diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 08ed42e2b..f87694ce4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- Added `exclude.private` option to github connection config. [#1632](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/1632)
+
 ### Fixed
 - Silenced a false-positive `MaxListenersExceededWarning` logged on every request proxied through an external rewrite. [#1697](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/1697)
 - Upgraded `brace-expansion` to `^1.1.21`, `^2.1.7`, and `^5.0.12`. [#1700](https://github.com/sourcebot-dev/sourcebot/pull/1700)
diff --git a/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/connection.schema.mdx b/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/connection.schema.mdx
index 2d4607b9d..940d0074b 100644
--- a/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/connection.schema.mdx
+++ b/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/connection.schema.mdx
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@
               "default": false,
               "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
             },
+            "private": {
+              "type": "boolean",
+              "default": false,
+              "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+            },
             "repos": {
               "type": "array",
               "items": {
diff --git a/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/github.schema.mdx b/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/github.schema.mdx
index 7d731cdc5..d1891b426 100644
--- a/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/github.schema.mdx
+++ b/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/github.schema.mdx
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@
           "default": false,
           "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
         },
+        "private": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": false,
+          "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+        },
         "repos": {
           "type": "array",
           "items": {
diff --git a/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/index.schema.mdx b/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/index.schema.mdx
index 60f08e149..0e9437da7 100644
--- a/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/index.schema.mdx
+++ b/docs/snippets/schemas/v3/index.schema.mdx
@@ -622,6 +622,11 @@
                       "default": false,
                       "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
                     },
+                    "private": {
+                      "type": "boolean",
+                      "default": false,
+                      "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+                    },
                     "repos": {
                       "type": "array",
                       "items": {
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/github.test.ts b/packages/backend/src/github.test.ts
index ce6c64077..d6b6afd7b 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/github.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/github.test.ts
@@ -214,6 +214,40 @@ test('shouldExcludeRepo handles archived repos correctly', () => {
     expect(shouldExcludeRepo({ repo, exclude: { archived: false } })).toBe(false);
 });
 
+test('shouldExcludeRepo handles private repos correctly', () => {
+    const privateRepo = {
+        full_name: 'test/private-repo',
+        clone_url: 'https://github.com/test/private-repo.git',
+        private: true,
+        visibility: 'private',
+    } as OctokitRepository;
+
+    expect(shouldExcludeRepo({ repo: privateRepo })).toBe(false);
+    expect(shouldExcludeRepo({ repo: privateRepo, exclude: { private: true } })).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldExcludeRepo({ repo: privateRepo, exclude: { private: false } })).toBe(false);
+});
+
+test('shouldExcludeRepo does not exclude internal repos when exclude.private is true', () => {
+    const internalRepo = {
+        full_name: 'test/internal-repo',
+        clone_url: 'https://github.com/test/internal-repo.git',
+        private: true,
+        visibility: 'internal',
+    } as OctokitRepository;
+
+    expect(shouldExcludeRepo({ repo: internalRepo, exclude: { private: true } })).toBe(false);
+});
+
+test('shouldExcludeRepo excludes private repos with missing visibility when exclude.private is true', () => {
+    const repo = {
+        full_name: 'test/private-no-visibility',
+        clone_url: 'https://github.com/test/private-no-visibility.git',
+        private: true,
+    } as OctokitRepository;
+
+    expect(shouldExcludeRepo({ repo, exclude: { private: true } })).toBe(true);
+});
+
 test('shouldExcludeRepo handles include.topics correctly', () => {
     const repo = {
         full_name: 'test/repo',
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/github.ts b/packages/backend/src/github.ts
index 969de5438..7593dbc39 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/github.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/github.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export type OctokitRepository = {
     full_name: string,
     fork: boolean,
     private: boolean,
+    visibility?: string,
     html_url: string,
     clone_url?: string,
     stargazers_count?: number,
@@ -507,6 +508,11 @@ export const shouldExcludeRepo = ({
             return true;
         }
 
+        if (!!exclude?.private && repo.private && repo.visibility !== 'internal') {
+            reason = `\`exclude.private\` is true`;
+            return true;
+        }
+
         if (exclude?.repos) {
             if (micromatch.isMatch(repoName, exclude.repos)) {
                 reason = `\`exclude.repos\` contains ${repoName}`;
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.schema.ts b/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.schema.ts
index 15d80600d..705b12bcb 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.schema.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.schema.ts
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ const schema = {
               "default": false,
               "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
             },
+            "private": {
+              "type": "boolean",
+              "default": false,
+              "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+            },
             "repos": {
               "type": "array",
               "items": {
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.type.ts b/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.type.ts
index 7d85e86e7..6e47be6cb 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.type.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/v3/connection.type.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ export interface GithubConnectionConfig {
      * Exclude archived repositories from syncing.
      */
     archived?: boolean;
+    /**
+     * Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected.
+     */
+    private?: boolean;
     /**
      * List of individual repositories to exclude from syncing. Glob patterns are supported.
      */
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.schema.ts b/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.schema.ts
index 93c61ba90..7f63d7ccf 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.schema.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.schema.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ const schema = {
           "default": false,
           "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
         },
+        "private": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": false,
+          "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+        },
         "repos": {
           "type": "array",
           "items": {
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.type.ts b/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.type.ts
index f7cdf4a2d..73195f67e 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.type.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/v3/github.type.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ export interface GithubConnectionConfig {
      * Exclude archived repositories from syncing.
      */
     archived?: boolean;
+    /**
+     * Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected.
+     */
+    private?: boolean;
     /**
      * List of individual repositories to exclude from syncing. Glob patterns are supported.
      */
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.schema.ts b/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.schema.ts
index 0d7a76d92..c39337979 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.schema.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.schema.ts
@@ -621,6 +621,11 @@ const schema = {
                       "default": false,
                       "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
                     },
+                    "private": {
+                      "type": "boolean",
+                      "default": false,
+                      "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+                    },
                     "repos": {
                       "type": "array",
                       "items": {
diff --git a/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.type.ts b/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.type.ts
index 13027d9ff..f152649e2 100644
--- a/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.type.ts
+++ b/packages/schemas/src/v3/index.type.ts
@@ -292,6 +292,10 @@ export interface GithubConnectionConfig {
      * Exclude archived repositories from syncing.
      */
     archived?: boolean;
+    /**
+     * Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected.
+     */
+    private?: boolean;
     /**
      * List of individual repositories to exclude from syncing. Glob patterns are supported.
      */
diff --git a/schemas/v3/github.json b/schemas/v3/github.json
index e431215a1..782498d9a 100644
--- a/schemas/v3/github.json
+++ b/schemas/v3/github.json
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@
                     "default": false,
                     "description": "Exclude archived repositories from syncing."
                 },
+                "private": {
+                    "type": "boolean",
+                    "default": false,
+                    "description": "Exclude private repositories from syncing. Internal repositories are not affected."
+                },
                 "repos": {
                     "type": "array",
                     "items": {