diff --git a/gateway/app/middleware/auth.py b/gateway/app/middleware/auth.py
index f315c734..a27ae0c3 100644
--- a/gateway/app/middleware/auth.py
+++ b/gateway/app/middleware/auth.py
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ class AuthMiddleware(BaseHTTPMiddleware):
             "user_id": payload["user_id"],
             "email": payload["email"],
             "exp": payload["exp"],
-            "valid": True
+            "valid": True, 
+            "role": payload.get("role", "user"),
         }
     
         if payload.get("service"):
diff --git a/services/auth/app/api/users.py b/services/auth/app/api/users.py
index ba1d795a..da4f5d48 100644
--- a/services/auth/app/api/users.py
+++ b/services/auth/app/api/users.py
@@ -28,13 +28,16 @@ from shared.auth.decorators import (
 logger = structlog.get_logger()
 router = APIRouter(tags=["users"])
 
+
 @router.get("/me", response_model=UserResponse)
 async def get_current_user_info(
     current_user: Dict[str, Any] = Depends(get_current_user_dep),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db)
 ):
-    """Get current user information"""
+    """Get current user information - FIXED VERSION"""
     try:
+        logger.debug(f"Getting user info for: {current_user}")
+        
         # Handle both User object (direct auth) and dict (from gateway headers)
         if isinstance(current_user, dict):
             # Coming from gateway headers - need to fetch user from DB
@@ -45,19 +48,12 @@ async def get_current_user_info(
                     detail="Invalid user context"
                 )
             
-            # Fetch full user from database
-            from sqlalchemy import select
-            from app.models.users import User
+            # ✅ FIX: Fetch full user from database to get the real role
+            user = await UserService.get_user_by_id(user_id, db)
             
-            result = await db.execute(select(User).where(User.id == user_id))
-            user = result.scalar_one_or_none()
-            
-            if not user:
-                raise HTTPException(
-                    status_code=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND,
-                    detail="User not found"
-                )
+            logger.debug(f"Fetched user from DB - Role: {user.role}, Email: {user.email}")
             
+            # ✅ FIX: Return role from database, not from JWT headers
             return UserResponse(
                 id=str(user.id),
                 email=user.email,
@@ -65,13 +61,16 @@ async def get_current_user_info(
                 is_active=user.is_active,
                 is_verified=user.is_verified,
                 phone=user.phone,
-                language=user.language,
-                timezone=user.timezone,
+                language=user.language or "es",
+                timezone=user.timezone or "Europe/Madrid",
                 created_at=user.created_at,
-                last_login=user.last_login
+                last_login=user.last_login,
+                role=user.role,  # ✅ CRITICAL: Use role from database, not headers
+                tenant_id=current_user.get("tenant_id")
             )
         else:
-            # Direct User object (when called directly)
+            # Direct User object (shouldn't happen in microservice architecture)
+            logger.debug(f"Direct user object received - Role: {current_user.role}")
             return UserResponse(
                 id=str(current_user.id),
                 email=current_user.email,
@@ -79,13 +78,18 @@ async def get_current_user_info(
                 is_active=current_user.is_active,
                 is_verified=current_user.is_verified,
                 phone=current_user.phone,
-                language=current_user.language,
-                timezone=current_user.timezone,
+                language=current_user.language or "es",
+                timezone=current_user.timezone or "Europe/Madrid",
                 created_at=current_user.created_at,
-                last_login=current_user.last_login
+                last_login=current_user.last_login,
+                role=current_user.role,  # ✅ Use role from database
+                tenant_id=None
             )
+            
+    except HTTPException:
+        raise
     except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Get current user error: {e}")
+        logger.error(f"Get user info error: {e}")
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
             detail="Failed to get user information"
@@ -99,7 +103,8 @@ async def update_current_user(
 ):
     """Update current user information"""
     try:
-        updated_user = await UserService.update_user(current_user.id, user_update, db)
+        user_id = current_user.get("user_id") if isinstance(current_user, dict) else current_user.id
+        updated_user = await UserService.update_user(user_id, user_update, db)
         return UserResponse(
             id=str(updated_user.id),
             email=updated_user.email,
@@ -110,7 +115,9 @@ async def update_current_user(
             language=updated_user.language,
             timezone=updated_user.timezone,
             created_at=updated_user.created_at,
-            last_login=updated_user.last_login
+            last_login=updated_user.last_login,
+            role=updated_user.role,  # ✅ Include role
+            tenant_id=current_user.get("tenant_id") if isinstance(current_user, dict) else None
         )
     except HTTPException:
         raise
@@ -151,13 +158,6 @@ async def delete_admin_user(
             detail="Invalid user ID format"
         )
     
-    # Prevent self-deletion
-    if user_id == current_user.id:
-        raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
-            detail="Cannot delete your own account"
-        )
-    
     # Quick validation that user exists before starting background task
     deletion_service = AdminUserDeleteService(db)
     user_info = await deletion_service._validate_admin_user(user_id)
diff --git a/tests/debug_admin_role.sh b/tests/debug_admin_role.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..95050062
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/debug_admin_role.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,436 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# =================================================================
+# COMPREHENSIVE ADMIN ROLE DEBUG SCRIPT
+# =================================================================
+# This script will trace the entire flow of admin role assignment
+# from registration through JWT token creation to API calls
+
+# Configuration
+API_BASE="http://localhost:8000"
+AUTH_BASE="http://localhost:8001"
+TEST_EMAIL="debug.admin.test.$(date +%s)@bakery.com"
+TEST_PASSWORD="DebugPassword123!"
