diff --git a/ui/suite/drive/drive.js b/ui/suite/drive/drive.js
index dd9d43e..9b2ef09 100644
--- a/ui/suite/drive/drive.js
+++ b/ui/suite/drive/drive.js
@@ -223,8 +223,28 @@
 
   async function apiRequest(endpoint, options = {}) {
     const url = `${API_BASE}${endpoint}`;
+
+    // Use global ApiClient if available for automatic auth token injection
+    if (window.ApiClient) {
+      try {
+        return await window.ApiClient.request(url, options);
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error(`API Error [${endpoint}]:`, err);
+        throw err;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Fallback if ApiClient not loaded
     const defaultHeaders = { "Content-Type": "application/json" };
 
+    // Try to get auth token from storage
+    const token =
+      localStorage.getItem("gb-access-token") ||
+      sessionStorage.getItem("gb-access-token");
+    if (token) {
+      defaultHeaders["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${token}`;
+    }
+
     try {
       const response = await fetch(url, {
         headers: { ...defaultHeaders, ...options.headers },
diff --git a/ui/suite/index.html b/ui/suite/index.html
index 9f8000b..cb6c37b 100644
--- a/ui/suite/index.html
+++ b/ui/suite/index.html
@@ -2359,6 +2359,7 @@
         </main>
 
