diff --git a/src/utils/download.mts b/src/utils/download.mts
index f02be173..4b1c73a5 100644
--- a/src/utils/download.mts
+++ b/src/utils/download.mts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
   GITHUB_API_VERSION,
   HTTP_STATUS_UNAUTHORIZED,
   githubApiUnauthorized,
+  HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN,
 } from "./githubREST.mjs";
 import { unxzFile, unzipFile } from "./downloadHelpers.mjs";
 import type { Writable } from "stream";
@@ -540,6 +541,8 @@ async function downloadAndInstallGithubAsset(
       maxRedirections: 0, // don't automatically follow redirects
     };
   }
+  // keep track of retries
+  let retries = 0;
 
   return new Promise(resolve => {
     //, data: Dispatcher.StreamData)
@@ -562,6 +565,18 @@ async function downloadAndInstallGithubAsset(
 
         if (code >= 400) {
           if (code === HTTP_STATUS_UNAUTHORIZED) {
+            retries++;
+            if (retries > 2) {
+              Logger.error(
+                LoggerSource.downloader,
+                `Downloading ${logName} failed. Multiple ` + STATUS_CODES[code]
+              );
+              resolve(false);
+
+              return;
+            }
+            // githubApiUnauthorized will take care of removing the
+            // token so it isn't used in retry attpemt
             githubApiUnauthorized()
               .then(() => {
                 client.stream(
@@ -573,6 +588,12 @@ async function downloadAndInstallGithubAsset(
               .catch(() => {
                 resolve(false);
               });
+          } else if (code === HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN) {
+            Logger.error(
+              LoggerSource.downloader,
+              `Downloading ${logName} failed: ` + STATUS_CODES[code]
+            );
+            resolve(false);
           }
           //return reject(new Error(STATUS_CODES[code]));
           Logger.error(
diff --git a/src/utils/githubREST.mts b/src/utils/githubREST.mts
index 74cd1f7f..204e12cd 100644
--- a/src/utils/githubREST.mts
+++ b/src/utils/githubREST.mts
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ import GithubApiCache, {
 } from "./githubApiCache.mjs";
 import { type RequestOptions, request } from "https";
 import { unknownErrorToString, unknownToError } from "./errorHelper.mjs";
-import { window } from "vscode";
+import { env, Uri, window } from "vscode";
 
 // TODO: move into web consts
 export const HTTP_STATUS_OK = 200;
 export const HTTP_STATUS_NOT_MODIFIED = 304;
 export const HTTP_STATUS_UNAUTHORIZED = 401;
+export const HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN = 403;
 export const EXT_USER_AGENT = "Raspberry Pi Pico VS Code Extension";
 export const GITHUB_API_BASE_URL = "https://api.github.com";
 export const GITHUB_API_VERSION = "2022-11-28";
@@ -247,6 +248,12 @@ async function getReleases(repository: GithubRepository): Promise<string[]> {
       await githubApiUnauthorized();
 
       return getReleases(repository);
+    } else if (response.status === HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN) {
+      githubApiForbidden();
+
+      // return the default response as without a PAT
+      // ther is no way a rerun will succeed in the near future
+      throw new Error("GitHub API Code 403 Forbidden");
     } else if (response.status !== 200) {
       throw new Error("Error http status code: " + response.status);
     }
@@ -359,6 +366,12 @@ export async function getGithubReleaseByTag(
       await githubApiUnauthorized();
 
       return getGithubReleaseByTag(repository, tag);
+    } else if (response.status === HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN) {
+      githubApiForbidden();
+
+      // return the default response as without a PAT
+      // ther is no way a rerun will succeed in the near future
+      throw new Error("GitHub API Code 403 Forbidden");
     } else if (response.status !== 200) {
       throw new Error("Error http status code: " + response.status);
     }
@@ -418,3 +431,32 @@ export async function githubApiUnauthorized(): Promise<void> {
   );
   await Settings.getInstance()?.updateGlobal(SettingsKey.githubToken, "");
 }
+
+/**
+ * Show rate limit exceeded warning to the user.
+ */
+export function githubApiForbidden(): void {
+  Logger.warn(
+    LoggerSource.githubRestApi,
+    "GitHub API Code 403 Forbidden. Probably rate limit exceeded."
+  );
+  // show a rate limit warning to the user
+  void window
+    .showWarningMessage(
+      "GitHub API rate limit exceeded. Please try again later." +
+        "Consider adding a GitHub Personal Access Token in the settings " +
+        "to increase your rate limit.",
+      "More Info"
+    )
+    .then(selection => {
+      if (selection === "More Info") {
+        env.openExternal(
+          Uri.parse(
+            "https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-vscode" +
+              "/?tab=readme-ov-file#github-api-rate-limit-error-" +
+              "while-retrieving-sdk-and-toolchain-versions"
+          )
+        );
+      }
+    });
+}
diff --git a/src/webview/newProjectPanel.mts b/src/webview/newProjectPanel.mts
index 28809712..6888403c 100644
--- a/src/webview/newProjectPanel.mts
+++ b/src/webview/newProjectPanel.mts
@@ -911,7 +911,7 @@ export class NewProjectPanel {
               increment: 100,
             });
             await window.showErrorMessage(
-              "Failed to get ninja version for the selected Pico-SDK version."
+              "Failed to get ninja version for the selected Pico SDK version."
             );
 
             return;
@@ -1179,7 +1179,7 @@ export class NewProjectPanel {
       await this._updateTheme();
     } else {
       void window.showErrorMessage(
-        "Failed to load available Pico-SDKs and/or supported toolchains. This may be due to an outdated personal access token for GitHub."
+        "Failed to load available Pico SDKs and/or supported toolchains. This may be due to an outdated personal access token for GitHub or a exceeded rate limit."
       );
       this.dispose();
     }
@@ -1615,7 +1615,7 @@ export class NewProjectPanel {
                     </div>
                     <div class="grid gap-6 md:grid-cols-2 mt-6">
                       <div>
-                        <label for="sel-pico-sdk" class="block mb-2 text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 dark:text-white">Select Pico-SDK version</label>
+                        <label for="sel-pico-sdk" class="block mb-2 text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 dark:text-white">Select Pico SDK version</label>
                         <select id="sel-pico-sdk" class="bg-gray-50 border border-gray-300 text-gray-900 text-sm rounded-lg focus:ring-blue-500 focus:border-blue-500 block w-full p-2.5 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:border-gray-600 dark:placeholder-gray-400 dark:text-white dark:focus:ring-blue-500 dark:focus:border-blue-500">
                             ${picoSDKsHtml}
                         </select>