diff --git a/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio.go b/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio.go
index 169f7672..0b73e7c8 100644
--- a/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio.go
+++ b/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/danielmiessler/fabric/internal/chat"
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ func NewClientCompatible(vendorName string, defaultBaseUrl string, configureCust
 	ret.PluginBase = plugins.NewVendorPluginBase(vendorName, configureCustom)
 	ret.ApiUrl = ret.AddSetupQuestionCustom("API URL", true,
 		fmt.Sprintf(i18n.T("lmstudio_api_url_question"), vendorName, defaultBaseUrl))
+	ret.ApiKey = ret.AddSetupQuestion("API key", false)
 	return
 }
 
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ func NewClientCompatible(vendorName string, defaultBaseUrl string, configureCust
 type Client struct {
 	*plugins.PluginBase
 	ApiUrl     *plugins.SetupQuestion
+	ApiKey     *plugins.SetupQuestion
 	HttpClient *http.Client
 }
 
@@ -55,6 +58,7 @@ func (c *Client) ListModels() ([]string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf(i18n.T("lmstudio_failed_create_request"), err)
 	}
+	c.addAuthorizationHeader(req)
 
 	resp, err := c.HttpClient.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -109,6 +113,7 @@ func (c *Client) SendStream(msgs []*chat.ChatCompletionMessage, opts *domain.Cha
 	}
 
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	c.addAuthorizationHeader(req)
 
 	var resp *http.Response
 	if resp, err = c.HttpClient.Do(req); err != nil {
@@ -216,6 +221,7 @@ func (c *Client) Send(ctx context.Context, msgs []*chat.ChatCompletionMessage, o
 	}
 
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	c.addAuthorizationHeader(req)
 
 	var resp *http.Response
 	if resp, err = c.HttpClient.Do(req); err != nil {
@@ -278,6 +284,7 @@ func (c *Client) Complete(ctx context.Context, prompt string, opts *domain.ChatO
 	}
 
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	c.addAuthorizationHeader(req)
 
 	var resp *http.Response
 	if resp, err = c.HttpClient.Do(req); err != nil {
@@ -334,6 +341,7 @@ func (c *Client) GetEmbeddings(ctx context.Context, input string, opts *domain.C
 	}
 
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	c.addAuthorizationHeader(req)
 
 	var resp *http.Response
 	if resp, err = c.HttpClient.Do(req); err != nil {
@@ -370,3 +378,14 @@ func (c *Client) GetEmbeddings(ctx context.Context, input string, opts *domain.C
 func (c *Client) NeedsRawMode(modelName string) bool {
 	return false
 }
+
+func (c *Client) addAuthorizationHeader(req *http.Request) {
+	if c.ApiKey == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	apiKey := strings.TrimSpace(c.ApiKey.Value)
+	if apiKey == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+apiKey)
+}
diff --git a/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio_test.go b/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2bb1d96b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/plugins/ai/lmstudio/lmstudio_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package lmstudio
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/danielmiessler/fabric/internal/chat"
+	"github.com/danielmiessler/fabric/internal/domain"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestListModelsUsesBearerTokenWhenConfigured(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		require.Equal(t, "/models", r.URL.Path)
+		require.Equal(t, "Bearer secret", r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"data":[{"id":"model-1"}]}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient()
+	client.ApiUrl.Value = server.URL
+	client.ApiKey.Value = "secret"
+	client.HttpClient = server.Client()
+
+	models, err := client.ListModels()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"model-1"}, models)
+}
+
+func TestSendEndpointsUseBearerTokenWhenConfigured(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		require.Equal(t, "Bearer secret", r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		switch r.URL.Path {
+		case "/chat/completions":
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"ok"}}]}`))
+		case "/completions":
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"choices":[{"text":"ok"}]}`))
+		case "/embeddings":
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"data":[{"embedding":[1,2]}]}`))
+		default:
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient()
+	client.ApiUrl.Value = server.URL
+	client.ApiKey.Value = "secret"
+	client.HttpClient = server.Client()
+
+	msgs := []*chat.ChatCompletionMessage{{Role: chat.ChatMessageRoleUser, Content: "hello"}}
+	opts := &domain.ChatOptions{Model: "test-model"}
+
+	_, err := client.Send(context.Background(), msgs, opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = client.Complete(context.Background(), "hello", opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = client.GetEmbeddings(context.Background(), "hello", opts)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestListModelsDoesNotSendBearerForWhitespaceOnlyKey(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		require.Empty(t, r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"data":[{"id":"model-1"}]}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient()
+	client.ApiUrl.Value = server.URL
+	client.ApiKey.Value = "   "
+	client.HttpClient = server.Client()
+
+	models, err := client.ListModels()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"model-1"}, models)
+}