diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4fe4657..5995929 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Advanced usage with some custom configuration:
     command: .restart # can be anything you want (example)
     reaction: "eyes"
     allowed_contexts: "pull_request,issue"
-    permissions: "maintain,admin"
+    permissions: "write,admin"
     allowlist: monalisa
 ```
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ As seen above, we have a single example step. Perhaps you would actually use a r
 | `success_reaction` | `true` | `+1` | The reaction to add to the comment that triggered the Action if its execution was successful |
 | `failure_reaction` | `true` | `-1` | The reaction to add to the comment that triggered the Action if its execution failed |
 | `allowed_contexts` | `true` | `pull_request` | A comma separated list of comment contexts that are allowed to trigger this IssueOps command. Pull requests and issues are the only currently supported contexts. To allow IssueOps commands to be invoked from both PRs and issues, set this option to the following: `"pull_request,issue"`. By default, the only place this Action will allow IssueOps commands from is pull requests |
-| `permissions` | `true` | `"write,maintain,admin"` | The allowed GitHub permissions an actor can have to invoke IssueOps commands |
+| `permissions` | `true` | `"write,admin"` | The allowed GitHub permissions an actor can have to invoke IssueOps commands |
 | `allow_drafts` | `true` | `"false"` | Whether or not to allow this IssueOps command to be run on draft pull requests |
 | `allow_forks` | `true` | `"false"` | Whether or not to allow this IssueOps command to be run on forked pull requests |
 | `skip_ci` | `true` | `"false"` | Whether or not to require passing CI checks before this IssueOps command can be run |
diff --git a/__tests__/functions/prechecks.test.js b/__tests__/functions/prechecks.test.js
index 48e433b..ec921fd 100644
--- a/__tests__/functions/prechecks.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/functions/prechecks.test.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   jest.spyOn(core, 'debug').mockImplementation(() => {})
   jest.spyOn(core, 'warning').mockImplementation(() => {})
   jest.spyOn(core, 'setOutput').mockImplementation(() => {})
-  process.env.INPUT_PERMISSIONS = 'admin,write,maintain'
+  process.env.INPUT_PERMISSIONS = 'admin,write'
 
   jest.spyOn(validPermissions, 'validPermissions').mockImplementation(() => {
     return true
diff --git a/__tests__/functions/valid-permissions.test.js b/__tests__/functions/valid-permissions.test.js
index 263c4ba..d9cffd7 100644
--- a/__tests__/functions/valid-permissions.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/functions/valid-permissions.test.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ var context
 beforeEach(() => {
   jest.clearAllMocks()
   jest.spyOn(core, 'setOutput').mockImplementation(() => {})
-  process.env.INPUT_PERMISSIONS = 'write,maintain,admin'
+  process.env.INPUT_PERMISSIONS = 'write,admin'
 
   context = {
     actor: 'monalisa'
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ test('determines that a user has does not valid permissions to invoke the Action
     })
 
   expect(await validPermissions(octokit, context)).toEqual(
-    '👋 __monalisa__, seems as if you have not write/maintain/admin permissions in this repo, permissions: read'
+    '👋 __monalisa__, seems as if you have not write/admin permissions in this repo, permissions: read'
   )
   expect(setOutputMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith('actor', 'monalisa')
 })
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 3532bc3..4e655ed 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ inputs:
     required: true
     default: "pull_request"
   permissions:
-    description: 'The allowed GitHub permissions an actor can have to invoke IssueOps commands - Example: "write,maintain,admin"'
+    description: 'The allowed GitHub permissions an actor can have to invoke IssueOps commands - Example: "write,admin"'
     required: true
-    default: "write,maintain,admin"
+    default: "write,admin"
   allow_drafts:
     description: 'Whether or not to allow this IssueOps command to be run on draft pull requests'
     required: true