diff --git a/backend/cmd/generate/main.go b/backend/cmd/generate/main.go
index 3c5541fc..e37e33cc 100644
--- a/backend/cmd/generate/main.go
+++ b/backend/cmd/generate/main.go
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	backendFactory, err := factory.New(mainLogger)
+	ghToken := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
+	backendFactory, err := factory.New(mainLogger, ghToken)
 	if err != nil {
 		mainLogger.Error(ctx, err.Error())
 		os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/backend/internal/e2e_test.go b/backend/internal/e2e_test.go
index e56fbf5a..8bbd5a29 100644
--- a/backend/internal/e2e_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/e2e_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestE2E(t *testing.T) {
 		Region:     aws.Region(),
 	}
 
-	backendFactory := tofutestutils.Must2(factory.New(log))
+	backendFactory := tofutestutils.Must2(factory.New(log, ""))
 	binaryName := "tofu"
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		binaryName += ".exe"
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestE2EDoubleRun(t *testing.T) {
 		Region:     aws.Region(),
 	}
 
-	backendFactory := tofutestutils.Must2(factory.New(log))
+	backendFactory := tofutestutils.Must2(factory.New(log, ""))
 	binaryName := "tofu"
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		binaryName += ".exe"
diff --git a/backend/internal/factory/factory.go b/backend/internal/factory/factory.go
index 9769817e..a9dfdf4d 100644
--- a/backend/internal/factory/factory.go
+++ b/backend/internal/factory/factory.go
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ type S3Parameters struct {
 	Region     string
 }
 
-func New(log logger.Logger) (BackendFactory, error) {
+func New(log logger.Logger, githubToken string) (BackendFactory, error) {
 	return &backendFactory{
-		logger: log,
+		logger:      log,
+		githubToken: githubToken,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ type BackendFactory interface {
 }
 
 type backendFactory struct {
-	logger logger.Logger
+	logger      logger.Logger
+	githubToken string
 }
 
 func (b backendFactory) Create(
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ func (b backendFactory) Create(
 	tofuBinaryPath string,
 	approvedLicenses []string,
 ) (internal.Backend, error) {
-	return getBackend(ctx, b.logger, registryDir, workDir, destinationDir, blocklist, s3Params, parallelism, tofuBinaryPath, approvedLicenses)
+	return getBackend(ctx, b.logger, registryDir, workDir, destinationDir, blocklist, s3Params, parallelism, tofuBinaryPath, approvedLicenses, b.githubToken)
 }
 
 func getBackend(
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ func getBackend(
 	parallelism int,
 	tofuBinaryPath string,
 	approvedLicenses []string,
+	githubToken string,
 ) (internal.Backend, error) {
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(workDir, 0700); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create workdir %s (%w)", workDir, err)
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ func getBackend(
 		github.WithSkipCleanupWorkingCopyOnClose(true),
 		github.WithCheckoutRootDirectory(workDir),
 		github.WithLogger(log),
+		github.WithToken(githubToken),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err