diff --git a/tools/mkpkg/update_binary-addons b/tools/mkpkg/update_binary-addons
index 5fd1b67dd4..fa9f2fb520 100755
--- a/tools/mkpkg/update_binary-addons
+++ b/tools/mkpkg/update_binary-addons
@@ -68,10 +68,33 @@ fi
 
 . "${MY_DIR}/update_common_functions"
 
-git_clone https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc ${KODI_DIR} ${KODI_BRANCH}
+get_gh_token
+
+if [ -z "${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" ]; then
+  git_clone https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc ${KODI_DIR} ${KODI_BRANCH}
+  ADDONS_REPO_LOCATION="${KODI_DIR}/cmake/addons/bootstrap/repositories"
+else
+  # check if depends are available
+  command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "please install curl"
+  command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "please install jq"
+
+  TMP_REPO_DIR="${TMPDIR}/bootstrap-repos"
+
+  curl -s -L -H "Authorization: token ${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" \
+    "https://api.github.com/repos/xbmc/xbmc/contents/cmake/addons/bootstrap/repositories?ref=${KODI_BRANCH}" | awk \
+    '/download_url/ { gsub("\"|,", "", $2); system("mkdir -p '${TMP_REPO_DIR}'; (cd '${TMP_REPO_DIR}'; curl -O "$2")"); }' \
+    2>/dev/null
+  ADDONS_REPO_LOCATION=${TMP_REPO_DIR}
+fi
+
+if ! ls ${ADDONS_REPO_LOCATION}/*-addons.txt &> /dev/null; then
+   echo "No binary addon repo description found, nothing to do!"
+   echo "Path searched: ${ADDONS_REPO_LOCATION}"
+   exit 0
+fi
 
 # addons
-for addontxt in $KODI_DIR/cmake/addons/bootstrap/repositories/*-addons.txt ; do
+for addontxt in ${ADDONS_REPO_LOCATION}/*-addons.txt ; do
   ADDONS=$(cat $addontxt | awk '{print $1}')
   ADDONS_GIT_DIR="${ADDONS}.git"
   ADDONS_GIT_REPO=$(cat $addontxt | awk '{print $2}')
@@ -99,16 +122,26 @@ for addontxt in $KODI_DIR/cmake/addons/bootstrap/repositories/*-addons.txt ; do
       # If different, ignore the addon and process it later as an "unofficial" addon
       validate_pkg_url "${ADDON}" "${GIT_REPO}" || continue
 
-      git_clone ${GIT_REPO} ${GIT_DIR} ${GIT_BRANCH}
-
       NO_TAG=""
-      NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_tag_in_branch ${GIT_DIR} ${GIT_BRANCH})
+      if [ -z "${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" ]; then
+        git_clone ${GIT_REPO} ${GIT_DIR} ${GIT_BRANCH}
+        PARAMS="resolve_tag_in_branch ${GIT_DIR} ${GIT_BRANCH}"
+      else
+        PARAMS="resolve_tag_on_gh ${GIT_REPO} ${GIT_BRANCH}"
+      fi
+      NEW_VERSION=$(${PARAMS})
+
       if [ -z "${NEW_VERSION}" ]; then
         NO_TAG="yes"
         echo "========================================================================"
         msg_warn "WARNING: no tag found for addon ${ADDON}, falling back to HEAD"
         echo "========================================================================"
-        NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_hash_in_branch "${GIT_DIR}" "${GIT_BRANCH}")
+        if [ -z "${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" ]; then
+          PARAMS="resolve_hash_in_branch ${GIT_DIR} ${GIT_BRANCH}"
+        else
+          PARAMS="resolve_hash_on_gh ${GIT_REPO} ${GIT_BRANCH}"
+        fi
+        NEW_VERSION=$(${PARAMS})
       fi
 
       echo "Resolved version for ${ADDON}: ${GIT_BRANCH} => ${NEW_VERSION}"
@@ -125,7 +158,7 @@ for addontxt in $KODI_DIR/cmake/addons/bootstrap/repositories/*-addons.txt ; do
       fi
 
       if [ "${KEEP_GIT_DIRS}" != "yes" ]; then
-        rm -rf "${GIT_DIR}"
+        [ -d "${GIT_DIR}" ] && rm -rf "${GIT_DIR}"
       fi
     else
       echo "[mkpkg] Skipped $ADDON"
@@ -134,6 +167,10 @@ for addontxt in $KODI_DIR/cmake/addons/bootstrap/repositories/*-addons.txt ; do
     PROCESSED="${PROCESSED}${ADDON}\n"
   done
 
