diff --git a/eng/common/labels.yaml b/eng/common/labels.yaml
index cf19541854..458696f218 100644
--- a/eng/common/labels.yaml
+++ b/eng/common/labels.yaml
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
   color: 7C4B1E
   description: ""
 - name: triaged:core
-  color: 5319e7
+  color: "5319e7"
   description: ""
 - name: tspd
   color: "004185"
diff --git a/eng/common/scripts/sync-labels.ts b/eng/common/scripts/sync-labels.ts
index 5f98796a36..172bb48fb6 100644
--- a/eng/common/scripts/sync-labels.ts
+++ b/eng/common/scripts/sync-labels.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,14 @@ interface UpdateGithubLabelOptions {
   readonly dryRun?: boolean;
 }
 async function updateGithubLabels(labels: Label[], options: UpdateGithubLabelOptions = {}) {
-  const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: `token ${process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN}` });
+  if (!options.dryRun && !process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable is required when not running in dry-run mode"
+    );
+  }
+  const octokit = new Octokit(
+    process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN ? { auth: `token ${process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN}` } : {}
+  );
 
   const existingLabels = await fetchAllLabels(octokit);
   console.log("Existing labels", existingLabels);