diff --git a/.github/workflows/copilot-pr-merged-report.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/copilot-pr-merged-report.lock.yml
index e1cd2b5ddc..7cfe919f31 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/copilot-pr-merged-report.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/copilot-pr-merged-report.lock.yml
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ jobs:
                 "type": "http",
                 "url": "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT",
                 "headers": {
-                  "Authorization": "Bearer \${GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY}"
+                  "Authorization": "\${GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY}"
                 }
               },
               "safeoutputs": {
diff --git a/.github/workflows/daily-performance-summary.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/daily-performance-summary.lock.yml
index addcf9160d..2797bd46cf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/daily-performance-summary.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/daily-performance-summary.lock.yml
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ jobs:
           [mcp_servers.safeinputs]
           type = "http"
           url = "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT"
-          headers = { Authorization = "Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY" }
+          headers = { Authorization = "$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY" }
           
           [mcp_servers.safeoutputs]
           container = "node:lts-alpine"
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ jobs:
                 "type": "http",
                 "url": "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT",
                 "headers": {
-                  "Authorization": "Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY"
+                  "Authorization": "$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY"
                 }
               },
               "safeoutputs": {
diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-claude.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/smoke-claude.lock.yml
index 0ffae514b3..f360573c4b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-claude.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-claude.lock.yml
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ jobs:
                 "type": "http",
                 "url": "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT",
                 "headers": {
-                  "Authorization": "Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY"
+                  "Authorization": "$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY"
                 }
               },
               "safeoutputs": {
diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-codex.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/smoke-codex.lock.yml
index 546a8b8b22..68267efbe6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-codex.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-codex.lock.yml
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ jobs:
           [mcp_servers.safeinputs]
           type = "http"
           url = "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT"
-          headers = { Authorization = "Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY" }
+          headers = { Authorization = "$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY" }
           
           [mcp_servers.safeoutputs]
           container = "node:lts-alpine"
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ jobs:
                 "type": "http",
                 "url": "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT",
                 "headers": {
-                  "Authorization": "Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY"
+                  "Authorization": "$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY"
                 }
               },
               "safeoutputs": {
diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-copilot.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/smoke-copilot.lock.yml
index f04beef63c..76eb527611 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-copilot.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-copilot.lock.yml
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ jobs:
                 "type": "http",
                 "url": "http://host.docker.internal:$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT",
                 "headers": {
-                  "Authorization": "Bearer \${GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY}"
+                  "Authorization": "\${GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY}"
                 }
               },
               "safeoutputs": {
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/mcp_renderer.go b/pkg/workflow/mcp_renderer.go
index c2b2b32f8c..e93f445dfb 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/mcp_renderer.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/mcp_renderer.go
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ func (r *MCPConfigRendererUnified) renderSafeInputsTOML(yaml *strings.Builder, s
 	}
 
 	yaml.WriteString("          url = \"http://" + host + ":$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_PORT\"\n")
-	yaml.WriteString("          headers = { Authorization = \"Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY\" }\n")
+	yaml.WriteString("          headers = { Authorization = \"$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY\" }\n")
 	// Note: env_vars is not supported for HTTP transport in MCP configuration
 	// Environment variables are passed via the workflow job's env: section instead
 }
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_http_codex_test.go b/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_http_codex_test.go
index a21e2fef32..787542e04b 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_http_codex_test.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_http_codex_test.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ Test safe-inputs HTTP transport for Codex
 		t.Error("Expected HTTP URL config with host.docker.internal not found in TOML format")
 	}
 
-	if !strings.Contains(yamlStr, `headers = { Authorization = "Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY" }`) {
+	if !strings.Contains(yamlStr, `headers = { Authorization = "$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY" }`) {
 		t.Error("Expected HTTP headers config not found in TOML format")
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_renderer.go b/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_renderer.go
index 47c267355c..4618ad9837 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_renderer.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/safe_inputs_renderer.go
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@ func renderSafeInputsMCPConfigWithOptions(yaml *strings.Builder, safeInputs *Saf
 	yaml.WriteString("                \"headers\": {\n")
 	if includeCopilotFields {
 		// Copilot format: backslash-escaped shell variable reference
-		yaml.WriteString("                  \"Authorization\": \"Bearer \\${GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY}\"\n")
+		yaml.WriteString("                  \"Authorization\": \"\\${GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY}\"\n")
 	} else {
 		// Claude/Custom format: direct shell variable reference
-		yaml.WriteString("                  \"Authorization\": \"Bearer $GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY\"\n")
+		yaml.WriteString("                  \"Authorization\": \"$GH_AW_SAFE_INPUTS_API_KEY\"\n")
 	}
 	// Close headers - no trailing comma since this is the last field
 	// Note: env block is NOT included for HTTP servers because the old MCP Gateway schema