diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7ade672..71109e6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -228,8 +228,10 @@ The `signature` check verifies the commit without any local keyring setup:
    `{username}@users.noreply.github.com`) — no API call needed.
 3. If neither of the above resolves a username, fall back to searching GitHub
    by the commit author's email.
-4. Fetch the resolved user's public keys from `github.com/{username}.gpg` and
-   `github.com/{username}.keys`.
+4. Fetch the resolved user's public keys from `github.com/{username}.gpg`
+   (GPG) and the `/users/{username}/ssh_signing_keys` API (SSH keys tagged
+   with the **Signing key** role). Auth-only SSH keys are deliberately not
+   accepted — this mirrors GitHub's "Verified" badge semantics.
 5. Try GPG verification: import the fetched key into a temporary keyring and
    run `git verify-commit`.
 6. Try SSH verification: write a temporary `allowed_signers` file and run
diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index 95d053f..0a1cb92 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -464,8 +464,11 @@ <h3>Signature verification</h3>
           <li>If neither of the above resolves a username, fall back to
             searching GitHub by the commit author's email.</li>
           <li>Fetch the resolved user's public keys from
-            <code>github.com/{username}.gpg</code> and
-            <code>github.com/{username}.keys</code>.</li>
+            <code>github.com/{username}.gpg</code> (GPG) and
+            <code>/users/{username}/ssh_signing_keys</code> (SSH keys tagged
+            with the <strong>Signing key</strong> role). Auth-only SSH keys
+            are deliberately not accepted — this mirrors GitHub's
+            &ldquo;Verified&rdquo; badge semantics.</li>
           <li>Try GPG verification using a temporary keyring.</li>
           <li>Try SSH verification using a temporary <code>allowed_signers</code> file.</li>
           <li>Pass if any key verifies; fail if none do.</li>
diff --git a/src/git_commit_guard/__init__.py b/src/git_commit_guard/__init__.py
index 05a9975..99c048f 100644
--- a/src/git_commit_guard/__init__.py
+++ b/src/git_commit_guard/__init__.py
@@ -336,9 +336,21 @@ def _fetch_url(url):
         return resp.read().decode()
 
 
+def _fetch_github_signing_keys(username):
+    url = f"https://api.github.com/users/{username}/ssh_signing_keys"
+    headers = {"Accept": "application/vnd.github+json"}
+    token = os.environ.get("GITHUB_TOKEN") or os.environ.get("GH_TOKEN")
+    if token:
+        headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {token}"
+    req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers=headers)  # noqa: S310 Audit URL open for permitted schemes
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=_git_timeout()) as resp:  # noqa: S310 Audit URL open for permitted schemes
+        data = json.loads(resp.read())
+    return "\n".join(item["key"] for item in data)
+
+
 def _fetch_github_keys(username):
     gpg = _fetch_url(f"https://github.com/{username}.gpg")
-    ssh = _fetch_url(f"https://github.com/{username}.keys")
+    ssh = _fetch_github_signing_keys(username)
     return gpg.strip(), ssh.strip()
 
 
@@ -450,7 +462,12 @@ def check_signature(rev, result):
         if _verify_ssh(rev, email, ssh_text):
             result.info("signature type: SSH", check=Check.SIGNATURE)
             return
-        result.error("commit is not signed (GPG/SSH)", check=Check.SIGNATURE)
+        result.error(
+            "signature could not be verified — commit may be unsigned, "
+            "or signed with a key not uploaded as a Signing key on "
+            "https://github.com/settings/keys",
+            check=Check.SIGNATURE,
+        )
     except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
         result.error(
             "git operation timed out — cannot verify signature",
diff --git a/tests/test_git_commit_guard.py b/tests/test_git_commit_guard.py
index 0c96f9e..73f7c16 100644
--- a/tests/test_git_commit_guard.py
+++ b/tests/test_git_commit_guard.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     _ensure_nltk_data,
     _fetch_github_commit_author,
     _fetch_github_keys,
+    _fetch_github_signing_keys,
     _fetch_github_username,
     _fetch_url,
     _get_author_email,
@@ -735,10 +736,69 @@ def mock_urlopen(req, **_):
         assert captured[0].get_header("Authorization") == "Bearer ghtoken"
 
 
+class TestFetchGithubSigningKeys:
+    def _mock_response(self, data):
+        mock_resp = MagicMock()
+        mock_resp.__enter__ = lambda s: s
+        mock_resp.__exit__ = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+        mock_resp.read.return_value = json.dumps(data).encode()
+        return mock_resp
+
+    def test_returns_keys_joined_by_newline(self):
+        resp = self._mock_response(
+            [{"key": "ssh-ed25519 AAAA"}, {"key": "ssh-rsa BBBB"}]
+        )
+        with patch("git_commit_guard.urllib.request.urlopen", return_value=resp):
+            assert (
+                _fetch_github_signing_keys("testuser")
+                == "ssh-ed25519 AAAA\nssh-rsa BBBB"
+            )
+
+    def test_empty_list_returns_empty_string(self):
+        resp = self._mock_response([])
+        with patch("git_commit_guard.urllib.request.urlopen", return_value=resp):
+            assert _fetch_github_signing_keys("testuser") == ""
+
+    def test_github_token_sent_in_header(self):
+        resp = self._mock_response([])
+        captured = []
+
+        def mock_urlopen(req, **_):
+            captured.append(req)
+            return resp
+
+        with (
+            patch("git_commit_guard.urllib.request.urlopen", side_effect=mock_urlopen),
+            patch.dict("os.environ", {"GITHUB_TOKEN": "mytoken"}, clear=False),
+        ):
+            _fetch_github_signing_keys("testuser")
+        assert captured[0].get_header("Authorization") == "Bearer mytoken"
+
+    def test_gh_token_used_when_github_token_absent(self):
+        resp = self._mock_response([])
+        captured = []
+
+        def mock_urlopen(req, **_):
+            captured.append(req)
+            return resp
+
+        env = {k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if k != "GITHUB_TOKEN"}
+        env["GH_TOKEN"] = "ghtoken"  # noqa: S105 Possible hardcoded password assigned to: "GH_TOKEN"
+        with (
+            patch("git_commit_guard.urllib.request.urlopen", side_effect=mock_urlopen),
+            patch.dict("os.environ", env, clear=True),
+        ):
+            _fetch_github_signing_keys("testuser")
+        assert captured[0].get_header("Authorization") == "Bearer ghtoken"
+
+
 class TestFetchGithubKeys:
     def test_returns_gpg_and_ssh(self):
-        with patch(
-            "git_commit_guard._fetch_url", side_effect=["GPG KEY\n", "SSH KEY\n"]
+        with (
+            patch("git_commit_guard._fetch_url", return_value="GPG KEY\n"),
+            patch(
+                "git_commit_guard._fetch_github_signing_keys", return_value="SSH KEY\n"
+            ),
         ):
             gpg, ssh = _fetch_github_keys("testuser")
         assert gpg == "GPG KEY"