diff --git a/src/container_orchestrator.rs b/src/container_orchestrator.rs
index 98e4f73..7f85a9e 100644
--- a/src/container_orchestrator.rs
+++ b/src/container_orchestrator.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ macro_rules! try_quiet {
     };
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct ContainerOrchestrator {
     podman: Podman,
     reverse_proxy: Arc<ReverseProxy>,
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 40a175c..e4dc80f 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     debug!(?cfg, "loaded configuration");
 
+    let rockslide_pw = cfg.rockslide.master_key.as_secret_string();
+    let auth_provider = Arc::new(cfg.rockslide.master_key);
+
     let local_ip: IpAddr = if podman_is_remote() {
         info!("podman is remote, trying to guess IP address");
         let local_hostname = gethostname();
@@ -78,12 +81,9 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let local_addr = SocketAddr::from(([127, 0, 0, 1], cfg.reverse_proxy.http_bind.port()));
     info!(%local_addr, "guessing local registry address");
 
-    let reverse_proxy = ReverseProxy::new();
+    let reverse_proxy = ReverseProxy::new(auth_provider.clone());
 
-    let credentials = (
-        "rockslide-podman".to_owned(),
-        cfg.rockslide.master_key.as_secret_string(),
-    );
+    let credentials = ("rockslide-podman".to_owned(), rockslide_pw);
     let orchestrator = Arc::new(ContainerOrchestrator::new(
         &cfg.containers.podman_path,
         reverse_proxy.clone(),
@@ -97,11 +97,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     orchestrator.synchronize_all().await?;
     orchestrator.updated_published_set().await;
 
-    let registry = ContainerRegistry::new(
-        &cfg.registry.storage_path,
-        orchestrator,
-        cfg.rockslide.master_key,
-    )?;
+    let registry = ContainerRegistry::new(&cfg.registry.storage_path, orchestrator, auth_provider)?;
 
     let app = Router::new()
         .merge(registry.make_router())
diff --git a/src/registry.rs b/src/registry.rs
index 0c3f8fa..d2af01e 100644
--- a/src/registry.rs
+++ b/src/registry.rs
@@ -92,24 +92,20 @@ impl IntoResponse for AppError {
 
 pub(crate) struct ContainerRegistry {
     realm: String,
-    auth_provider: Box<dyn AuthProvider>,
+    auth_provider: Arc<dyn AuthProvider>,
     storage: Box<dyn RegistryStorage>,
     hooks: Box<dyn RegistryHooks>,
 }
 
 impl ContainerRegistry {
-    pub(crate) fn new<
-        P: AsRef<std::path::Path>,
-        T: RegistryHooks + 'static,
-        A: AuthProvider + 'static,
-    >(
+    pub(crate) fn new<P: AsRef<std::path::Path>, T: RegistryHooks + 'static>(
         storage_path: P,
         orchestrator: T,
-        auth_provider: A,
+        auth_provider: Arc<dyn AuthProvider>,
     ) -> Result<Arc<Self>, FilesystemStorageError> {
         Ok(Arc::new(ContainerRegistry {
             realm: "ContainerRegistry".to_string(),
-            auth_provider: Box::new(auth_provider),
+            auth_provider: auth_provider,
             storage: Box::new(FilesystemStorage::new(storage_path)?),
             hooks: Box::new(orchestrator),
         }))
diff --git a/src/reverse_proxy.rs b/src/reverse_proxy.rs
index 4d22537..18da953 100644
--- a/src/reverse_proxy.rs
+++ b/src/reverse_proxy.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use axum::{
         Method, StatusCode, Uri,
     },
     response::{IntoResponse, Response},
-    Router,
+    RequestExt, Router,
 };
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use tokio::sync::RwLock;
@@ -23,11 +23,13 @@ use tracing::{trace, warn};
 
 use crate::{
     container_orchestrator::{ContainerOrchestrator, PublishedContainer},
-    registry::{storage::ImageLocation, ManifestReference, Reference},
+    registry::{
+        storage::ImageLocation, AuthProvider, ManifestReference, Reference, UnverifiedCredentials,
+    },
 };
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct ReverseProxy {
+    auth_provider: Arc<dyn AuthProvider>,
     client: reqwest::Client,
     routing_table: RwLock<RoutingTable>,
     orchestrator: OnceLock<Arc<ContainerOrchestrator>>,
@@ -173,6 +175,7 @@ enum AppError {
     InternalUrlInvalid,
     AssertionFailed(&'static str),
     NonUtf8Header,
+    AuthFailure(StatusCode),
     Internal(anyhow::Error),
 }
 
@@ -184,6 +187,7 @@ impl Display for AppError {
             AppError::InternalUrlInvalid => f.write_str("internal url invalid"),
             AppError::AssertionFailed(msg) => f.write_str(msg),
             AppError::NonUtf8Header => f.write_str("a header contained non-utf8 data"),
+            AppError::AuthFailure(_) => f.write_str("authentication missing or not present"),
             AppError::Internal(err) => Display::fmt(err, f),
         }
     }
@@ -207,6 +211,7 @@ impl IntoResponse for AppError {
             AppError::InternalUrlInvalid => StatusCode::NOT_FOUND.into_response(),
             AppError::AssertionFailed(msg) => (StatusCode::NOT_FOUND, msg).into_response(),
             AppError::NonUtf8Header => StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST.into_response(),
+            AppError::AuthFailure(status) => status.into_response(),
             AppError::Internal(err) => {
                 (StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, err.to_string()).into_response()
             }
@@ -215,8 +220,9 @@ impl IntoResponse for AppError {
 }
 
 impl ReverseProxy {
-    pub(crate) fn new() -> Arc<Self> {
+    pub(crate) fn new(auth_provider: Arc<dyn AuthProvider>) -> Arc<Self> {
         Arc::new(ReverseProxy {
+            auth_provider,
             client: reqwest::Client::new(),
             routing_table: RwLock::new(Default::default()),
             orchestrator: OnceLock::new(),
@@ -240,6 +246,7 @@ impl ReverseProxy {
     pub(crate) fn set_orchestrator(&self, orchestrator: Arc<ContainerOrchestrator>) -> &Self {
         self.orchestrator
             .set(orchestrator)
+            .map_err(|_| ())
             .expect("set already set orchestrator");
         self
     }
@@ -271,7 +278,18 @@ async fn route_request(
     let dest = match dest_uri {
         Destination::ReverseProxied(dest) => dest,
         Destination::Internal(uri) => {
-            todo!("check access (master password)");
+            let method = request.method().clone();
+            // Note: The auth functionality has been lifted from `registry`. It may need to be
+            //       refactored out because of that.
+            let creds = request
+                .extract::<UnverifiedCredentials, _>()
+                .await
+                .map_err(AppError::AuthFailure)?;
+
+            // Any internal URL is subject to requiring auth through the master key.
+            if !rp.auth_provider.check_credentials(&creds).await {
+                todo!("return 403");
+            }
 
             let remainder = uri
                 .path()
@@ -297,7 +315,7 @@ async fn route_request(
                 .get()
                 .ok_or_else(|| AppError::AssertionFailed("no orchestrator configured"))?;
 
-            return match *request.method() {
+            return match method {
                 Method::GET => {
                     let config = orchestrator
                         .load_config(&manifest_reference)