diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/link_preview.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/link_preview.rs
index e2d78f3099..ce255c2f5e 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/link_preview.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/link_preview.rs
@@ -103,9 +103,14 @@ pub async fn fetch_github_pull_request(
         .send()
         .await
         .map_err(|error| format!("github request failed: {error}"))?;
-    if !response.status().is_success() {
+    if response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
         return Ok(None);
     }
+    if !response.status().is_success() {
+        // Rate limits and transient failures must NOT read as "no data" —
+        // the UI keeps its last good snapshot on error.
+        return Err(format!("github request failed: {}", response.status()));
+    }
 
     let body: serde_json::Value = response
         .json()
@@ -167,9 +172,14 @@ pub async fn fetch_github_check_summary(
         .send()
         .await
         .map_err(|error| format!("github request failed: {error}"))?;
-    if !response.status().is_success() {
+    if response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
         return Ok(None);
     }
+    if !response.status().is_success() {
+        // Rate limits and transient failures must NOT read as "no data" —
+        // the UI keeps its last good snapshot on error.
+        return Err(format!("github request failed: {}", response.status()));
+    }
 
     let body: serde_json::Value = response
         .json()
@@ -249,9 +259,12 @@ pub async fn fetch_github_pr_comment_state(
         .send()
         .await
         .map_err(|error| format!("github request failed: {error}"))?;
-    if !pr_response.status().is_success() {
+    if pr_response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
         return Ok(None);
     }
+    if !pr_response.status().is_success() {
+        return Err(format!("github request failed: {}", pr_response.status()));
+    }
     let pr: serde_json::Value = pr_response
         .json()
         .await
@@ -264,9 +277,15 @@ pub async fn fetch_github_pr_comment_state(
     .send()
     .await
     .map_err(|error| format!("github request failed: {error}"))?;
-    if !comments_response.status().is_success() {
+    if comments_response.status() == reqwest::StatusCode::NOT_FOUND {
         return Ok(None);
     }
+    if !comments_response.status().is_success() {
+        return Err(format!(
+            "github request failed: {}",
+            comments_response.status()
+        ));
+    }
     let comments: serde_json::Value = comments_response
         .json()
         .await
@@ -417,12 +436,34 @@ fn parse_github_remote(remote: &str) -> Option<(String, String)> {
 }
 
 fn ambient_github_token() -> Option<String> {
-    ["GITHUB_TOKEN", "GH_TOKEN"].iter().find_map(|name| {
-        std::env::var(name)
-            .ok()
-            .map(|value| value.trim().to_string())
-            .filter(|value| !value.is_empty())
-    })
+    static TOKEN: std::sync::OnceLock<Option<String>> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+    TOKEN
+        .get_or_init(|| {
+            let env_token = ["GITHUB_TOKEN", "GH_TOKEN"].iter().find_map(|name| {
+                std::env::var(name)
+                    .ok()
+                    .map(|value| value.trim().to_string())
+                    .filter(|value| !value.is_empty())
+            });
+            if env_token.is_some() {
+                return env_token;
+            }
+            // Desktop apps rarely inherit a token env (launched from Finder or
+            // a clean shell), but the gh CLI credential is usually present —
+            // without it the anonymous 60 req/h limit starves the PR monitor
+            // within minutes. Resolved once per process.
+            let output = std::process::Command::new("gh")
+                .args(["auth", "token"])
+                .stdin(std::process::Stdio::null())
+                .output()
+                .ok()?;
+            if !output.status.success() {
+                return None;
+            }
+            let token = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout).trim().to_string();
+            (!token.is_empty()).then_some(token)
+        })
+        .clone()
 }
 
 fn is_valid_github_name(value: &str) -> bool {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/chats/ui/ChatWorkPanel.tsx b/desktop/src/features/chats/ui/ChatWorkPanel.tsx
index 2c1d688a3e..23f2d774d3 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/chats/ui/ChatWorkPanel.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/chats/ui/ChatWorkPanel.tsx
@@ -55,23 +55,32 @@ export function ChatWorkPanel({
   projectPath?: string | null;
 }) {
   // No PR link in the chat yet? Discover it from the branch via the
-  // project's git remote (agents don't always paste the URL).
+  // project's git remote (agents don't always paste the URL). All GitHub
+  // polling pauses while the drawer is closed — a hidden panel burning the
+  // API rate limit is how the monitor went stale-empty.
+  const automation = useChatWorkAutomation(chatId);
+  // Armed automation keeps watching with the drawer closed; otherwise a
+  // hidden panel stops polling entirely.
+  const monitorActive =
+    open || automation.autoFixCi || automation.addressComments;
   const discoveredPrQuery = useGithubPrForBranchQuery(
-    prHref ? null : projectPath,
+    monitorActive && !prHref ? projectPath : null,
     branch,
   );
   const effectiveHref = prHref ?? discoveredPrQuery.data ?? null;
   const preview = effectiveHref
     ? parseSupportedLinkPreview(effectiveHref)
     : null;
-  const ref = effectiveHref ? parseGithubPullRequestRef(effectiveHref) : null;
+  const parsedRef = effectiveHref
+    ? parseGithubPullRequestRef(effectiveHref)
+    : null;
+  const ref = monitorActive ? parsedRef : null;
   const prQuery = useGithubPullRequestQuery(ref);
   const pr = prQuery.data ?? null;
   const checksQuery = useGithubCheckSummaryQuery(ref, pr?.headSha);
   const checks = checksQuery.data ?? null;
   const commentStateQuery = useGithubCommentStateQuery(ref);
   const openThreads = commentStateQuery.data?.openThreads ?? 0;
-  const automation = useChatWorkAutomation(chatId);
   // Live activity wins over the PR's head ref: the agent may have moved to a
   // new worktree since opening the PR, and activity updates immediately.
   const currentBranch = branch?.trim() || pr?.headRef?.trim() || null;