diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index aaca5ffa7..7d51e61f9 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -66,6 +66,17 @@ Keep that peer list in step with the enforced set in the test above. Use the
 Known live instance: [#1735](https://github.com/layer5io/sistent/issues/1735) (`date-fns` in
 `src/custom/UniversalFilter.tsx`).
 
+## New public exports need an explicit root re-export
+
+`rollup-plugin-dts` (used by tsup for the declaration bundle) silently drops symbols that reach
+the root barrel only through a nested `export * from './custom'` (or `./base`, etc.) - the runtime
+export in `dist/index.*js` survives, but the declaration is missing from `dist/index.d.ts`, so
+`import { Foo, type FooProps } from '@sistent/sistent'` fails type-checking downstream. When you add
+a new public component or type in a `src/<domain>/` subtree, also add an explicit
+`export { Foo, type FooProps } from './<domain>/Foo';` to `src/index.tsx` (see the documented block
+of examples there, e.g. `FeedbackButton`, `NavigationItem`). Verify by building and grepping
+`dist/index.d.ts` for the symbol - a green `jest`/lint run will not catch this.
+
 ## Repo state that looks broken but is pre-existing
 
 `prettier --check` fails on ~82 files and `tsc --noEmit` reports errors across `src/` (including
diff --git a/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/index.tsx b/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/index.tsx
index f9b89250a..6dd0d95ca 100644
--- a/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/index.tsx
+++ b/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/index.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 import NavigationNavbar from './navigationNavbar';
+export type { NavigationItem } from './navigationNavbar';
 
 export { NavigationNavbar };
diff --git a/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/navigationNavbar.tsx b/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/navigationNavbar.tsx
index d657dbb0a..2bb024c4a 100644
--- a/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/navigationNavbar.tsx
+++ b/src/custom/NavigationNavbar/navigationNavbar.tsx
@@ -3,13 +3,34 @@ import ExpandMoreIcon from '@mui/icons-material/ExpandMore';
 import { ListItemTextProps, MenuListProps, useMediaQuery, useTheme } from '@mui/material';
 import React, { MouseEvent, useState } from 'react';
 import { Collapse, Divider, ListItemText, MenuItem } from '../../base';
+import { type PermissionAction } from '../PermissionProvider';
+import { type Key } from '../permissions';
 import { IconWrapper, MenuItemList, MenuItemSubList, MenuListStyle, SubIconWrapper } from './style';
 
-type NavigationItem = {
+export type NavigationItem = {
   id: string;
   title: string;
-  icon: React.ReactNode;
+  icon?: React.ReactNode;
+  /**
+   * Legacy boolean permission flag.
+   * When `permissionKey` is provided, this field is ignored.
+   * @deprecated Prefer `permissionKey` for automatic PermissionShield support.
+   */
   permission?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Sistent permission key for automatic PermissionShield integration.
+   * When provided, the underlying `MenuItem` receives this key and handles
+   * disabled state + shield tooltip automatically. Takes precedence over `permission`.
+   */
+  permissionKey?: Key;
+  /**
+   * Determines behavior when the user lacks the required permission.
+   * Only used when `permissionKey` is provided.
+   *
+   * - `'showShield'` (default) — disables the item and shows a shield icon.
+   * - `'hide'` — renders nothing.
+   */
+  permissionAction?: PermissionAction;
   onClick: () => void;
   subItems?: NavigationItem[];
   addDivider?: boolean;
@@ -41,7 +62,6 @@ const NavigationNavbar: React.FC<NavigationNavbarProps> = ({
     <MenuListStyle {...MenuListProps} dense>
       {navigationItems.map((item) => {
         const isOpen = openSectionId === item.id;
-        const permission = item.permission ?? true;
         const addDivider = item.addDivider ?? false;
 
         const showOnWeb = item.showOnWeb ?? true;
@@ -50,10 +70,17 @@ const NavigationNavbar: React.FC<NavigationNavbarProps> = ({
           return null;
         }
 