+TEST_NAME="Debug Admin User"
+
+# Colors for output
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+BLUE='\033[0;34m'
+PURPLE='\033[0;35m'
+CYAN='\033[0;36m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+echo -e "${CYAN}🔍 COMPREHENSIVE ADMIN ROLE DEBUG${NC}"
+echo -e "${CYAN}=================================${NC}"
+echo "Test Email: $TEST_EMAIL"
+echo "API Base: $API_BASE"
+echo "Auth Base: $AUTH_BASE"
+echo ""
+
+# Utility functions
+log_step() {
+    echo -e "${BLUE}📋 $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_success() {
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✅ $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_error() {
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_warning() {
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}⚠️  $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_debug() {
+    echo -e "${PURPLE}🐛 DEBUG: $1${NC}"
+}
+
+# Function to decode JWT token (requires jq and base64)
+decode_jwt() {
+    local token="$1"
+    local part="$2"  # header=0, payload=1, signature=2
+    
+    if [ -z "$token" ]; then
+        echo "No token provided"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    
+    # Split token by dots
+    IFS='.' read -ra PARTS <<< "$token"
+    
+    if [ ${#PARTS[@]} -ne 3 ]; then
+        echo "Invalid JWT format"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    
+    # Decode the specified part (default to payload)
+    local part_index=${part:-1}
+    local encoded_part="${PARTS[$part_index]}"
+    
+    # Add padding if needed
+    local padding=$(( 4 - ${#encoded_part} % 4 ))
+    if [ $padding -ne 4 ]; then
+        encoded_part="${encoded_part}$(printf '%*s' $padding | tr ' ' '=')"
+    fi
+    
+    # Decode and format as JSON
+    echo "$encoded_part" | base64 -d 2>/dev/null | jq '.' 2>/dev/null || echo "Failed to decode JWT part"
+}
+
+# Function to extract JSON field
+extract_json_field() {
+    local json="$1"
+    local field="$2"
+    echo "$json" | python3 -c "
+import json, sys
+try:
+    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
+    print(data.get('$field', ''))
+except:
+    print('')
+" 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 1: VERIFY SERVICES ARE RUNNING
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 1: Verifying services are running"
+
+# Check API Gateway
+if ! curl -s "$API_BASE/health" > /dev/null; then
+    log_error "API Gateway is not responding at $API_BASE"
+    echo "Please ensure services are running: docker-compose up -d"
+    exit 1
+fi
+log_success "API Gateway is responding"
+
+# Check Auth Service directly
+if ! curl -s "$AUTH_BASE/health" > /dev/null; then
+    log_error "Auth Service is not responding at $AUTH_BASE"
+    exit 1
+fi
+log_success "Auth Service is responding"
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 2: USER REGISTRATION WITH DETAILED DEBUGGING
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 2: User Registration with Admin Role"
+echo "Email: $TEST_EMAIL"
+echo "Role: admin (explicitly set)"
+echo ""
+
+log_debug "Sending registration request..."
