diff --git a/cmd/gh/main.go b/cmd/gh/main.go
index 456195314..44357ffd6 100644
--- a/cmd/gh/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gh/main.go
@@ -92,23 +92,17 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	authCheckEnabled := cmdutil.IsAuthCheckEnabled(cmd)
-
-	// TODO support other names
-	ghtoken := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
-	if ghtoken != "" {
-		authCheckEnabled = false
-	}
-
+	authCheckEnabled := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN") == "" &&
+		os.Getenv("GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN") == "" &&
+		cmdutil.IsAuthCheckEnabled(cmd)
 	if authCheckEnabled {
-		hasAuth := false
-
 		cfg, err := cmdFactory.Config()
-		if err == nil {
-			hasAuth = cmdutil.CheckAuth(cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "failed to read configuration:  %s\n", err)
+			os.Exit(2)
 		}
 
-		if !hasAuth {
+		if !cmdutil.CheckAuth(cfg) {
 			fmt.Fprintln(stderr, utils.Bold("Welcome to GitHub CLI!"))
 			fmt.Fprintln(stderr)
 			fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "To authenticate, please run `gh auth login`.")
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/factory/http.go b/pkg/cmd/factory/http.go
index 1cccfda9c..9daf6d36b 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/factory/http.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/factory/http.go
@@ -23,11 +23,15 @@ func httpClient(io *iostreams.IOStreams, cfg config.Config, appVersion string, s
 	opts = append(opts,
 		api.AddHeader("User-Agent", fmt.Sprintf("GitHub CLI %s", appVersion)),
 		api.AddHeaderFunc("Authorization", func(req *http.Request) (string, error) {
-			if token := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN"); token != "" {
+			hostname := ghinstance.NormalizeHostname(req.URL.Hostname())
+
+			if token := os.Getenv("GITHUB_TOKEN"); hostname == ghinstance.Default() && token != "" {
+				return fmt.Sprintf("token %s", token), nil
+			}
+			if token := os.Getenv("GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN"); ghinstance.IsEnterprise(hostname) && token != "" {
 				return fmt.Sprintf("token %s", token), nil
 			}
 
-			hostname := ghinstance.NormalizeHostname(req.URL.Hostname())
 			token, err := cfg.Get(hostname, "oauth_token")
 			if err != nil || token == "" {
 				// Users shouldn't see this because of the pre-execute auth check on commands
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/root/root.go b/pkg/cmd/root/root.go
index 252636e52..947ba73a8 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/root/root.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/root/root.go
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ func NewCmdRoot(f *cmdutil.Factory, version, buildDate string) *cobra.Command {
 				Open an issue using “gh issue create -R cli/cli”
 			`),
 			"help:environment": heredoc.Doc(`
-				GITHUB_TOKEN: an authentication token for API requests. Setting this avoids being
-				prompted to authenticate and overrides any previously stored credentials.
+				GITHUB_TOKEN: an authentication token for github.com API requests. Setting this avoids
+				being prompted to authenticate and takes precedence over previously stored credentials.
+	
+				GITHUB_ENTERPRISE_TOKEN: an authentication token for API requests to GitHub Enterprise.
 	
 				GH_REPO: specify the GitHub repository in the "[HOST/]OWNER/REPO" format for commands
 				that otherwise operate on a local repository.