diff --git a/app/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidator.java b/app/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidator.java
index f55c44b1c..6ad006dd6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidator.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidator.java
@@ -14,17 +14,20 @@
 /**
  * This class is used to check the validity of a http request. It has methods that extract the
  * bearer token, check if the token is empty or null, and if the token is valid. For example,
- * expired tokens, empty tokens, or tokens not signed by our private key, will be invalid.
+ * expired tokens, empty tokens, or tokens not signed by our private key, will be invalid. Tokens
+ * are cached on first use, and removed if invalid.
  */
 public class AuthRequestValidator {
 
     private static final AuthRequestValidator INSTANCE = new AuthRequestValidator();
 
     @Inject private AuthEngine jwtEngine;
-    @Inject private Cache keyCache;
+    @Inject Cache keyCache;
     @Inject private Secrets secrets;
     @Inject private Logger logger;
 
+    String ourPublicKey = "trusted-intermediary-public-key-" + ApplicationContext.getEnvironment();
+
     private AuthRequestValidator() {}
 
     public static AuthRequestValidator getInstance() {
@@ -49,12 +52,12 @@ public boolean isValidAuthenticatedRequest(DomainRequest request)
             return true;
         } catch (InvalidTokenException e) {
             logger.logError("Invalid bearer token!", e);
+            this.keyCache.remove(ourPublicKey);
             return false;
         }
     }
 
     protected String retrievePublicKey() throws SecretRetrievalException {
-        var ourPublicKey = "trusted-intermediary-public-key-" + ApplicationContext.getEnvironment();
         String key = this.keyCache.get(ourPublicKey);
         if (key != null) {
             return key;
diff --git a/app/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidatorTest.groovy b/app/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidatorTest.groovy
index 3b20e104d..54b1470e2 100644
--- a/app/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidatorTest.groovy
+++ b/app/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/auth/AuthRequestValidatorTest.groovy
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import gov.hhs.cdc.trustedintermediary.external.inmemory.KeyCache
 import gov.hhs.cdc.trustedintermediary.external.jjwt.JjwtEngine
 import gov.hhs.cdc.trustedintermediary.wrappers.AuthEngine
 import gov.hhs.cdc.trustedintermediary.wrappers.Cache
-import gov.hhs.cdc.trustedintermediary.wrappers.InvalidTokenException
 import gov.hhs.cdc.trustedintermediary.wrappers.Secrets
 import spock.lang.Specification
 
@@ -227,21 +226,17 @@ class AuthRequestValidatorTest extends Specification{
         def validator = AuthRequestValidator.getInstance()
         def token = "fake-token-here"
         def header = Map.of("Authorization", "Bearer " + token)
-        def mockEngine = Mock(JjwtEngine)
-        def mockCache = Mock(KeyCache)
         def request = new DomainRequest()
         def expected = false
-        TestApplicationContext.register(Cache, mockCache)
-        TestApplicationContext.register(AuthEngine, mockEngine)
+        TestApplicationContext.register(Cache, KeyCache.getInstance())
         TestApplicationContext.injectRegisteredImplementations()
 
         when:
         request.setHeaders(header)
-        mockCache.get(_ as String) >> {"my-fake-private-key"}
-        mockEngine.validateToken(_ as String, _ as String) >> { throw new InvalidTokenException(new Throwable("fake exception"))}
         def actual = validator.isValidAuthenticatedRequest(request)
 
         then:
         actual == expected
+        validator.keyCache.get(validator.ourPublicKey) == null
     }
 }
diff --git a/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCache.java b/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCache.java
index 66b929ab4..28ae90b3d 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCache.java
+++ b/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCache.java
@@ -30,4 +30,9 @@ public void put(String key, String value) {
     public String get(String key) {
         return keys.get(key);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public void remove(String key) {
+        keys.remove(key);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/wrappers/Cache.java b/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/wrappers/Cache.java
index a659f8b5e..946c2dfd1 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/wrappers/Cache.java
+++ b/shared/src/main/java/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/wrappers/Cache.java
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ public interface Cache {
     void put(String key, String value);
 
     String get(String key);
+
+    void remove(String key);
 }
diff --git a/shared/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCacheTest.groovy b/shared/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCacheTest.groovy
index a45cdbec6..5666c6fed 100644
--- a/shared/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCacheTest.groovy
+++ b/shared/src/test/groovy/gov/hhs/cdc/trustedintermediary/external/inmemory/KeyCacheTest.groovy
@@ -43,4 +43,18 @@ class KeyCacheTest extends Specification {
         keys.values().toSet().size() == 1 // all entries have same value, threads had to wait on the lock
 
     }
+
+    def "keyCache removal works"() {
+        given:
+        def cache = KeyCache.getInstance()
+        def value = "fake_key"
+        def key = "report_stream"
+        def expected = null
+        when:
+        cache.put(key, value)
+        cache.remove(key)
+        def actual = cache.get(key)
+        then:
+        actual == expected
+    }
 }