diff --git a/src/__tests__/bearer-retry.test.ts b/src/__tests__/bearer-retry.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6239b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/bearer-retry.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+import { describe, expect, mock, test } from 'bun:test'
+
+let sendCalls = 0
+let apiResponseLogCalls = 0
+
+mock.module('../plugin/logger.js', () => ({
+  debug: () => {},
+  error: () => {},
+  getTimestamp: () => '2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z',
+  log: () => {},
+  logApiError: () => {},
+  logApiRequest: () => {},
+  logApiResponse: () => {
+    apiResponseLogCalls++
+  },
+  warn: () => {}
+}))
+
+mock.module('../plugin/sdk-client.js', () => ({
+  createSdkClient: () => ({
+    send: async () => {
+      sendCalls++
+      const error: any = new Error('The bearer token included in the request is invalid')
+      error.name = 'ForbiddenException'
+      error.$metadata = { httpStatusCode: 403 }
+      throw error
+    }
+  })
+}))
+
+const { RequestHandler } = await import('../core/request/request-handler.js')
+
+describe('RequestHandler bearer-invalid recovery', () => {
+  test('forces one refresh, retries once, then applies permanent failure handling', async () => {
+    sendCalls = 0
+    apiResponseLogCalls = 0
+
+    const account: any = {
+      id: 'account-1',
+      email: 'user@example.com',
+      authMethod: 'idc',
+      region: 'us-east-1',
+      refreshToken: 'refresh-token',
+      accessToken: 'stale-access-token',
+      expiresAt: Date.now() + 60_000,
+      isHealthy: true,
+      failCount: 0,
+      usedCount: 0,
+      limitCount: 0
+    }
+
+    const accountManager: any = {
+      getAccounts: () => [account],
+      getAccountCount: () => 1,
+      toAuthDetails: (selected: any) => ({
+        access: selected.accessToken,
+        refresh: selected.refreshToken,
+        expires: selected.expiresAt,
+        authMethod: selected.authMethod,
+        region: selected.region,
+        email: selected.email
+      })
+    }
+
+    const repository: any = {
+      batchSave: async () => {},
+      save: async () => {},
+      invalidateCache: () => {},
+      findAll: async () => [account]
+    }
+
+    const config: any = {
+      max_request_iterations: 5,
+      request_timeout_ms: 5_000,
+      rate_limit_max_retries: 2,
+      rate_limit_retry_delay_ms: 1,
+      token_expiry_buffer_ms: 0,
+      auto_sync_kiro_cli: false,
+      account_selection_strategy: 'sticky',
+      enable_log_api_request: true
+    }
+
+    const handler: any = new RequestHandler(accountManager, config, repository)
+    let forceRefreshCalls = 0
+
+    handler.accountSelector = {
+      selectHealthyAccount: async () => account
+    }
+    handler.tokenRefresher = {
+      refreshIfNeeded: async (selected: any) => ({ account: selected, shouldContinue: false }),
+      forceRefresh: async () => {
+        forceRefreshCalls++
+      }
+    }
+    handler.prepareSdkRequest = () => ({
+      region: 'us-east-1',
+      effort: undefined,
+      conversationState: {},
+      profileArn: undefined,
+      conversationId: 'conversation-1',
+      streaming: false,
+      effectiveModel: 'claude-sonnet-4-5'
+    })
+
+    await expect(
+      handler.handle(
+        'https://q.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/models/claude-sonnet-4-5',
+        { body: '{}' },
+        () => {}
+      )
+    ).rejects.toThrow('Kiro Error: 403')
+
+    expect(sendCalls).toBe(2)
+    expect(forceRefreshCalls).toBe(1)
+    expect(apiResponseLogCalls).toBe(2)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/core/auth/token-refresher.ts b/src/core/auth/token-refresher.ts
index a1b927c..8e47f91 100644
--- a/src/core/auth/token-refresher.ts
+++ b/src/core/auth/token-refresher.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,34 @@ export class TokenRefresher {
     }
   }
 
