diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ac7ab157..3f77cb9b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ any of the following configuration properties:
 
 - `timeoutInDays` - Duration between update checks. Defaults to 60.
 - `message` - Customize update message.
-- `registry` - URL of registry. Defaults to the public npm registry: `https://registry.npmjs.org`
-- `authorization` - Authorization header value for registries that require auth.
+- `registry` - URL of registry. Defaults to following your .npmrc configuration
+- `authorization` - Authorization header value for registries that require auth. Defaults to following your .npmrc configuration
 - `frequency` - The frequency that the new version warning should be shown.
 - `frequencyUnit` - The unit of time that should be used to calculate the frequency (`days`, `hours`, `minutes`, `seconds`, `milliseconds`). Defaults to `minutes`.
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d877c58c..077fa98c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
     "ansis": "^3.3.1",
     "debug": "^4.3.5",
     "http-call": "^5.2.2",
-    "lodash": "^4.17.21"
+    "lodash": "^4.17.21",
+    "registry-auth-token": "^5.0.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@commitlint/config-conventional": "^19",
diff --git a/src/get-version.ts b/src/get-version.ts
index 368a0a19..5c5099ff 100644
--- a/src/get-version.ts
+++ b/src/get-version.ts
@@ -9,16 +9,16 @@ async function run([name, file, version, registry, authorization]: string[]) {
   debug('file:', file)
   debug('version:', version)
   debug('registry:', registry)
-  debug('authorization:', authorization)
+
   const url = [
     registry.replace(/\/+$/, ''), // remove trailing slash
     name.replace('/', '%2f'), // scoped packages need escaped separator
   ].join('/')
   const headers = authorization ? {authorization} : {}
   await mkdir(dirname(file), {recursive: true})
-  await writeFile(file, JSON.stringify({current: version, headers})) // touch file with current version to prevent multiple updates
+  await writeFile(file, JSON.stringify({current: version})) // touch file with current version to prevent multiple updates
   const {body} = await HTTP.get<{'dist-tags': string[]}>(url, {headers, timeout: 5000})
-  await writeFile(file, JSON.stringify({...body['dist-tags'], authorization, current: version}))
+  await writeFile(file, JSON.stringify({...body['dist-tags'], current: version}))
   // eslint-disable-next-line n/no-process-exit, unicorn/no-process-exit
   process.exit(0)
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/init/check-update.ts b/src/hooks/init/check-update.ts
index 9d92d84f..8209b09d 100644
--- a/src/hooks/init/check-update.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/init/check-update.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable valid-jsdoc */
+
 import {Hook, Interfaces} from '@oclif/core'
 import {Ansis} from 'ansis'
 import makeDebug from 'debug'
@@ -6,6 +7,8 @@ import {spawn} from 'node:child_process'
 import {readFile, stat, writeFile} from 'node:fs/promises'
 import {dirname, join, resolve} from 'node:path'
 import {fileURLToPath} from 'node:url'
+import getAuthToken from 'registry-auth-token';
+import getRegistryUrl from 'registry-auth-token/registry-url.js';
 
 const ansis = new Ansis()
 
@@ -130,15 +133,25 @@ const hook: Hook.Init = async function ({config}) {
   const debug = makeDebug('update-check')
   const versionFile = join(config.cacheDir, 'version')
   const lastWarningFile = join(config.cacheDir, 'last-warning')
+  const scope = config.name.split('/')[0];
 
   // Destructure package.json configuration with defaults
   const {
-    authorization = '',
     message = '<%= config.name %> update available from <%= chalk.greenBright(config.version) %> to <%= chalk.greenBright(latest) %>.',
-    registry = config.npmRegistry ?? 'https://registry.npmjs.org',
+    registry = config.npmRegistry ?? getRegistryUrl(scope), // Use custom registry or fallback to 1) registry set for the scope, 2) default registry in the npmrc, or 3) the default registry
     timeoutInDays = 60,
   } = config.pjson.oclif['warn-if-update-available'] ?? {}
 
+  // Get the authorization header next as we need the registry to be computed first
+  let {
+    authorization
+  } = config.pjson.oclif['warn-if-update-available'] ?? {}
+
+  if (!authorization) {
+    const authToken = getAuthToken(registry);
+    authorization = authToken ? `${authToken.type} ${authToken.token}` : '';
+  }
+
   const refreshNeeded = async () => {
     if (this.config.scopedEnvVarTrue('FORCE_VERSION_CACHE_UPDATE')) return true
     if (this.config.scopedEnvVarTrue('SKIP_NEW_VERSION_CHECK')) return false
@@ -175,7 +188,7 @@ const hook: Hook.Init = async function ({config}) {
       this.warn(
         lodash.default.template(message)({
           ansis,
-          // chalk and ansis have the same api. Keeping chalk for backwards compatibility.
+          // Chalk and ansis have the same api. Keeping chalk for backwards compatibility.
           chalk: ansis,
           config,
           latest: newerVersion,