diff --git a/internal/hop/docs_test.go b/internal/hop/docs_test.go
index 1efb256..217e99b 100644
--- a/internal/hop/docs_test.go
+++ b/internal/hop/docs_test.go
@@ -83,3 +83,25 @@ func TestDistributionDoesNotRequireGiteaActions(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("release checklist still depends on a Gitea Actions workflow")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestReleaseWorkflowRequiresPreProvisionedCredential(t *testing.T) {
+	root := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join("..", ".."))
+	script, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "scripts", "release-local.sh"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(script), "pre-existing scoped GITEA_TOKEN") {
+		t.Fatal("release script does not require a pre-provisioned credential")
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(script), "/tokens") {
+		t.Fatal("release script must not manage provider tokens")
+	}
+	checklist, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "wiki", "Release-Checklist.md"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(checklist), "must never create, rotate, list,") ||
+		!strings.Contains(string(checklist), "or revoke account tokens") {
+		t.Fatal("release checklist does not forbid agent token management")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/scripts/release-local.sh b/scripts/release-local.sh
index baf5b87..20bb7d6 100755
--- a/scripts/release-local.sh
+++ b/scripts/release-local.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ done
 
 if [ "$mode" = --publish ]; then
   [ -f LICENSE ] || fail "LICENSE is required before publishing"
-  [ -n "${GITEA_TOKEN:-}" ] || fail "set a scoped GITEA_TOKEN in the local environment"
+  [ -n "${GITEA_TOKEN:-}" ] || fail "provide a pre-existing scoped GITEA_TOKEN through the local secret store"
   [ -z "$(git status --porcelain)" ] || fail "the Git worktree must be clean"
   tag=$(git describe --tags --exact-match HEAD 2>/dev/null) ||
     fail "HEAD must have an exact release tag"
diff --git a/skills/hop/SKILL.md b/skills/hop/SKILL.md
index 4d6950e..58899b7 100644
--- a/skills/hop/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/hop/SKILL.md
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ variable or secret-manager name instead.
 - Do not run `git commit`, `git checkout`, `git switch`, `git branch`,
   `git rebase`, `git reset`, `git stash`, `git worktree`, or `git push`.
 - Do not stage files. Hop captures every nonignored workspace change.
+- Never create, rotate, enumerate, revoke, or paste account access tokens
+  through a provider website or API. For release or publishing work, use only a
+  credential the user has already provisioned in an OS secret store or supplied
+  through the runtime's secret mechanism. If it is missing, stop and ask the
+  user to provision it; do not call a token-management endpoint.
 - Give a subagent project-changing work only after creating a distinct Hop
   prompt/attempt for that delegation.
 - Never discard either side of concurrent work. Let Hop perform its three-way
diff --git a/skills/hop/references/protocol.md b/skills/hop/references/protocol.md
index b227566..c1c0f09 100644
--- a/skills/hop/references/protocol.md
+++ b/skills/hop/references/protocol.md
@@ -158,6 +158,15 @@ sanitizer replaces detected credential values before any durable write and
 returns only typed redaction counts. Do not place the value in any later
 command, summary, output, or source file.
 
+## Account credential boundary
+
+Hop never creates, rotates, lists, or revokes provider access tokens. Agents
+must not use account token-management APIs or settings pages as a shortcut for
+publishing work. A release or publishing task may use only a pre-existing
+credential the user deliberately provisioned through an OS secret store or the
+runtime's secret mechanism. When that credential is absent or invalid, stop and
+ask the user to replace it; never mint a task-named token.
+
 ## Exit codes
 
 | Code | Meaning |
diff --git a/wiki/Release-Checklist.md b/wiki/Release-Checklist.md
index 78126d7..c059873 100644
--- a/wiki/Release-Checklist.md
+++ b/wiki/Release-Checklist.md
@@ -12,8 +12,11 @@ The canonical repository is `githop.xyz/GnosysLabs/Hop`.
 - Configure `origin` as `https://githop.xyz/GnosysLabs/Hop.git`.
 - Keep Gitea Actions disabled when the instance does not have dedicated runner
   capacity; Hop's release process does not depend on it.
-- Create a narrowly scoped maintainer access token that can write releases.
-  Export it as `GITEA_TOKEN` only for the local publish command, then unset it.
+- Provision a narrowly scoped maintainer access token outside the agent session
+  and store it in the operating system's secret store. Agents and release
+  scripts may use that existing credential, but must never create, rotate, list,
+  or revoke account tokens through Gitea's website or API. Export it as
+  `GITEA_TOKEN` only for the local publish command, then unset it.
 - When upgrading GoReleaser, update its pinned version and four archive
   checksums in `scripts/release-local.sh` from the official checksum file.
 - Permit release attachment MIME types for `.tar.gz`, `.zip`, and `.txt` in
@@ -49,7 +52,8 @@ default skill destinations while preserving unrelated user files.
    injected into the binaries automatically.
 2. Run `scripts/release-local.sh --snapshot` and inspect the artifacts.
 3. Create a signed semantic-version tag such as `v0.1.0-alpha.1` and push it.
-4. Export a locally stored, scoped token: `export GITEA_TOKEN=...`.
+4. Read a pre-provisioned, locally stored scoped token into `GITEA_TOKEN`.
+   Do not generate a task-specific token from an agent session.
 5. Run `scripts/release-local.sh --publish`. It reruns race tests, vet, installer
    checks, builds six platform archives, generates `checksums.txt`, and uploads
    a draft without executing build work on the Gitea server.
diff --git a/wiki/Security-and-Privacy.md b/wiki/Security-and-Privacy.md
index ac26378..9c7baab 100644
--- a/wiki/Security-and-Privacy.md
+++ b/wiki/Security-and-Privacy.md
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ public key independently. Checksum signing is listed as a launch gate in the
 Release builds execute on a maintainer machine, not on the Gitea server. Use a
 trusted, patched machine; keep the release token out of shell history and source
 files; scope it to the Hop repository; export it only for the publish command;
-and unset it immediately afterward. Releases upload as drafts for review.
+and unset it immediately afterward. Releases upload as drafts for review. The
+token must be provisioned by the user outside the agent session: Hop and its
+agents never create, rotate, list, or revoke provider account tokens.
 
 ## Filesystem safety