diff --git a/src/github/github-sync.service.ts b/src/github/github-sync.service.ts
index 6478ec2..7d5b90f 100644
--- a/src/github/github-sync.service.ts
+++ b/src/github/github-sync.service.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-import { Inject, Injectable, Logger, NotFoundException } from '@nestjs/common';
+import {
+  ForbiddenException,
+  Inject,
+  Injectable,
+  Logger,
+  NotFoundException,
+} from '@nestjs/common';
 import { InjectRepository } from '@nestjs/typeorm';
 import { Octokit } from '@octokit/rest';
 import { Repository as TypeOrmRepository } from 'typeorm';
@@ -224,6 +230,15 @@ export class GithubSyncService {
     return this.repositoryRepo.findOne({ where: { githubRepoId } });
   }
 
+  async findRepositoryByOwnerAndName(
+    owner: string,
+    name: string,
+  ): Promise<Repository | null> {
+    return this.repositoryRepo.findOne({
+      where: { owner, name },
+    });
+  }
+
   /** Fetches a single PR's merge status directly from the API (used by webhook fallback verification). */
   async getPullRequest(owner: string, repo: string, pullNumber: number) {
     const { data } = await this.octokit.pulls.get({
diff --git a/src/github/github.controller.spec.ts b/src/github/github.controller.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4809ece
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github/github.controller.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { ForbiddenException, NotFoundException } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { Test, TestingModule } from '@nestjs/testing';
+import { GithubController } from './github.controller';
+import { GithubSyncService } from './github-sync.service';
+import { UserRole } from '../common/enums';
+import { Repository, User } from '../common/entities';
+
+describe('GithubController', () => {
+  let controller: GithubController;
+  let syncService: {
+    syncRepository: jest.Mock;
+    findRepositoryByOwnerAndName: jest.Mock;
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    syncService = {
+      syncRepository: jest.fn(),
+      findRepositoryByOwnerAndName: jest.fn(),
+    };
+
+    const module: TestingModule = await Test.createTestingModule({
+      controllers: [GithubController],
+      providers: [{ provide: GithubSyncService, useValue: syncService }],
+    }).compile();
+
+    controller = module.get<GithubController>(GithubController);
+  });
+
+  it('should be defined', () => {
+    expect(controller).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('rejects unprivileged user role (e.g. contributor only)', async () => {
+    const mockReq = {
+      user: {
+        id: 'u-1',
+        roles: [UserRole.CONTRIBUTOR],
+      } as User,
+    } as any;
+
+    await expect(
+      controller.sync('acme', 'widgets', mockReq),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(ForbiddenException);
+    expect(syncService.syncRepository).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('rejects sync for untracked repository', async () => {
+    const mockReq = {
+      user: {
+        id: 'u-2',
+        roles: [UserRole.MAINTAINER],
+      } as User,
+    } as any;
+
+    syncService.findRepositoryByOwnerAndName.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    await expect(
+      controller.sync('torvalds', 'linux', mockReq),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(NotFoundException);
+    expect(syncService.syncRepository).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('allows maintainer to sync tracked repository', async () => {
+    const mockReq = {
+      user: {
+        id: 'u-2',
+        roles: [UserRole.MAINTAINER],
+      } as User,
+    } as any;
+
+    const mockRepo = { id: 'repo-1', owner: 'acme', name: 'widgets' } as Repository;
+    syncService.findRepositoryByOwnerAndName.mockResolvedValue(mockRepo);
+    syncService.syncRepository.mockResolvedValue(mockRepo);
+
+    const result = await controller.sync('acme', 'widgets', mockReq);
+    expect(result).toEqual(mockRepo);
+    expect(syncService.findRepositoryByOwnerAndName).toHaveBeenCalledWith('acme', 'widgets');
+    expect(syncService.syncRepository).toHaveBeenCalledWith('acme', 'widgets');
+  });
+
+  it('allows sponsor to sync tracked repository', async () => {
+    const mockReq = {
+      user: {
+        id: 'u-3',
+        roles: [UserRole.SPONSOR],
+      } as User,
+    } as any;
+
+    const mockRepo = { id: 'repo-1', owner: 'acme', name: 'widgets' } as Repository;
+    syncService.findRepositoryByOwnerAndName.mockResolvedValue(mockRepo);
+    syncService.syncRepository.mockResolvedValue(mockRepo);
+
+    const result = await controller.sync('acme', 'widgets', mockReq);
+    expect(result).toEqual(mockRepo);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/github/github.controller.ts b/src/github/github.controller.ts
index 04e9ba0..698c017 100644
--- a/src/github/github.controller.ts
+++ b/src/github/github.controller.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,60 @@
-import { Controller, Param, Post } from '@nestjs/common';
-import { ApiTags } from '@nestjs/swagger';
+import {
+  Controller,
+  ForbiddenException,
+  NotFoundException,
+  Param,
+  Post,
+  Req,
+  UseGuards,
+} from '@nestjs/common';
+import { ApiBearerAuth, ApiTags } from '@nestjs/swagger';
+import { Throttle } from '@nestjs/throttler';
 import { GithubSyncService } from './github-sync.service';
+import { JwtAuthGuard } from '../auth/guards/jwt-auth.guard';
+import { UserRole } from '../common/enums';
+import { User } from '../common/entities';
+
+interface RequestWithUser extends Request {
+  user: User;
+}
 
 @ApiTags('github')
 @Controller('github')
 export class GithubController {
   constructor(private readonly syncService: GithubSyncService) {}
 
+  @ApiBearerAuth()
+  @UseGuards(JwtAuthGuard)
+  @Throttle({ default: { limit: 5, ttl: 60_000 } })
   @Post('sync/:owner/:repo')
-  sync(@Param('owner') owner: string, @Param('repo') repo: string) {
+  async sync(
+    @Param('owner') owner: string,
+    @Param('repo') repo: string,
+    @Req() req: RequestWithUser,
+  ) {
+    const user = req.user;
+    const isMaintainerOrAdmin =
+      user?.roles &&
+      (user.roles.includes(UserRole.MAINTAINER) ||
+        user.roles.includes(UserRole.SPONSOR) ||
+        (user.roles as unknown as string[]).includes('admin'));
+
+    if (!isMaintainerOrAdmin) {
+      throw new ForbiddenException(
+        'Only maintainers or sponsors may trigger repository synchronization',
+      );
+    }
+
+    const tracked = await this.syncService.findRepositoryByOwnerAndName(
+      owner,
+      repo,
+    );
+    if (!tracked) {
+      throw new NotFoundException(
+        `Repository ${owner}/${repo} is not tracked by MergeFi. Only registered repositories can be synced.`,
+      );
+    }
+
     return this.syncService.syncRepository(owner, repo);
   }
 }