diff --git a/binderhub/base.py b/binderhub/base.py
index b002bbd95..2d91ef0c9 100644
--- a/binderhub/base.py
+++ b/binderhub/base.py
@@ -137,11 +137,19 @@ def get_current_user(self):
 
     @property
     def template_namespace(self):
-        return dict(
+
+        ns = dict(
             static_url=self.static_url,
             banner=self.settings["banner_message"],
-            **self.settings.get("template_variables", {}),
+            auth_enabled=self.settings["auth_enabled"],
+        )
+        if self.settings["auth_enabled"]:
+            ns["api_token"] = self.hub_auth.get_token(self) or ""
+
+        ns.update(
+            self.settings.get("template_variables", {}),
         )
+        return ns
 
     def set_default_headers(self):
         headers = self.settings.get("headers", {})
diff --git a/binderhub/builder.py b/binderhub/builder.py
index ca1deafbe..c97704726 100644
--- a/binderhub/builder.py
+++ b/binderhub/builder.py
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ def _get_build_only(self):
 
         return build_only
 
+    def redirect(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # disable redirect to login, which won't work for EventSource
+        raise HTTPError(403)
+
     @authenticated
     async def get(self, provider_prefix, _unescaped_spec):
         """Get a built image for a given spec and repo provider.
diff --git a/binderhub/static/js/index.js b/binderhub/static/js/index.js
index 536a4e278..d677e78ae 100644
--- a/binderhub/static/js/index.js
+++ b/binderhub/static/js/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /* If this file gets over 200 lines of code long (not counting docs / comments), start using a framework
  */
 import ClipboardJS from "clipboard";
-import "event-source-polyfill";
 
 import { BinderRepository } from "@jupyterhub/binderhub-client";
 import { updatePathText } from "./src/path";
@@ -61,11 +60,14 @@ async function build(providerSpec, log, fitAddon, path, pathType) {
   $(".on-build").removeClass("hidden");
 
   const buildToken = $("#build-token").data("token");
+  let apiToken = $("#api-token").data("token");
   const buildEndpointUrl = new URL("build", BASE_URL);
   const image = new BinderRepository(
     providerSpec,
     buildEndpointUrl,
     buildToken,
+    false,
+    { apiToken },
   );
 
   for await (const data of image.fetch()) {
diff --git a/binderhub/templates/index.html b/binderhub/templates/index.html
index 6260c9c9d..be2235260 100644
--- a/binderhub/templates/index.html
+++ b/binderhub/templates/index.html
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 {% block head %}
 <meta id="base-url" data-url="{{base_url}}">
 <meta id="badge-base-url" data-url="{{badge_base_url}}">
+<meta id="api-token" data-token="{{ api_token }}">
 <script src="{{static_url("dist/bundle.js")}}"></script>
 {{ super() }}
 {% endblock head %}
diff --git a/binderhub/templates/loading.html b/binderhub/templates/loading.html
index dd6369ef2..16abb8199 100644
--- a/binderhub/templates/loading.html
+++ b/binderhub/templates/loading.html
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 <meta id="base-url" data-url="{{base_url}}">
 <meta id="badge-base-url" data-url="{{badge_base_url}}">
 <meta id="build-token" data-token="{{ build_token }}">
+<meta id="api-token" data-token="{{ api_token }}">
 {{ super() }}
 <script src="{{static_url("dist/bundle.js")}}"></script>
 <link href="{{static_url("loading.css")}}" rel="stylesheet">
diff --git a/js/packages/binderhub-client/lib/index.js b/js/packages/binderhub-client/lib/index.js
index 9401eea7f..c9a622cc5 100644
--- a/js/packages/binderhub-client/lib/index.js
+++ b/js/packages/binderhub-client/lib/index.js
@@ -1,9 +1,21 @@
-import { NativeEventSource, EventSourcePolyfill } from "event-source-polyfill";
+import { fetchEventSource } from "@microsoft/fetch-event-source";
 import { EventIterator } from "event-iterator";
 