+  if [ "${KEEP_GIT_DIRS}" != "yes" ]; then
+    [ -d "${ADDONS_GIT_DIR}" ] && rm -rf "${ADDONS_GIT_DIR}"
+  fi
+
   echo
   echo "The following addons were skipped, please add packages for these addons:"
   echo "[${SKIPPED_ADDONS}]"
@@ -154,11 +191,18 @@ for ADDON in $(ls -1 "${ROOT}/packages/mediacenter/kodi-binary-addons"); do
   GIT_DIR="${ADDON}.git"
   GIT_REPO="$(geturl "${ADDON}")" || continue
 
-  git_clone ${GIT_REPO} ${GIT_DIR}
+  if [ -z "${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" ]; then
+    git_clone ${GIT_REPO} ${GIT_DIR}
+    RESOLVE_UNOFFICIAL_BRANCH="resolve_hash_in_branch ${ADDON}.git ${UNOFFICIAL_ADDON_BRANCH}"
+    RESOLVE_HEAD="resolve_hash_in_branch ${ADDON}.git HEAD"
+  else
+    RESOLVE_UNOFFICIAL_BRANCH="resolve_hash_on_gh ${GIT_REPO%.git} ${UNOFFICIAL_ADDON_BRANCH}"
+    RESOLVE_HEAD="resolve_hash_on_gh ${GIT_REPO%.git} HEAD"
+  fi
 
-  if RESOLVED_HASH=$(resolve_hash_in_branch ${ADDON}.git ${UNOFFICIAL_ADDON_BRANCH}); then
+  if RESOLVED_HASH=$(${RESOLVE_UNOFFICIAL_BRANCH}); then
     echo "Resolved hash for ${ADDON}: ${UNOFFICIAL_ADDON_BRANCH} => ${RESOLVED_HASH}"
-  elif RESOLVED_HASH=$(resolve_hash_in_branch ${ADDON}.git HEAD); then
+  elif RESOLVED_HASH=$(${RESOLVE_HEAD}); then
     echo "Resolved hash for ${ADDON}: HEAD => ${RESOLVED_HASH}"
   else
     msg_warn "WARNING: Could not resolve hash for ${ADDON}"
@@ -173,8 +217,10 @@ for ADDON in $(ls -1 "${ROOT}/packages/mediacenter/kodi-binary-addons"); do
   fi
 
   if [ "${KEEP_GIT_DIRS}" != "yes" ]; then
-    rm -rf ${GIT_DIR}
+    [ -d "${GIT_DIR}" ] && rm -rf ${GIT_DIR}
   fi
 done
 
 rm -rf "${TMPDIR}"
+
+[ -d "${TMP_REPO_DIR}" ] && rm -rf "${TMP_REPO_DIR}"
diff --git a/tools/mkpkg/update_common_functions b/tools/mkpkg/update_common_functions
index 41ac0708c7..89db7c20bf 100644
--- a/tools/mkpkg/update_common_functions
+++ b/tools/mkpkg/update_common_functions
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 msg_color() {
   echo $(
     cd "${ROOT}"
-    PROJECT=Generic ARCH=x86_64 . config/options ""
+    PROJECT="${PROJECT:-Generic}" ARCH="${ARCH:-x86_64}" . config/options ""
     echo $(print_color "$1" "$2")
   )
 }
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ git_clone() {
 get_pkg_var() {
   local pkg_name="$1" pkg_var="$2"
   cd "${ROOT}"
-  PROJECT=Generic ARCH=x86_64 source config/options ${pkg_name} &>/dev/null
+  PROJECT="${PROJECT:-Generic}" ARCH="${ARCH:-x86_64}" source config/options ${pkg_name} &>/dev/null
   echo "${!pkg_var}"
 }
 
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ resolve_hash_in_branch() {
   fi
 }
 
+resolve_hash_on_gh() {
+  curl -s -L -H "Authorization: token ${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" \
+    -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.VERSION.sha" \
+    "${1/*github.com/https:\/\/api.github.com\/repos}/commits/$2"
+}
+
 resolve_tag_in_branch() {
   local tag
   if [ -d "$1" ] ; then
@@ -75,6 +81,22 @@ resolve_tag_in_branch() {
   fi
 }
 
