diff --git a/internal/cli/mint.go b/internal/cli/mint.go
index afab56d3c4..f8f2989718 100644
--- a/internal/cli/mint.go
+++ b/internal/cli/mint.go
@@ -155,7 +155,9 @@ var githubAPIBaseURL = "https://api.github.com"
 var githubHTTPClient = &http.Client{Timeout: 30 * time.Second}
 
 // lookupAppID fetches the numeric app ID for a public GitHub App by slug.
-// It makes an unauthenticated GET request to the GitHub API.
+// When GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN is set in the environment, the request is
+// authenticated (5,000 requests/hour). Otherwise it falls back to an
+// unauthenticated request (60 requests/hour, shared by source IP).
 func lookupAppID(ctx context.Context, slug string) (int, error) {
 	url := githubAPIBaseURL + "/apps/" + url.PathEscape(slug)
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, url, nil)
@@ -164,6 +166,16 @@ func lookupAppID(ctx context.Context, slug string) (int, error) {
 	}
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/vnd.github+json")
 
+	// Authenticate if a token is available, lifting the rate limit from
+	// 60/hour (unauthenticated, shared by IP) to 5,000/hour.
+	token := os.Getenv("GH_TOKEN")
+	if token == "" {
+		token = os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
+	}
+	if token != "" {
+		req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token)
+	}
+
 	resp, err := githubHTTPClient.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("looking up app %s: %w", slug, err)
@@ -177,7 +189,10 @@ func lookupAppID(ctx context.Context, slug string) (int, error) {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("GitHub App %q not found — ensure the app exists and is publicly visible", slug)
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusForbidden || resp.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("GitHub API rate limit exceeded for app %s — unauthenticated requests are limited to 60/hour; try again later", slug)
+		if token != "" {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("GitHub API rate limit exceeded for app %s — try again later", slug)
+		}
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("GitHub API rate limit exceeded for app %s — unauthenticated requests are limited to 60/hour; set GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN and try again", slug)
 	}
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("GitHub API returned %d for app %s", resp.StatusCode, slug)
diff --git a/internal/cli/mint_test.go b/internal/cli/mint_test.go
index c461283c18..5c0dfb229d 100644
--- a/internal/cli/mint_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/mint_test.go
@@ -2286,8 +2286,12 @@ func TestMintDeployCmd_NoWarningForCorrectPlatformFlags(t *testing.T) {
 // --- lookupAppID tests ---
 
 func TestLookupAppID_Success(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("GH_TOKEN", "")
+	t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "")
+
 	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		assert.Equal(t, "/apps/fullsend-ai-coder", r.URL.Path)
+		assert.Empty(t, r.Header.Get("Authorization"), "unauthenticated request should have no Authorization header")
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, `{"id": 12345, "slug": "fullsend-ai-coder", "client_id": "Iv1.abc123"}`)
 	}))
@@ -2358,6 +2362,9 @@ func TestLookupAppID_RateLimit(t *testing.T) {
 		{"TooManyRequests", http.StatusTooManyRequests},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("GH_TOKEN", "")
+			t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "")
+
 			srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
 				w.WriteHeader(tc.code)
 			}))
@@ -2370,10 +2377,92 @@ func TestLookupAppID_RateLimit(t *testing.T) {
 			_, err := lookupAppID(context.Background(), "some-app")
 			require.Error(t, err)
 			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "rate limit")
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "set GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN")
 		})
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLookupAppID_AuthenticatedWithGHToken(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("GH_TOKEN", "ghp_test_token_123")
+	t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "")
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		assert.Equal(t, "Bearer ghp_test_token_123", r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, `{"id": 99}`)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	orig := githubAPIBaseURL
+	githubAPIBaseURL = srv.URL
+	defer func() { githubAPIBaseURL = orig }()
+
+	appID, err := lookupAppID(context.Background(), "test-app")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 99, appID)
+}
+
+func TestLookupAppID_AuthenticatedWithGITHUBToken(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("GH_TOKEN", "")
+	t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "ghs_fallback_token")
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		assert.Equal(t, "Bearer ghs_fallback_token", r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, `{"id": 77}`)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	orig := githubAPIBaseURL
+	githubAPIBaseURL = srv.URL
+	defer func() { githubAPIBaseURL = orig }()
+
+	appID, err := lookupAppID(context.Background(), "test-app")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 77, appID)
+}
+
+func TestLookupAppID_GHTokenTakesPrecedence(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("GH_TOKEN", "ghp_primary")
+	t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "ghs_secondary")
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		assert.Equal(t, "Bearer ghp_primary", r.Header.Get("Authorization"),
+			"GH_TOKEN should take precedence over GITHUB_TOKEN")
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, `{"id": 55}`)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	orig := githubAPIBaseURL
+	githubAPIBaseURL = srv.URL
+	defer func() { githubAPIBaseURL = orig }()
+
+	appID, err := lookupAppID(context.Background(), "test-app")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 55, appID)
+}
+
+func TestLookupAppID_RateLimitAuthenticated(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("GH_TOKEN", "ghp_some_token")
+	t.Setenv("GITHUB_TOKEN", "")
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusTooManyRequests)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	orig := githubAPIBaseURL
+	githubAPIBaseURL = srv.URL
+	defer func() { githubAPIBaseURL = orig }()
+
+	_, err := lookupAppID(context.Background(), "some-app")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "rate limit")
+	assert.NotContains(t, err.Error(), "set GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN",
+		"authenticated rate limit error should not suggest setting a token")
+}
+
 // --- verifyPEMMatchesApp tests ---
 
 func TestVerifyPEMMatchesApp_Success(t *testing.T) {