+
+# Registration request with explicit role
+REGISTER_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\nHTTP_CODE:%{http_code}" -X POST "$API_BASE/api/v1/auth/register" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    -d "{
+        \"email\": \"$TEST_EMAIL\",
+        \"password\": \"$TEST_PASSWORD\",
+        \"full_name\": \"$TEST_NAME\",
+        \"role\": \"admin\"
+    }")
+
+# Extract HTTP code and response
+HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | grep "HTTP_CODE:" | cut -d: -f2)
+REGISTER_RESPONSE=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | sed '/HTTP_CODE:/d')
+
+echo "Registration HTTP Status: $HTTP_CODE"
+echo "Registration Response:"
+echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE"
+
+if [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "200" ] && [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "201" ]; then
+    log_error "Registration failed with HTTP $HTTP_CODE"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Extract user information from registration response
+USER_ID=$(extract_json_field "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" "user_id")
+if [ -z "$USER_ID" ]; then
+    # Try alternative field names
+    USER_ID=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | python3 -c "
+import json, sys
+try:
+    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
+    user = data.get('user', {})
+    print(user.get('id', data.get('id', '')))
+except:
+    print('')
+" 2>/dev/null)
+fi
+
+ACCESS_TOKEN=$(extract_json_field "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" "access_token")
+REFRESH_TOKEN=$(extract_json_field "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" "refresh_token")
+
+log_debug "Extracted from registration:"
+echo "  User ID: $USER_ID"
+echo "  Access Token: ${ACCESS_TOKEN:0:50}..." 
+echo "  Refresh Token: ${REFRESH_TOKEN:0:50}..."
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 3: DECODE AND ANALYZE JWT TOKEN
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 3: JWT Token Analysis"
+
+if [ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ]; then
+    log_debug "Decoding JWT Header:"
+    JWT_HEADER=$(decode_jwt "$ACCESS_TOKEN" 0)
+    echo "$JWT_HEADER"
+    
+    echo ""
+    log_debug "Decoding JWT Payload:"
+    JWT_PAYLOAD=$(decode_jwt "$ACCESS_TOKEN" 1)
+    echo "$JWT_PAYLOAD"
+    
+    # Extract role from JWT payload
+    JWT_ROLE=$(echo "$JWT_PAYLOAD" | jq -r '.role // "NOT_FOUND"' 2>/dev/null)
+    JWT_USER_ID=$(echo "$JWT_PAYLOAD" | jq -r '.user_id // "NOT_FOUND"' 2>/dev/null)
+    JWT_EMAIL=$(echo "$JWT_PAYLOAD" | jq -r '.email // "NOT_FOUND"' 2>/dev/null)
+    
+    echo ""
+    log_debug "JWT Payload Analysis:"
+    echo "  Role in JWT: $JWT_ROLE"
+    echo "  User ID in JWT: $JWT_USER_ID"
+    echo "  Email in JWT: $JWT_EMAIL"
+    
+    if [ "$JWT_ROLE" = "admin" ]; then
+        log_success "JWT contains admin role correctly"
+    else
+        log_error "JWT role is '$JWT_ROLE', expected 'admin'"
+    fi
+else
+    log_error "No access token received in registration response"
+    echo "Cannot analyze JWT"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 4: VERIFY USER PROFILE ENDPOINT
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 4: User Profile Verification"
+
+if [ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ]; then
+    log_debug "Calling /users/me endpoint..."
+    
+    USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\nHTTP_CODE:%{http_code}" -X GET "$API_BASE/api/v1/users/me" \
+        -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN")
+    
+    # Extract HTTP code and response
+    HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE" | grep "HTTP_CODE:" | cut -d: -f2)
+    USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE=$(echo "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE" | sed '/HTTP_CODE:/d')
+    
+    echo "User Profile HTTP Status: $HTTP_CODE"
+    echo "User Profile Response:"
+    echo "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE"
+    
+    if [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "200" ]; then
+        PROFILE_ROLE=$(extract_json_field "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE" "role")
+        PROFILE_EMAIL=$(extract_json_field "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE" "email")
+        PROFILE_USER_ID=$(extract_json_field "$USER_PROFILE_RESPONSE" "id")
+        
+        echo ""
+        log_debug "Profile endpoint analysis:"
+        echo "  Role from profile: $PROFILE_ROLE"
+        echo "  Email from profile: $PROFILE_EMAIL"
+        echo "  User ID from profile: $PROFILE_USER_ID"
+        
+        if [ "$PROFILE_ROLE" = "admin" ]; then
+            log_success "Profile endpoint shows admin role correctly"
+        else
+            log_error "Profile endpoint shows role '$PROFILE_ROLE', expected 'admin'"
+        fi
+    else
+        log_error "Failed to get user profile (HTTP $HTTP_CODE)"
+    fi
+else
+    log_error "No access token available for profile verification"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 5: DIRECT DATABASE VERIFICATION (if possible)
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 5: Database Verification"
+
+log_debug "Attempting to verify user role in database..."
