diff --git a/services/identity/src/service.rs b/services/identity/src/service.rs
--- a/services/identity/src/service.rs
+++ b/services/identity/src/service.rs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
       registration::handle_registration_upload_and_credential_request(
         second_message,
         tx.clone(),
-        self.client.clone(),
+        &self.client,
         &registration_state,
         pake_state,
       )
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
     registration::handle_credential_finalization(
       third_message,
       tx,
-      self.client.clone(),
+      &self.client,
       &registration_state,
       server_login,
     )
@@ -141,12 +141,9 @@
     let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel(MPSC_CHANNEL_BUFFER_CAPACITY);
 
     let first_message = in_stream.next().await;
-    let login_state = login::handle_login_request(
-      first_message,
-      tx.clone(),
-      self.client.clone(),
-    )
-    .await?;
+    let login_state =
+      login::handle_login_request(first_message, tx.clone(), &self.client)
+        .await?;
 
     // login_state will be None if user is logging in with a wallet
     if let Some(state) = login_state {
@@ -298,7 +295,7 @@
 }
 
 async fn put_token_helper(
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   auth_type: AuthType,
   user_id: &str,
   signing_public_key: &str,
@@ -370,7 +367,7 @@
 }
 
 async fn wallet_login_helper(
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   wallet_login_request: WalletLoginRequestStruct,
   rng: &mut (impl Rng + CryptoRng),
 ) -> Result<LoginResponse, Status> {
@@ -410,7 +407,7 @@
 }
 
 async fn pake_login_start(
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   user_id: &str,
   pake_credential_request: &[u8],
 ) -> Result<LoginResponseAndPakeState, Status> {
@@ -462,7 +459,7 @@
 async fn pake_login_finish(
   user_id: &str,
   signing_public_key: &str,
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   server_login: ServerLogin<Cipher>,
   pake_credential_finalization: &[u8],
   rng: &mut (impl Rng + CryptoRng),
@@ -548,7 +545,7 @@
 
 async fn pake_registration_finish(
   user_id: &str,
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   registration_upload_bytes: &[u8],
   server_registration: Option<ServerRegistration<Cipher>>,
   username: &str,
diff --git a/services/identity/src/service/login.rs b/services/identity/src/service/login.rs
--- a/services/identity/src/service/login.rs
+++ b/services/identity/src/service/login.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 pub async fn handle_login_request(
   message: Option<Result<LoginRequest, Status>>,
   tx: mpsc::Sender<Result<LoginResponse, Status>>,
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
 ) -> Result<Option<LoginState>, Status> {
   match message {
     Some(Ok(LoginRequest {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
       let login_finish_result = pake_login_finish(
         &login_state.user_id,
         &login_state.signing_public_key,
-        client,
+        &client,
         login_state.pake_state,
         &pake_credential_finalization,
         &mut OsRng,
diff --git a/services/identity/src/service/registration.rs b/services/identity/src/service/registration.rs
--- a/services/identity/src/service/registration.rs
+++ b/services/identity/src/service/registration.rs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 pub async fn handle_registration_upload_and_credential_request(
   message: Option<Result<RegistrationRequest, Status>>,
   tx: mpsc::Sender<Result<RegistrationResponse, Status>>,
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   registration_state: &RegistrationState,
   pake_state: ServerRegistration<Cipher>,
 ) -> Result<ServerLogin<Cipher>, Status> {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
     })) => {
       let response_and_state = match pake_registration_finish(
         &registration_state.user_id,
-        client.clone(),
+        client,
         &pake_registration_upload_and_credential_request
           .pake_registration_upload,
         Some(pake_state),
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@
 pub async fn handle_credential_finalization(
   message: Option<Result<RegistrationRequest, Status>>,
   tx: mpsc::Sender<Result<RegistrationResponse, Status>>,
-  client: DatabaseClient,
+  client: &DatabaseClient,
   registration_state: &RegistrationState,
   server_login: ServerLogin<Cipher>,
 ) -> Result<(), Status> {