diff --git a/internal/auth/oidc.go b/internal/auth/oidc.go
index 47cafea..86c63d9 100644
--- a/internal/auth/oidc.go
+++ b/internal/auth/oidc.go
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ type BearerOIDC struct {
 	timeout   time.Duration
 	backoff   time.Duration
 
-	mu          sync.Mutex
-	verifier    *oidc.IDTokenVerifier
-	discovering bool
-	failedAt    time.Time
+	mu       sync.Mutex
+	verifier *oidc.IDTokenVerifier
+	inflight chan struct{}
+	failedAt time.Time
 }
 
 var errIssuerUnavailable = errors.New("oidc issuer unavailable")
@@ -39,18 +39,34 @@ func NewBearerOIDC(issuer string, audiences []string) *BearerOIDC {
 }
 
 // getVerifier runs at most one discovery at a time without holding the lock
-// across network I/O; callers arriving mid-discovery or within the backoff fail fast.
-func (b *BearerOIDC) getVerifier() (*oidc.IDTokenVerifier, error) {
+// across network I/O; concurrent callers wait for it, and only callers within
+// the post-failure backoff fail fast.
+func (b *BearerOIDC) getVerifier(ctx context.Context) (*oidc.IDTokenVerifier, error) {
 	b.mu.Lock()
-	if b.verifier != nil || b.discovering || time.Since(b.failedAt) < b.backoff {
-		v := b.verifier
+	if v := b.verifier; v != nil {
 		b.mu.Unlock()
-		if v == nil {
-			return nil, errIssuerUnavailable
-		}
 		return v, nil
 	}
-	b.discovering = true
+	if done := b.inflight; done != nil {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		select {
+		case <-done:
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return nil, ctx.Err()
+		}
+		b.mu.Lock()
+		defer b.mu.Unlock()
+		if b.verifier == nil {
+			return nil, errIssuerUnavailable
+		}
+		return b.verifier, nil
+	}
+	if time.Since(b.failedAt) < b.backoff {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return nil, errIssuerUnavailable
+	}
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	b.inflight = done
 	b.mu.Unlock()
 
 	// The provider keeps this context and client for JWKS refreshes, so the
@@ -60,7 +76,8 @@ func (b *BearerOIDC) getVerifier() (*oidc.IDTokenVerifier, error) {
 
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
-	b.discovering = false
+	b.inflight = nil
+	defer close(done)
 	if err != nil {
 		b.failedAt = time.Now()
 		slog.Error("oidc discovery failed", "issuer", b.issuer, "error", err)
@@ -83,7 +100,7 @@ func (b *BearerOIDC) Require(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 			unauthorized(w, "missing bearer token")
 			return
 		}
-		v, err := b.getVerifier()
+		v, err := b.getVerifier(r.Context())
 		if err != nil {
 			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
diff --git a/internal/auth/oidc_test.go b/internal/auth/oidc_test.go
index 38ea85a..8c552b6 100644
--- a/internal/auth/oidc_test.go
+++ b/internal/auth/oidc_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strconv"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -145,6 +146,41 @@ func TestBearerOIDCHangingIssuerBacksOff(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBearerOIDCConcurrentFirstRequestsWaitForDiscovery(t *testing.T) {
+	iss := testsupport.NewOIDCIssuer()
+	defer iss.Close()
+	var hits atomic.Int32
+	inner := iss.Config.Handler
+	iss.Config.Handler = http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path == "/.well-known/openid-configuration" {
+			hits.Add(1)
+			time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+		inner.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+	})
+
+	h := NewBearerOIDC(iss.URL, nil).Require(ok)
+	tok := iss.Token(nil, "artifactapi", "ci", time.Hour)
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	codes := make([]int, 20)
+	for i := range codes {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			codes[i] = serve(h, http.MethodPost, tok)
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+	for i, c := range codes {
+		if c != http.StatusNoContent {
+			t.Errorf("request %d: status %d, want 204", i, c)
+		}
+	}
+	if n := hits.Load(); n != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("discovery hit %d times, want 1", n)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBearerOIDCRetriesAfterBackoff(t *testing.T) {
 	iss := testsupport.NewOIDCIssuer()
 	defer iss.Close()