+        // When permissionKey is provided, let MenuItem handle permission gating.
+        // Otherwise fall back to the legacy boolean `permission` field.
+        const usePermissionKey = !!item.permissionKey;
+        const legacyPermission = item.permission ?? true;
+
         return (
           <React.Fragment key={item.id}>
             <MenuItem
-              disabled={!permission}
+              disabled={usePermissionKey ? undefined : !legacyPermission}
+              permissionKey={item.permissionKey}
+              permissionAction={item.permissionAction}
               onClick={item.onClick}
               data-testid={`nav-item-${item.id}`}
             >
@@ -73,19 +100,26 @@ const NavigationNavbar: React.FC<NavigationNavbarProps> = ({
             </MenuItem>
             {item.subItems && (
               <Collapse in={isOpen} timeout="auto" unmountOnExit variant="submenu">
-                {item.subItems.map((subItem) => (
-                  <MenuItem
-                    key={subItem.id}
-                    disabled={!subItem.permission}
-                    onClick={subItem.onClick}
-                    data-testid={`nav-subitem-${subItem.id}`}
-                  >
-                    <MenuItemSubList>
-                      {subItem.icon && <SubIconWrapper>{subItem.icon}</SubIconWrapper>}
-                      <ListItemText primary={subItem.title} {...ListItemTextProps} />
-                    </MenuItemSubList>
-                  </MenuItem>
-                ))}
+                {item.subItems.map((subItem) => {
+                  const useSubPermissionKey = !!subItem.permissionKey;
+                  const subLegacyPermission = subItem.permission ?? true;
+
+                  return (
+                    <MenuItem
+                      key={subItem.id}
+                      disabled={useSubPermissionKey ? undefined : !subLegacyPermission}
+                      permissionKey={subItem.permissionKey}
+                      permissionAction={subItem.permissionAction}
+                      onClick={subItem.onClick}
+                      data-testid={`nav-subitem-${subItem.id}`}
+                    >
+                      <MenuItemSubList>
+                        {subItem.icon && <SubIconWrapper>{subItem.icon}</SubIconWrapper>}
+                        <ListItemText primary={subItem.title} {...ListItemTextProps} />
+                      </MenuItemSubList>
+                    </MenuItem>
+                  );
+                })}
               </Collapse>
             )}
             {addDivider && <Divider />}
diff --git a/src/custom/index.tsx b/src/custom/index.tsx
index dd445847f..65e924249 100644
--- a/src/custom/index.tsx
+++ b/src/custom/index.tsx
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export {
 export { InputSearchField } from './InputSearchField';
 export { LearningContent } from './LearningContent';
 export { NavigationNavbar } from './NavigationNavbar';
+export type { NavigationItem } from './NavigationNavbar';
 export { Note } from './Note';
 export { Panel } from './Panel';
 export {
diff --git a/src/index.tsx b/src/index.tsx
index 02ed7a8c4..a1fb32597 100644
--- a/src/index.tsx
+++ b/src/index.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ export {
 
 export { DataTableToolbar, type DataTableToolbarProps } from './custom/DataTableToolbar';
 
+// Same nested-barrel dts-drop quirk as FeedbackButton above: reaching the entry
+// only through `export * from './custom'`, rollup-plugin-dts drops both the
+// `NavigationNavbar` component declaration and the `NavigationItem` type from the
+// bundled d.ts, so `import { NavigationNavbar, type NavigationItem } from
+// "@sistent/sistent"` fails type-checking despite the runtime exports existing.
+// The explicit re-export forces both declarations into the published bundle.
+export { NavigationNavbar, type NavigationItem } from './custom/NavigationNavbar';
+
 // Same nested-barrel dts-drop quirk as FeedbackButton above. `createCanShow` is
 // worse than a missing type: consumers still resolve it at runtime, so the import
 // silently degrades to `any` and its `eventBus` argument stops being