diff --git a/.github/workflows/runner-catalog-trusted.yml b/.github/workflows/runner-catalog-trusted.yml
index 34d528d..a6e07cf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/runner-catalog-trusted.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/runner-catalog-trusted.yml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           repository: akua-dev/gitops
           ref: ${{ steps.catalog-provenance.outputs.revision }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_TOKEN }}
+          ssh-key: ${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_SSH_KEY }}
           path: .gitops-source
           sparse-checkout: clusters/agentos/runner-platform/profiles.yaml
           sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           repository: akua-dev/gitops
           ref: ${{ steps.catalog-provenance.outputs.revision }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_TOKEN }}
+          ssh-key: ${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_SSH_KEY }}
           path: .gitops-source
           sparse-checkout: clusters/agentos/runner-platform/profiles.yaml
           sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
diff --git a/script/check_runner_catalog_trust_boundary.rb b/script/check_runner_catalog_trust_boundary.rb
index 141f23b..4c58239 100644
--- a/script/check_runner_catalog_trust_boundary.rb
+++ b/script/check_runner_catalog_trust_boundary.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def step_model(step)
       "uses" => step.fetch("uses", nil),
       "run" => step.fetch("run", nil),
       "if" => step.fetch("if", nil),
-      "with" => step.fetch("with", {}).slice("ref", "path", "repository", "token", "persist-credentials", "sparse-checkout", "sparse-checkout-cone-mode")
+      "with" => step.fetch("with", {}).slice("ref", "path", "repository", "token", "ssh-key", "persist-credentials", "sparse-checkout", "sparse-checkout-cone-mode")
     }
   end
 
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ def validate_workflow_model!(workflow)
     fail_with("trusted workflow boundary ordering drift") unless boundary_index < source_index && tests_index < source_index
     fail_with("trusted boundary must use base-owned files") unless steps.fetch(boundary_index).fetch("run") == "ruby .trusted/script/check_runner_catalog_trust_boundary.rb --trusted-root .trusted --candidate-root .candidate"
     fail_with("base-owned tests must run from trusted root") unless steps.fetch(tests_index).fetch("run") == "cd .trusted && ruby test/runner_catalog_test.rb && ruby test/runner_catalog_lifecycle_test.rb && ruby test/runner_catalog_trust_boundary_test.rb"
+    source_auth = steps.fetch(source_index).fetch("with", {})
+    fail_with("trusted source must use the read-only deploy key") unless source_auth.fetch("ssh-key", nil) == "${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_SSH_KEY }}" && !source_auth.key?("token")
   end
 
   def fail_with(message)
diff --git a/test/runner_catalog_trust_boundary_test.rb b/test/runner_catalog_trust_boundary_test.rb
index 2ed5349..092f084 100644
--- a/test/runner_catalog_trust_boundary_test.rb
+++ b/test/runner_catalog_trust_boundary_test.rb
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def workflow
           "steps" => [
             { "name" => "Verify trusted boundary", "run" => "ruby .trusted/script/check_runner_catalog_trust_boundary.rb --trusted-root .trusted --candidate-root .candidate" },
             { "name" => "Exercise base-owned infrastructure", "run" => "cd .trusted && ruby test/runner_catalog_test.rb && ruby test/runner_catalog_lifecycle_test.rb && ruby test/runner_catalog_trust_boundary_test.rb" },
-            { "name" => "Checkout canonical runner source", "uses" => "actions/checkout@v6", "with" => { "repository" => "akua-dev/gitops", "token" => "${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_TOKEN }}" } }
+            { "name" => "Checkout canonical runner source", "uses" => "actions/checkout@v6", "with" => { "repository" => "akua-dev/gitops", "ssh-key" => "${{ secrets.GITOPS_READ_SSH_KEY }}" } }
           ]
         }
       }