diff --git a/docs/github-app-setup.md b/docs/github-app-setup.md
index 4512d78..9d25b6f 100644
--- a/docs/github-app-setup.md
+++ b/docs/github-app-setup.md
@@ -95,8 +95,15 @@ form. Existing installations have direct account-specific configuration links.
 GitHub may require organization administrator approval. Use **Refresh access
 after approval** on the Connections page when approval is delayed.
 
-App-connected accounts default to the App for new repository/PR access. The
-explicit **Use existing OAuth access** choice handles repositories not yet
+App-connected accounts default to the App for new repository/PR access.
+Public repositories outside the selected installations use the App user grant,
+so users can paste a public URL without installing the App on its owner account.
+The connection records the repository ID and checks that it is still public on
+each source access. If it becomes private, reconnect through an installation
+with access. Existing installation bindings retain their installation checks.
+This uses GitHub's documented [public resource access for App user tokens](https://docs.github.com/en/apps/creating-github-apps/registering-a-github-app/choosing-permissions-for-a-github-app).
+
+The explicit **Use existing OAuth access** choice handles repositories not yet
 available through the App. An App error never silently selects OAuth. Gists
 continue using OAuth. An App-only user entering a gist URL is prompted to connect
 OAuth, with the current repository permission scope explained. The form draft
diff --git a/src/core/github-app.ts b/src/core/github-app.ts
index c1ef41d..24b3e1a 100644
--- a/src/core/github-app.ts
+++ b/src/core/github-app.ts
@@ -220,7 +220,19 @@ async function installationToken(binding: RepositoryAccess, ownerId: string): Pr
 }
 
 export async function boundAppToken(ownerId: string, binding: RepositoryAccess): Promise<string> {
-  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(binding.repositoryId) || !Number.isSafeInteger(binding.installationId)) throw appError();
+  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(binding.repositoryId)) throw appError();
+  if (binding.publicRead === true) {
+    if (binding.installationId !== undefined) throw appError();
+    const userToken = await appUserToken(ownerId);
+    const repo = await githubRequest<GitHubRepositoryInfo>(`/repositories/${binding.repositoryId}`, userToken);
+    // A public binding must never gain private access, even if the user later
+    // installs the App on this repository. Reconnect explicitly to do that.
+    if (repo.id !== binding.repositoryId || repo.private !== false) throw appError("github_app_access_required");
+    // Resolve the current grant again on each source read. Do not register a
+    // repository-specific renewal callback against a user token shared by repos.
+    return userToken;
+  }
+  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(binding.installationId)) throw appError();
   const userToken = await appUserToken(ownerId);
   // User token checks the intersection of user and App rights on every access.
   // No indefinite local authorization cache can preserve a departed user's access.
@@ -239,7 +251,15 @@ export async function selectRepositoryAccess(ownerId: string, fullName: string,
   const hasApp = config.GITHUB_APP_ENABLED && await CredentialModel.exists({ ownerId, provider: APP_PROVIDER });
   if (choice === "github-app" || (choice === undefined && hasApp)) {
     const repo = (await appRepositories(ownerId)).find(r => r.full_name.toLowerCase() === fullName.toLowerCase());
-    if (!repo) throw appError("github_app_access_required");
+    if (!repo) {
+      const userToken = await appUserToken(ownerId);
+      const publicRepo = await githubRequest<GitHubRepositoryInfo>(
+        `/repos/${fullName.split("/").map(encodeURIComponent).join("/")}`, userToken);
+      if (publicRepo.private !== false || !Number.isSafeInteger(publicRepo.id)) throw appError("github_app_access_required");
+      const binding: RepositoryAccess = { kind: "github-app", publicRead: true,
+        repositoryId: publicRepo.id, revision: randomUUID() };
+      return { binding, token: await boundAppToken(ownerId, binding) };
+    }
     const binding: RepositoryAccess = { kind: "github-app", repositoryId: repo.id, installationId: repo.installationId, revision: randomUUID() };
     return { binding, token: await boundAppToken(ownerId, binding) };
   }
diff --git a/src/core/model/repository-access.schema.ts b/src/core/model/repository-access.schema.ts
index 6e18f53..8c7f805 100644
--- a/src/core/model/repository-access.schema.ts
+++ b/src/core/model/repository-access.schema.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Schema } from "mongoose";
 export const repositoryAccessSchema = new Schema({
   kind: { type: String, enum: ["oauth", "github-app"], required: true },
   repositoryId: Number,
+  publicRead: Boolean,
   installationId: Number,
   revision: { type: String, required: true },
 }, { _id: false });
diff --git a/src/core/repository-access.types.ts b/src/core/repository-access.types.ts
index 7bbeb1a..46ac0a5 100644
--- a/src/core/repository-access.types.ts
+++ b/src/core/repository-access.types.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 export interface RepositoryAccess {
   kind: "oauth" | "github-app";
   repositoryId?: number;
+  /** App user access to a verified public repository, without an installation. */
+  publicRead?: boolean;
   installationId?: number;
   revision: string;
