diff --git a/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/CODEOWNERS b/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/CODEOWNERS
index f6961cac2..37403088c 100644
--- a/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@
 {% if 'codeowner_team' in metadata['repo'] %}
 # The {{ metadata['repo']['codeowner_team'] }} is the default owner for changes in this repo
 *                       @googleapis/yoshi-java {{ metadata['repo']['codeowner_team'] }}
+{% if 'library_type' in metadata['repo'] and metadata['repo']['library_type'] != 'GAPIC_AUTO' %}
+# for handwritten libraries, keep codeowner_team in .repo-metadata.json as owner
 **/*.java               {{ metadata['repo']['codeowner_team'] }}
+{% endif %}
 {% else %}
 *                       @googleapis/yoshi-java
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/sync-repo-settings.yaml b/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/sync-repo-settings.yaml
index a5a31c42b..72acb9d8f 100644
--- a/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/sync-repo-settings.yaml
+++ b/synthtool/gcp/templates/java_library/.github/sync-repo-settings.yaml
@@ -58,3 +58,6 @@ permissionRules:
   permission: admin
 - team: yoshi-java
   permission: push
+- team: java-samples-reviewers
+  permission: push
+