+resolve_tag_on_gh() {
+  local tag
+
+  tag=$(curl -s -L -H "Authorization: token ${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" \
+          "${1/*github.com/https:\/\/api.github.com\/repos}/releases" | \
+          jq -r '[.[] | select(.target_commitish == "'$2'")][0].tag_name | select (.!=null)')
+
+  if [ -z "$tag" ] ; then
+    tag=$(curl -s -L -H "Authorization: token ${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" \
+            "${1/*github.com/https:\/\/api.github.com\/repos}/tags" | \
+            jq -r '[.[] | select(.name | contains("'$2'"))][0].name | select (.!=null)')
+  fi
+
+  echo "$tag"
+}
+
 check_package_excluded() {
   local package="$1" local packages_to_exclude="$2" pkg
   [ -z "${package}" -o -z "${packages_to_exclude}" ] && return 1
@@ -183,5 +205,10 @@ validate_pkg_url() {
 
   [ "${url1}" = "${url2}" ] && return 0 || return 1
 }
- 
 
+# Get user Github token if available
+get_gh_token() {
+  if [ -z "${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" ]; then
+    GITHUB_API_TOKEN=$(get_pkg_var "" GITHUB_API_TOKEN)
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/tools/mkpkg/update_retroplayer-addons b/tools/mkpkg/update_retroplayer-addons
index 428f08c273..c4944e1567 100755
--- a/tools/mkpkg/update_retroplayer-addons
+++ b/tools/mkpkg/update_retroplayer-addons
@@ -73,6 +73,14 @@ mkdir -p "${TMPDIR}"
 
 . "${MY_DIR}/update_common_functions"
 
+get_gh_token
+
+# check if depends are available
+if [ -n "${GITHUB_API_TOKEN}" ]; then
+  command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "please install curl"
+  command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "please install jq"
+fi
+
 ADDONS="game-binary-addons"
 ADDONS_DIR="${ADDONS}.git"
 ADDONS_REPO="https://github.com/kodi-game/repo-binary-addons.git"
@@ -114,14 +122,23 @@ for addon in ${ADDONS_DIR}/*.*/ ; do
   NO_TAG=""
   CHECK_RETRO=""
 
-  git_clone "${GAME_GIT_REPO}" "${GAME_GIT_DIR}"
-  GAME_NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_tag_in_branch "${GAME_GIT_DIR}" "${GAME_GIT_BRANCH}" "*-${KODI_BRANCH}")
+  if [ -z "$GITHUB_API_TOKEN" ]; then
+    git_clone "${GAME_GIT_REPO}" "${GAME_GIT_DIR}"
+    GAME_NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_tag_in_branch "${GAME_GIT_DIR}" "${GAME_GIT_BRANCH}" "*-${KODI_BRANCH}")
+  else
+    GAME_NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_tag_on_gh "${GAME_GIT_REPO}" "-${KODI_BRANCH}")
+  fi
+
   if [ -z "${GAME_NEW_VERSION}" ]; then
     NO_TAG="yes"
     echo "========================================================================"
     msg_warn "WARNING: no tag found for addon ${GAME_ADDON}, falling back to HEAD"
     echo "========================================================================"
-    GAME_NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_hash_in_branch "${GAME_GIT_DIR}" "${GAME_GIT_BRANCH}")
+    if [ -z "$GITHUB_API_TOKEN" ]; then
+      GAME_NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_hash_in_branch "${GAME_GIT_DIR}" "${GAME_GIT_BRANCH}")
+    else
+      GAME_NEW_VERSION=$(resolve_hash_on_gh "${GAME_GIT_REPO}" "${GAME_GIT_BRANCH}")
+    fi
   fi
 
   if [ "${KEEP_GIT_DIRS}" != "yes" ]; then
@@ -160,6 +177,9 @@ for addon in ${ADDONS_DIR}/*.*/ ; do
     if [[ "$VERSION_INFO" =~ .zip$ ]] ; then
       # version referenced by githash
       RETRO_NEW_VERSION=$(sed -e 's|^.*/archive/||' -e 's|\.zip$||' "${RETRO_VERSION_FILE}")
+    elif [[ "$VERSION_INFO" =~ .tar.gz$ ]] ; then
+      # version referenced by githash
+      RETRO_NEW_VERSION=$(sed -e 's|^.*/archive/||' -e 's|\.tar.gz$||' "${RETRO_VERSION_FILE}")
     else
       msg_warn "unmanaged version in kodi package: ${VERSION_INFO}"
       # unmanaged version, repo plus branch