diff --git a/reachpad/src/api.rs b/reachpad/src/api.rs
index 6f70502..e6973c4 100644
--- a/reachpad/src/api.rs
+++ b/reachpad/src/api.rs
@@ -1200,11 +1200,12 @@ impl Client {
     pub async fn fork(
         &self,
         workspace: &str,
-        biscuit_b64: &str,
+        auth: Auth<'_>,
         snapshot_id: Option<&str>,
         name: Option<&str>,
     ) -> Result<Forked, ApiError> {
-        let mut req = json!({ "biscuit": biscuit_b64 });
+        let (bearer, biscuit) = auth.split();
+        let mut req = json!({ "biscuit": biscuit.unwrap_or_default() });
         if let Some(id) = snapshot_id {
             req["snapshot_id"] = json!(id);
         }
@@ -1212,9 +1213,10 @@ impl Client {
             req["name"] = json!(n);
         }
         let body = self
-            .post(
+            .post_auth(
                 &format!("/v1/workspaces/{}/fork", encode_segment(workspace)),
                 req,
+                bearer,
             )
             .await?;
         Ok(Forked {
diff --git a/reachpad/src/cli.rs b/reachpad/src/cli.rs
index 8672304..ae8b112 100644
--- a/reachpad/src/cli.rs
+++ b/reachpad/src/cli.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ pub struct Cli {
 
     /// An API key (`rpak1.…`) instead of your saved credential, for the verbs
     /// that act on ONE workspace: `status`, `run`, `pause`, `fork`, `archive`,
-    /// `events`, `ports`.
+    /// `events`, `ports`. `fork` takes an ACCOUNT-WIDE key only (one minted
+    /// with no `--workspace` scope): a scoped key's children would be born
+    /// outside its scope, so the fleet refuses them.
     ///
     /// Account-wide verbs — `list`, `budget`, `keys`, `auth` — need your own
     /// credential. They REFUSE a key rather than quietly falling back to
diff --git a/reachpad/src/commands.rs b/reachpad/src/commands.rs
index d92c1e4..085de38 100644
--- a/reachpad/src/commands.rs
+++ b/reachpad/src/commands.rs
@@ -1186,8 +1186,10 @@ async fn fork(
             "--name names one workspace; with --count the server names them.",
         ));
     }
-    let biscuit = ctx.biscuit(&workspace).await?;
-    let held = Held::Biscuit(biscuit);
+    // Either carrier: `--api-key` when one was passed (documented for fork
+    // since v1, silently ignored until 2026-08-31), the workspace's own
+    // token otherwise.
+    let held = ctx.authority(&workspace).await?;
     let client = ctx.client();
 
     // ONE snapshot for all N children: resolved here, so a fan-out cannot
@@ -1204,11 +1206,13 @@ async fn fork(
     let mut children = Vec::new();
     let mut rows = Vec::new();
     for _ in 0..count {
-        let Held::Biscuit(biscuit) = &held else {
-            unreachable!("fork presents the workspace's own token");
-        };
         let forked = match client
-            .fork(&workspace, biscuit, snapshot.as_deref(), name.as_deref())
+            .fork(
+                &workspace,
+                held.auth(),
+                snapshot.as_deref(),
+                name.as_deref(),
+            )
             .await
         {
             Ok(forked) => forked,
diff --git a/reachpad/src/errors.rs b/reachpad/src/errors.rs
index 3c77a4e..5432281 100644
--- a/reachpad/src/errors.rs
+++ b/reachpad/src/errors.rs
@@ -348,6 +348,15 @@ pub const TABLE: &[Row] = &[
         exit_code: EXIT_CREDENTIAL,
         retriable: Retriable::No,
     },
+    Row {
+        code: "api_key_scoped_cannot_fork",
+        selector: None,
+        sentence: "A workspace-scoped key cannot fork: the child would be outside its scope. Mint an account-wide key (`reachpad keys mint` with no `--workspace`) or use your signed-in credential.",
+        numbers: None,
+        next_command: Some("reachpad keys mint"),
+        exit_code: EXIT_CREDENTIAL,
+        retriable: Retriable::No,
+    },
     Row {
         code: "api_key_lookup_failed",
         selector: None,