diff --git a/crates/application/src/lib.rs b/crates/application/src/lib.rs
index 26db5e5f..1106f79c 100644
--- a/crates/application/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/application/src/lib.rs
@@ -728,8 +728,8 @@ impl<RT: Runtime> Application<RT> {
         self.database.latest_snapshot()
     }
 
-    pub fn app_auth(&self) -> Arc<ApplicationAuth> {
-        self.app_auth.clone()
+    pub fn app_auth(&self) -> &Arc<ApplicationAuth> {
+        &self.app_auth
     }
 
     pub async fn search_with_compiled_query(
@@ -2097,12 +2097,14 @@ impl<RT: Runtime> Application<RT> {
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Identity> {
         let identity = match token {
             AuthenticationToken::Admin(token, acting_as) => {
-                let admin_identity = self.key_broker().check_admin_key(&token).context(
-                    ErrorMetadata::unauthenticated(
+                let admin_identity = self
+                    .app_auth()
+                    .check_key(token.to_string(), self.instance_name())
+                    .await
+                    .context(ErrorMetadata::unauthenticated(
                         "BadAdminKey",
                         "The provided admin key was invalid for this instance",
-                    ),
-                )?;
+                    ))?;
 
                 match acting_as {
                     Some(acting_user) => {
diff --git a/crates/authentication/src/application_auth.rs b/crates/authentication/src/application_auth.rs
index 92147aeb..be89a680 100644
--- a/crates/authentication/src/application_auth.rs
+++ b/crates/authentication/src/application_auth.rs
@@ -27,20 +27,15 @@ impl ApplicationAuth {
         admin_key_or_access_token: String,
         instance_name: String,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Identity> {
-        if admin_key_or_access_token.contains('|')
-            || self
-                .key_broker
-                .is_encrypted_admin_key(&admin_key_or_access_token)
+        if self
+            .key_broker
+            .is_encrypted_admin_key(&admin_key_or_access_token)
         {
             // assume this is a legacy Deploy Key
-            // This is either a pipe-delimited deployment specific key
-            // or an encrypted admin key.
-            // The latter is used by smoke tests.
             self.key_broker.check_admin_key(&admin_key_or_access_token)
         } else {
             // assume this is an Access Token
-            // Access Tokens are base64 encoded strings and do not have pipes
-            // in them
+            // Access Tokens are base64 encoded strings
             self.access_token_auth
                 .is_authorized(&instance_name, &admin_key_or_access_token)
                 .await
diff --git a/crates/local_backend/src/admin.rs b/crates/local_backend/src/admin.rs
index 4c8cb937..bab43bec 100644
--- a/crates/local_backend/src/admin.rs
+++ b/crates/local_backend/src/admin.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::Context;
+use authentication::application_auth::ApplicationAuth;
 use common::types::MemberId;
 use errors::ErrorMetadata;
 use keybroker::{
@@ -17,6 +18,18 @@ pub fn must_be_admin_from_keybroker(
     Ok(identity)
 }
 
+pub async fn must_be_admin_from_key(
+    app_auth: &ApplicationAuth,
+    instance_name: String,
+    admin_key_or_access_token: String,
+) -> anyhow::Result<Identity> {
+    let identity = app_auth
+        .check_key(admin_key_or_access_token, instance_name.clone())
+        .await
+        .context(bad_admin_key_error(Some(instance_name)))?;
+    Ok(identity)
+}
+
 pub fn must_be_admin(identity: &Identity) -> anyhow::Result<MemberId> {
     let member_id = identity
         .member_id()
diff --git a/crates/local_backend/src/deploy_config.rs b/crates/local_backend/src/deploy_config.rs
index c7906f09..9acfcd9d 100644
--- a/crates/local_backend/src/deploy_config.rs
+++ b/crates/local_backend/src/deploy_config.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,10 @@ use serde_json::Value as JsonValue;
 use value::ConvexObject;
 
 use crate::{
-    admin::must_be_admin_from_keybroker,
+    admin::{
+        must_be_admin_from_key,
+        must_be_admin_from_keybroker,
+    },
     parse::parse_module_path,
     EmptyResponse,
     LocalAppState,
@@ -350,11 +353,12 @@ pub async fn get_config_hashes(
     State(st): State<LocalAppState>,
     Json(req): Json<GetConfigRequest>,
 ) -> Result<impl IntoResponse, HttpResponseError> {
-    let identity = must_be_admin_from_keybroker(
-        st.application.key_broker(),
-        Some(st.instance_name.clone()),
+    let identity = must_be_admin_from_key(
+        st.application.app_auth(),
+        st.instance_name.clone(),
         req.admin_key,
-    )?;
+    )
+    .await?;
 
     let mut tx = st.application.begin(identity).await?;
     let (config, modules, udf_config) = ConfigModel::new(&mut tx)
diff --git a/crates/local_backend/src/schema.rs b/crates/local_backend/src/schema.rs
index 04dd1750..32ab39f5 100644
--- a/crates/local_backend/src/schema.rs
+++ b/crates/local_backend/src/schema.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ use value::{
 use crate::{
     admin::{
         must_be_admin,
-        must_be_admin_from_keybroker,
+        must_be_admin_from_key,
     },
     authentication::ExtractIdentity,
     deploy_config::ModuleJson,
@@ -255,11 +255,12 @@ pub async fn prepare_schema_handler(
     req: PrepareSchemaArgs,
 ) -> Result<(Json<PrepareSchemaResponse>, bool), HttpResponseError> {
     let bundle = req.bundle.try_into()?;
-    let identity = must_be_admin_from_keybroker(
-        st.application.key_broker(),
-        Some(st.instance_name.clone()),
+    let identity = must_be_admin_from_key(
+        st.application.app_auth(),
+        st.instance_name.clone(),
         req.admin_key,
-    )?;
+    )
+    .await?;
     let schema = match st.application.evaluate_schema(bundle).await {
         Ok(m) => m,
         Err(e) => return Err(e.into()),