diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 35ebaf2..6369710 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ pins that tag, so this file is the human-readable answer to "what's in v0.2.0?".
 - **Fixed** — bug fixes.
 - **Removed** — removed features (call out breaking changes loudly).
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Changed
+- `github` — added per-repo `delete_branch_on_merge` (auto-deletes the head branch on merge,
+  default `true`) and an org-wide default-team grant: `default_team` (default `engineers`)
+  is granted `default_team_permission` (default `push`) on every managed repo via
+  `github_team_repository`; set `default_team = ""` to opt out. Adds a `team_grants` output.
+  The team grant requires `GITHUB_TOKEN` with `admin:org`.
+
 ## [0.3.0] - 2026-06-08
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/github/README.md b/github/README.md
index a0fddf7..d08fea6 100644
--- a/github/README.md
+++ b/github/README.md
@@ -14,16 +14,24 @@ it cannot run on the credential-free `TG_BACKEND=local` path. Because GitHub rep
 
 Per entry in `repositories`:
 
-- `github_repository` — the repo (visibility, description, topics, `has_issues`, `auto_init`).
+- `github_repository` — the repo (visibility, description, topics, `has_issues`, `auto_init`,
+  `delete_branch_on_merge`). Head branches are auto-deleted on merge by default.
 - `github_branch_default` — sets the default branch.
 - `github_branch_protection` — only when the entry includes a `branch_protection` block
   (required reviews, optional required status checks, enforce-admins).
 
+Org-wide (one grant per repo, not configured per entry):
+
+- `github_team_repository` — grants `default_team` access to **every** managed repo at
+  `default_team_permission`. Skipped entirely when `default_team` is `""`. The team must
+  already exist in the org — this component grants access, it does not create teams.
+
 ## Auth
 
 The provider reads `GITHUB_TOKEN` from the environment — a PAT or GitHub App token with at
-least `repo` scope (`admin:org` if you manage org-internal settings). **No token is stored in
-this module or in git.** Export it before running:
+least `repo` scope. **`admin:org` is required** to manage the `default_team` grant (and any
+org-internal settings); without it `plan` succeeds but `apply` fails on the team grant. **No
+token is stored in this module or in git.** Export it before running:
 
 ```bash
 export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_...
@@ -31,11 +39,13 @@ export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_...
 
 ## Inputs
 
-| Name           | Type          | Default        | Description                                                        |
-| -------------- | ------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
-| `global`       | object        | —              | Env-wide context. Accepted for convention only; **unused** here.   |
-| `github_owner` | string        | `officialdad`  | The GitHub org (or user) the provider operates on.                 |
-| `repositories` | map(object)   | `{}`           | Repositories to manage, keyed by repo name (see shape below).      |
+| Name                      | Type        | Default       | Description                                                        |
+| ------------------------- | ----------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `global`                  | object      | —             | Env-wide context. Accepted for convention only; **unused** here.   |
+| `github_owner`            | string      | `officialdad` | The GitHub org (or user) the provider operates on.                 |
+| `default_team`            | string      | `engineers`   | Team slug granted to every repo by default; `""` disables.         |
+| `default_team_permission` | string      | `push`        | Default team's access: `pull`/`triage`/`push`/`maintain`/`admin`.  |
+| `repositories`            | map(object) | `{}`          | Repositories to manage, keyed by repo name (see shape below).      |
 
 ### `repositories` entry shape
 
@@ -48,6 +58,8 @@ repositories = {
     default_branch = "main"
     has_issues     = true
 
+    delete_branch_on_merge = true   # auto-delete head branch on merge (default true)
+
     # Omit this block entirely to leave the branch unprotected.
     branch_protection = {
       required_approving_review_count = 1
@@ -60,10 +72,11 @@ repositories = {
 
 ## Outputs
 
-| Name               | Description                                  |
-| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
-| `repository_names` | Map of key → full name (`owner/repo`).       |
-| `repository_urls`  | Map of key → HTML URL.                        |
+| Name               | Description                                            |
+| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
+| `repository_names` | Map of key → full name (`owner/repo`).                |
+| `repository_urls`  | Map of key → HTML URL.                                |
+| `team_grants`      | Map of key → `"team:permission"` from `default_team`. |
 
 ## Managing repos that already exist
 
diff --git a/github/terraform/main.tf b/github/terraform/main.tf
index 48c4faf..33eb7a8 100644
--- a/github/terraform/main.tf
+++ b/github/terraform/main.tf
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ provider "github" {
 resource "github_repository" "this" {
   for_each = var.repositories
 
-  name        = each.key
-  description = each.value.description
-  visibility  = each.value.visibility
-  topics      = each.value.topics
-  has_issues  = each.value.has_issues
+  name                   = each.key
+  description            = each.value.description
+  visibility             = each.value.visibility
+  topics                 = each.value.topics
+  has_issues             = each.value.has_issues
+  delete_branch_on_merge = each.value.delete_branch_on_merge
 
   # Give a newly-created repo an initial commit + default branch so the branch_default and
   # branch_protection resources below have something to point at. No-op on imported repos.
@@ -55,3 +56,14 @@ resource "github_branch_protection" "this" {
     }
   }
 }
+
+# Grants the org-wide default team access to every managed repo. Fanned out over the same
+# repositories map. The whole block is skipped when var.default_team is empty, so the
+# component still works in orgs that don't use a default team.
+resource "github_team_repository" "default" {
+  for_each = var.default_team == "" ? {} : var.repositories
+
+  team_id    = var.default_team
+  repository = github_repository.this[each.key].name
+  permission = var.default_team_permission
+}
diff --git a/github/terraform/outputs.tf b/github/terraform/outputs.tf
index a0c1554..87611b4 100644
--- a/github/terraform/outputs.tf
+++ b/github/terraform/outputs.tf
@@ -7,3 +7,8 @@ output "repository_urls" {
   value       = { for k, r in github_repository.this : k => r.html_url }
   description = "Map of repository key -> HTML URL."
 }
+
+output "team_grants" {
+  value       = { for k, g in github_team_repository.default : k => "${var.default_team}:${g.permission}" }
+  description = "Map of repository key -> \"team:permission\" granted by the default team."
+}
diff --git a/github/terraform/variables.tf b/github/terraform/variables.tf
index 5f7642e..a81d7df 100644
--- a/github/terraform/variables.tf
+++ b/github/terraform/variables.tf
@@ -4,13 +4,31 @@ variable "github_owner" {
   default     = "officialdad"
 }
 
+variable "default_team" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Team slug granted access to every managed repo by default. Empty string disables the default grant. The team must already exist in the org."
+  default     = "engineers"
+}
+
+variable "default_team_permission" {
+  type        = string
+  description = "Permission the default team receives on each repo."
+  default     = "push"
+
+  validation {
+    condition     = contains(["pull", "triage", "push", "maintain", "admin"], var.default_team_permission)
+    error_message = "default_team_permission must be one of: pull, triage, push, maintain, admin."
+  }
+}
+
 variable "repositories" {
   type = map(object({
-    description    = optional(string, "")
-    visibility     = optional(string, "private")
-    topics         = optional(list(string), [])
-    default_branch = optional(string, "main")
-    has_issues     = optional(bool, true)
+    description            = optional(string, "")
+    visibility             = optional(string, "private")
+    topics                 = optional(list(string), [])
+    default_branch         = optional(string, "main")
+    has_issues             = optional(bool, true)
+    delete_branch_on_merge = optional(bool, true)
     branch_protection = optional(object({
       required_approving_review_count = optional(number, 1)
       required_status_checks          = optional(list(string), [])