diff --git a/compute_tools/src/http/middleware/authorize.rs b/compute_tools/src/http/middleware/authorize.rs
index 729b9f8e6b..d014d09d29 100644
--- a/compute_tools/src/http/middleware/authorize.rs
+++ b/compute_tools/src/http/middleware/authorize.rs
@@ -64,45 +64,57 @@ impl AsyncAuthorizeRequest<Body> for Authorize {
             };
 
             match data.claims.scope {
-                // TODO: We should validate audience for every token, but
-                // instead of this ad-hoc validation, we should turn
-                // [`Validation::validate_aud`] on. This is merely a stopgap
-                // while we roll out `aud` deployment. We return a 401
-                // Unauthorized because when we eventually do use
-                // [`Validation`], we will hit the above `Err` match arm which
-                // returns 401 Unauthorized.
-                Some(ref scope) if scope.contains(&ComputeClaimsScope::Admin) => {
-                    let Some(ref audience) = data.claims.audience else {
-                        return Err(JsonResponse::error(
-                            StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
-                            "missing audience in authorization token claims",
-                        ));
-                    };
+                // If the scope is not [`ComputeClaimsScope::Admin`], then we
+                // must validate the compute_id
+                Some(ref scope) => {
+                    // TODO: We should validate audience for every token, but
+                    // instead of this ad-hoc validation, we should turn
+                    // [`Validation::validate_aud`] on. This is merely a stopgap
+                    // while we roll out `aud` deployment. We return a 401
+                    // Unauthorized because when we eventually do use
+                    // [`Validation`], we will hit the above `Err` match arm which
+                    // returns 401 Unauthorized.
+                    if scope.contains(&ComputeClaimsScope::Admin) {
+                        let Some(ref audience) = data.claims.audience else {
+                            return Err(JsonResponse::error(
+                                StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
+                                "missing audience in authorization token claims",
+                            ));
+                        };
 
-                    if !audience.iter().any(|a| a == COMPUTE_AUDIENCE) {
+                        if !audience.iter().any(|a| a == COMPUTE_AUDIENCE) {
+                            return Err(JsonResponse::error(
+                                StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
+                                "invalid audience in authorization token claims",
+                            ));
+                        }
+                    } else if scope.contains(&ComputeClaimsScope::ComputeCtlExternalApi) {
+                        let Some(ref claimed_compute_id) = data.claims.compute_id else {
+                            return Err(JsonResponse::error(
+                                StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
+                                "missing compute_id in authorization token claims",
+                            ));
+                        };
+
+                        if *claimed_compute_id != compute_id {
+                            return Err(JsonResponse::error(
+                                StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
+                                "invalid compute ID in authorization token claims",
+                            ));
+                        }
+                    } else {
                         return Err(JsonResponse::error(
                             StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
-                            "invalid audience in authorization token claims",
+                            "compute_ctl:external_api scope not included",
                         ));
                     }
                 }
 
-                // If the scope is not [`ComputeClaimsScope::Admin`], then we
-                // must validate the compute_id
-                _ => {
-                    let Some(ref claimed_compute_id) = data.claims.compute_id else {
-                        return Err(JsonResponse::error(
-                            StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
-                            "missing compute_id in authorization token claims",
-                        ));
-                    };
-
-                    if *claimed_compute_id != compute_id {
-                        return Err(JsonResponse::error(
-                            StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
-                            "invalid compute ID in authorization token claims",
-                        ));
-                    }
+                None => {
+                    return Err(JsonResponse::error(
+                        StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
+                        "compute_ctl:external_api scope not included",
+                    ));
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs b/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
index 280a308313..0b22162d9d 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ impl Endpoint {
                     self.external_http_address.port()
                 ),
             )
-            .bearer_auth(self.generate_jwt(None::<Vec<ComputeClaimsScope>>)?)
+            .bearer_auth(self.generate_jwt(Some(vec![ComputeClaimsScope::ComputeCtlExternalApi]))?)
             .send()
             .await?;
 
@@ -997,7 +997,7 @@ impl Endpoint {
                 self.external_http_address.port()
             ))
             .header(CONTENT_TYPE.as_str(), "application/json")
-            .bearer_auth(self.generate_jwt(None::<Vec<ComputeClaimsScope>>)?)
+            .bearer_auth(self.generate_jwt(Some(vec![ComputeClaimsScope::ComputeCtlExternalApi]))?)
             .body(
                 serde_json::to_string(&ConfigurationRequest {
                     spec,
diff --git a/libs/compute_api/src/requests.rs b/libs/compute_api/src/requests.rs
index 94b8d9e7bf..12afd22609 100644
--- a/libs/compute_api/src/requests.rs
+++ b/libs/compute_api/src/requests.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ pub enum ComputeClaimsScope {
     /// An admin-scoped token allows access to all of `compute_ctl`'s authorized
     /// facilities.
     Admin,
+
+    /// Scope providing access to the `compute_ctl` external API.
+    #[serde(rename = "compute_ctl:external_api")]
+    ComputeCtlExternalApi,
 }
 
 impl FromStr for ComputeClaimsScope {
@@ -25,6 +29,7 @@ impl FromStr for ComputeClaimsScope {
     fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
         match s {
             "admin" => Ok(ComputeClaimsScope::Admin),
+            "compute_ctl:external_api" => Ok(ComputeClaimsScope::ComputeCtlExternalApi),
             _ => Err(anyhow::anyhow!("invalid compute claims scope \"{s}\"")),
         }
     }
diff --git a/test_runner/fixtures/endpoint/http.py b/test_runner/fixtures/endpoint/http.py
index 4b4b98aa6c..52ec6f45ad 100644
--- a/test_runner/fixtures/endpoint/http.py
+++ b/test_runner/fixtures/endpoint/http.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ The value to place in the `aud` claim.
 @final
 class ComputeClaimsScope(StrEnum):
     ADMIN = "admin"
+    COMPUTE_CTL_EXTERNAL_API = "compute_ctl:external_api"
 
 
 @final
diff --git a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
index e518b0e6d2..d20273b127 100644
--- a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
@@ -4282,7 +4282,7 @@ class Endpoint(PgProtocol, LogUtils):
 
         self.config(config_lines)
 
-        self.__jwt = self.generate_jwt([])
+        self.__jwt = self.generate_jwt([ComputeClaimsScope.COMPUTE_CTL_EXTERNAL_API])
 
         return self