+
+# Try to connect to the auth database directly
+DB_QUERY_RESULT=$(docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -t -c "SELECT id, email, role, created_at FROM users WHERE email='$TEST_EMAIL';" 2>/dev/null || echo "DB_ACCESS_FAILED")
+
+if [ "$DB_QUERY_RESULT" != "DB_ACCESS_FAILED" ]; then
+    echo "Database Query Result:"
+    echo "$DB_QUERY_RESULT"
+    
+    # Parse the database result
+    DB_ROLE=$(echo "$DB_QUERY_RESULT" | awk -F'|' '{print $3}' | tr -d ' ')
+    
+    log_debug "Role in database: '$DB_ROLE'"
+    
+    if [ "$DB_ROLE" = "admin" ]; then
+        log_success "Database shows admin role correctly"
+    else
+        log_error "Database shows role '$DB_ROLE', expected 'admin'"
+    fi
+else
+    log_warning "Cannot access database directly (this is normal in some setups)"
+    echo "You can manually check with:"
+    echo "  docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c \"SELECT id, email, role FROM users WHERE email='$TEST_EMAIL';\""
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 6: TEST ADMIN ENDPOINT ACCESS
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 6: Testing Admin Endpoint Access"
+
+if [ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ] && [ -n "$USER_ID" ]; then
+    log_debug "Attempting to call admin deletion preview endpoint..."
+    
+    ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\nHTTP_CODE:%{http_code}" -X GET "$API_BASE/api/v1/users/delete/$USER_ID/deletion-preview" \
+        -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN")
+    
+    # Extract HTTP code and response
+    HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE" | grep "HTTP_CODE:" | cut -d: -f2)
+    ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE=$(echo "$ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE" | sed '/HTTP_CODE:/d')
+    
+    echo "Admin Endpoint HTTP Status: $HTTP_CODE"
+    echo "Admin Endpoint Response:"
+    echo "$ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE"
+    
+    case "$HTTP_CODE" in
+        "200")
+            log_success "Admin endpoint access successful!"
+            ;;
+        "403")
+            log_error "Access denied - user does not have admin privileges"
+            echo "This confirms the role issue!"
+            ;;
+        "401")
+            log_error "Authentication failed - token may be invalid"
+            ;;
+        *)
+            log_warning "Unexpected response from admin endpoint (HTTP $HTTP_CODE)"
+            ;;
+    esac
+else
+    log_error "Cannot test admin endpoint - missing access token or user ID"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 7: AUTH SERVICE LOGS ANALYSIS
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 7: Auth Service Logs Analysis"
+
+log_debug "Checking recent auth service logs..."
+
+AUTH_LOGS=$(docker logs --tail 50 bakery-auth-service 2>/dev/null | grep -E "(register|role|admin|$TEST_EMAIL)" || echo "NO_LOGS_FOUND")
+
+if [ "$AUTH_LOGS" != "NO_LOGS_FOUND" ]; then
+    echo "Recent Auth Service Logs (filtered):"
+    echo "$AUTH_LOGS"
+else
+    log_warning "Cannot access auth service logs"
+    echo "You can check manually with:"
+    echo "  docker logs bakery-auth-service | grep -E \"(register|role|admin)\""
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 8: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 8: Debug Summary and Recommendations"
+
+echo -e "${CYAN}🔍 DEBUG SUMMARY${NC}"
+echo -e "${CYAN}===============${NC}"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Test User Details:"
+echo "  Email: $TEST_EMAIL"
+echo "  Expected Role: admin"
+echo "  User ID: ${USER_ID:-'NOT_EXTRACTED'}"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Token Analysis:"
+echo "  Access Token Received: $([ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ] && echo 'YES' || echo 'NO')"
+echo "  Role in JWT: ${JWT_ROLE:-'NOT_FOUND'}"
+echo "  JWT User ID: ${JWT_USER_ID:-'NOT_FOUND'}"
+
+echo ""
+echo "API Responses:"
+echo "  Registration HTTP: ${HTTP_CODE:-'UNKNOWN'}"
+echo "  Profile Role: ${PROFILE_ROLE:-'NOT_CHECKED'}"
+echo "  Admin Endpoint Access: $([ -n "$ADMIN_TEST_RESPONSE" ] && echo "TESTED" || echo "NOT_TESTED")"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Database Verification:"
+echo "  DB Role: ${DB_ROLE:-'NOT_CHECKED'}"
+
+echo ""
+log_debug "Potential Issues:"
+
+# Issue 1: Role not in JWT
+if [ "$JWT_ROLE" != "admin" ]; then
+    echo "  ❌ Role not correctly encoded in JWT token"
+    echo "     → Check auth service JWT creation logic"
+    echo "     → Verify SecurityManager.create_access_token includes role"
+fi
+
+# Issue 2: Registration not setting role
+if [ "$PROFILE_ROLE" != "admin" ]; then
+    echo "  ❌ User profile doesn't show admin role"
+    echo "     → Check user registration saves role correctly"
+    echo "     → Verify database schema allows role field"
+fi
+
+# Issue 3: Admin endpoint still denies access
+if [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "403" ]; then
+    echo "  ❌ Admin endpoint denies access despite admin role"
+    echo "     → Check require_admin_role_dep implementation"
+    echo "     → Verify role extraction from token in auth decorators"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo -e "${YELLOW}🔧 RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS:${NC}"
+echo "1. Check the auth service logs during registration"
+echo "2. Verify the database schema has a 'role' column"
+echo "3. Check if the JWT creation includes the role field"
+echo "4. Verify the role extraction in get_current_user_dep"
+echo "5. Test with a direct database role update if needed"
+
+echo ""
+echo -e "${CYAN}🧪 Manual Verification Commands:${NC}"
+echo "# Check database directly:"
+echo "docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c \"SELECT id, email, role FROM users WHERE email='$TEST_EMAIL';\""
+echo ""
+echo "# Check auth service logs:"
+echo "docker logs bakery-auth-service | grep -A5 -B5 '$TEST_EMAIL'"
+echo ""
+echo "# Decode JWT manually:"
+echo "echo '$ACCESS_TOKEN' | cut -d. -f2 | base64 -d | jq ."
