diff --git a/MAINTENANCE.md b/MAINTENANCE.md
index 256f105..09a837c 100644
--- a/MAINTENANCE.md
+++ b/MAINTENANCE.md
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@
 All contributions should be made via a pull request. This is to ensure a
 certain quality and consistency, that others can rely on.
 
+## Roles
+
+We differentiate between two roles:
+
+- **Maintainers** take responsibility for the recipe. They are listed in the
+  [README.md](./README.md), are members of the
+  [traefik maintainers team](https://git.coopcloud.tech/org/coop-cloud/teams/traefik-maintainers)
+  and fulfil the responsibilities described below.
+- **Contributors with merge access** Trusted people can open pull requests and merge them
+  themselves in the cases described in [Pull Requests](#pull-requests).
+  They are listed in the [README.md](./README.md).
+
+Being allowed to merge a pull request does not make somebody a maintainer.
+
 ## Maintainer Responsibilities
 
 A recipe maintainer has the following responsibilities:
@@ -11,22 +25,74 @@ A recipe maintainer has the following responsibilities:
 - Make image security updates within a week
 - Make image major updates every three months
 
-In order to fullfill these responsibilities a recipe maintainer:
+In order to fulfill these responsibilities a recipe maintainer:
 
 - Has to watch the repository (to get notifications)
 - Needs to make sure renovate is configured properly
 
 ## Pull Requests
 
-A pull request can be merged if it is approved by at least one maintainer. For
-pull requests opened by a maintainer they need to be approved by another
-maintainer. Even though it is okay to merge a pull request with one approval, it
-is always better if all maintainers looked at the pull request and approved it.
+As a rule, a pull request can be merged once it has been approved by at least
+one maintainer other than its author. The exceptions below exist so that
+security fixes and routine updates don't get stuck waiting for a review.
+
+| Type of change | Approval needed |
+| --- | --- |
+| Security fix | No, can be merged immediately |
+| Regular update | No, after a review window of about one week |
+| Feature, extension or change of the default configuration | Yes, always |
+| Small change that can't break the recipe | No |
+
+### Security fixes
+
+If a pull request contains a relevant security fix, the person who opened it is
+allowed to merge it directly, without approval and without waiting.
+
+The same applies to a pull request that fixes an update which contains a
+security fix: if a version bump can't be merged as it is, because the new
+version needs changes to the configuration, then the pull request that
+makes that update work can be merged directly as well. Otherwise a broken
+update would block a security fix.
+
+Keep these pull requests as small as possible, so they contain nothing but what
+is needed to get the fix out.
+
+### Regular updates
+
+If a pull request rolls out a regular update, there is a time window of about
+one week for other maintainers to review it and to request changes. If no other
+maintainer is available within this time window, the person who opened it is
+allowed to merge it without approval.
+
+### Features, extensions and default configuration
+
+Any pull request that adds a feature or an extension, or changes the default
+configuration, needs an approval, no matter who opened it. These are the
+changes most likely to break existing deployments.
+
+### Small changes
+
+Small changes that definitely won't break the recipe can be merged without
+approval, for example:
+
+- a new environment variable that is commented out by default
+- a new `abra.sh` function
+- changes to the [README.md](./README.md)
+- writing new tests
+- configuring renovate
+
+If a pull request falls into more than one of these categories, the stricter
+rule applies. If you are unsure which category a pull request belongs to, ask
+for an approval.
+
+Even though it is okay to merge a pull request with a single approval, it is
+always better if all maintainers looked at the pull request and approved it.
 
 ## Become a maintainer
 
 Everyone can apply to be a recipe maintainer:
+
 1. Watch the repository to always get updates
 2. Simply add your self to the list in the [README.md](./README.md) and open a new pull request with the change.
 3. Once the pull request gets merged you will be added to the [traefik maintainers team](https://git.coopcloud.tech/org/coop-cloud/teams/traefik-maintainers).
-4. Join the room [#cc-|-traefik-maintenance:matrix.org](#cc-|-traefik-maintenance:matrix.org) and chat to other maintainers.
+4. Join the room [#cc-|-traefik-maintenance:matrix.org](https://matrix.to/#/%23cc-%7C-traefik-maintenance:matrix.org) and chat to other maintainers.