diff --git a/src/stac_auth_proxy/app.py b/src/stac_auth_proxy/app.py
index 0233fd6..1893e37 100644
--- a/src/stac_auth_proxy/app.py
+++ b/src/stac_auth_proxy/app.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 from .auth import OpenIdConnectAuth
 from .config import Settings
-from .handlers import OpenApiSpecHandler, ReverseProxyHandler
+from .handlers import ReverseProxyHandler, build_openapi_spec_handler
 from .middleware import AddProcessTimeHeaderMiddleware
 
 # from .utils import apply_filter
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def create_app(settings: Optional[Settings] = None) -> FastAPI:
         collections_filter=collections_filter,
         items_filter=items_filter,
     )
-    openapi_handler = OpenApiSpecHandler(
+    openapi_handler = build_openapi_spec_handler(
         proxy=proxy_handler,
         oidc_config_url=str(settings.oidc_discovery_url),
     )
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def create_app(settings: Optional[Settings] = None) -> FastAPI:
             (
                 proxy_handler.stream
                 if path != settings.openapi_spec_endpoint
-                else openapi_handler.dispatch
+                else openapi_handler
             ),
             methods=methods,
             dependencies=[Security(auth_scheme.validated_user)],
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def create_app(settings: Optional[Settings] = None) -> FastAPI:
             (
                 proxy_handler.stream
                 if path != settings.openapi_spec_endpoint
-                else openapi_handler.dispatch
+                else openapi_handler
             ),
             methods=methods,
             dependencies=[Security(auth_scheme.maybe_validated_user)],
diff --git a/src/stac_auth_proxy/auth.py b/src/stac_auth_proxy/auth.py
index 1e4826e..1c43dea 100644
--- a/src/stac_auth_proxy/auth.py
+++ b/src/stac_auth_proxy/auth.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import logging
 import urllib.request
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from typing import Annotated, Any, Callable, Optional, Sequence
+from typing import Annotated, Optional, Sequence
 
 import jwt
 from fastapi import HTTPException, Security, security, status
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ class OpenIdConnectAuth:
     # Generated attributes
     auth_scheme: SecurityBase = field(init=False)
     jwks_client: jwt.PyJWKClient = field(init=False)
-    validated_user: Callable[..., Any] = field(init=False)
-    maybe_validated_user: Callable[..., Any] = field(init=False)
 
     def __post_init__(self):
         """Initialize the OIDC authentication class."""
@@ -50,70 +48,80 @@ def __post_init__(self):
             openIdConnectUrl=str(self.openid_configuration_url),
             auto_error=False,
         )
-        self.validated_user = self._build(auto_error=True)
-        self.maybe_validated_user = self._build(auto_error=False)
-
-    def _build(self, auto_error: bool = True):
-        """Build a dependency for validating an OIDC token."""
-
-        def valid_token_dependency(
-            auth_header: Annotated[str, Security(self.auth_scheme)],
-            required_scopes: security.SecurityScopes,
-        ):
-            """Dependency to validate an OIDC token."""
-            if not auth_header:
+
+        # Update annotations to support FastAPI's dependency injection
+        for endpoint in [self.validated_user, self.maybe_validated_user]:
+            endpoint.__annotations__["auth_header"] = Annotated[
+                str,
+                Security(self.auth_scheme),
+            ]
+
+    def maybe_validated_user(
+        self,
+        auth_header: Annotated[str, Security(...)],
+        required_scopes: security.SecurityScopes,
+    ):
+        """Dependency to validate an OIDC token."""
+        return self.validated_user(auth_header, required_scopes, auto_error=False)
+
+    def validated_user(
+        self,
+        auth_header: Annotated[str, Security(...)],
+        required_scopes: security.SecurityScopes,
+        auto_error: bool = True,
+    ):
+        """Dependency to validate an OIDC token."""
+        if not auth_header:
+            if auto_error:
+                raise HTTPException(
+                    status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
+                    detail="Not authenticated",
+                )
+            return None
+
+        # Extract token from header
+        token_parts = auth_header.split(" ")
+        if len(token_parts) != 2 or token_parts[0].lower() != "bearer":
+            logger.error(f"Invalid token: {auth_header}")
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
+                detail="Could not validate credentials",
+                headers={"WWW-Authenticate": "Bearer"},
+            )
+        [_, token] = token_parts
+
+        # Parse & validate token
+        try:
+            key = self.jwks_client.get_signing_key_from_jwt(token).key
+            payload = jwt.decode(
+                token,
+                key,
+                algorithms=["RS256"],
+                # NOTE: Audience validation MUST match audience claim if set in token (https://pyjwt.readthedocs.io/en/stable/changelog.html?highlight=audience#id40)
+                audience=self.allowed_jwt_audiences,
+            )
+        except (jwt.exceptions.InvalidTokenError, jwt.exceptions.DecodeError) as e:
+            logger.exception(f"InvalidTokenError: {e=}")
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
+                detail="Could not validate credentials",
+                headers={"WWW-Authenticate": "Bearer"},
+            ) from e
+
+        # Validate scopes (if required)
+        for scope in required_scopes.scopes:
+            if scope not in payload["scope"]:
                 if auto_error:
                     raise HTTPException(
-                        status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
-                        detail="Not authenticated",
+                        status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
+                        detail="Not enough permissions",
+                        headers={
+                            "WWW-Authenticate": f'Bearer scope="{required_scopes.scope_str}"'
+                        },
                     )
                 return None
 
