diff --git a/auth_server/server/config.go b/auth_server/server/config.go
index ead4f82a..056375c5 100644
--- a/auth_server/server/config.go
+++ b/auth_server/server/config.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ type ServerConfig struct {
 
 	publicKey  libtrust.PublicKey
 	privateKey libtrust.PrivateKey
+	sigAlg string
 }
 
 type LetsEncryptConfig struct {
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ type TokenConfig struct {
 
 	publicKey  libtrust.PublicKey
 	privateKey libtrust.PrivateKey
+	sigAlg string
 }
 
 // TLSCipherSuitesValues maps CipherSuite names as strings to the actual values
@@ -335,7 +337,7 @@ func validate(c *Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func loadCertAndKey(certFile string, keyFile string) (pk libtrust.PublicKey, prk libtrust.PrivateKey, err error) {
+func loadCertAndKey(certFile string, keyFile string) (pk libtrust.PublicKey, prk libtrust.PrivateKey, sigAlg string, err error) {
 	cert, err := tls.LoadX509KeyPair(certFile, keyFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -349,6 +351,11 @@ func loadCertAndKey(certFile string, keyFile string) (pk libtrust.PublicKey, prk
 		return
 	}
 	prk, err = libtrust.FromCryptoPrivateKey(cert.PrivateKey)
+	_, sigAlg, errStr := prk.Sign(strings.NewReader("dummy"), 0)
+	if errStr != nil {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("failed to sign: %s", errStr)
+		return
+	}
 	return
 }
 
@@ -370,7 +377,7 @@ func LoadConfig(fileName string) (*Config, error) {
 		if c.Server.CertFile == "" || c.Server.KeyFile == "" {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load server cert and key: both were not provided")
 		}
-		c.Server.publicKey, c.Server.privateKey, err = loadCertAndKey(c.Server.CertFile, c.Server.KeyFile)
+		c.Server.publicKey, c.Server.privateKey, c.Server.sigAlg, err = loadCertAndKey(c.Server.CertFile, c.Server.KeyFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load server cert and key: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -382,7 +389,7 @@ func LoadConfig(fileName string) (*Config, error) {
 		if c.Token.CertFile == "" || c.Token.KeyFile == "" {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load token cert and key: both were not provided")
 		}
-		c.Token.publicKey, c.Token.privateKey, err = loadCertAndKey(c.Token.CertFile, c.Token.KeyFile)
+		c.Token.publicKey, c.Token.privateKey, c.Token.sigAlg, err = loadCertAndKey(c.Token.CertFile, c.Token.KeyFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load token cert and key: %s", err)
 		}
@@ -390,7 +397,7 @@ func LoadConfig(fileName string) (*Config, error) {
 	}
 
 	if serverConfigured && !tokenConfigured {
-		c.Token.publicKey, c.Token.privateKey = c.Server.publicKey, c.Server.privateKey
+		c.Token.publicKey, c.Token.privateKey, c.Token.sigAlg = c.Server.publicKey, c.Server.privateKey, c.Server.sigAlg
 		tokenConfigured = true
 	}
 
diff --git a/auth_server/server/server.go b/auth_server/server/server.go
index 3ca0c367..2592b533 100644
--- a/auth_server/server/server.go
+++ b/auth_server/server/server.go
@@ -378,14 +378,9 @@ func (as *AuthServer) CreateToken(ar *authRequest, ares []authzResult) (string,
 	now := time.Now().Unix()
 	tc := &as.config.Token
 
-	// Sign something dummy to find out which algorithm is used.
-	_, sigAlg, err := tc.privateKey.Sign(strings.NewReader("dummy"), 0)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to sign: %s", err)
-	}
 	header := token.Header{
 		Type:       "JWT",
-		SigningAlg: sigAlg,
+		SigningAlg: tc.sigAlg,
 		KeyID:      tc.publicKey.KeyID(),
 	}
 	headerJSON, err := json.Marshal(header)
@@ -423,7 +418,7 @@ func (as *AuthServer) CreateToken(ar *authRequest, ares []authzResult) (string,
 	payload := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s%s", joseBase64UrlEncode(headerJSON), token.TokenSeparator, joseBase64UrlEncode(claimsJSON))
 
 	sig, sigAlg2, err := tc.privateKey.Sign(strings.NewReader(payload), 0)
-	if err != nil || sigAlg2 != sigAlg {
+	if err != nil || sigAlg2 != tc.sigAlg {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to sign token: %s", err)
 	}
 	glog.Infof("New token for %s %+v: %s", *ar, ar.Labels, claimsJSON)