diff --git a/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py b/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py
index 3fd0e72e..3c1e0c0e 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/api/viewsets.py
@@ -309,12 +309,20 @@ class RoomViewSet(
         """Persist the room update, then sync metadata to LiveKit."""
 
         old_configuration = serializer.instance.configuration
+        old_access_level = serializer.instance.access_level
+
         room = serializer.save()
 
-        if room.configuration == old_configuration:
+        if (
+            room.configuration == old_configuration
+            and room.access_level == old_access_level
+        ):
             return
 
-        metadata = {"configuration": room.configuration}
+        metadata = {
+            "configuration": room.configuration,
+            "access_level": room.access_level,
+        }
 
         try:
             RoomManagement().update_metadata(
diff --git a/src/backend/core/tests/rooms/test_api_rooms_update.py b/src/backend/core/tests/rooms/test_api_rooms_update.py
index 91cf934e..7d19ff80 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/tests/rooms/test_api_rooms_update.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/tests/rooms/test_api_rooms_update.py
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ def test_api_rooms_update_administrators(mock_update_metadata):
     mock_update_metadata.assert_called_once_with(
         room_name=str(room.id),
         metadata={
+            "access_level": "public",
             "configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera", "microphone"]},
         },
     )
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ def test_api_rooms_update_administrators_configuration_only(mock_update_metadata
     mock_update_metadata.assert_called_once_with(
         room_name=str(room.id),
         metadata={
+            "access_level": "restricted",
             "configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera", "microphone"]},
         },
     )
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ def test_api_rooms_update_administrators_configuration_only(mock_update_metadata
 
 @patch.object(RoomManagement, "update_metadata")
 def test_api_rooms_update_administrators_access_level_only(mock_update_metadata):
-    """Should not sync LiveKit metadata when only access level changes."""
+    """Should sync LiveKit metadata when only access level changes."""
     user = UserFactory()
     room = RoomFactory(
         access_level=RoomAccessLevel.RESTRICTED,
@@ -185,7 +187,13 @@ def test_api_rooms_update_administrators_access_level_only(mock_update_metadata)
     assert room.access_level == RoomAccessLevel.PUBLIC
     assert room.configuration == {"can_publish_sources": ["camera"]}
 
-    mock_update_metadata.assert_not_called()
+    mock_update_metadata.assert_called_once_with(
+        room_name=str(room.id),
+        metadata={
+            "access_level": "public",
+            "configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera"]},
+        },
+    )
 
 
 @patch.object(RoomManagement, "update_metadata")
@@ -395,7 +403,10 @@ def test_api_rooms_update_livekit_room_not_found(mock_update_metadata):
 
     mock_update_metadata.assert_called_once_with(
         room_name=str(room.id),
-        metadata={"configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera"]}},
+        metadata={
+            "access_level": room.access_level,
+            "configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera"]},
+        },
     )
 
 
@@ -421,5 +432,8 @@ def test_api_rooms_update_livekit_sync_failure(mock_update_metadata):
 
     mock_update_metadata.assert_called_once_with(
         room_name=str(room.id),
-        metadata={"configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera"]}},
+        metadata={
+            "access_level": room.access_level,
+            "configuration": {"can_publish_sources": ["camera"]},
+        },
     )
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useSyncLiveKitMetadata.ts b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useSyncLiveKitMetadata.ts
index 154af313..98856e4c 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useSyncLiveKitMetadata.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useSyncLiveKitMetadata.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@ import { useEffect } from 'react'
 import { RoomEvent } from 'livekit-client'
 import { queryClient } from '@/api/queryClient'
 import { keys } from '@/api/queryKeys'
-import type { ApiRoom, RoomConfiguration } from '@/features/rooms/api/ApiRoom'
+import {
+  ApiAccessLevel,
+  ApiRoom,
+  RoomConfiguration,
+} from '@/features/rooms/api/ApiRoom'
 import { useRoomContext } from '@livekit/components-react'
 import { useRoomData } from './useRoomData'
 
@@ -14,6 +18,7 @@ import { useRoomData } from './useRoomData'
  */
 type RoomLiveKitMetadata = {
   configuration?: RoomConfiguration
+  access_level?: ApiAccessLevel
 }
 
 const parseMetadata = (raw: string | undefined): RoomLiveKitMetadata | null => {
@@ -46,19 +51,24 @@ export const useSyncLiveKitMetadata = () => {
 
     const applyMetadata = (raw: string | undefined) => {
       const parsed = parseMetadata(raw)
-      // No configuration key → leave the cache alone. Don't clobber the
-      // value we already loaded from the API with `undefined`.
-      if (!parsed?.configuration) return
+      if (!parsed) return
 
       queryClient.setQueryData<ApiRoom>([keys.room, roomSlug], (prev) => {
         if (!prev) return prev
+        const nextConfiguration = parsed.configuration ?? prev.configuration
+        const nextAccessLevel = parsed.access_level ?? prev.access_level
         if (
-          JSON.stringify(prev.configuration) ===
-          JSON.stringify(parsed.configuration)
+          nextConfiguration === prev.configuration &&
+          nextAccessLevel === prev.access_level
         ) {
           return prev
         }
-        return { ...prev, configuration: parsed.configuration }
+
+        return {
+          ...prev,
+          configuration: nextConfiguration,
+          access_level: nextAccessLevel,
+        }
       })
     }