diff --git a/packages/access-api/src/config.js b/packages/access-api/src/config.js
index 6e771428b..647ca9fa0 100644
--- a/packages/access-api/src/config.js
+++ b/packages/access-api/src/config.js
@@ -32,11 +32,14 @@ export function loadConfig(env) {
     }
   }
 
+  const DID = env.DID
+  const PRIVATE_KEY = vars.PRIVATE_KEY
+  const signer = configureSigner({ DID, PRIVATE_KEY })
   return {
     DEBUG: boolValue(vars.DEBUG),
     ENV: parseRuntimeEnv(vars.ENV),
 
-    PRIVATE_KEY: vars.PRIVATE_KEY,
+    PRIVATE_KEY,
     POSTMARK_TOKEN: vars.POSTMARK_TOKEN,
     SENTRY_DSN: vars.SENTRY_DSN,
     LOGTAIL_TOKEN: vars.LOGTAIL_TOKEN,
@@ -52,7 +55,8 @@ export function loadConfig(env) {
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-undef
     COMMITHASH: ACCOUNT_COMMITHASH,
 
-    DID: env.DID,
+    DID,
+    signer,
 
     // bindings
     METRICS:
diff --git a/packages/access-api/src/utils/context.js b/packages/access-api/src/utils/context.js
index 2e11e7744..d9e5c9490 100644
--- a/packages/access-api/src/utils/context.js
+++ b/packages/access-api/src/utils/context.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Logging } from '@web3-storage/worker-utils/logging'
 import Toucan from 'toucan-js'
 import pkg from '../../package.json'
-import { configureSigner, loadConfig } from '../config.js'
+import { loadConfig } from '../config.js'
 import { Spaces } from '../kvs/spaces.js'
 import { Validations } from '../kvs/validations.js'
 import { Email } from './email.js'
@@ -40,13 +40,11 @@ export function getContext(request, env, ctx) {
     commit: config.COMMITHASH,
     env: config.ENV,
   })
-
-  const signer = configureSigner(config)
   const url = new URL(request.url)
   const db = new D1QB(config.DB)
   return {
     log,
-    signer,
+    signer: config.signer,
     config,
     url,
     kvs: {