diff --git a/backend/database.go b/backend/database.go
index 62b3d94..2ba760c 100644
--- a/backend/database.go
+++ b/backend/database.go
@@ -85,6 +85,15 @@ func (d *Database) setSyncState(ctx context.Context, userID, key, value string)
 	return err
 }
 
+func (d *Database) hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx context.Context, excludeUserID string) (bool, error) {
+	var exists bool
+	err := d.db.QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM syncState WHERE key = 'hasLibraryAccess' AND value = 'true' AND userID != ?)`,
+		excludeUserID,
+	).Scan(&exists)
+	return exists, err
+}
+
 func (d *Database) deleteSyncState(ctx context.Context, userID, key string) {
 	if _, err := d.db.ExecContext(ctx, "DELETE FROM syncState WHERE userID = ? AND key = ?", userID, key); err != nil {
 		log.Printf("[DB] Failed to delete sync state %s for user %s: %v", key, userID, err)
diff --git a/backend/database_test.go b/backend/database_test.go
index 91576b9..03b2bac 100644
--- a/backend/database_test.go
+++ b/backend/database_test.go
@@ -1067,3 +1067,53 @@ func TestDeleteUserSyncData(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected other user syncState preserved, got %v", otherSync)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	db := newTestDB(t)
+	otherUserID := "other-user-id"
+	if err := db.createUser(ctx, otherUserID, "other@example.com", "hashed"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create other user: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	has, err := db.hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx, testUserID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("empty state: %v", err)
+	}
+	if has {
+		t.Errorf("empty state: expected false, got true")
+	}
+
+	if err := db.setSyncState(ctx, testUserID, "hasLibraryAccess", "true"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set excluded user: %v", err)
+	}
+	has, err = db.hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx, testUserID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("only excluded set: %v", err)
+	}
+	if has {
+		t.Errorf("only excluded user has access: expected false, got true")
+	}
+
+	if err := db.setSyncState(ctx, otherUserID, "hasLibraryAccess", "false"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set other false: %v", err)
+	}
+	has, err = db.hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx, testUserID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("other false: %v", err)
+	}
+	if has {
+		t.Errorf("other user has value=false: expected false, got true")
+	}
+
+	if err := db.setSyncState(ctx, otherUserID, "hasLibraryAccess", "true"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set other true: %v", err)
+	}
+	has, err = db.hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx, testUserID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("other true: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !has {
+		t.Errorf("other user has value=true: expected true, got false")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/interfaces.go b/backend/interfaces.go
index fe5dce0..dcc33c7 100644
--- a/backend/interfaces.go
+++ b/backend/interfaces.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ type SyncStore interface {
 	getSyncState(ctx context.Context, userID, key string) (*string, error)
 	setSyncState(ctx context.Context, userID, key, value string) error
 	deleteSyncState(ctx context.Context, userID, key string)
+	hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx context.Context, excludeUserID string) (bool, error)
 	upsertAssets(ctx context.Context, userID string, assets []AssetRow) error
 	batchUpdateStackInfo(ctx context.Context, userID string, updates []stackUpdateRow) (int, error)
 	computeFrequentLocationClusters(ctx context.Context, userID string) ([]FrequentLocationRow, error)
diff --git a/backend/syncService.go b/backend/syncService.go
index 22269b8..4c2d516 100644
--- a/backend/syncService.go
+++ b/backend/syncService.go
@@ -533,6 +533,21 @@ func (s *SyncService) fetchAndReplaceAlbumAssets(ctx context.Context, userID str
 }
 
 func (s *SyncService) syncLibraries(ctx context.Context, userID string, immich SyncImmichAPI) error {
+	hasAccess, err := s.db.getSyncState(ctx, userID, "hasLibraryAccess")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check library access: %w", err)
+	}
+	if hasAccess != nil && *hasAccess == "false" {
+		otherHasAccess, err := s.db.hasAnyOtherUserWithLibraryAccess(ctx, userID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to check other users library access: %w", err)
+		}
+		if otherHasAccess {
+			return nil
+		}
+		// no early return: retry the API in case access was granted since the last 403.
+	}
+
 	log.Printf("[Sync] Syncing libraries for user %s...", userID)
 
 	apiCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 30*time.Second)
diff --git a/backend/syncService_test.go b/backend/syncService_test.go
index c4f296d..81f787d 100644
--- a/backend/syncService_test.go
+++ b/backend/syncService_test.go
@@ -957,6 +957,70 @@ func TestSyncLibrariesDeletesStale(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSyncLibrariesSkipsWhenOtherUserHasAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	factory, immich := newMockImmichFactoryNoRetry(t, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path == "/api/libraries" {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected call to /api/libraries: should have been skipped")
+		}
+		http.NotFound(w, r)
+	})
+
+	db := newTestDB(t)
+	if err := db.setSyncState(ctx, testUserID, "hasLibraryAccess", "false"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set hasLibraryAccess for testUserID: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := db.setSyncState(ctx, "otherUser", "hasLibraryAccess", "true"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set hasLibraryAccess for otherUser: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	svc := newSyncService(db, factory, newNominatimClient(10*time.Second))
+	if err := svc.syncLibraries(ctx, testUserID, immich); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("syncLibraries: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSyncLibrariesRetriesWhenNoOneHasAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	factory, immich := newMockImmichFactory(t, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path == "/api/libraries" {
+			json.NewEncoder(w).Encode([]ImmichLibraryResponse{
+				{ID: "lib1", Name: "Photos", AssetCount: 100},
+			})
+			return
+		}
+		http.NotFound(w, r)
+	})
+
+	db := newTestDB(t)
+	if err := db.setSyncState(ctx, testUserID, "hasLibraryAccess", "false"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set hasLibraryAccess: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	svc := newSyncService(db, factory, newNominatimClient(10*time.Second))
+	if err := svc.syncLibraries(ctx, testUserID, immich); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("syncLibraries: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	libs, err := db.getLibraries(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("getLibraries: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(libs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 library, got %d", len(libs))
+	}
+
+	hasAccess, err := db.getSyncState(ctx, testUserID, "hasLibraryAccess")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("get hasLibraryAccess: %v", err)
+	}
+	if hasAccess == nil || *hasAccess != "true" {
+		t.Errorf("expected hasLibraryAccess=true after successful retry, got %v", hasAccess)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSyncAlbumsSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()