diff --git a/packages/backend/src/codex/Sequence.js b/packages/backend/src/codex/Sequence.js
index f20a58ac..86e981a8 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/codex/Sequence.js
+++ b/packages/backend/src/codex/Sequence.js
@@ -216,6 +216,17 @@ class Sequence {
             return this.thisArg?.[k];
         }
 
+        // Instance call: call a method on the instance
+        icall(k, ...args) {
+            return this.thisArg?.[k]?.call(this.thisArg, ...args);
+        }
+
+        // Instance dynamic call: call a method on the instance,
+        // passing the sequence state as the first argument
+        idcall(k, ...args) {
+            return this.thisArg?.[k]?.call(this.thisArg, this, ...args);
+        }
+
         get log () {
             return this.iget('log');
         }
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/services/auth/PermissionService.js b/packages/backend/src/services/auth/PermissionService.js
index 0f45f9b3..823d42cd 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/services/auth/PermissionService.js
+++ b/packages/backend/src/services/auth/PermissionService.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 const { get_user, get_app } = require("../../helpers");
+const { AssignableMethodsTrait } = require("../../traits/AssignableMethodsTrait");
 const { Context } = require("../../util/context");
 const BaseService = require("../BaseService");
 const { DB_WRITE } = require("../database/consts");
@@ -306,60 +307,14 @@ class PermissionService extends BaseService {
 
     // TODO: context meta for cycle detection
     async check_user_permission (actor, permission) {
-        permission = await this._rewrite_permission(permission);
-        // const parent_perms = this.get_parent_permissions(permission);
-        const parent_perms = await this.get_higher_permissions(permission);
-
-        // Check implicit permissions
-        for ( const parent_perm of parent_perms ) {
-            if ( implicit_user_permissions[parent_perm] ) {
-                return implicit_user_permissions[parent_perm];
-            }
-        }
-
-        for ( const implicator of this._permission_implicators ) {
-            if ( ! implicator.matches(permission) ) continue;
-            const implied = await implicator.check({
+        return await require('../../structured/sequence/check-user-permission')
+            .call(this, {
+                // passed
                 actor,
                 permission,
-                recurse: this.check.bind(this),
+                // constants
+                implicit_user_permissions,
             });
-            if ( implied ) return implied;
-        }
-
-        // Check permissions granted by other users
-        let sql_perm = parent_perms.map((perm) =>
-            `\`permission\` = ?`).join(' OR ');
-        if ( parent_perms.length > 1 ) sql_perm = '(' + sql_perm + ')';
-
-        // SELECT permission
-        const rows = await this.db.read(
-            'SELECT * FROM `user_to_user_permissions` ' +
-            'WHERE `holder_user_id` = ? AND ' +
-            sql_perm,
-            [
-                actor.type.user.id,
-                ...parent_perms,
-            ]
-        );
-
-        // Return the first matching permission where the
-        // issuer also has the permission granted
-        for ( const row of rows ) {
-            const issuer_actor = new Actor({
-                type: new UserActorType({
-                    user: await get_user({ id: row.issuer_user_id }),
-                }),
-            });
-
-            const issuer_perm = await this.check(issuer_actor, row.permission);
-
-            if ( ! issuer_perm ) continue;
-
-            return row.extra;
-        }
-        
-        return undefined;
     }
 
     async check_access_token_permission (authorizer, token, permission) {
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/structured/sequence/check-user-permission.js b/packages/backend/src/structured/sequence/check-user-permission.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ed1e7e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/src/structured/sequence/check-user-permission.js
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+const { Sequence } = require("../../codex/Sequence");
+const { Actor, UserActorType } = require("../../services/auth/Actor");
+
+
+
+module.exports = new Sequence([
+    async function rewrite_permission (a) {
+        let { permission } = a.values();
+        permission = await a.icall('_rewrite_permission', permission);
+        a.values({ permission });
+    },
+    async function explode_permission (a) {
+        const { permission } = a.values();
+        const permission_options =
+            await a.icall('get_higher_permissions', permission);
+        a.values({ permission_options });
+    },
+    async function try_hardcoded_permission (a) {
+        const {
+            permission_options,
+            implicit_user_permissions
+        } = a.values();
+
+        for ( const perm of permission_options ) {
+            if ( implicit_user_permissions[perm] ) {
+                return a.stop(implicit_user_permissions[perm]);
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    async function try_permission_implicators (a) {
+        // NOTE: it's really weird that we check `permission` only and not
+        //       the `permission_options` list here. I haven't changed this
+        //       to avoid regressions but it's something to consider.
+        const { actor, permission } = a.values();
+
+        const _permission_implicators = a.iget('_permission_implicators');
+        
+        for ( const implicator of _permission_implicators ) {
+            if ( ! implicator.matches(permission) ) continue;
+            const implied = await implicator.check({
+                actor,
+                permission,
+                recurse: this.check.bind(this),
+            });
+            if ( implied ) {
+                return a.stop(implied);
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    async function try_user_to_user_permissions (a) {
+        const { actor, permission_options } = a.values();
+        const db = a.iget('db');
+
+        let sql_perm = permission_options.map((perm) =>
+            `\`permission\` = ?`).join(' OR ');
+
+        if ( permission_options.length > 1 ) {
+            sql_perm = '(' + sql_perm + ')';
+        }
+
+        // SELECT permission
+        const rows = await db.read(
+            'SELECT * FROM `user_to_user_permissions` ' +
+            'WHERE `holder_user_id` = ? AND ' +
+            sql_perm,
+            [
+                actor.type.user.id,
+                ...permission_options,
+            ]
+        );
+
+        // Return the first matching permission where the
+        // issuer also has the permission granted
+        for ( const row of rows ) {
+            const issuer_actor = new Actor({
+                type: new UserActorType({
+                    user: await get_user({ id: row.issuer_user_id }),
+                }),
+            });
+
+            // const issuer_perm = await this.check(issuer_actor, row.permission);
+            const issuer_perm = await a.icall('check', issuer_actor, row.permission);
+
+            if ( ! issuer_perm ) continue;
+
+            return a.stop(row.extra);
+        }
+    }
+]);