+
+echo ""
+log_success "Debug script completed!"
+echo -e "${YELLOW}Review the analysis above to identify the root cause.${NC}"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/debug_onboarding_flow.sh b/tests/debug_onboarding_flow.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..28601819
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/debug_onboarding_flow.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,361 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# =================================================================
+# ONBOARDING FLOW DEBUG SCRIPT
+# =================================================================
+# This script replicates the exact onboarding flow to debug the 403 issue
+
+# Configuration
+API_BASE="http://localhost:8000"
+TEST_EMAIL="onboarding.debug.$(date +%s)@bakery.com"
+TEST_PASSWORD="OnboardingDebug123!"
+TEST_NAME="Onboarding Debug User"
+
+# Colors
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+BLUE='\033[0;34m'
+PURPLE='\033[0;35m'
+CYAN='\033[0;36m'
+NC='\033[0m'
+
+echo -e "${CYAN}🔍 ONBOARDING FLOW DEBUG - EXACT REPLICATION${NC}"
+echo -e "${CYAN}=============================================${NC}"
+echo "Test Email: $TEST_EMAIL"
+echo "API Base: $API_BASE"
+echo ""
+
+# Utility functions
+log_step() {
+    echo -e "${BLUE}📋 $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_success() {
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✅ $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_error() {
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ $1${NC}"
+}
+
+log_debug() {
+    echo -e "${PURPLE}🐛 DEBUG: $1${NC}"
+}
+
+extract_json_field() {
+    local json="$1"
+    local field="$2"
+    echo "$json" | python3 -c "
+import json, sys
+try:
+    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
+    user = data.get('user', {})
+    print(user.get('$field', data.get('$field', '')))
+except:
+    print('')
+" 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 1: REGISTER USER (EXACTLY LIKE ONBOARDING SCRIPT)
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 1: User Registration (Onboarding Style)"
+echo "Email: $TEST_EMAIL"
+echo "Role: admin (explicitly set)"
+echo ""
+
+log_debug "Registering via API Gateway (same as onboarding script)..."
+
+REGISTER_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST "$API_BASE/api/v1/auth/register" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    -d "{
+        \"email\": \"$TEST_EMAIL\",
+        \"password\": \"$TEST_PASSWORD\",
+        \"full_name\": \"$TEST_NAME\",
+        \"role\": \"admin\"
+    }")
+
+echo "Registration Response:"
+echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE"
+
+# Extract user ID exactly like onboarding script
+USER_ID=$(echo "$REGISTER_RESPONSE" | python3 -c "
+import json, sys
+try:
+    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
+    user = data.get('user', {})
+    print(user.get('id', ''))
+except:
+    print('')
+")
+
+if [ -n "$USER_ID" ]; then
+    log_success "User ID extracted: $USER_ID"
+else
+    log_error "Failed to extract user ID"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 2: LOGIN (EXACTLY LIKE ONBOARDING SCRIPT)
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 2: User Login (Onboarding Style)"
+
+LOGIN_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST "$API_BASE/api/v1/auth/login" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    -d "{
+        \"email\": \"$TEST_EMAIL\",
+        \"password\": \"$TEST_PASSWORD\"
+    }")
+
+echo "Login Response:"
+echo "$LOGIN_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$LOGIN_RESPONSE"
+
+ACCESS_TOKEN=$(extract_json_field "$LOGIN_RESPONSE" "access_token")
+
+if [ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ]; then
+    log_success "Access token obtained: ${ACCESS_TOKEN:0:50}..."
