diff --git a/backend/LexBoxApi/Controllers/IntegrationController.cs b/backend/LexBoxApi/Controllers/IntegrationController.cs
index 84819a63e..64de785a6 100644
--- a/backend/LexBoxApi/Controllers/IntegrationController.cs
+++ b/backend/LexBoxApi/Controllers/IntegrationController.cs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class IntegrationController(
     [ProducesResponseType(StatusCodes.Status302Found)]
     public async Task<ActionResult> OpenWithFlex(Guid projectId)
     {
-        if (!await permissionService.CanSyncProjectAsync(projectId)) return Unauthorized();
+        if (!await permissionService.CanSyncProject(projectId)) return Unauthorized();
         var project = await lexBoxDbContext.Projects.FirstOrDefaultAsync(p => p.Id == projectId);
         if (project is null) return NotFound();
         var repoId = await hgService.GetRepositoryIdentifier(project);
diff --git a/backend/LexBoxApi/GraphQL/LexQueries.cs b/backend/LexBoxApi/GraphQL/LexQueries.cs
index 3a3f0b10d..5376f314d 100644
--- a/backend/LexBoxApi/GraphQL/LexQueries.cs
+++ b/backend/LexBoxApi/GraphQL/LexQueries.cs
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ public IQueryable<User> UsersInMyOrg(LexBoxDbContext context, LoggedInContext lo
             }
         });
         // Members and non-members alike can see all public projects plus their own
-        org.Projects = org.Projects?.Where(p => p.IsConfidential == false || permissionService.CanSyncProject(p.Id))?.ToList() ?? [];
+        org.Projects = org.Projects?.Where(p => p.IsConfidential == false || permissionService.IsProjectMember(p.Id, updatedUser))?.ToList() ?? [];
         if (!permissionService.IsOrgMember(orgId, updatedUser))
         {
             // Non-members also cannot see membership, only org admins
diff --git a/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/PermissionService.cs b/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/PermissionService.cs
index 64e9bf3e2..983461be7 100644
--- a/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/PermissionService.cs
+++ b/backend/LexBoxApi/Services/PermissionService.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ private async ValueTask<bool> ManagesOrgThatOwnsProject(Guid projectId, LexAuthU
             // Org admins can view, edit, and sync all projects, even confidential ones
             var managedOrgIds = user.Orgs.Where(o => o.Role == OrgRole.Admin).Select(o => o.OrgId).ToHashSet();
             var projectOrgIds = await projectService.LookupProjectOrgIds(projectId);
-            if (projectOrgIds.Any(oId => managedOrgIds.Contains(oId))) return true;
+            if (projectOrgIds.Any(managedOrgIds.Contains)) return true;
         }
         return false;
     }
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ private async ValueTask<bool> IsMemberOfOrgThatOwnsProject(Guid projectId)
         {
             var memberOfOrgIds = User.Orgs.Select(o => o.OrgId).ToHashSet();
             var projectOrgIds = await projectService.LookupProjectOrgIds(projectId);
-            if (projectOrgIds.Any(oId => memberOfOrgIds.Contains(oId))) return true;
+            if (projectOrgIds.Any(memberOfOrgIds.Contains)) return true;
         }
         return false;
     }
@@ -40,20 +40,21 @@ public async ValueTask<bool> CanSyncProject(string projectCode)
     {
         if (User is null) return false;
         if (User.Role == UserRole.admin) return true;
-        return await CanSyncProjectAsync(await projectService.LookupProjectId(projectCode));
+        return await CanSyncProject(await projectService.LookupProjectId(projectCode));
     }
 
-    public bool CanSyncProject(Guid projectId)
+    public bool IsProjectMember(Guid projectId, LexAuthUser? overrideUser = null)
     {
-        if (User is null) return false;
-        if (User.Role == UserRole.admin) return true;
-        if (User.Projects is null) return false;
-        return User.IsProjectMember(projectId);
+        var user = overrideUser ?? User;
+        if (user is null) return false;
+        return user.IsProjectMember(projectId);
     }
 
-    public async ValueTask<bool> CanSyncProjectAsync(Guid projectId)
+    public async ValueTask<bool> CanSyncProject(Guid projectId)
     {
-        if (CanSyncProject(projectId)) return true;
+        if (User is null) return false;
+        if (User.Role == UserRole.admin) return true;
+        if (User.IsProjectMember(projectId)) return true;
         // Org managers can sync any project owned by their org(s)
         return await ManagesOrgThatOwnsProject(projectId);
     }
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ public async ValueTask AssertCanSyncProject(string projectCode)
 
     public async ValueTask AssertCanSyncProject(Guid projectId)
     {
-        if (!await CanSyncProjectAsync(projectId)) throw new UnauthorizedAccessException();
+        if (!await CanSyncProject(projectId)) throw new UnauthorizedAccessException();
     }
 
     public async ValueTask<bool> CanViewProject(Guid projectId, LexAuthUser? overrideUser = null)
diff --git a/backend/LexCore/Auth/LexAuthUser.cs b/backend/LexCore/Auth/LexAuthUser.cs
index 85b94925f..3e5cc040c 100644
--- a/backend/LexCore/Auth/LexAuthUser.cs
+++ b/backend/LexCore/Auth/LexAuthUser.cs
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ public ClaimsPrincipal GetPrincipal(string authenticationType)
 
     public bool IsProjectMember(Guid projectId, ProjectRole? role = null)
     {
+        if (Projects is null) return false;
+
         if (role is not null)
         {
             return Projects.Any(p => p.ProjectId == projectId && p.Role == role);
diff --git a/backend/LexCore/ServiceInterfaces/IPermissionService.cs b/backend/LexCore/ServiceInterfaces/IPermissionService.cs
index aea787a1f..f575a4af3 100644
--- a/backend/LexCore/ServiceInterfaces/IPermissionService.cs
+++ b/backend/LexCore/ServiceInterfaces/IPermissionService.cs
@@ -6,15 +6,8 @@ namespace LexCore.ServiceInterfaces;
 public interface IPermissionService
 {
     ValueTask<bool> CanSyncProject(string projectCode);
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Does NOT check permissions for org managers, because that requires async DB access.
-    /// Use CanSyncProject(projectCode) or CanSyncProjectAsync(projectId) if org manager permissions also need to be checked.
-    /// </summary>
-    bool CanSyncProject(Guid projectId);
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Does all the checks from CanSyncProject, plus allows org managers to access the org as well.
-    /// </summary>
-    ValueTask<bool> CanSyncProjectAsync(Guid projectId);
+    bool IsProjectMember(Guid projectId, LexAuthUser? overrideUser = null);
+    ValueTask<bool> CanSyncProject(Guid projectId);
     ValueTask AssertCanSyncProject(string projectCode);
     ValueTask AssertCanSyncProject(Guid projectId);
     ValueTask<bool> CanViewProject(Guid projectId, LexAuthUser? overrideUser = null);