diff --git a/lib/platform/github/index.js b/lib/platform/github/index.js
index 29f37f1947972f00483d28f49c43abb63db0ce79..91be8936dc704bfac4433ad69a1d68661a40ed4d 100644
--- a/lib/platform/github/index.js
+++ b/lib/platform/github/index.js
@@ -581,16 +581,22 @@ async function createPr(branchName, title, body, labels, useDefaultBranch) {
   const base = useDefaultBranch ? config.defaultBranch : config.baseBranch;
   // Include the repository owner to handle forkMode and regular mode
   const head = `${config.repoName.split('/')[0]}:${branchName}`;
+  const options = {
+    body: {
+      title,
+      head,
+      base,
+      body,
+    },
+  };
+  // istanbul ignore if
+  if (config.forkToken) {
+    options.token = config.forkToken;
+  }
+  logger.debug({ title, head, base }, 'Creating PR');
   const pr = (await get.post(
     `repos/${config.parentRepo || config.repoName}/pulls`,
-    {
-      body: {
-        title,
-        head,
-        base,
-        body,
-      },
-    }
+    options
   )).body;
   pr.displayNumber = `Pull Request #${pr.number}`;
   await addLabels(pr.number, labels);
@@ -685,11 +691,16 @@ async function updatePr(prNo, title, body) {
   if (body) {
     patchBody.body = body;
   }
+  const options = {
+    body: patchBody,
+  };
+  // istanbul ignore if
+  if (config.forkToken) {
+    options.token = config.forkToken;
+  }
   await get.patch(
     `repos/${config.parentRepo || config.repoName}/pulls/${prNo}`,
-    {
-      body: patchBody,
-    }
+    options
   );
 }