diff --git a/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth.go b/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth.go
index 5c413ba58b..bb47a1f576 100644
--- a/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth.go
+++ b/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth.go
@@ -102,12 +102,12 @@ func validateGitLabInput(instanceURL, token string) error {
 	}
 
 	// Validate token contains only valid characters (alphanumeric and some special chars)
-	// GitLab tokens use: a-z, A-Z, 0-9, -, _
+	// GitLab tokens use: a-z, A-Z, 0-9, -, _, .
 	for _, char := range token {
 		if (char < 'a' || char > 'z') &&
 			(char < 'A' || char > 'Z') &&
 			(char < '0' || char > '9') &&
-			char != '-' && char != '_' {
+			char != '-' && char != '_' && char != '.' {
 			return fmt.Errorf("token contains invalid characters")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth_test.go b/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth_test.go
index e6c42cf62f..1cbe2bb587 100644
--- a/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth_test.go
+++ b/components/backend/handlers/gitlab_auth_test.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ var _ = Describe("GitLab Auth Handler", Label(test_constants.LabelUnit, test_con
 					"token-with-dashes-456",            // with dashes
 					"UPPERCASE_TOKEN_789012",           // uppercase, 20 chars
 					"MixedCase-Token_1234567",          // mixed case, 20 chars
+					"glpat-abc123xyz.01.def456ghi",     // with periods (GitLab token format)
 				}
 
 				for _, token := range validTokens {
@@ -195,7 +196,6 @@ var _ = Describe("GitLab Auth Handler", Label(test_constants.LabelUnit, test_con
 					"token;with;semicolons",
 					"token:with:colons",
 					"token,with,commas",
-					"token.with.dots",
 					"token?with?questions",
 					"token!with!exclamations",
 				}