diff --git a/auth/jwt.go b/auth/jwt.go
index f7a9724..5e0255b 100644
--- a/auth/jwt.go
+++ b/auth/jwt.go
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ var ErrUnavailable = errors.New("jwt validation temporarily unavailable")
 type IssuerConfig struct {
 	IssuerURL string
 	Audience  string // "" = skip audience validation for this issuer
+	// HTTPClient, if non-nil, is used to fetch THIS issuer's OIDC discovery
+	// document and JWKS. Supply one to reach an issuer that needs a custom CA
+	// and/or credential — notably the in-cluster k8s OIDC endpoint, which serves
+	// its discovery/JWKS over the cluster CA AND requires an authenticated
+	// (ServiceAccount-bearer) request (anonymous access is 401). nil uses
+	// http.DefaultClient — correct for public issuers like Authentik.
+	HTTPClient *http.Client
 }
 
 // issuerEntry is a resolved IssuerConfig: OIDC discovery has run and jwks_uri is
@@ -82,11 +89,19 @@ func NewMultiJWTValidator(ctx context.Context, issuers []IssuerConfig) (*JWTVali
 		if ic.IssuerURL == "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		jwksURI, err := discoverJWKSURI(ctx, ic.IssuerURL)
+		client := ic.HTTPClient
+		if client == nil {
+			client = http.DefaultClient
+		}
+		jwksURI, err := discoverJWKSURI(ctx, client, ic.IssuerURL)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("issuer %s: %w", ic.IssuerURL, err)
 		}
-		if err := cache.Register(jwksURI, jwk.WithMinRefreshInterval(time.Hour)); err != nil {
+		regOpts := []jwk.RegisterOption{jwk.WithMinRefreshInterval(time.Hour)}
+		if ic.HTTPClient != nil {
+			regOpts = append(regOpts, jwk.WithHTTPClient(ic.HTTPClient))
+		}
+		if err := cache.Register(jwksURI, regOpts...); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("register jwks cache (%s): %w", ic.IssuerURL, err)
 		}
 		if _, err := cache.Refresh(ctx, jwksURI); err != nil {
@@ -102,13 +117,13 @@ func NewMultiJWTValidator(ctx context.Context, issuers []IssuerConfig) (*JWTVali
 
 // discoverJWKSURI fetches the OIDC discovery document from issuerURL and returns
 // its jwks_uri.
-func discoverJWKSURI(ctx context.Context, issuerURL string) (string, error) {
+func discoverJWKSURI(ctx context.Context, client *http.Client, issuerURL string) (string, error) {
 	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet,
 		issuerURL+"/.well-known/openid-configuration", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("build oidc discovery request: %w", err)
 	}
-	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("fetch oidc discovery: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/auth/jwt_test.go b/auth/jwt_test.go
index 7bb1256..5603f40 100644
--- a/auth/jwt_test.go
+++ b/auth/jwt_test.go
@@ -21,8 +21,22 @@ import (
 // signature/issuer/audience validation path (which the chassis previously had
 // no happy-path test for). Used to prove multi-issuer validation (ADR-0011).
 type testIssuer struct {
-	url  string
-	priv jwk.Key
+	url           string
+	priv          jwk.Key
+	requireBearer string // if set, discovery+JWKS return 401 without this bearer
+}
+
+func (ti *testIssuer) authed(r *http.Request) bool {
+	return ti.requireBearer == "" || r.Header.Get("Authorization") == "Bearer "+ti.requireBearer
+}
+
+// bearerRT adds a static Authorization header to every request — a minimal stand-in
+// for the in-cluster case where the JWKS fetch carries the pod's SA token.
+type bearerRT struct{ token string }
+
+func (b bearerRT) RoundTrip(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	r.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+b.token)
+	return http.DefaultTransport.RoundTrip(r)
 }
 
 func newTestIssuer(t *testing.T) *testIssuer {
@@ -40,10 +54,18 @@ func newTestIssuer(t *testing.T) *testIssuer {
 
 	ti := &testIssuer{priv: priv}
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
-	mux.HandleFunc("/jwks", func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+	mux.HandleFunc("/jwks", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if !ti.authed(r) {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			return
+		}
 		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(set)
 	})
-	mux.HandleFunc("/.well-known/openid-configuration", func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+	mux.HandleFunc("/.well-known/openid-configuration", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if !ti.authed(r) {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			return
+		}
 		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]string{
 			"issuer":   ti.url,
 			"jwks_uri": ti.url + "/jwks",
@@ -141,3 +163,26 @@ func TestNewMultiJWTValidator_EmptyList_ReturnsNilNil(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Nil(t, v)
 }
+
+// The in-cluster k8s issuer requires an AUTHENTICATED discovery/JWKS fetch
+// (anonymous is 401, confirmed against k3s). IssuerConfig.HTTPClient must carry
+// that credential (the server pod's SA token) + trust the cluster CA.
+func TestNewMultiJWTValidator_UsesPerIssuerHTTPClientForAuthedFetch(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	iss := newTestIssuer(t)
+	iss.requireBearer = "fetch-secret" // discovery + JWKS now demand this bearer
+
+	// nil client (http.DefaultClient, no credential) → discovery 401 → build fails.
+	_, err := NewMultiJWTValidator(ctx, []IssuerConfig{{IssuerURL: iss.url, Audience: "sa-poc"}})
+	require.Error(t, err, "unauthenticated fetch must fail against an auth-gated issuer")
+
+	// A client that presents the fetch credential → build succeeds, token validates.
+	client := &http.Client{Transport: bearerRT{token: "fetch-secret"}}
+	v, err := NewMultiJWTValidator(ctx, []IssuerConfig{
+		{IssuerURL: iss.url, Audience: "sa-poc", HTTPClient: client},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	sub, err := v.Validate(ctx, iss.mint(t, "sa-poc", "poc-pod"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "poc-pod", sub)
+}