+else
+    log_error "Failed to extract access token"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 3: CHECK PROFILE ENDPOINT
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 3: Check Profile Endpoint"
+
+PROFILE_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\nHTTP_CODE:%{http_code}" -X GET "$API_BASE/api/v1/users/me" \
+    -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN")
+
+HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$PROFILE_RESPONSE" | grep "HTTP_CODE:" | cut -d: -f2)
+PROFILE_RESPONSE=$(echo "$PROFILE_RESPONSE" | sed '/HTTP_CODE:/d')
+
+echo "Profile HTTP Status: $HTTP_CODE"
+echo "Profile Response:"
+echo "$PROFILE_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$PROFILE_RESPONSE"
+
+PROFILE_ROLE=$(extract_json_field "$PROFILE_RESPONSE" "role")
+echo ""
+log_debug "Profile role: $PROFILE_ROLE"
+
+if [ "$PROFILE_ROLE" = "admin" ]; then
+    log_success "Profile shows admin role correctly"
+else
+    log_error "Profile shows role '$PROFILE_ROLE', expected 'admin'"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 4: TEST ADMIN DELETION PREVIEW (EXACTLY LIKE ONBOARDING)
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 4: Admin Deletion Preview (Onboarding Style)"
+
+log_debug "Calling deletion preview endpoint..."
+
+DELETION_PREVIEW_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\nHTTP_CODE:%{http_code}" -X GET "$API_BASE/api/v1/users/delete/$USER_ID/deletion-preview" \
+    -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
+    -H "Content-Type: application/json")
+
+HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$DELETION_PREVIEW_RESPONSE" | grep "HTTP_CODE:" | cut -d: -f2)
+DELETION_PREVIEW_RESPONSE=$(echo "$DELETION_PREVIEW_RESPONSE" | sed '/HTTP_CODE:/d')
+
+echo "Deletion Preview HTTP Status: $HTTP_CODE"
+echo "Deletion Preview Response:"
+echo "$DELETION_PREVIEW_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$DELETION_PREVIEW_RESPONSE"
+
+case "$HTTP_CODE" in
+    "200")
+        log_success "Deletion preview successful!"
+        ;;
+    "403")
+        log_error "403 Forbidden - Admin access denied!"
+        echo "This is the same error as in onboarding script"
+        ;;
+    "401")
+        log_error "401 Unauthorized - Token issue"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        log_error "Unexpected HTTP status: $HTTP_CODE"
+        ;;
+esac
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 5: TEST ACTUAL DELETION (EXACTLY LIKE ONBOARDING)
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 5: Admin User Deletion (Onboarding Style)"
+
+if [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "200" ]; then
+    log_debug "Attempting actual deletion..."
+    
+    DELETION_RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\nHTTP_CODE:%{http_code}" -X DELETE "$API_BASE/api/v1/users/delete/$USER_ID" \
+        -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN")
+    
+    HTTP_CODE=$(echo "$DELETION_RESPONSE" | grep "HTTP_CODE:" | cut -d: -f2)
+    DELETION_RESPONSE=$(echo "$DELETION_RESPONSE" | sed '/HTTP_CODE:/d')
+    
+    echo "Deletion HTTP Status: $HTTP_CODE"
+    echo "Deletion Response:"
+    echo "$DELETION_RESPONSE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$DELETION_RESPONSE"
+    
+    case "$HTTP_CODE" in
+        "200")
+            log_success "Admin deletion successful!"
+            ;;
+        "403")
+            log_error "403 Forbidden - Admin deletion denied!"
+            ;;
+        *)
+            log_error "Deletion failed with HTTP $HTTP_CODE"
+            ;;
+    esac
+else
+    log_error "Skipping deletion test due to preview failure"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 6: DETAILED TOKEN ANALYSIS
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 6: Detailed Token Analysis"
+
+log_debug "Decoding access token from login..."
+
+if [ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ]; then
+    # Decode JWT payload
+    JWT_PAYLOAD=$(echo "$ACCESS_TOKEN" | cut -d. -f2)
+    # Add padding if needed
+    JWT_PAYLOAD="${JWT_PAYLOAD}$(printf '%*s' $((4 - ${#JWT_PAYLOAD} % 4)) | tr ' ' '=')"
+    
+    echo "JWT Payload:"
+    echo "$JWT_PAYLOAD" | base64 -d 2>/dev/null | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "Failed to decode"
+    
+    JWT_ROLE=$(echo "$JWT_PAYLOAD" | base64 -d 2>/dev/null | python3 -c "
+import json, sys
+try:
+    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
+    print(data.get('role', 'NOT_FOUND'))
+except:
+    print('DECODE_ERROR')
+" 2>/dev/null)
+    
+    echo ""
+    log_debug "JWT token role: $JWT_ROLE"
+else
+    log_error "No access token available for analysis"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 7: CHECK GATEWAY VS DIRECT AUTH
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 7: Gateway vs Direct Auth Comparison"
+
+log_debug "Testing direct auth service call..."
