diff --git a/charts/substrate/README.md b/charts/substrate/README.md
index 35d7bc96c8..28fd40ccbc 100644
--- a/charts/substrate/README.md
+++ b/charts/substrate/README.md
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ See `values.yaml` for the full set; the important keys:
 | `atelet.nodeSelector` | `{}` | Node labels atelet pods must match; must cover the nodes of every WorkerPool |
 | `atelet.imageCredentialProviderBinDir` | `""` | Host path to the kubelet credential provider binaries; both paths are mounted read-only |
 | `credentialProvider.enabled` | `true` | Deploy the Kubernetes Secret provider and route `k8s.io` credential URIs to it. With no provider, every credential injection fails closed |
+| `credentialProvider.rbac.namespaces` | `[]` | Namespaces the provider reads Secrets in. Empty, its Secret reader ClusterRole (`k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader`, prefixed with the release name unless the release is `substrate`) is bound cluster-wide; set, it is bound by RoleBinding in each listed namespace only, and a namespace added later needs its own RoleBinding to it |
 | `credentialProvider.namespacePolicies` | `[]` | Default-deny atespace-to-namespace grants; the chart includes get-only Secret RBAC for the provider |
 | `ateApi.actorJWTIssuer` | `https://<idp-service>.<namespace>.svc` | Issuer placed in actor JWTs; set a stable URL reachable by relying parties |
 | `objectStorePlugin.extraEnv` | `[]` | Object storage credentials/settings shared by both object-store plugins |
diff --git a/charts/substrate/templates/k8s-credential-provider.yaml b/charts/substrate/templates/k8s-credential-provider.yaml
index b2cd5290bb..89e28d230e 100644
--- a/charts/substrate/templates/k8s-credential-provider.yaml
+++ b/charts/substrate/templates/k8s-credential-provider.yaml
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ rules:
 - apiGroups: [""]
   resources: ["secrets"]
   verbs: ["get"]
+{{- /* Without credentialProvider.rbac.namespaces the reader is bound
+cluster-wide. With it, the reader is bound by RoleBinding in each listed
+namespace only. */}}
+{{- $readerNamespaces := dig "rbac" "namespaces" list .Values.credentialProvider | uniq }}
+{{- if not $readerNamespaces }}
 ---
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 kind: ClusterRoleBinding
@@ -47,6 +52,24 @@ subjects:
 - kind: ServiceAccount
   name: {{ include "substrate.fullname" (list "k8s-credential-provider" .) }}
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
+{{- else }}
+{{- range $ns := $readerNamespaces }}
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: RoleBinding
+metadata:
+  name: {{ include "substrate.fullname" (list "k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader" $) }}
+  namespace: {{ $ns }}
+roleRef:
+  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+  kind: ClusterRole
+  name: {{ include "substrate.fullname" (list "k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader" $) }}
+subjects:
+- kind: ServiceAccount
+  name: {{ include "substrate.fullname" (list "k8s-credential-provider" $) }}
+  namespace: {{ $.Release.Namespace }}
+{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
 ---
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
diff --git a/charts/substrate/tests/k8s_credential_provider_secret_reader_test.yaml b/charts/substrate/tests/k8s_credential_provider_secret_reader_test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..57c64e8e11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/charts/substrate/tests/k8s_credential_provider_secret_reader_test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+suite: k8s credential provider Secret reader binding
+templates:
+- k8s-credential-provider.yaml
+release:
+  name: substrate
+  namespace: ate-system
+tests:
+- it: binds the reader cluster-wide by default
+  asserts:
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: ClusterRoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+      name: k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader
+      any: true
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: RoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+    not: true
+
+- it: binds the reader only in the listed namespaces
+  set:
+    credentialProvider.rbac.namespaces: [kagent, agents-acme-x1]
+  asserts:
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: ClusterRoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+    not: true
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: ClusterRole
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+      name: k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader
+      any: true
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: RoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+      name: k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader
+      namespace: kagent
+      any: true
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: RoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+      name: k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader
+      namespace: agents-acme-x1
+      any: true
+
+- it: the RoleBindings name the reader and the provider's ServiceAccount
+  set:
+    credentialProvider.rbac.namespaces: [kagent]
+  documentSelector:
+    path: kind
+    value: RoleBinding
+  asserts:
+  - equal:
+      path: roleRef
+      value: {apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io, kind: ClusterRole, name: k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader}
+  - equal:
+      path: subjects
+      value: [{kind: ServiceAccount, name: k8s-credential-provider, namespace: ate-system}]
+
+- it: binds the reader cluster-wide with an empty list
+  set:
+    credentialProvider.rbac.namespaces: []
+  asserts:
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: ClusterRoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+      name: k8s-credential-provider-secret-reader
+      any: true
+  - containsDocument:
+      kind: RoleBinding
+      apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+    not: true
diff --git a/charts/substrate/values.yaml b/charts/substrate/values.yaml
index 5d0f7a4dce..4e488eeddf 100644
--- a/charts/substrate/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/substrate/values.yaml
@@ -191,6 +191,12 @@ atenetEgress:
 credentialProvider:
   # Deploy the Kubernetes Secret provider and route k8s.io credential URIs to it.
   enabled: true
+  rbac:
+    # Namespaces the provider reads Secrets in. Empty (the default), its
+    # Secret reader ClusterRole is bound cluster-wide. Set, the ClusterRole is
+    # bound by RoleBinding in each listed namespace only; a namespace added
+    # later needs its own RoleBinding to it.
+    namespaces: []
   namespacePolicies: []
   # - atespace: team-a
   #   allowedNamespaces: [team-a-secrets]