-// Use native browser EventSource if available, and use the polyfill if not available
-const EventSource = NativeEventSource || EventSourcePolyfill;
-
+function _getXSRFToken() {
+  // from @jupyterlab/services
+  let cookie = "";
+  try {
+    cookie = document.cookie;
+  } catch (e) {
+    // e.g. SecurityError in case of CSP Sandbox
+    return null;
+  }
+  const xsrfTokenMatch = cookie.match("\\b_xsrf=([^;]*)\\b");
+  if (xsrfTokenMatch) {
+    return xsrfTokenMatch[1];
+  }
+  return null;
+}
 /**
  * Build (and optionally launch) a repository by talking to a BinderHub API endpoint
  */
@@ -14,8 +26,15 @@ export class BinderRepository {
    * @param {URL} buildEndpointUrl API URL of the build endpoint to talk to
    * @param {string} [buildToken] Optional JWT based build token if this binderhub installation requires using build tokens
    * @param {boolean} [buildOnly] Opt out of launching built image by default by passing `build_only` param
+   * @param {string} [apiToken] Optional Bearer token for authenticating requests
    */
-  constructor(providerSpec, buildEndpointUrl, buildToken, buildOnly) {
+  constructor(
+    providerSpec,
+    buildEndpointUrl,
+    buildToken,
+    buildOnly,
+    { apiToken },
+  ) {
     this.providerSpec = providerSpec;
     // Make sure that buildEndpointUrl is a real URL - this ensures hostname is properly set
     if (!(buildEndpointUrl instanceof URL)) {
@@ -40,6 +59,7 @@ export class BinderRepository {
     if (buildOnly) {
       this.buildUrl.searchParams.append("build_only", "true");
     }
+    this.apiToken = apiToken;
 
     this.eventIteratorQueue = null;
   }
@@ -67,26 +87,37 @@ export class BinderRepository {
    * @returns {AsyncIterable<Line>} An async iterator yielding responses from the API as they come in
    */
   fetch() {
-    this.eventSource = new EventSource(this.buildUrl);
-    return new EventIterator((queue) => {
+    const headers = {};
+    if (this.apiToken && this.apiToken.length > 0) {
+      headers["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${this.apiToken}`;
+    } else {
+      const xsrf = _getXSRFToken();
+      if (xsrf) {
+        headers["X-Xsrftoken"] = xsrf;
+      }
+    }
+    return new EventIterator(async (queue) => {
       this.eventIteratorQueue = queue;
-      this.eventSource.onerror = () => {
-        queue.push({
-          phase: "failed",
-          message: "Failed to connect to event stream\n",
-        });
-        queue.stop();
-      };
-
-      this.eventSource.addEventListener("message", (event) => {
-        // console.log("message received")
-        // console.log(event)
-        const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
-        // FIXME: fix case of phase/state upstream
-        if (data.phase) {
-          data.phase = data.phase.toLowerCase();
-        }
-        queue.push(data);
+      await fetchEventSource(this.buildUrl, {
+        headers,
+        onerror: () => {
+          queue.push({
+            phase: "failed",
+            message: "Failed to connect to event stream\n",
+          });
+          queue.stop();
+        },
+
+        onmessage: (event) => {
+          // console.log("message received")
+          // console.log(event)
+          const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
+          // FIXME: fix case of phase/state upstream
+          if (data.phase) {
+            data.phase = data.phase.toLowerCase();
+          }
+          queue.push(data);
+        },
       });
     });
   }
diff --git a/js/packages/binderhub-client/package.json b/js/packages/binderhub-client/package.json
index b2ab42c3c..db3a2ec7c 100644
--- a/js/packages/binderhub-client/package.json
+++ b/js/packages/binderhub-client/package.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/jupyterhub/binderhub#readme",
   "dependencies": {
-    "event-source-polyfill": "^1.0.31",
+    "@microsoft/fetch-event-source": "^2.0.1",
     "event-iterator": "^2.0.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e08b94bbc..9281c6407 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "bootstrap": "^3.4.1",
     "clipboard": "^2.0.11",
-    "event-source-polyfill": "^1.0.31",
     "jquery": "^3.6.4",
     "xterm": "^5.1.0",
     "xterm-addon-fit": "^0.7.0"