+
+DIRECT_PROFILE=$(curl -s -X GET "http://localhost:8001/me" \
+    -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" 2>/dev/null || echo "DIRECT_FAILED")
+
+if [ "$DIRECT_PROFILE" != "DIRECT_FAILED" ]; then
+    echo "Direct Auth Service Profile:"
+    echo "$DIRECT_PROFILE" | python3 -m json.tool 2>/dev/null || echo "$DIRECT_PROFILE"
+    
+    DIRECT_ROLE=$(extract_json_field "$DIRECT_PROFILE" "role")
+    log_debug "Direct auth service role: $DIRECT_ROLE"
+else
+    log_debug "Direct auth service call failed (expected in some setups)"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 8: CHECK AUTH SERVICE LOGS
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 8: Auth Service Logs for This Session"
+
+log_debug "Checking auth service logs for this user..."
+
+AUTH_LOGS=$(docker logs --tail 50 bakery-auth-service 2>/dev/null | grep -E "($TEST_EMAIL|$USER_ID)" || echo "NO_LOGS_FOUND")
+
+if [ "$AUTH_LOGS" != "NO_LOGS_FOUND" ]; then
+    echo "Auth Service Logs (filtered for this user):"
+    echo "$AUTH_LOGS"
+else
+    log_debug "No specific logs found for this user"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# =================================================================
+# STEP 9: SUMMARY AND COMPARISON
+# =================================================================
+
+log_step "Step 9: Onboarding Flow Analysis Summary"
+
+echo -e "${CYAN}🔍 ONBOARDING FLOW ANALYSIS${NC}"
+echo -e "${CYAN}===========================${NC}"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Registration Results:"
+echo "  User ID: $USER_ID"
+echo "  Access Token: $([ -n "$ACCESS_TOKEN" ] && echo 'YES' || echo 'NO')"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Authentication Flow:"
+echo "  Profile Role: $PROFILE_ROLE"
+echo "  JWT Role: $JWT_ROLE"
+echo "  Direct Auth Role: ${DIRECT_ROLE:-'NOT_TESTED'}"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Admin Endpoint Tests:"
+echo "  Deletion Preview: HTTP $HTTP_CODE"
+echo "  Admin Access: $([ "$HTTP_CODE" = "200" ] && echo 'SUCCESS' || echo 'FAILED')"
+
+echo ""
+if [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "200" ]; then
+    echo -e "${RED}🚨 ISSUE IDENTIFIED:${NC}"
+    echo "The onboarding flow is still getting 403 errors"
+    echo ""
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Possible causes:${NC}"
+    echo "1. Token from login different from registration token"
+    echo "2. Gateway headers not set correctly"
+    echo "3. Role being overridden somewhere in the flow"
+    echo "4. Cache or session issue"
+    echo ""
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Next steps:${NC}"
+    echo "1. Compare JWT tokens from registration vs login"
+    echo "2. Check gateway request headers"
+    echo "3. Verify auth service restart picked up the fix"
+    echo "4. Check if there are multiple auth service instances"
+else
+    log_success "Onboarding flow working correctly!"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo -e "${CYAN}Manual commands to investigate:${NC}"
+echo "# Check user in database:"
+echo "docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c \"SELECT id, email, role FROM users WHERE email='$TEST_EMAIL';\""
+echo ""
+echo "# Restart auth service:"
+echo "docker-compose restart auth-service"
+echo ""
+echo "# Check auth service status:"
+echo "docker-compose ps auth-service"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/verify_db_schema.sh b/tests/verify_db_schema.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..a507a16e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/verify_db_schema.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# =================================================================
+# DATABASE SCHEMA AND DATA VERIFICATION SCRIPT
+# =================================================================
+# This script checks the auth database schema and data
+
+echo "🔍 DATABASE VERIFICATION"
+echo "========================"
+
+# Colors
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+NC='\033[0m'
+
+# Check if auth database container is running
+if ! docker ps | grep -q "bakery-auth-db"; then
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ Auth database container is not running${NC}"
+    echo "Start with: docker-compose up -d auth-db"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo -e "${GREEN}✅ Auth database container is running${NC}"
+echo ""
+
+# 1. Check database schema
+echo "📋 1. CHECKING DATABASE SCHEMA"
+echo "=============================="
+
+echo "Users table structure:"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "\d users;" 2>/dev/null || {
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ Cannot access database or users table doesn't exist${NC}"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+echo ""
+echo "Checking if 'role' column exists:"
+ROLE_COLUMN=$(docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -t -c "SELECT column_name FROM information_schema.columns WHERE table_name='users' AND column_name='role';" 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' ')
+
+if [ "$ROLE_COLUMN" = "role" ]; then
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✅ 'role' column exists in users table${NC}"
+else
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ 'role' column is missing from users table${NC}"
+    echo "This is likely the root cause!"
