diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs b/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs
index 8cd2ec63..eb70eaa5 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/bin/hivectl.rs
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 agent,
                 token,
                 token_stdin,
-            } => github_set_token(&agent, token, token_stdin).await,
+            } => github_set_token(&socket, &agent, token, token_stdin).await,
         },
         Cmd::Gateway { cmd } => match cmd {
             GatewayCmd::CreateUser {
@@ -1234,7 +1234,15 @@ fn choom(name: &str, resume_session: Option<&str>) -> Result<()> {
 /// into the agent's `github-token` state file (0600, agent-owned) via
 /// hive-priv, so the agent's `gh` wrapper + git credential helper can
 /// authenticate. Read live at invocation, so no rebuild/restart is needed.
-async fn github_set_token(agent: &str, token: Option<String>, token_stdin: bool) -> Result<()> {
+async fn github_set_token(
+    socket: &Path,
+    agent: &str,
+    token: Option<String>,
+    token_stdin: bool,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    // Resolve + validate the token client-side (inline flag or stdin read);
+    // the daemon never touches this process's stdin. Persistence happens
+    // daemon-side via the privileged helper.
     let token = match (token, token_stdin) {
         (Some(t), _) => t,
         (None, true) => {
@@ -1250,12 +1258,15 @@ async fn github_set_token(agent: &str, token: Option<String>, token_stdin: bool)
     if token.is_empty() {
         bail!("refusing to write an empty GitHub token for agent '{agent}'");
     }
-    hive_c0re::priv_client::write_agent_github_token(agent, &token).await?;
-    println!(
-        "wrote github-token for agent '{agent}' \
-         (read live by the gh wrapper / git credential helper — no rebuild needed)"
-    );
-    Ok(())
+    daemon_request(
+        socket,
+        hive_host_sock::HostRequest::SetAgentGithubToken {
+            agent: agent.to_owned(),
+            token,
+        },
+        "github",
+    )
+    .await
 }
 
 async fn forge_create_user(
@@ -1269,26 +1280,31 @@ async fn forge_create_user(
     // agent-vs-operator branch, and token persistence now live in the
     // daemon handler.
     let password = resolve_password(password, password_stdin)?;
-    forge_request(
+    daemon_request(
         socket,
         hive_host_sock::HostRequest::ForgeCreateUser {
             name: name.to_owned(),
             password,
         },
+        "forge",
     )
     .await
 }
 
-/// Send a forge provisioning request to the daemon and print its result
-/// lines. Mirrors [`matrix_request`] — the daemon owns the provisioning
-/// logic; hivectl just relays the outcome.
-async fn forge_request(socket: &Path, req: hive_host_sock::HostRequest) -> Result<()> {
+/// Send a provisioning request to the daemon and print its result lines.
+/// The daemon owns the provisioning logic; hivectl just relays the outcome,
+/// prefixing any error with `label` (e.g. `forge` / `github`).
+async fn daemon_request(
+    socket: &Path,
+    req: hive_host_sock::HostRequest,
+    label: &str,
+) -> Result<()> {
     let resp = hive_c0re::client::request(socket, req)
         .await
         .with_context(|| format!("connect to daemon socket {}", socket.display()))?;
     if !resp.ok {
         bail!(
-            "forge: {}",
+            "{label}: {}",
             resp.error.as_deref().unwrap_or("unknown error")
         );
     }
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
index baafde31..8a184039 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ async fn dispatch(req: &HostRequest, coord: Arc<Coordinator>) -> HostResponse {
             HostRequest::ForgeCreateUser { name, password } => {
                 handle_forge_create_user(name, password.as_deref()).await?
             }
+            HostRequest::SetAgentGithubToken { agent, token } => {
+                handle_set_agent_github_token(agent, token).await?
+            }
         })
     }
     .await;
@@ -395,6 +398,16 @@ async fn handle_forge_create_user(name: &str, password: Option<&str>) -> Result<
     Ok(HostResponse::messages(out))
 }
 
+async fn handle_set_agent_github_token(agent: &str, token: &str) -> Result<HostResponse> {
+    crate::priv_client::write_agent_github_token(agent, token)
+        .await
+        .with_context(|| format!("write github-token for agent {agent}"))?;
+    Ok(HostResponse::messages(vec![format!(
+        "wrote github-token for agent '{agent}' \
+         (read live by the gh wrapper / git credential helper — no rebuild needed)"
+    )]))
+}
+
 async fn handle_matrix_sync_admin() -> Result<HostResponse> {
     require_matrix_present().await?;
     let register_token =
diff --git a/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs b/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
index a375505f..1f55db5e 100644
--- a/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
+++ b/hive-host-sock/src/lib.rs
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ pub enum HostRequest {
         #[serde(default)]
         password: Option<String>,
     },
+    /// Write (or overwrite) an agent's GitHub PAT under its state dir, via
+    /// the privileged helper. Daemon-side equivalent of `hivectl github
+    /// set-token`. `token` is resolved + non-empty-validated client-side
+    /// (inline flag or stdin); the daemon just persists it. Read live by
+    /// the agent's `gh` wrapper / git credential helper — no rebuild needed.
+    SetAgentGithubToken { agent: String, token: String },
 }
 
 /// Selects which container classes a hive-wide [`HostRequest::Stop`] /