         <!-- Core scripts -->
+        <script src="js/api-client.js"></script>
         <script src="js/theme-manager.js"></script>
         <script src="js/htmx-app.js"></script>
         <script src="js/base.js"></script>
diff --git a/ui/suite/js/api-client.js b/ui/suite/js/api-client.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ab9f17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/suite/js/api-client.js
@@ -0,0 +1,394 @@
+/**
+ * API Client - Centralized API request handler with authentication
+ *
+ * This module provides a consistent way to make API requests with:
+ * - Automatic auth token injection
+ * - Request/response logging in development
+ * - Error handling
+ * - Retry logic for failed requests
+ */
+
+(function () {
+  "use strict";
+
+  const AUTH_TOKEN_KEY = "gb-access-token";
+  const REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY = "gb-refresh-token";
+  const SESSION_ID_KEY = "gb-session-id";
+
+  /**
+   * Get the current auth token from storage
+   */
+  function getAuthToken() {
+    // Try localStorage first (persistent login)
+    let token = localStorage.getItem(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    if (token) return token;
+
+    // Fall back to sessionStorage
+    token = sessionStorage.getItem(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    if (token) return token;
+
+    // Try to get from cookie
+    const cookies = document.cookie.split(";");
+    for (const cookie of cookies) {
+      const [name, value] = cookie.trim().split("=");
+      if (name === "gb_session" || name === "session_id") {
+        return value;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Set the auth token in storage
+   */
+  function setAuthToken(token, persistent = true) {
+    if (persistent) {
+      localStorage.setItem(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, token);
+    } else {
+      sessionStorage.setItem(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, token);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Clear the auth token from storage
+   */
+  function clearAuthToken() {
+    localStorage.removeItem(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    sessionStorage.removeItem(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    localStorage.removeItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    sessionStorage.removeItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    localStorage.removeItem(SESSION_ID_KEY);
+    sessionStorage.removeItem(SESSION_ID_KEY);
+    localStorage.removeItem("gb-token-expires");
+    sessionStorage.removeItem("gb-token-expires");
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get session ID
+   */
+  function getSessionId() {
+    return (
+      localStorage.getItem(SESSION_ID_KEY) ||
+      sessionStorage.getItem(SESSION_ID_KEY)
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Set session ID
+   */
+  function setSessionId(sessionId, persistent = true) {
+    if (persistent) {
+      localStorage.setItem(SESSION_ID_KEY, sessionId);
+    } else {
+      sessionStorage.setItem(SESSION_ID_KEY, sessionId);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Build headers with auth token
+   */
+  function buildHeaders(customHeaders = {}) {
+    const headers = {
+      "Content-Type": "application/json",
+      ...customHeaders,
+    };
+
+    const token = getAuthToken();
+    if (token) {
+      headers["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${token}`;
+    }
+
+    const sessionId = getSessionId();
+    if (sessionId) {
+      headers["X-Session-ID"] = sessionId;
+    }
+
+    return headers;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Make an API request with auth
+   */
+  async function request(url, options = {}) {
+    const {
+      method = "GET",
+      body = null,
+      headers = {},
+      retries = 0,
+      retryDelay = 1000,
+      timeout = 30000,
+      credentials = "same-origin",
+      skipAuth = false,
+    } = options;
+
+    const requestHeaders = skipAuth
+      ? { "Content-Type": "application/json", ...headers }
+      : buildHeaders(headers);
+
+    const fetchOptions = {
+      method,
+      headers: requestHeaders,
+      credentials,
+    };
+
+    if (body && method !== "GET" && method !== "HEAD") {
+      fetchOptions.body =
+        typeof body === "string" ? body : JSON.stringify(body);
+    }
+
+    // Add timeout support
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeout);
+    fetchOptions.signal = controller.signal;
+
+    let lastError;
+    let attempt = 0;
+
+    while (attempt <= retries) {
+      try {
+        const response = await fetch(url, fetchOptions);
+        clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+
+        // Handle auth errors
+        if (response.status === 401) {
+          const error = new Error("Unauthorized");
+          error.status = 401;
+          error.response = response;
+
+          // Dispatch event for global handling
+          window.dispatchEvent(
+            new CustomEvent("api:unauthorized", { detail: { url, response } }),
+          );
+
+          throw error;
+        }
+
+        if (response.status === 403) {
+          const error = new Error("Forbidden");
+          error.status = 403;
+          error.response = response;
+          throw error;
+        }
+
+        if (!response.ok) {
+          let errorBody;
+          try {
+            errorBody = await response.json();
+          } catch {
+            errorBody = { error: response.statusText };
+          }
+          const error = new Error(
+            errorBody.message || errorBody.error || "Request failed",
+          );
+          error.status = response.status;
+          error.body = errorBody;
+          error.response = response;
+          throw error;
+        }
+
+        // Handle empty responses
+        const contentType = response.headers.get("content-type");
+        if (contentType && contentType.includes("application/json")) {
+          return await response.json();
+        } else if (response.status === 204) {
+          return null;
+        } else {
+          return await response.text();
+        }
+      } catch (err) {
+        clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+        lastError = err;
+
+        // Don't retry on auth errors or client errors
+        if (err.status && err.status >= 400 && err.status < 500) {
+          throw err;
+        }
+
+        // Don't retry on abort
+        if (err.name === "AbortError") {
+          const error = new Error("Request timeout");
+          error.status = 408;
+          throw error;
+        }
+
+        attempt++;
+        if (attempt <= retries) {
+          await new Promise((resolve) =>
+            setTimeout(resolve, retryDelay * attempt),
+          );
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    throw lastError;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * GET request helper
+   */
+  async function get(url, options = {}) {
+    return request(url, { ...options, method: "GET" });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * POST request helper
+   */
+  async function post(url, body, options = {}) {
+    return request(url, { ...options, method: "POST", body });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * PUT request helper
+   */
+  async function put(url, body, options = {}) {
+    return request(url, { ...options, method: "PUT", body });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * PATCH request helper
+   */
+  async function patch(url, body, options = {}) {
+    return request(url, { ...options, method: "PATCH", body });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * DELETE request helper
+   */
+  async function del(url, options = {}) {
+    return request(url, { ...options, method: "DELETE" });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Upload file with progress tracking
+   */
+  async function upload(url, file, options = {}) {
+    const { onProgress, ...restOptions } = options;
+
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+
+      xhr.open("POST", url);
+
+      // Set auth header
+      const token = getAuthToken();
+      if (token) {
+        xhr.setRequestHeader("Authorization", `Bearer ${token}`);
+      }
+
+      const sessionId = getSessionId();
+      if (sessionId) {
+        xhr.setRequestHeader("X-Session-ID", sessionId);
+      }
+
+      // Set custom headers
+      if (restOptions.headers) {
+        Object.entries(restOptions.headers).forEach(([key, value]) => {
+          xhr.setRequestHeader(key, value);
+        });
+      }
+
+      // Track progress
+      if (onProgress && xhr.upload) {
+        xhr.upload.onprogress = (event) => {
+          if (event.lengthComputable) {
+            const progress = Math.round((event.loaded / event.total) * 100);
+            onProgress(progress, event.loaded, event.total);
+          }
+        };
+      }
+
+      xhr.onload = () => {
+        if (xhr.status >= 200 && xhr.status < 300) {
+          try {
+            resolve(JSON.parse(xhr.responseText));
+          } catch {
+            resolve(xhr.responseText);
+          }
+        } else if (xhr.status === 401) {
+          window.dispatchEvent(
+            new CustomEvent("api:unauthorized", { detail: { url } }),
+          );
+          reject(new Error("Unauthorized"));
+        } else {
+          reject(new Error(xhr.statusText || "Upload failed"));
+        }
+      };
+
+      xhr.onerror = () => reject(new Error("Network error"));
+      xhr.ontimeout = () => reject(new Error("Upload timeout"));
+
+      // Create FormData
+      const formData = new FormData();
+      if (file instanceof File) {
+        formData.append("file", file);
+      } else if (file instanceof FormData) {
+        // If already FormData, use it directly
+        xhr.send(file);
+        return;
+      } else {
+        formData.append("file", file);
+      }
+
+      xhr.send(formData);
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Initialize auth from login response
+   */
+  function initFromLoginResponse(response) {
+    if (response.access_token) {
+      setAuthToken(response.access_token, response.remember !== false);
+    }
+    if (response.session_id) {
+      setSessionId(response.session_id, response.remember !== false);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Check if user is authenticated (has token)
+   */
+  function isAuthenticated() {
+    return !!getAuthToken();
+  }
+
+  // Global handler for unauthorized responses
+  window.addEventListener("api:unauthorized", () => {
+    // Clear invalid tokens
+    clearAuthToken();
+
+    // Optionally redirect to login
+    // Only redirect if not already on login page
+    if (
+      !window.location.hash.includes("login") &&
+      !window.location.pathname.includes("/auth/")
+    ) {
+      console.warn("Session expired. Please log in again.");
+      // Could dispatch event for UI to handle
+      window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("auth:expired"));
+    }
+  });
+
+  // Export API client
+  window.ApiClient = {
+    request,
+    get,
+    post,
+    put,
+    patch,
+    delete: del,
+    upload,
+    getAuthToken,
+    setAuthToken,
+    clearAuthToken,
+    getSessionId,
+    setSessionId,
+    buildHeaders,
+    initFromLoginResponse,
+    isAuthenticated,
+  };
+
+  // Also export as gbApi for backwards compatibility
+  window.gbApi = window.ApiClient;
+})();