-            # Extract token from header
-            token_parts = auth_header.split(" ")
-            if len(token_parts) != 2 or token_parts[0].lower() != "bearer":
-                logger.error(f"Invalid token: {auth_header}")
-                raise HTTPException(
-                    status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
-                    detail="Could not validate credentials",
-                    headers={"WWW-Authenticate": "Bearer"},
-                )
-            [_, token] = token_parts
-
-            # Parse & validate token
-            try:
-                key = self.jwks_client.get_signing_key_from_jwt(token).key
-                payload = jwt.decode(
-                    token,
-                    key,
-                    algorithms=["RS256"],
-                    # NOTE: Audience validation MUST match audience claim if set in token (https://pyjwt.readthedocs.io/en/stable/changelog.html?highlight=audience#id40)
-                    audience=self.allowed_jwt_audiences,
-                )
-            except (jwt.exceptions.InvalidTokenError, jwt.exceptions.DecodeError) as e:
-                logger.exception(f"InvalidTokenError: {e=}")
-                raise HTTPException(
-                    status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
-                    detail="Could not validate credentials",
-                    headers={"WWW-Authenticate": "Bearer"},
-                ) from e
-
-            # Validate scopes (if required)
-            for scope in required_scopes.scopes:
-                if scope not in payload["scope"]:
-                    if auto_error:
-                        raise HTTPException(
-                            status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
-                            detail="Not enough permissions",
-                            headers={
-                                "WWW-Authenticate": f'Bearer scope="{required_scopes.scope_str}"'
-                            },
-                        )
-                    return None
-
-            return payload
-
-        return valid_token_dependency
+        return payload
 
 
 class OidcFetchError(Exception):
diff --git a/src/stac_auth_proxy/filters/template.py b/src/stac_auth_proxy/filters/template.py
index 45fa2ef..dd6de37 100644
--- a/src/stac_auth_proxy/filters/template.py
+++ b/src/stac_auth_proxy/filters/template.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """Generate CQL2 filter expressions via Jinja2 templating."""
 
-from typing import Any, Annotated, Callable
+from typing import Annotated, Any, Callable
 
 from cql2 import Expr
 from fastapi import Request, Security
diff --git a/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/__init__.py b/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/__init__.py
index 43d2dc3..7b03225 100644
--- a/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/__init__.py
+++ b/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """Handlers to process requests."""
 
-from .open_api_spec import OpenApiSpecHandler
+from .open_api_spec import build_openapi_spec_handler
 from .reverse_proxy import ReverseProxyHandler
 
-__all__ = ["OpenApiSpecHandler", "ReverseProxyHandler"]
+__all__ = ["build_openapi_spec_handler", "ReverseProxyHandler"]
diff --git a/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/open_api_spec.py b/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/open_api_spec.py
index 444f1d9..9d3af20 100644
--- a/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/open_api_spec.py
+++ b/src/stac_auth_proxy/handlers/open_api_spec.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """Custom request handlers."""
 
 import logging
-from dataclasses import dataclass
 
 from fastapi import Request, Response
 from fastapi.routing import APIRoute
@@ -12,17 +11,14 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-@dataclass
-class OpenApiSpecHandler:
-    """Handler for OpenAPI spec requests."""
-
-    proxy: ReverseProxyHandler
-    oidc_config_url: str
-    auth_scheme_name: str = "oidcAuth"
-
-    async def dispatch(self, req: Request, res: Response):
+def build_openapi_spec_handler(
+    proxy: ReverseProxyHandler,
+    oidc_config_url: str,
+    auth_scheme_name: str = "oidcAuth",
+):
+    async def dispatch(req: Request, res: Response):
         """Proxy the OpenAPI spec from the upstream STAC API, updating it with OIDC security requirements."""
-        oidc_spec_response = await self.proxy.proxy_request(req)
+        oidc_spec_response = await proxy.proxy_request(req)
         openapi_spec = oidc_spec_response.json()
 
         # Pass along the response headers
@@ -45,10 +41,10 @@ async def dispatch(self, req: Request, res: Response):
 
         # Add the OIDC security scheme to the components
         openapi_spec.setdefault("components", {}).setdefault("securitySchemes", {})[
-            self.auth_scheme_name
+            auth_scheme_name
         ] = {
             "type": "openIdConnect",
-            "openIdConnectUrl": self.oidc_config_url,
+            "openIdConnectUrl": oidc_config_url,
         }
 
         # Update the paths with the specified security requirements
@@ -61,9 +57,9 @@ async def dispatch(self, req: Request, res: Response):
                     if match.name != "FULL":
                         continue
                     # Add the OIDC security requirement
-                    config.setdefault("security", []).append(
-                        {self.auth_scheme_name: []}
-                    )
+                    config.setdefault("security", []).append({auth_scheme_name: []})
                     break
 
         return openapi_spec
+
+    return dispatch