diff --git a/backend/app/services/bridge_sync/cache_refresh.py b/backend/app/services/bridge_sync/cache_refresh.py
index 92d92ee0..5dc6ac36 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/bridge_sync/cache_refresh.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/bridge_sync/cache_refresh.py
@@ -39,6 +39,29 @@ def _env_int(name: str, default: int) -> int:
         return default
 
 
+def _configured_server_api_key() -> str | None:
+    """Return a server API key accepted by the normal rate-limit middleware."""
+    for env_name in ("BTAA_GEOSPATIAL_API_KEY", "BTAA_GEOSPATIAL_API_KEYS"):
+        for candidate in os.getenv(env_name, "").split(","):
+            key = candidate.strip()
+            if key:
+                return key
+    return None
+
+
+def _rewarm_request_headers() -> dict[str, str]:
+    headers = {"Accept": "application/json"}
+    api_key = _configured_server_api_key()
+    if api_key:
+        headers["X-API-Key"] = api_key
+    else:
+        logger.warning(
+            "Bridge cache rewarm has no configured server API key; "
+            "requests may be subject to the anonymous rate limit"
+        )
+    return headers
+
+
 def _positive_env_int(name: str, default: int) -> int:
     value = _env_int(name, default)
     if value < 1:
@@ -388,6 +411,7 @@ def add_warm_path(path: str | None) -> None:
         from app.main import app
 
         transport = httpx.ASGITransport(app=app)
+        request_headers = _rewarm_request_headers()
         async with httpx.AsyncClient(
             transport=transport,
             base_url="http://bridge-cache-refresh.local",
@@ -395,7 +419,7 @@ def add_warm_path(path: str | None) -> None:
         ) as client:
             for path in warm_paths:
                 try:
-                    response = await client.get(path, headers={"Accept": "application/json"})
+                    response = await client.get(path, headers=request_headers)
                     if 200 <= response.status_code < 300:
                         warmed += 1
                     else:
diff --git a/backend/tests/services/test_bridge_cache_refresh.py b/backend/tests/services/test_bridge_cache_refresh.py
index 25abd0a6..4e61987f 100644
--- a/backend/tests/services/test_bridge_cache_refresh.py
+++ b/backend/tests/services/test_bridge_cache_refresh.py
@@ -122,6 +122,62 @@ async def fake_warm_assets(resource_ids):
     ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_cache_rewarm_uses_server_key_beyond_anonymous_rate_limit(monkeypatch):
+    class FakeResponse:
+        def __init__(self, status_code):
+            self.status_code = status_code
+
+    class RateLimitedAsyncClient:
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.calls = []
+
+        async def __aenter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, traceback):
+            return False
+
+        async def get(self, path, *, headers):
+            self.calls.append((path, dict(headers)))
+            authenticated = headers.get("X-API-Key") == "server-api-key"
+            status_code = 200 if authenticated or len(self.calls) <= 10 else 429
+            return FakeResponse(status_code)
+
+    fake_cache = FakeCacheService()
+    fake_cache.cached_records_for_tags = AsyncMock(return_value=[])
+    fake_client = RateLimitedAsyncClient()
+    resource_ids = [f"resource-{index}" for index in range(12)]
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cache_refresh, "ENDPOINT_CACHE", True)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("BRIDGE_CACHE_REFRESH_ENABLED", "true")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("BTAA_GEOSPATIAL_API_KEY", "server-api-key")
+
+    with (
+        patch.object(cache_refresh, "CacheService", return_value=fake_cache),
+        patch.object(
+            cache_refresh,
+            "delete_resource_representations",
+            new=AsyncMock(return_value={"durable_deleted": True, "redis_deleted": 0}),
+        ),
+        patch.object(cache_refresh.httpx, "ASGITransport", return_value=object()),
+        patch.object(cache_refresh.httpx, "AsyncClient", return_value=fake_client),
+    ):
+        stats = await cache_refresh.refresh_cache_for_changed_resources(
+            resource_ids,
+            warm_generated_assets=False,
+        )
+
+    assert stats["warm_urls"] == 12
+    assert stats["warmed"] == 12
+    assert stats["errors"] == 0
+    assert len(fake_client.calls) == 12
+    assert all(
+        headers == {"Accept": "application/json", "X-API-Key": "server-api-key"}
+        for _path, headers in fake_client.calls
+    )
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_lightweight_refresh_invalidates_without_rewarming_or_generating(monkeypatch):
     fake_cache = FakeCacheService()