 }
diff --git a/test/github-app.test.js b/test/github-app.test.js
index 6fb7fdb..447a523 100644
--- a/test/github-app.test.js
+++ b/test/github-app.test.js
@@ -197,6 +197,72 @@ describeMongo("GitHub App credential and repository integration", function () {
     expect(selected.token).to.equal("legacy-secret");
     expect(selected.binding.kind).to.equal("oauth");
   });
+  it("opens public repository metadata and branches without an installation or OAuth", async () => {
+    await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data());
+    mock(url => {
+      if (url.includes("/user/installations")) return { installations: [] };
+      if (url.endsWith("/branches?per_page=100")) return [{ name: "main", commit: { sha: "abc123" } }];
+      if (url.endsWith("/branches")) return [{ name: "main", commit: { sha: "abc123" } }];
+      if (url.endsWith("/readme")) return { status: 404 };
+      if (url.endsWith("/pages")) return { status: 404 };
+      return { id: 7, private: false, full_name: "other/public", name: "public", owner: { login: "other" }, default_branch: "main" };
+    });
+    const selected = await app.selectRepositoryAccess(owner.id, "other/public", "github-app");
+    expect(selected.token).to.equal("ghu_access1");
+    expect(selected.binding).to.include({ kind: "github-app", publicRead: true, repositoryId: 7 });
+    expect(selected.binding.installationId).to.equal(undefined);
+    const Repos = require("../src/core/model/anonymizedRepositories/anonymizedRepositories.model").default;
+    const model = await Repos.create({ repoId: "public-access", owner: owner.id, githubAccess: selected.binding });
+    expect((await Repos.findById(model._id)).githubAccess.publicRead).to.equal(true);
+    const { getRepositoryFromGitHub } = require("../src/core/source/GitHubRepository");
+    const repository = await getRepositoryFromGitHub({ owner: "other", repo: "public", accessToken: selected.token });
+    expect(repository.fullName).to.equal("other/public");
+    expect((await repository.branches({ accessToken: selected.token }))[0].name).to.equal("main");
+    expect(calls.some(call => call.url.includes("/access_tokens"))).to.equal(false);
+    expect(calls.every(call => !String(call.options.headers.authorization || call.options.headers.Authorization).includes("legacy"))).to.equal(true);
+  });
+  it("requires explicit public visibility when selecting an uninstalled repository", async () => {
+    await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data());
+    for (const metadata of [{ id: 7, private: true }, { id: 7 }, { private: false }]) {
+      mock(url => url.includes("/user/installations") ? { installations: [] } : metadata);
+      await rejects(app.selectRepositoryAccess(owner.id, "other/private", "github-app"), "github_app_access_required");
+    }
+  });
+  it("rejects missing repositories and propagates upstream failures instead of using OAuth", async () => {
+    await setCredential(owner.id, "legacy-secret");
+    await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data());
+    for (const [status, message] of [[404, "github_app_access_required"], [500, "github_unavailable"], [429, "github_rate_limit_exceeded"]]) {
+      mock(url => url.includes("/user/installations") ? { installations: [] } : { status });
+      await rejects(app.selectRepositoryAccess(owner.id, "other/missing", "github-app"), message);
+    }
+  });
+  it("stops public source reads after visibility changes, deletion, or grant revocation", async () => {
+    await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data());
+    const binding = { kind: "github-app", publicRead: true, repositoryId: 7, revision: "public" };
+    mock(() => ({ id: 7, private: false }));
+    expect(await app.boundAppToken(owner.id, binding)).to.equal("ghu_access1");
+    for (const metadata of [{ id: 7, private: true }, { status: 404 }, { id: 8, private: false }]) {
+      mock(() => metadata);
+      await rejects(app.boundAppToken(owner.id, binding), "github_app_access_required");
+    }
+    await Credentials.updateOne({ ownerId: owner.id }, { $set: { revoked: true } });
+    mock(() => { throw new Error("revoked grant must not reach GitHub"); });
+    await rejects(app.boundAppToken(owner.id, binding), "github_app_reconnect_required");
+  });
+  it("refreshes an expired App grant before reading a public repository", async () => {
+    await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data("old", -1));
+    mock(url => url.includes("/login/oauth/access_token") ? data("new") : { id: 7, private: false });
+    expect(await app.boundAppToken(owner.id, { kind: "github-app", publicRead: true, repositoryId: 7, revision: "public" }))
+      .to.equal("ghu_accessnew");
+  });
+  it("does not reinterpret missing or mixed installation bindings as public access", async () => {
+    await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data());
+    mock(() => { throw new Error("invalid binding must not reach GitHub"); });
+    for (const binding of [
+      { kind: "github-app", repositoryId: 7, revision: "one" },
+      { kind: "github-app", publicRead: true, repositoryId: 7, installationId: 4, revision: "one" },
+    ]) await rejects(app.boundAppToken(owner.id, binding), "github_app_reconnect_required");
+  });
   it("checks the user's access before minting a repository-restricted token", async () => {
     await app.saveAppGrant(owner.id, data());
     const binding = { kind: "github-app", installationId: 4, repositoryId: 7, revision: "one" };