diff --git a/src/app/api/copilotkit/route.ts b/src/app/api/copilotkit/route.ts
index 14f8974..0da1339 100644
--- a/src/app/api/copilotkit/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/copilotkit/route.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ const serviceAdapter = new ExperimentalEmptyAdapter();
 const runtime = new CopilotRuntime({
   agents: {
     // Our FastAPI endpoint URL
-    strands_agent: new HttpAgent({ url: process.env.STRANDS_AGENT_URL || "http://localhost:8000" }),
+    strands_agent: new HttpAgent({ 
+      url: process.env.STRANDS_AGENT_URL || "http://localhost:8000", 
+      ...(process.env.STRANDS_AGENT_BEARER_TOKEN && { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.STRANDS_AGENT_BEARER_TOKEN}` } })
+    }),
   },
 });