diff --git a/backend/WorkClub.Api/Auth/ClubRoleClaimsTransformation.cs b/backend/WorkClub.Api/Auth/ClubRoleClaimsTransformation.cs
index ca88bcd..84d2cce 100644
--- a/backend/WorkClub.Api/Auth/ClubRoleClaimsTransformation.cs
+++ b/backend/WorkClub.Api/Auth/ClubRoleClaimsTransformation.cs
@@ -54,13 +54,36 @@ public class ClubRoleClaimsTransformation : IClaimsTransformation
             return Task.FromResult(principal);
         }
 
-        // --- NEW: Skip DB role lookup if user is a global admin ---
-        var realmAccess = principal.FindFirst("realm_access")?.Value;
-        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(realmAccess) && realmAccess.Contains("\"admin\"", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+    // --- NEW: Skip DB role lookup if user is a global admin ---
+    var realmAccess = principal.FindFirst("realm_access")?.Value;
+    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(realmAccess) && IsAdminUser(realmAccess))
+    {
+      return Task.FromResult(principal);
+    }
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+    static bool IsAdminUser(string realmAccess)
+    {
+      try
+      {
+        using var doc = System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(realmAccess);
+        if (doc.RootElement.TryGetProperty("roles", out var rolesElement) &&
+            rolesElement.ValueKind == System.Text.Json.JsonValueKind.Array)
         {
-            return Task.FromResult(principal);
+          foreach (var role in rolesElement.EnumerateArray())
+          {
+            if (role.GetString()?.Equals("admin", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) == true)
+              return true;
+          }
         }
-        // ---------------------------------------------------------
+      }
+      catch
+      {
+        // If JSON parsing fails, fallback to string contains check
+        return realmAccess.Contains("admin", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+      }
+      return false;
+    }
 
         // Look up the user's role in the database for the requested tenant
         _httpContextAccessor.HttpContext!.Items["TenantId"] = tenantId;
diff --git a/backend/WorkClub.Api/Middleware/TenantValidationMiddleware.cs b/backend/WorkClub.Api/Middleware/TenantValidationMiddleware.cs
index 0371586..0740b22 100644
--- a/backend/WorkClub.Api/Middleware/TenantValidationMiddleware.cs
+++ b/backend/WorkClub.Api/Middleware/TenantValidationMiddleware.cs
@@ -44,13 +44,36 @@ public class TenantValidationMiddleware
 
         if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(clubsClaim))
         {
-            // NEW: Skip check if user is a global admin
-            var realmAccess = context.User.FindFirst("realm_access")?.Value;
-            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(realmAccess) && realmAccess.Contains("\"admin\"", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
-            {
-                await _next(context);
-                return;
-            }
+        // NEW: Skip check if user is a global admin
+        var realmAccess = context.User.FindFirst("realm_access")?.Value;
+        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(realmAccess) && IsAdminUser(realmAccess))
+        {
+          await _next(context);
+          return;
+        }
+
+    static bool IsAdminUser(string realmAccess)
+    {
+      try
+      {
+        using var doc = System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(realmAccess);
+        if (doc.RootElement.TryGetProperty("roles", out var rolesElement) &&
+            rolesElement.ValueKind == System.Text.Json.JsonValueKind.Array)
+        {
+          foreach (var role in rolesElement.EnumerateArray())
+          {
+            if (role.GetString()?.Equals("admin", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) == true)
+              return true;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      catch
+      {
+        // If JSON parsing fails, fallback to string contains check
+        return realmAccess.Contains("admin", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+      }
+      return false;
+    }
 
             context.Response.StatusCode = StatusCodes.Status403Forbidden;
             await context.Response.WriteAsJsonAsync(new { error = "User does not have clubs claim" });
diff --git a/backend/WorkClub.Api/Program.cs b/backend/WorkClub.Api/Program.cs
index 9e85016..4a686e9 100644
--- a/backend/WorkClub.Api/Program.cs
+++ b/backend/WorkClub.Api/Program.cs
@@ -53,7 +53,29 @@ builder.Services.AddAuthorizationBuilder()
     .AddPolicy("RequireGlobalAdmin", policy => policy.RequireAssertion(context =>
     {
         var realmAccess = context.User.FindFirst("realm_access")?.Value;
-        return realmAccess != null && realmAccess.Contains("\"admin\"");
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(realmAccess))
+            return false;
+
+        try
+        {
+            using var doc = System.Text.Json.JsonDocument.Parse(realmAccess);
+            if (doc.RootElement.TryGetProperty("roles", out var rolesElement) &&
+                rolesElement.ValueKind == System.Text.Json.JsonValueKind.Array)
+            {
+                foreach (var role in rolesElement.EnumerateArray())
+                {
+                    if (role.GetString() == "admin")
+                        return true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        catch
+        {
+            // If JSON parsing fails, fallback to string contains check
+            return realmAccess.Contains("admin", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+        }
+
+        return false;
     }))
     .AddPolicy("RequireManager", policy => policy.RequireRole("Manager"))
     .AddPolicy("RequireMember", policy => policy.RequireRole("Manager", "Member"))