diff --git a/dandi/cli/tests/test_instances.py b/dandi/cli/tests/test_instances.py
index 6998726c6..e34b1ef79 100644
--- a/dandi/cli/tests/test_instances.py
+++ b/dandi/cli/tests/test_instances.py
@@ -13,16 +13,21 @@ def test_cmd_instances(monkeypatch):
         "dandi:\n"
         "  api: https://api.dandiarchive.org/api\n"
         "  gui: https://dandiarchive.org\n"
+        "  is_private: null\n"
         "dandi-api-local-docker-tests:\n"
         f"  api: http://{instancehost}:8000/api\n"
         f"  gui: http://{instancehost}:8085\n"
+        "  is_private: null\n"
         "dandi-staging:\n"
         "  api: https://api-staging.dandiarchive.org/api\n"
-        "  gui: https://gui-staging.dandiarchive.org\n",
+        "  gui: https://gui-staging.dandiarchive.org\n"
+        "  is_private: null\n"
         "linc:\n"
         "  api: https://api.lincbrain.org/api\n"
         "  gui: https://lincbrain.org\n"
+        "  is_private: true\n"
         "linc-staging:\n"
         "  api: https://staging-api.lincbrain.org/api\n"
         "  gui: https://staging.lincbrain.org\n"
+        "  is_private: true\n"
     )
diff --git a/dandi/consts.py b/dandi/consts.py
index 674869575..073ea2afc 100644
--- a/dandi/consts.py
+++ b/dandi/consts.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 from enum import Enum
 import os
 
+from typing import Optional
+
 #: A list of metadata fields which dandi extracts from .nwb files.
 #: Additional fields (such as ``number_of_*``) might be added by
 #: `get_metadata()`
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ class DandiInstance:
     name: str
     gui: str | None
     api: str
-    is_private: bool = False
+    is_private: Optional[bool] = None
 
     @property
     def redirector(self) -> None:
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ def urls(self) -> Iterator[str]:
         is_private=True
     ),
     "linc-staging": DandiInstance(
-        "linc",
+        "linc-staging",
         "https://staging.lincbrain.org",
         "https://staging-api.lincbrain.org/api",
         is_private=True
diff --git a/dandi/tests/test_dandiarchive.py b/dandi/tests/test_dandiarchive.py
index 690fda63f..7f84ec58c 100644
--- a/dandi/tests/test_dandiarchive.py
+++ b/dandi/tests/test_dandiarchive.py
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ def test_parse_dandi_url_unknown_instance() -> None:
         parse_dandi_url("dandi://not-an-instance/000001")
     assert str(excinfo.value) == (
         "Unknown instance 'not-an-instance'.  Valid instances: dandi,"
-        " dandi-api-local-docker-tests, dandi-staging"
+        " dandi-api-local-docker-tests, dandi-staging, linc, linc-staging"
     )