diff --git a/datasette/cli.py b/datasette/cli.py
index 1b5d78e3..e8595321 100644
--- a/datasette/cli.py
+++ b/datasette/cli.py
@@ -435,6 +435,10 @@ def uninstall(packages, yes):
     "--get",
     help="Run an HTTP GET request against this path, print results and exit",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--token",
+    help="API token to send with --get requests",
+)
 @click.option("--version-note", help="Additional note to show on /-/versions")
 @click.option("--help-settings", is_flag=True, help="Show available settings")
 @click.option("--pdb", is_flag=True, help="Launch debugger on any errors")
@@ -488,6 +492,7 @@ def serve(
     secret,
     root,
     get,
+    token,
     version_note,
     help_settings,
     pdb,
@@ -594,9 +599,15 @@ def serve(
     # Run async soundness checks - but only if we're not under pytest
     asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete(check_databases(ds))
 
+    if token and not get:
+        raise click.ClickException("--token can only be used with --get")
+
     if get:
         client = TestClient(ds)
-        response = client.get(get)
+        headers = {}
+        if token:
+            headers["Authorization"] = "Bearer {}".format(token)
+        response = client.get(get, headers=headers)
         click.echo(response.text)
         exit_code = 0 if response.status == 200 else 1
         sys.exit(exit_code)
diff --git a/docs/cli-reference.rst b/docs/cli-reference.rst
index 0b39126d..80f31924 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference.rst
+++ b/docs/cli-reference.rst
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ Once started you can access it at ``http://localhost:8001``
                                       the root user
       --get TEXT                      Run an HTTP GET request against this path,
                                       print results and exit
+      --token TEXT                    API token to send with --get requests
       --version-note TEXT             Additional note to show on /-/versions
       --help-settings                 Show available settings
       --pdb                           Launch debugger on any errors
@@ -189,6 +190,8 @@ For example::
       }
     }
 
+You can use the ``--token TOKEN`` option to send an :ref:`API token <CreateTokenView>` with the simulated request.
+
 The exit code will be 0 if the request succeeds and 1 if the request produced an HTTP status code other than 200 - e.g. a 404 or 500 error.
 
 This lets you use ``datasette --get /`` to run tests against a Datasette application in a continuous integration environment such as GitHub Actions.
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py b/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py
index 90fbfe3b..ac44e1e2 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py
@@ -52,6 +52,34 @@ def test_serve_with_get(tmp_path_factory):
     pm.unregister(to_unregister)
 
 
+def test_serve_with_get_and_token():
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    result1 = runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "create-token",
+            "--secret",
+            "sekrit",
+            "root",
+        ],
+    )
+    token = result1.output.strip()
+    result2 = runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "serve",
+            "--secret",
+            "sekrit",
+            "--get",
+            "/-/actor.json",
+            "--token",
+            token,
+        ],
+    )
+    assert 0 == result2.exit_code, result2.output
+    assert json.loads(result2.output) == {"actor": {"id": "root", "token": "dstok"}}
+
+
 def test_serve_with_get_exit_code_for_error(tmp_path_factory):
     runner = CliRunner()
     result = runner.invoke(