diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/ProtectedRoute.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/ProtectedRoute.tsx
index 808c331f..0b48c97c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/ProtectedRoute.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/ProtectedRoute.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ export function ProtectedRoute({ requiredRole, children }: ProtectedRouteProps)
     }
   }
 
+  // L1 users landing on / (e.g. post-login) get redirected to their workspace.
+  // Does not fire when already on /l1 or any other path, preventing loops.
+  if (effectiveRole === 'l1_tech' && location.pathname === '/') {
+    return <Navigate to="/l1" replace />
+  }
+
   return <>{children}</>
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index f5404ab4..d97830a8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { useUserPreferencesStore } from '@/store/userPreferencesStore'
 import { sidebarApi } from '@/api'
 import type { SidebarStatsResponse } from '@/api/sidebar'
 import { prefetchForRoute } from '@/lib/routePrefetch'
+import { usePermissions } from '@/hooks/usePermissions'
 
 /* ── Types ──────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ export function Sidebar() {
   const location = useLocation()
   const sidebarPinned = useUserPreferencesStore(s => s.sidebarPinned)
   const toggleSidebarPinned = useUserPreferencesStore(s => s.toggleSidebarPinned)
+  const { isL1Tech, canCoverL1 } = usePermissions()
 
   const [stats, setStats] = useState<SidebarStatsResponse | null>(null)
   // Phase 6: pending-drafts badge on the Scripts nav. Fetched independently
@@ -77,58 +79,74 @@ export function Sidebar() {
    * and pinned modes. Pin/unpin is a width/label affordance, not an
    * IA switch. A hairline divider separates the two groups; no labels. */
 
-  const workItems: NavEntry[] = [
-    {
-      href: '/', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'Dashboard', shortLabel: 'Dash',
-      matchPaths: ['/'],
-    },
-    {
-      href: '/tickets', icon: Ticket, label: 'Tickets', shortLabel: 'Tickets',
-      matchPaths: ['/tickets'],
-    },
-    {
-      href: '/sessions', icon: Clock, label: 'Sessions', shortLabel: 'Sessions',
-      badge: stats?.active_count || undefined,
-      matchPaths: ['/sessions'],
-    },
-    {
-      href: '/escalations', icon: AlertTriangle, label: 'Escalations', shortLabel: 'Escal',
-      badge: stats?.escalation_count || undefined,
-      matchPaths: ['/escalations'],
-    },
-  ]
+  // L1 users get a focused sidebar with only their surfaces.
+  // Engineers/owners get the full sidebar; those with canCoverL1 also get
+  // an appended "L1 Workspace" entry in the library group.
+  const workItems: NavEntry[] = isL1Tech
+    ? [
+        { href: '/l1', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'Workspace', shortLabel: 'Work', matchPaths: ['/l1'] },
+        { href: '/l1/tickets', icon: Ticket, label: 'Tickets', shortLabel: 'Tickets', matchPaths: ['/l1/tickets'] },
+        { href: '/l1/drafts', icon: FileText, label: 'My Drafts', shortLabel: 'Drafts', matchPaths: ['/l1/drafts'] },
+      ]
+    : [
+        {
+          href: '/', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'Dashboard', shortLabel: 'Dash',
+          matchPaths: ['/'],
+        },
+        {
+          href: '/tickets', icon: Ticket, label: 'Tickets', shortLabel: 'Tickets',
+          matchPaths: ['/tickets'],
+        },
+        {
+          href: '/sessions', icon: Clock, label: 'Sessions', shortLabel: 'Sessions',
+          badge: stats?.active_count || undefined,
+          matchPaths: ['/sessions'],
+        },
+        {
+          href: '/escalations', icon: AlertTriangle, label: 'Escalations', shortLabel: 'Escal',
+          badge: stats?.escalation_count || undefined,
+          matchPaths: ['/escalations'],
+        },
+      ]
 
-  const libraryItems: NavEntry[] = [
-    {
-      href: '/trees', icon: GitBranch, label: 'Flows', shortLabel: 'Flows',
-      badge: stats?.tree_counts.total || undefined,
-      matchPaths: ['/trees', '/flows', '/my-trees', '/step-library', '/network-diagrams'],
-      children: [
-        { href: '/trees?type=procedural', label: 'Projects', count: stats?.tree_counts.procedural || undefined },
-        { href: '/step-library', label: 'Solutions Library' },
-        { href: '/network-diagrams', label: 'Network Maps' },
-      ],
-    },
-    {
-      href: '/scripts', icon: FileText, label: 'Scripts', shortLabel: 'Scripts',
-      badge: pendingDraftCount || undefined,
-      matchPaths: ['/scripts', '/script-builder'],
-      children: [
-        { href: '/script-builder', label: 'Script Builder' },
-      ],
-    },
-    {
-      href: '/review-queue', icon: ListChecks, label: 'Review Queue', shortLabel: 'Review',
-      matchPaths: ['/review-queue'],
-    },
-    {
-      href: '/analytics', icon: BarChart3, label: 'Analytics', shortLabel: 'Stats',
-      matchPaths: ['/analytics', '/shares'],
-      children: [
-        { href: '/shares', label: 'Exports' },
-      ],
-    },
-  ]
+  const libraryItems: NavEntry[] = isL1Tech
+    ? []
+    : [
+        {
+          href: '/trees', icon: GitBranch, label: 'Flows', shortLabel: 'Flows',
+          badge: stats?.tree_counts.total || undefined,
+          matchPaths: ['/trees', '/flows', '/my-trees', '/step-library', '/network-diagrams'],
+          children: [
+            { href: '/trees?type=procedural', label: 'Projects', count: stats?.tree_counts.procedural || undefined },
+            { href: '/step-library', label: 'Solutions Library' },
+            { href: '/network-diagrams', label: 'Network Maps' },
+          ],
+        },
+        {
+          href: '/scripts', icon: FileText, label: 'Scripts', shortLabel: 'Scripts',
+          badge: pendingDraftCount || undefined,
+          matchPaths: ['/scripts', '/script-builder'],
+          children: [
+            { href: '/script-builder', label: 'Script Builder' },
+          ],
+        },
+        {
+          href: '/review-queue', icon: ListChecks, label: 'Review Queue', shortLabel: 'Review',
+          matchPaths: ['/review-queue'],
+        },
+        {
+          href: '/analytics', icon: BarChart3, label: 'Analytics', shortLabel: 'Stats',
+          matchPaths: ['/analytics', '/shares'],
+          children: [
+            { href: '/shares', label: 'Exports' },
+          ],
+        },
+        // Engineers/owners with L1 coverage access also get the L1 Workspace entry
+        ...(canCoverL1 ? [{
+          href: '/l1', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'L1 Workspace', shortLabel: 'L1',
+          matchPaths: ['/l1'],
+        }] : []),
+      ]
 
   const footerItems: NavEntry[] = [
     { href: '/guides', icon: BookOpen, label: 'Guides', shortLabel: 'Guides', matchPaths: ['/guides'] },