diff --git a/ee/app/policies/ee/project_policy.rb b/ee/app/policies/ee/project_policy.rb
index 009fa9d76361a51a3b449c211e7cbe53d36d90c7..168f9580af54aad2182450fc35de60969379a5a7 100644
--- a/ee/app/policies/ee/project_policy.rb
+++ b/ee/app/policies/ee/project_policy.rb
@@ -1108,11 +1108,14 @@ module ProjectPolicy
       end
 
       rule { custom_role_enables_admin_protected_branch }.policy do
+        enable :admin_protected_branch
+      end
+
+      rule { can?(:admin_protected_branch) }.policy do
         enable :read_protected_branch
         enable :create_protected_branch
         enable :update_protected_branch
         enable :destroy_protected_branch
-        enable :admin_protected_branch
       end
 
       rule { can?(:create_issue) & okrs_enabled }.policy do
diff --git a/ee/spec/features/projects/protected_branches_spec.rb b/ee/spec/features/projects/protected_branches_spec.rb
index da5e010651fbe2d73105c6a28bdc4f206c2f2b0a..f7c98e41102316cbe75ce2bc47aebcbf48e55741 100644
--- a/ee/spec/features/projects/protected_branches_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/features/projects/protected_branches_spec.rb
@@ -5,21 +5,53 @@
 RSpec.describe 'Protected Branches', :js, feature_category: :source_code_management do
   include ProtectedBranchHelpers
 
-  context 'when a guest has custom roles with `admin_protected_branch` assigned' do
-    let_it_be(:user) { create(:user) }
-    let_it_be(:admin) { create(:admin) }
-    let_it_be(:group) { create(:group) }
-    let_it_be(:project) { create(:project, :repository, group: group) }
+  let_it_be(:admin) { create(:admin) }
+  let_it_be(:group) { create(:group) }
+  let_it_be(:project) { create(:project, :repository, group: group, create_branch: 'protected') }
+
+  context 'when a guest has custom role with `admin_protected_branch` assigned' do
+    let_it_be(:guest) { create(:user) }
+
     let_it_be(:role) { create(:member_role, :guest, :admin_protected_branch, namespace: group) }
-    let_it_be(:membership) { create(:group_member, :guest, member_role: role, user: user, group: group) }
+    let_it_be(:membership) { create(:group_member, :guest, member_role: role, user: guest, group: group) }
 
     let(:success_message) { s_('ProtectedBranch|Protected branch was successfully created') }
 
     before do
       stub_licensed_features(custom_roles: true)
-      sign_in(user)
+      sign_in(guest)
     end
 
     it_behaves_like 'setting project protected branches'
   end
+
+  context 'when a developer has custom role with `admin_protected_branch` assigned' do
+    # Only Developer+ roles can access the project branches page
+    let_it_be(:developer) { create(:user) }
+
+    let_it_be(:role) { create(:member_role, :developer, :admin_protected_branch, namespace: group) }
+    let_it_be(:membership) { create(:group_member, :developer, member_role: role, user: developer, group: group) }
+
+    let_it_be(:branch) { create(:protected_branch, project: project, name: 'protected') }
+
+    before do
+      stub_licensed_features(custom_roles: true)
+      sign_in(developer)
+    end
+
+    it 'allows developer to remove protected branch' do
+      visit project_branches_path(project)
+
+      find('input[data-testid="branch-search"]').set('protected')
+      find('input[data-testid="branch-search"]').native.send_keys(:enter)
+
+      within('[data-name="protected"]') do
+        within_testid('branch-more-actions') do
+          find('.gl-new-dropdown-toggle').click
+        end
+      end
+
+      expect(page).to have_button('Delete protected branch')
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/ee/spec/lib/gitlab/user_access_spec.rb b/ee/spec/lib/gitlab/user_access_spec.rb
index a9869d7f5551cb967787488aa478610558d1d773..3f8d38160cb619280c4cc89c2c9fd182d6c37774 100644
--- a/ee/spec/lib/gitlab/user_access_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/lib/gitlab/user_access_spec.rb
@@ -2,15 +2,16 @@
 
 require 'spec_helper'
 
-RSpec.describe Gitlab::UserAccess do
+RSpec.describe Gitlab::UserAccess, feature_category: :permissions do
   include ExternalAuthorizationServiceHelpers
 
-  let(:user) { create(:user) }
-  let(:access) { described_class.new(user, container: project) }
+  let_it_be_with_reload(:user) { create(:user) }
+
+  subject(:access) { described_class.new(user, container: project) }
 
   describe '#can_push_to_branch?' do
     describe 'push to empty project' do
-      let(:project) { create(:project_empty_repo) }
+      let_it_be(:project) { create(:project_empty_repo) }
 
       it 'returns false when the external service denies access' do
         project.add_maintainer(user)
@@ -20,4 +21,39 @@
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#can_delete_branch?' do
+    context 'when a user has custom roles with `admin_protected_branch` assigned' do
+      let_it_be(:project) { create(:project, :repository, :in_group) }
+
+      let_it_be(:role) { create(:member_role, :developer, :admin_protected_branch, namespace: project.group) }
+      let_it_be(:project_member) do
+        create(:project_member, :developer, member_role: role, user: user, project: project)
+      end
+
+      describe 'delete protected branch' do
+        let_it_be(:branch) { create(:protected_branch, project: project, name: "test") }
+
+        context 'when custom roles is enabled' do
+          before do
+            stub_licensed_features(custom_roles: true)
+          end
+
+          it 'returns true' do
+            expect(access.can_delete_branch?(branch.name)).to be(true)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'when custom roles is disabled' do
+          before do
+            stub_licensed_features(custom_roles: false)
+          end
+
+          it 'returns false' do
+            expect(access.can_delete_branch?(branch.name)).to be(false)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/user_access.rb b/lib/gitlab/user_access.rb
index a777c727a4aa27ae486bced1807a61057b6f1477..2bde78db022c669e846729752651b19399785bbc 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/user_access.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/user_access.rb
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def allowed?
       return false unless can_access_git?
 
       if protected?(ProtectedBranch, ref)
-        user.can?(:push_to_delete_protected_branch, container)
+        user.can?(:destroy_protected_branch, container)
       else
         can_push?
       end