaceAccess_P
 	return identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission(rv)
 }
 
+// nextLowerNamespacePermission returns the next lower permission level in the hierarchy.
+// Admin → Write, Write → Read, Read → Unspecified (meaning remove access entirely).
+func nextLowerNamespacePermission(current identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission) identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission {
+	switch current {
+	case identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_ADMIN:
+		return identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_WRITE
+	case identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_WRITE:
+		return identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_READ
+	default:
+		return identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED
+	}
+}
+
 func AccountAccessRoleFromID(in string, accountID string) identityv1.AccountAccess_Role {
 	if strings.HasSuffix(in, accountID) { // handle legacy admin role ID
 		return identityv1.AccountAccess_ROLE_ADMIN
diff --git a/pkg/connector/helpers_test.go b/pkg/connector/helpers_test.go
index 56c03133f..e8c09d06b 100644
--- a/pkg/connector/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/connector/helpers_test.go
@@ -69,6 +69,103 @@ func TestAccountAccessRoleFromID(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNextLowerNamespacePermission(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tt := []struct {
+		Name     string
+		Input    identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission
+		Expected identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission
+	}{
+		{
+			Name:     "admin downgrades to write",
+			Input:    identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_ADMIN,
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_WRITE,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "write downgrades to read",
+			Input:    identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_WRITE,
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_READ,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "read downgrades to unspecified (remove access)",
+			Input:    identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_READ,
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "unspecified stays unspecified",
+			Input:    identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED,
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tt {
+		t.Run(tc.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			var actual identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission
+			require.NotPanics(t, func() {
+				actual = nextLowerNamespacePermission(tc.Input)
+			})
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.Expected, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNamespaceAccessPermissionFromString(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tt := []struct {
+		Name     string
+		Input    string
+		Expected identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission
+	}{
+		{
+			Name:     "admin permission",
+			Input:    "admin",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_ADMIN,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "write permission",
+			Input:    "write",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_WRITE,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "read permission",
+			Input:    "read",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_READ,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "uppercase ADMIN",
+			Input:    "ADMIN",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_ADMIN,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "mixed case Admin",
+			Input:    "Admin",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_ADMIN,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "invalid permission returns unspecified",
+			Input:    "invalid",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:     "empty string returns unspecified",
+			Input:    "",
+			Expected: identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tt {
+		t.Run(tc.Name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			var actual identityv1.NamespaceAccess_Permission
+			require.NotPanics(t, func() {
+				actual = namespaceAccessPermissionFromString(tc.Input)
+			})
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.Expected, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAccountAccessRoleFromString(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tt := []struct {
diff --git a/pkg/connector/namespaces.go b/pkg/connector/namespaces.go
index 113fa8ac8..d9f50529c 100644
--- a/pkg/connector/namespaces.go
+++ b/pkg/connector/namespaces.go
@@ -216,19 +216,47 @@ func (o *namespaceBuilder) Revoke(ctx context.Context, g *v2.Grant) (annotations
 	namespaceID := namespace.GetId().GetResource()
 	namespaceType := namespace.GetId().GetResourceType()
 
+	// Parse the permission level being revoked from the entitlement ID
+	enIDParts := strings.Split(entitlementID, ":")
+	if len(enIDParts) != 3 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: invalid entitlement ID %s", entitlementID)
+	}
+	revokedPermStr := enIDParts[2]
+	revokedPerm := namespaceAccessPermissionFromString(revokedPermStr)
+	if revokedPerm == identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: invalid namespace permission %s", revokedPermStr)
+	}
+
 	userResp, err := o.client.GetUser(ctx, &cloudservicev1.GetUserRequest{UserId: userID})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: couldn't retrieve user: %w", err)
 	}
 	user := userResp.GetUser()
 	spec := user.GetSpec()
-	_, ok := spec.GetAccess().GetNamespaceAccesses()[namespaceID]
+	currentAccess, ok := spec.GetAccess().GetNamespaceAccesses()[namespaceID]
 	if !ok {
 		annos := annotations.New(&v2.GrantAlreadyRevoked{})
 		return annos, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: grant does not exist for user")
 	}
 
-	delete(spec.Access.NamespaceAccesses, namespaceID)
+	// Only revoke if the user actually has the permission being revoked.
+	// If they have a different permission level, this grant doesn't exist.
+	if currentAccess.GetPermission() != revokedPerm {
+		annos := annotations.New(&v2.GrantAlreadyRevoked{})
+		return annos, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: user does not have %s permission on namespace", revokedPermStr)
+	}
+
+	// Determine the next lower permission level (hierarchical downgrade).
+	// Admin → Write, Write → Read, Read → remove entirely.
+	nextPerm := nextLowerNamespacePermission(revokedPerm)
+	if nextPerm == identityv1.NamespaceAccess_PERMISSION_UNSPECIFIED {
+		// Read permission: remove access entirely
+		delete(spec.Access.NamespaceAccesses, namespaceID)
+	} else {
+		// Downgrade to the next lower permission level
+		spec.Access.NamespaceAccesses[namespaceID] = &identityv1.NamespaceAccess{Permission: nextPerm}
+	}
+
 	req := &cloudservicev1.UpdateUserRequest{UserId: userID, Spec: spec, ResourceVersion: user.GetResourceVersion()}
 	resp, err := o.client.UpdateUser(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -249,7 +277,7 @@ func (o *namespaceBuilder) Revoke(ctx context.Context, g *v2.Grant) (annotations
 	defer cancel()
 	err = awaitAsyncOperation(waitCtx, l, o.client, requestID, retryDelay)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: namespace assignment deletion failed: %w", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("baton-temporalcloud: namespace assignment update failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	annos := annotations.New()