diff --git a/ghost/release-utils/lib/gist.js b/ghost/release-utils/lib/gist.js
index c2d7a0541b..caa575cb5e 100644
--- a/ghost/release-utils/lib/gist.js
+++ b/ghost/release-utils/lib/gist.js
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ module.exports.create = (options = {}) => {
         'gistName',
         'gistDescription',
         'github',
-        'github.username',
         'github.token',
         'userAgent'
     );
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ module.exports.create = (options = {}) => {
         content: content.toString('utf8')
     };
 
-    const auth = 'Basic ' + new Buffer(options.github.username + ':' + options.github.token).toString('base64');
+    const auth = 'token ' + options.github.token;
 
     const reqOptions = {
         uri: 'https://api.github.com/gists',
diff --git a/ghost/release-utils/lib/releases.js b/ghost/release-utils/lib/releases.js
index 36d14fdd4c..99a2d9f82b 100644
--- a/ghost/release-utils/lib/releases.js
+++ b/ghost/release-utils/lib/releases.js
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ module.exports.create = (options = {}) => {
     localUtils.checkMissingOptions(options,
         'changelogPath',
         'github',
-        'github.username',
         'github.token',
         'userAgent',
         'uri',
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ module.exports.create = (options = {}) => {
         body.push('You can see the [full change log](' + options.gistUrl + ') for the details of every change included in this release.');
     }
 
-    const auth = 'Basic ' + new Buffer(options.github.username + ':' + options.github.token).toString('base64');
+    const auth = 'token ' + options.github.token;
 
     const reqOptions = {
         uri: options.uri,
@@ -112,13 +111,12 @@ module.exports.uploadZip = (options = {}) => {
     localUtils.checkMissingOptions(options,
         'zipPath',
         'github',
-        'github.username',
         'github.token',
         'userAgent',
         'uri'
     );
 
-    const auth = 'Basic ' + new Buffer(options.github.username + ':' + options.github.token).toString('base64');
+    const auth = 'token ' + options.github.token;
     const stats = fs.statSync(options.zipPath);
 
     const reqOptions = {
diff --git a/ghost/release-utils/test/releases.test.js b/ghost/release-utils/test/releases.test.js
index 24f70c358f..4df93038e8 100644
--- a/ghost/release-utils/test/releases.test.js
+++ b/ghost/release-utils/test/releases.test.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ describe('Releases', function () {
             try {
                 lib.releases.uploadZip();
             } catch (err) {
-                err.message.should.eql('Missing options: zipPath, github, github.username, github.token, userAgent, uri');
+                err.message.should.eql('Missing options: zipPath, github, github.token, userAgent, uri');
                 return done();
             }
 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ describe('Releases', function () {
 
         it('missing options', function (done) {
             try {
-                lib.releases.uploadZip({zipPath: 'test', github: {username: 'test'}});
+                lib.releases.uploadZip({zipPath: 'test', github: {}});
             } catch (err) {
                 err.message.should.eql('Missing options: github.token, userAgent, uri');
                 return done();