diff --git a/keyserver/package.json b/keyserver/package.json
index 2f5b51059..c7aa30344 100644
--- a/keyserver/package.json
+++ b/keyserver/package.json
@@ -1,121 +1,121 @@
 {
   "name": "keyserver",
   "version": "0.0.1",
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
   "main": "dist/keyserver",
   "scripts": {
     "clean": "rm -rf dist/ && rm -rf node_modules/ && mkdir dist",
     "babel-build-comm-config": ". bash/source-nvm.sh && yarn --silent babel src/lib/utils/comm-config.js --out-dir dist/lib/utils/ --config-file ./.babelrc.cjs",
     "babel-build": ". bash/source-nvm.sh && yarn --silent babel src/ --out-dir dist/ --config-file ./.babelrc.cjs --verbose --ignore 'src/landing/flow-typed','src/landing/node_modules','src/landing/package.json','src/lib/flow-typed','src/lib/node_modules','src/lib/package.json','src/web/flow-typed','src/web/node_modules','src/web/package.json','src/web/dist','src/web/webpack.config.js','src/web/account-bar.react.js','src/web/app.react.js','src/web/calendar','src/web/chat','src/web/flow','src/web/loading-indicator.react.js','src/web/modals','src/web/root.js','src/web/router-history.js','src/web/script.js','src/web/selectors/chat-selectors.js','src/web/selectors/entry-selectors.js','src/web/splash','src/web/vector-utils.js','src/web/vectors.react.js'",
     "rsync": "rsync -rLpmuv --exclude '*/package.json' --exclude '*/node_modules/*' --include '*.json' --include '*.cjs' --include '*.node' --exclude '*.*' src/ dist/",
     "prod-build": "yarn babel-build && yarn rsync",
     "prod": "KEYSERVER=true node --trace-warnings --loader=./loader.mjs dist/keyserver",
     "profile-prod": "KEYSERVER=true KEYSERVER_CPU_PROFILING_ENABLED=true 0x --output-dir cpu_profiling_logs/{pid}.0x -o -- node --trace-warnings --loader=./loader.mjs dist/keyserver",
     "clear-profile-logs": "rm -rf cpu_profiling_logs/",
     "dev-rsync": "yarn --silent chokidar --initial --silent -s 'src/**/*.json' 'src/**/*.cjs' -c 'yarn rsync > /dev/null 2>&1'",
-    "dev": ". bash/source-nvm.sh && yarn concurrently --names=\"BABEL,RSYNC,NODEM\" -c \"bgBlue.bold,bgMagenta.bold,bgGreen.bold\" \"yarn babel-build --source-maps --watch\" \"yarn dev-rsync\" \". bash/source-nvm.sh && KEYSERVER=true NODE_ENV=development nodemon -e js,json,cjs --watch dist --no-warnings=ExperimentalWarning --loader=./loader.mjs dist/keyserver\"",
+    "dev": ". bash/source-nvm.sh && yarn concurrently --names=\"BABEL,RSYNC,NODEM\" -c \"bgBlue.bold,bgMagenta.bold,bgGreen.bold\" \"yarn babel-build --source-maps --watch\" \"yarn dev-rsync\" \". bash/source-nvm.sh && KEYSERVER=true AUTHORITATIVE_KEYSERVER=true NODE_ENV=development nodemon -e js,json,cjs --watch dist --no-warnings=ExperimentalWarning --loader=./loader.mjs dist/keyserver\"",
     "dev-log-metrics": "KEYSERVER_ENDPOINT_METRICS_ENABLED=true yarn dev",
     "script": ". bash/source-nvm.sh && NODE_ENV=development node --loader=./loader.mjs",
     "test": "jest"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "0x": "^5.7.0",
     "@babel/cli": "^7.23.4",
     "@babel/core": "^7.23.7",
     "@babel/node": "^7.22.19",
     "@babel/plugin-syntax-dynamic-import": "^7.8.3",
     "@babel/plugin-transform-class-properties": "^7.23.3",
     "@babel/plugin-transform-nullish-coalescing-operator": "^7.23.4",
     "@babel/plugin-transform-object-rest-spread": "^7.23.4",
     "@babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining": "^7.23.4",
     "@babel/plugin-transform-private-methods": "^7.24.1",
     "@babel/plugin-transform-runtime": "^7.23.7",
     "@babel/preset-env": "^7.23.7",
     "@babel/preset-flow": "^7.23.3",
     "@babel/preset-react": "^7.23.3",
     "babel-jest": "^29.7.0",
     "babel-plugin-transform-import-meta": "2.2.1",
     "chokidar-cli": "^2.1.0",
     "concurrently": "^5.3.0",
     "flow-bin": "^0.202.1",
     "flow-typed": "^3.2.1",
     "internal-ip": "4.3.0",
     "jest": "^29.7.0",
     "nodemon": "^2.0.4"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@babel/runtime": "^7.23.7",
     "@commapp/olm": "0.1.1",
     "@parse/node-apn": "^3.2.0",
     "@vingle/bmp-js": "^0.2.5",
     "bad-words": "^3.0.4",
     "common-tags": "^1.7.2",
     "compression": "^1.7.4",
     "cookie-parser": "^1.4.3",
     "cors": "^2.8.5",
     "dateformat": "^3.0.3",
     "detect-browser": "^4.0.4",
     "ethers": "^6.11.1",
     "express": "^4.17.3",
     "express-ws": "^4.0.0",
     "file-type": "^12.3.0",
     "firebase-admin": "^10.1.0",
     "geoip-lite": "^1.4.5",
     "invariant": "^2.2.4",
     "landing": "0.0.1",
     "lib": "0.0.1",
     "lodash": "^4.17.21",
     "multer": "^1.4.1",
     "mysql2": "^2.3.3",
     "natural": "^6.2.0",
     "node-schedule": "^2.1.0",
     "nodemailer": "^6.6.1",
     "qrcode": "^1.5.3",
     "react": "18.1.0",
     "react-dom": "18.1.0",
     "react-html-email": "^3.0.0",
     "react-redux": "^7.1.1",
     "react-router": "^5.2.0",
     "redis": "^3.1.1",
     "redux": "^4.0.4",
     "rereadable-stream": "^1.4.5",
     "rust-node-addon": "0.0.1",
     "sharp": "^0.30.5",
     "siwe": "^2.1.4",
     "sql-template-strings": "^2.2.2",
     "tcomb": "^3.2.29",
     "twin-bcrypt": "^2.1.1",
     "uuid": "^3.4.0",
     "web": "0.0.1",
     "web-push": "^3.5.0",
     "ws": "^8.13.0"
   },
   "optionalDependencies": {
     "bufferutil": "^4.0.5",
     "utf-8-validate": "^5.0.7"
   },
   "nodemonConfig": {
     "delay": "200"
   },
   "jest": {
     "roots": [
       "<rootDir>/src"
     ],
     "transform": {
       "\\.js$": [
         "babel-jest",
         {
           "rootMode": "upward"
         }
       ]
     },
     "transformIgnorePatterns": [
       "/node_modules/(?!@babel/runtime)"
     ],
     "setupFiles": [
       "<rootDir>/jest-setup.js"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/keyserver/src/user/identity.js b/keyserver/src/user/identity.js
index f337295bd..31260104e 100644
--- a/keyserver/src/user/identity.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/user/identity.js
@@ -1,128 +1,142 @@
 // @flow
 
