diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync-to-gitea.yml b/.github/workflows/sync-to-gitea.yml
index 615536e..99869eb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync-to-gitea.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync-to-gitea.yml
@@ -35,36 +35,51 @@ jobs:
           REPO_NAME="${{ github.event.repository.name }}"
           BRANCH_NAME="${{ github.ref_name }}"
           CANDIDATE_OWNERS="${GITEA_OWNER:-} Admin ${{ github.repository_owner }}"
+          TARGET_FULL_NAME=""
           TARGET_URL=""
 
           for owner in $CANDIDATE_OWNERS; do
             [ -n "$owner" ] || continue
-            candidate_url="https://${GITEA_USERNAME}:${GITEA_TOKEN}@${GITEA_HOST}/${owner}/${REPO_NAME}.git"
-            if git ls-remote "$candidate_url" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-              TARGET_URL="$candidate_url"
+            candidate_full_name="${owner}/${REPO_NAME}"
+            candidate_url="https://${GITEA_HOST}/${candidate_full_name}.git"
+            if git ls-remote "https://${GITEA_USERNAME}:${GITEA_TOKEN}@${GITEA_HOST}/${candidate_full_name}.git" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+              TARGET_FULL_NAME="$candidate_full_name"
               echo "Using Gitea target owner: $owner"
               break
             fi
           done
 
-          if [ -z "$TARGET_URL" ]; then
+          if [ -z "$TARGET_FULL_NAME" ]; then
             echo "Owner guess failed; searching accessible repos via Gitea API"
             API_URL="https://${GITEA_HOST}/api/v1/repos/search?q=${REPO_NAME}&limit=100"
             API_JSON="$(curl -fsS -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" "${API_URL}" || true)"
             TARGET_FULL_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$API_JSON" | jq -r --arg repo "$REPO_NAME" '[.data[]?.full_name | select((ascii_downcase | endswith("/" + ($repo | ascii_downcase))))][0] // empty')"
             if [ -n "$TARGET_FULL_NAME" ]; then
-              TARGET_URL="https://${GITEA_USERNAME}:${GITEA_TOKEN}@${GITEA_HOST}/${TARGET_FULL_NAME}.git"
-            fi
-            if [ -n "$TARGET_URL" ]; then
               echo "Resolved Gitea target via API"
             fi
           fi
 
-          if [ -z "$TARGET_URL" ]; then
+          if [ -z "$TARGET_FULL_NAME" ]; then
             echo "Could not access target repo on Gitea for owners: $CANDIDATE_OWNERS"
             exit 1
           fi
 
+          for auth_url in \
+            "https://${GITEA_USERNAME}:${GITEA_TOKEN}@${GITEA_HOST}/${TARGET_FULL_NAME}.git" \
+            "https://${GITEA_TOKEN}@${GITEA_HOST}/${TARGET_FULL_NAME}.git" \
+            "https://oauth2:${GITEA_TOKEN}@${GITEA_HOST}/${TARGET_FULL_NAME}.git"; do
+            if git ls-remote "$auth_url" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+              TARGET_URL="$auth_url"
+              echo "Using Gitea credential mode for ${TARGET_FULL_NAME}"
+              break
+            fi
+          done
+
+          if [ -z "$TARGET_URL" ]; then
+            echo "Resolved repo path but authentication to Gitea git remote failed"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
           git remote add gitea "$TARGET_URL"
 
           git fetch gitea "$BRANCH_NAME" || true