Cloud Run Deploy Permission Denied (iam.serviceaccounts.actAs)

Share
Workaround available Cloud Run, gcloud, Cloud Build Updated November 14, 2026Based on 4 user reportsHow we research

Quick answer

Most Cloud Run deploy permission errors need the deployer to have Service Account User on the runtime service account. Specify a service account explicitly and grant the roles named in the error.

Most likely fix: actAs denied on the default Compute Engine account

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. actAs denied on the default Compute Engine account

    1. Run gcloud run services update SERVICE_NAME --service-account SERVICE_ACCOUNT
    2. Confirm the service account has the permissions needed to deploy
    3. Check IAM with Include Google-provided role grants for PROJECT_NUMBER-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com
    Did this fix it?
  2. 2. Grant Service Account User

    1. Grant roles/iam.serviceAccountUser to the deployer on the service identity
    2. If same project, give the Cloud Run service agent roles/run.serviceAgent
    Did this fix it?
  3. 3. Source deploy errors

    1. Grant roles/run.sourceDeveloper, roles/serviceusage.serviceUsageConsumer and roles/iam.serviceAccountUser
    2. For NOT_FOUND: Build failed in new projects, grant the build service account roles/run.builder
    Did this fix it?
  4. 4. Image in another project

    1. Let the Cloud Run service agent read the image (grant access in the image's project)
    2. If using VPC Service Controls, check Logs Explorer for violations tied to serverless-robot-prod
    Did this fix it?
  5. 5. Wait and retry

    1. IAM changes can take a few minutes to apply
    Did this fix it?

Symptoms

gcloud run deploy fails with PERMISSION_DENIED, Permission 'iam.serviceaccounts.actAs' denied, or the caller does not have permission.

Why it happens

  • Deployer lacks Service Account User on the runtime service account
  • Default Compute Engine service account missing or not usable
  • Cloud Run service agent cannot read an image from another project
  • Missing source deploy roles
  • Cloud Build default service account changes in new projects
  • Cross-project deploy blocked by org policy

This guide also covers

  • cloud run deploy permission denied
  • iam.serviceaccounts.actAs denied
  • gcloud run deploy the caller does not have permission

Still not working?

If Google Cloud keeps failing, you're not alone. See every Google Cloud problem users report or the alternatives people switch to.

Have an app idea? Our small team builds any software: web and mobile apps, games, desktop, AI tools. Price agreed together.

Talk to us
Fixed it? Share this guide

The same problem in other apps

All export, render & quality loss guides →

Other Google Cloud errors