diff --git a/.github/workflows/vouch-check.yml b/.github/workflows/vouch-check.yml
index 8ac0f133..178512b5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/vouch-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/vouch-check.yml
@@ -13,24 +13,15 @@ jobs:
     if: github.repository_owner == 'NVIDIA'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Check if contributor is vouched
+      - name: Check org membership
+        id: org-check
+        if: ${{ secrets.ORG_READ_TOKEN != '' }}
         uses: actions/github-script@v7
         with:
-          github-token: ${{ secrets.ORG_READ_TOKEN || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          github-token: ${{ secrets.ORG_READ_TOKEN }}
+          result-encoding: string
           script: |
             const author = context.payload.pull_request.user.login;
-            const authorType = context.payload.pull_request.user.type;
-
-            // Skip bots (dependabot, renovate, github-actions, etc.).
-            if (authorType === 'Bot') {
-              console.log(`${author} is a bot. Skipping vouch check.`);
-              return;
-            }
-
-            // Check org membership. Requires a token with read:org scope
-            // (ORG_READ_TOKEN secret). The default GITHUB_TOKEN cannot see org
-            // membership, so author_association and orgs.checkMembershipForUser
-            // both return NONE/404 for private members.
             try {
               const { status } = await github.rest.orgs.checkMembershipForUser({
                 org: context.repo.owner,
@@ -38,29 +29,27 @@ jobs:
               });
               if (status === 204 || status === 302) {
                 console.log(`${author} is an org member. Skipping vouch check.`);
-                return;
+                return 'skip';
               }
             } catch (e) {
               if (e.status !== 404) {
                 console.log(`Org membership check error (status=${e.status}): ${e.message}`);
               }
             }
+            return '';
 
-            // Check collaborator status — direct collaborators bypass.
-            try {
-              const { status } = await github.rest.repos.checkCollaborator({
-                owner: context.repo.owner,
-                repo: context.repo.repo,
-                username: author,
-              });
-              if (status === 204) {
-                console.log(`${author} is a repo collaborator. Skipping vouch check.`);
-                return;
-              }
-            } catch (e) {
-              if (e.status !== 404) {
-                console.log(`Collaborator check error (status=${e.status}): ${e.message}`);
-              }
+      - name: Check if contributor is vouched
+        if: steps.org-check.outputs.result != 'skip'
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const author = context.payload.pull_request.user.login;
+            const authorType = context.payload.pull_request.user.type;
+
+            // Skip bots (dependabot, renovate, github-actions, etc.).
+            if (authorType === 'Bot') {
+              console.log(`${author} is a bot. Skipping vouch check.`);
+              return;
             }
 
             // Check the VOUCHED.td file on the dedicated "vouched" branch.