diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/ApiV1Controller.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/ApiV1Controller.php
index 18e726470..1c66190e7 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/ApiV1Controller.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/ApiV1Controller.php
@@ -4747,7 +4747,7 @@ class ApiV1Controller extends Controller
 
     public function accountRemoveFollowById(Request $request, $id)
     {
-        abort_if(! $request->user(), 403);
+        abort_if(! $request->user() || ! $request->user()->token(), 403);
         abort_unless($request->user()->tokenCan('follow'), 403);
 
         $pid = $request->user()->profile_id;
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Api/RemoveFollowerScopeTest.php b/tests/Feature/Api/RemoveFollowerScopeTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bab0e8c03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/Api/RemoveFollowerScopeTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Tests\Feature\Api;
+
+use App\Follower;
+use App\Profile;
+use App\User;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
+use Laravel\Passport\Passport;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+
+class RemoveFollowerScopeTest extends TestCase
+{
+    use RefreshDatabase;
+
+    private function createUserWithProfile(): User
+    {
+        $user = User::factory()->create();
+        $profile = Profile::create([
+            'user_id' => $user->id,
+            'username' => $user->username,
+            'name' => $user->name,
+        ]);
+        $user->profile_id = $profile->id;
+        $user->save();
+
+        return $user;
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function remove_follower_requires_follow_scope()
+    {
+        $alice = $this->createUserWithProfile();
+        $bob = $this->createUserWithProfile();
+
+        Follower::withoutEvents(function () use ($alice, $bob) {
+            Follower::create([
+                'profile_id' => $bob->profile_id,
+                'following_id' => $alice->profile_id,
+            ]);
+        });
+
+        // Alice tries to remove Bob with a read-only token — should be denied
+        Passport::actingAs($alice, ['read']);
+
+        $response = $this->postJson("/api/v1/accounts/{$bob->profile_id}/remove_from_followers");
+
+        $response->assertStatus(403);
+
+        // Verify follower was NOT removed
+        $this->assertDatabaseHas('followers', [
+            'profile_id' => $bob->profile_id,
+            'following_id' => $alice->profile_id,
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function remove_follower_denied_with_write_scope_only()
+    {
+        $alice = $this->createUserWithProfile();
+        $bob = $this->createUserWithProfile();
+
+        Follower::withoutEvents(function () use ($alice, $bob) {
+            Follower::create([
+                'profile_id' => $bob->profile_id,
+                'following_id' => $alice->profile_id,
+            ]);
+        });
+
+        // Alice tries to remove Bob with a write token (no follow scope) — should be denied
+        Passport::actingAs($alice, ['write']);
+
+        $response = $this->postJson("/api/v1/accounts/{$bob->profile_id}/remove_from_followers");
+
+        $response->assertStatus(403);
+
+        $this->assertDatabaseHas('followers', [
+            'profile_id' => $bob->profile_id,
+            'following_id' => $alice->profile_id,
+        ]);
+    }
+}