 import type { QueryResults } from 'mysql';
 
 import ashoat from 'lib/facts/ashoat.js';
 import { getCommConfig } from 'lib/utils/comm-config.js';
 import { ashoatKeyserverID } from 'lib/utils/validation-utils.js';
 
 import type { UserCredentials } from './checks';
 import { SQL, dbQuery } from '../database/database.js';
 
 const metadataKeys = Object.freeze({
   USER_ID: 'user_id',
   ACCESS_TOKEN: 'access_token',
 });
 
 type MetadataKey = $Values<typeof metadataKeys>;
 
 // This information is minted when registering with identity service
 // Naming should reflect the rust-bindings: userId -> user_id
 export type IdentityInfo = { +userId: string, +accessToken: string };
 
 // This function should only be used to fetch string values from the metadata
 // table
 async function fetchMetadata(
   keys: $ReadOnlyArray<MetadataKey>,
 ): Promise<Map<MetadataKey, string>> {
   const metadataQuery = SQL`
     SELECT name, data
     FROM metadata
     WHERE name IN (${keys})
   `;
 
   const [result] = await dbQuery(metadataQuery);
 
   const metadataMap = new Map<MetadataKey, string>();
 
   for (const row of result) {
     metadataMap.set(row.name, row.data);
   }
 
   return metadataMap;
 }
 
 async function fetchIdentityInfo(): Promise<?IdentityInfo> {
   const keys = [metadataKeys.USER_ID, metadataKeys.ACCESS_TOKEN];
 
   const metadataMap = await fetchMetadata(keys);
 
   const userID = metadataMap.get(metadataKeys.USER_ID);
   const accessToken = metadataMap.get(metadataKeys.ACCESS_TOKEN);
 
   if (!userID || !accessToken) {
     return null;
   }
 
   return { userId: userID, accessToken };
 }
 
 let cachedKeyserverID: ?string;
 
 async function thisKeyserverID(): Promise<string> {
   if (cachedKeyserverID) {
     return cachedKeyserverID;
   }
   const config = await getCommConfig<UserCredentials>({
     folder: 'secrets',
     name: 'user_credentials',
   });
   if (!config?.usingIdentityCredentials) {
     return ashoatKeyserverID;
   }
   const identityInfo = await fetchIdentityInfo();
   cachedKeyserverID = identityInfo?.userId ?? ashoatKeyserverID;
   return cachedKeyserverID;
 }
 
+async function isAuthoritativeKeyserver(): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (process.env.AUTHORITATIVE_KEYSERVER) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  const id = await thisKeyserverID();
+  if (id === ashoat.id) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 export type AdminData = {
   +username: string,
   +id: string,
 };
 
 async function thisKeyserverAdmin(): Promise<AdminData> {
   const config = await getCommConfig<UserCredentials>({
     folder: 'secrets',
     name: 'user_credentials',
   });
 
   if (!config) {
     return {
       id: ashoat.id,
       username: ashoat.username,
     };
   }
   const id = await thisKeyserverID();
 
   return {
     id,
     username: config.username,
   };
 }
 
 function saveMetadata(
   metadataMap: Map<MetadataKey, string>,
 ): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const entries = [...metadataMap.entries()];
   const updateQuery = SQL`
     REPLACE INTO metadata (name, data)
     VALUES ${entries}
   `;
 
   return dbQuery(updateQuery);
 }
 
 function saveIdentityInfo(userInfo: IdentityInfo): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const metadataMap = new Map<MetadataKey, string>();
   metadataMap.set(metadataKeys.USER_ID, userInfo.userId);
   metadataMap.set(metadataKeys.ACCESS_TOKEN, userInfo.accessToken);
 
   return saveMetadata(metadataMap);
 }
 
 export {
   fetchIdentityInfo,
   thisKeyserverID,
   thisKeyserverAdmin,
   saveIdentityInfo,
+  isAuthoritativeKeyserver,
 };