diff --git a/src/github.ts b/src/github.ts
index a518a44..08f52e4 100644
--- a/src/github.ts
+++ b/src/github.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export async function createIssue(
 	token: string,
 	owner: string,
 	repo: string,
-	opts: { title: string; body: string; assignees?: string[]; labels?: string[] },
+	opts: { title: string; body: string; labels?: string[] },
 ): Promise<number> {
 	const res = await fetch(`https://api.github.com/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues`, {
 		method: "POST",
@@ -32,6 +32,31 @@ export async function createIssue(
 	return data.number;
 }
 
+export async function assignIssue(
+	token: string,
+	owner: string,
+	repo: string,
+	issueNumber: number,
+	assignees: string[],
+): Promise<void> {
+	const res = await fetch(
+		`https://api.github.com/repos/${owner}/${repo}/issues/${issueNumber}/assignees`,
+		{
+			method: "POST",
+			headers: {
+				Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
+				Accept: "application/vnd.github+json",
+				"User-Agent": "infra-status-worker",
+			},
+			body: JSON.stringify({ assignees }),
+		},
+	);
+	if (!res.ok) {
+		const text = await res.text();
+		throw new Error(`GitHub assign issue failed: ${res.status} ${text}`);
+	}
+}
+
 export async function commentOnIssue(
 	token: string,
 	owner: string,
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index fb11e7b..d5d7afd 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { handleUptime } from "./routes/uptime";
 import { handleBadgeRoute } from "./routes/badge";
 import { handleIndex } from "./routes/index";
 import { handleIncidentRoute } from "./routes/incidents";
-import { createIssue, commentOnIssue, closeIssue, parseRepo, syncGitHubIncidents } from "./github";
+import { createIssue, assignIssue, commentOnIssue, closeIssue, parseRepo, syncGitHubIncidents } from "./github";
 import { schemas } from "./schemas";
 
 async function handleRequest(request: Request, env: Env): Promise<Response> {
@@ -128,9 +128,11 @@ export default {
 												const issueNumber = await createIssue(env.GITHUB_TOKEN, parsed.owner, parsed.repo, {
 													title: `${svc.name} is ${result.status}`,
 													body: `Automated incident detected by [infra.dunkirk.sh](https://infra.dunkirk.sh)\n\n**Service:** ${svc.name}\n**Health URL:** ${svc.health_url}\n**Status:** ${result.status}${result.status_code ? ` (HTTP ${result.status_code})` : ""}${result.error ? ` — ${result.error}` : ""}\n**Latency:** ${result.latency_ms}ms\n**Detected at:** ${new Date().toISOString()}\n\n---\n*Comments on this issue will appear on the status page. Close the issue to resolve the incident.*`,
-													assignees: env.GITHUB_ASSIGNEE ? [env.GITHUB_ASSIGNEE] : [],
 													labels: ["incident"],
 												});
+												if (env.GITHUB_ASSIGN_TOKEN && env.GITHUB_ASSIGNEE) {
+													await assignIssue(env.GITHUB_ASSIGN_TOKEN, parsed.owner, parsed.repo, issueNumber, [env.GITHUB_ASSIGNEE]);
+												}
 												await setIncidentGitHub(env.DB, id, `${parsed.owner}/${parsed.repo}`, issueNumber);
 											} catch (_) {} // best effort
 										}
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index c6dae52..a8888fa 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -65,5 +65,6 @@ export interface Env {
 	TAILSCALE_API_KEY?: string;
 	TRIAGE_AUTH_TOKEN?: string;
 	GITHUB_TOKEN?: string;
+	GITHUB_ASSIGN_TOKEN?: string;
 	GITHUB_ASSIGNEE?: string;
 }