+  async forceRefresh(account: ManagedAccount, auth: KiroAuthDetails): Promise<void> {
+    if (this.config.auto_sync_kiro_cli) {
+      await this.syncFromKiroCli()
+    }
+
+    this.repository.invalidateCache()
+    const accounts = await this.repository.findAll()
+    const synced = accounts.find((a: ManagedAccount) => a.id === account.id)
+
+    if (synced && synced.accessToken !== account.accessToken) {
+      this.accountManager.updateFromAuth(account, this.accountManager.toAuthDetails(synced))
+      await this.repository.batchSave(this.accountManager.getAccounts())
+      logger.debug('Force refresh: recovered newer token from CLI sync')
+      return
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const newAuth = await refreshAccessToken(auth)
+      this.accountManager.updateFromAuth(account, newAuth)
+      await this.repository.batchSave(this.accountManager.getAccounts())
+      logger.debug('Force refresh: token refreshed via OIDC')
+    } catch (e: any) {
+      logger.warn('Force refresh failed, will retry with current token', {
+        message: e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)
+      })
+    }
+  }
+
   private async handleRefreshError(
     error: any,
     account: ManagedAccount,
diff --git a/src/core/request/error-handler.ts b/src/core/request/error-handler.ts
index c9f968f..235d431 100644
--- a/src/core/request/error-handler.ts
+++ b/src/core/request/error-handler.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ type ToastFunction = (message: string, variant: 'info' | 'warning' | 'success' |
 
 interface RequestContext {
   retry: number
+  bearerRetried?: boolean
 }
 
 interface ErrorHandlerConfig {
@@ -26,7 +27,12 @@ export class ErrorHandler {
     account: ManagedAccount,
     context: RequestContext,
     showToast: ToastFunction
-  ): Promise<{ shouldRetry: boolean; newContext?: RequestContext; switchAccount?: boolean }> {
+  ): Promise<{
+    shouldRetry: boolean
+    newContext?: RequestContext
+    switchAccount?: boolean
+    forceRefresh?: boolean
+  }> {
     const readBody = async (): Promise<string> => {
       try {
         const body = JSON.parse(await response.clone().text())
@@ -114,10 +120,20 @@ export class ErrorHandler {
         errorReason = 'Account Suspended'
         isPermanent = true
       }
-      if (
+      const isBearerInvalid =
         errorReason.includes('bearer token included in the request is invalid') ||
         errorReason.includes('The bearer token included in the request is invalid')
-      ) {
+
+      if (isBearerInvalid && !context.bearerRetried) {
+        showToast('403: Bearer token stale after idle. Refreshing and retrying...', 'warning')
+        return {
+          shouldRetry: true,
+          newContext: { ...context, retry: context.retry + 1, bearerRetried: true },
+          forceRefresh: true
+        }
+      }
+
+      if (isBearerInvalid) {
         isPermanent = true
       }
       if (isPermanent) {
diff --git a/src/core/request/request-handler.ts b/src/core/request/request-handler.ts
index 7dcfdf4..727151a 100644
--- a/src/core/request/request-handler.ts
+++ b/src/core/request/request-handler.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export class RequestHandler {
       20000
 
     let retry = 0
+    let bearerRetried = false
     let consecutiveNullAccounts = 0
     const retryContext = this.retryStrategy.createContext()
 
@@ -162,11 +163,24 @@ export class RequestHandler {
       } catch (e: any) {
         const httpStatus = e?.$metadata?.httpStatusCode
 
-        if (httpStatus) {
-          if (apiTimestamp) {
-            this.logSdkError(sdkPrep, e, acc, apiTimestamp)
+        if (httpStatus && apiTimestamp) {
+          this.logSdkError(sdkPrep, e, acc, apiTimestamp)
+        }
+
+        if (httpStatus === 403 && !bearerRetried) {
+          const msg = e?.message || ''
+          if (
+            msg.includes('bearer token included in the request is invalid') ||
+            msg.includes('The bearer token included in the request is invalid')
+          ) {
+            bearerRetried = true
+            logger.warn('403 bearer invalid on first attempt, forcing token refresh and retrying')
+            await this.tokenRefresher.forceRefresh(acc, this.accountManager.toAuthDetails(acc))
+            continue
           }
+        }
 
+        if (httpStatus) {
           const mockResponse = new Response(
             JSON.stringify({ message: e.message, __type: e.name }),
             {
@@ -180,13 +194,17 @@ export class RequestHandler {
             e,
             mockResponse,
             acc,
-            { retry },
+            { retry, bearerRetried },
             showToast
           )
 
           if (errorResult.shouldRetry) {
             if (errorResult.newContext) {
               retry = errorResult.newContext.retry
+              bearerRetried = errorResult.newContext.bearerRetried ?? bearerRetried
+            }
+            if (errorResult.forceRefresh) {
+              await this.tokenRefresher.forceRefresh(acc, this.accountManager.toAuthDetails(acc))
             }
             if (errorResult.switchAccount) {
               continue