+    echo ""
+    echo "Available columns in users table:"
+    docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT column_name, data_type FROM information_schema.columns WHERE table_name='users';"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# 2. Check existing users and their roles
+echo "📋 2. CHECKING EXISTING USERS"
+echo "============================="
+
+echo "All users in database:"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT id, email, role, is_active, created_at FROM users ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 10;"
+
+echo ""
+
+# 3. Check for test users
+echo "📋 3. CHECKING FOR TEST USERS"
+echo "============================="
+
+echo "Test users (containing 'test' in email):"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT id, email, role, is_active, created_at FROM users WHERE email LIKE '%test%' ORDER BY created_at DESC;"
+
+echo ""
+
+# 4. Check database constraints and defaults
+echo "📋 4. CHECKING ROLE CONSTRAINTS"
+echo "==============================="
+
+echo "Role column details:"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT column_name, data_type, is_nullable, column_default FROM information_schema.columns WHERE table_name='users' AND column_name='role';"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Role check constraints (if any):"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT conname, consrc FROM pg_constraint WHERE conrelid = 'users'::regclass AND consrc LIKE '%role%';" 2>/dev/null || echo "No role constraints found"
+
+echo ""
+
+# 5. Test role insertion
+echo "📋 5. TESTING ROLE INSERTION"
+echo "============================"
+
+TEST_EMAIL="schema.test.$(date +%s)@example.com"
+
+echo "Creating test user with admin role:"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "
+INSERT INTO users (id, email, full_name, hashed_password, role, is_active, is_verified, created_at, updated_at) 
+VALUES (gen_random_uuid(), '$TEST_EMAIL', 'Schema Test', 'dummy_hash', 'admin', true, false, NOW(), NOW());
+" 2>/dev/null
+
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✅ Successfully inserted user with admin role${NC}"
+    
+    echo "Verifying insertion:"
+    docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT id, email, role FROM users WHERE email='$TEST_EMAIL';"
+    
+    echo "Cleaning up test user:"
+    docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "DELETE FROM users WHERE email='$TEST_EMAIL';" 2>/dev/null
+else
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ Failed to insert user with admin role${NC}"
+    echo "This indicates a database constraint or permission issue"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# 6. Check for migration history
+echo "📋 6. CHECKING MIGRATION HISTORY"
+echo "================================="
+
+echo "Alembic version table (if exists):"
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "SELECT * FROM alembic_version;" 2>/dev/null || echo "No alembic_version table found"
+
+echo ""
+
+echo "📋 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS"
+echo "==============================="
+
+# Check if we found any obvious issues
+ISSUES_FOUND=0
+
+# Check if role column exists
+if [ "$ROLE_COLUMN" != "role" ]; then
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ CRITICAL: 'role' column missing from users table${NC}"
+    echo "   → Run database migrations: alembic upgrade head"
+    echo "   → Or add the column manually"
+    ISSUES_FOUND=1
+fi
+
+# Check if we can insert admin roles
+docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "INSERT INTO users (id, email, full_name, hashed_password, role, is_active, is_verified, created_at, updated_at) VALUES (gen_random_uuid(), 'temp.test@example.com', 'Test', 'hash', 'admin', true, false, NOW(), NOW());" 2>/dev/null
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    docker exec bakery-auth-db psql -U auth_user -d auth_db -c "DELETE FROM users WHERE email='temp.test@example.com';" 2>/dev/null
+else
+    echo -e "${RED}❌ ISSUE: Cannot insert users with admin role${NC}"
+    echo "   → Check database constraints or permissions"
+    ISSUES_FOUND=1
+fi
+
+if [ $ISSUES_FOUND -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✅ Database schema appears correct${NC}"
+    echo "   → The issue is likely in the application code, not the database"
+    echo "   → Check JWT token creation and role extraction logic"
+else
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}⚠️  Database issues found - fix these first${NC}"
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo -e "${YELLOW}🔧 Next steps:${NC}"
+echo "1. If role column is missing: Run 'alembic upgrade head' in auth service"
+echo "2. If schema is OK: Run the main debug script to check application logic"
+echo "3. Check auth service logs during user registration"
\ No newline at end of file