diff --git a/charts/proton-bridge/Chart.yaml b/charts/proton-bridge/Chart.yaml
index ae58870..4933c0c 100644
--- a/charts/proton-bridge/Chart.yaml
+++ b/charts/proton-bridge/Chart.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ apiVersion: v2
 name: proton-bridge
 description: Proton Mail Bridge deployment for in-cluster SMTP/IMAP access
 type: application
-version: 0.1.4
+version: 0.1.5
 appVersion: "3.22.0"
diff --git a/charts/proton-bridge/README.md b/charts/proton-bridge/README.md
index a3923ee..ccb8ec8 100644
--- a/charts/proton-bridge/README.md
+++ b/charts/proton-bridge/README.md
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ Common overrides:
 - `bridge.host`, `bridge.smtpPort`, `bridge.imapPort`
 - `container.smtpPort`, `container.imapPort`
 - `container.enablePrivilegedPortBinding`
+- `podSecurityContext.fsGroup`
+- `containerSecurityContext`
+- `volumePermissions.enabled`
 - `existingSecret`
 
 To bind directly on container ports `25` and `143`, enable privileged port binding:
@@ -104,3 +107,20 @@ container:
   imapPort: 143
   enablePrivilegedPortBinding: true
 ```
+
+## Troubleshooting Startup Permission Errors
+
+If the container cannot write under `/home/bridge` at startup, set a pod `fsGroup` so Kubernetes adjusts volume group ownership:
+
+```yaml
+podSecurityContext:
+  fsGroup: 1000
+```
+
+If your storage backend still needs explicit ownership fixes, enable the permissions init container:
+
+```yaml
+volumePermissions:
+  enabled: true
+  chown: "1000:1000"
+```
diff --git a/charts/proton-bridge/templates/deployment.yaml b/charts/proton-bridge/templates/deployment.yaml
index 76804b3..985b502 100644
--- a/charts/proton-bridge/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/charts/proton-bridge/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -22,19 +22,57 @@ spec:
         {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
         {{- end }}
     spec:
+      {{- $volumePermissions := .Values.volumePermissions | default dict }}
+      {{- $volumePermissionsEnabled := (get $volumePermissions "enabled" | default false) }}
+      {{- $vpImage := (get $volumePermissions "image" | default dict) }}
+      {{- $vpSecurityContext := (get $volumePermissions "securityContext") }}
+      {{- $vpMountPath := (get $volumePermissions "mountPath" | default "/home/bridge") }}
+      {{- $vpChown := (get $volumePermissions "chown" | default "1000:1000") }}
+      {{- $vpChmod := (get $volumePermissions "chmod" | default "u+rwX,g+rwX") }}
+      {{- with .Values.podSecurityContext }}
+      securityContext:
+        {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
+      {{- end }}
       {{- with .Values.imagePullSecrets }}
       imagePullSecrets:
         {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
       {{- end }}
+      {{- if and .Values.persistence.enabled $volumePermissionsEnabled }}
+      initContainers:
+        - name: volume-permissions
+          image: "{{ (get $vpImage "repository" | default "busybox") }}:{{ (get $vpImage "tag" | default "1.37.0") }}"
+          imagePullPolicy: {{ (get $vpImage "pullPolicy" | default "IfNotPresent") }}
+          {{- with $vpSecurityContext }}
+          securityContext:
+            {{- toYaml . | nindent 12 }}
+          {{- end }}
+          command:
+            - /bin/sh
+            - -ec
+            - >-
+              chown -R {{ $vpChown }} {{ $vpMountPath }}
+              && chmod -R {{ $vpChmod }} {{ $vpMountPath }}
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: bridge-data
+              mountPath: {{ $vpMountPath }}
+      {{- end }}
       containers:
         - name: proton-bridge
           image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag }}"
           imagePullPolicy: {{ .Values.image.pullPolicy }}
+          {{- $containerSecurityContext := deepCopy (.Values.containerSecurityContext | default dict) }}
           {{- if .Values.container.enablePrivilegedPortBinding }}
+          {{- $capabilities := get $containerSecurityContext "capabilities" | default dict }}
+          {{- $add := get $capabilities "add" | default (list) }}
+          {{- if not (has "NET_BIND_SERVICE" $add) }}
+          {{- $add = append $add "NET_BIND_SERVICE" }}
+          {{- end }}
+          {{- $capabilities = mergeOverwrite $capabilities (dict "add" $add) }}
+          {{- $containerSecurityContext = mergeOverwrite $containerSecurityContext (dict "capabilities" $capabilities) }}
+          {{- end }}
+          {{- if $containerSecurityContext }}
           securityContext:
-            capabilities:
-              add:
-                - NET_BIND_SERVICE
+            {{- toYaml $containerSecurityContext | nindent 12 }}
           {{- end }}
           env:
             - name: BRIDGE_MODE
diff --git a/charts/proton-bridge/values.yaml b/charts/proton-bridge/values.yaml
index f42f3a3..9a84164 100644
--- a/charts/proton-bridge/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/proton-bridge/values.yaml
@@ -37,6 +37,26 @@ container:
   # Set true to add NET_BIND_SERVICE capability so non-root process can bind <1024 (e.g. 25/143).
   enablePrivilegedPortBinding: false
 
+# Pod-level security context (for example: fsGroup to allow writing mounted volumes).
+podSecurityContext: {}
+
+# Container-level security context for the main proton-bridge container.
+containerSecurityContext: {}
+
+# Optional init container to force volume ownership/permissions before bridge starts.
+volumePermissions:
+  enabled: false
+  image:
+    repository: busybox
+    tag: "1.37.0"
+    pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
+  securityContext:
+    runAsUser: 0
+    runAsGroup: 0
+  mountPath: /home/bridge
+  chown: "1000:1000"
+  chmod: "u+rwX,g+rwX"
+
 existingSecret: ""
 secretName: ""