diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index dad05ec..4acf2c3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -177,3 +177,9 @@ embeddings/
 records/
 config.yml
 data/
+
+# Key material. The answer endpoint verifies a proof-of-human token against a
+# public key, and whoever mints those tokens holds the private half. Neither
+# belongs in the repository.
+*.pem
+*.key
diff --git a/bin/make-human-token-keypair.py b/bin/make-human-token-keypair.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2c2d264
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/make-human-token-keypair.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Generate the keypair the answer endpoint verifies proof-of-human tokens with.
+
+The endpoint holds only the **public** half, and verifies EdDSA or RS256 -- never
+an HMAC algorithm, so a stolen public key cannot be turned into a signing key.
+Whoever mints tokens holds the private half; who that is is D1 in
+specs/010-search-page-answers, still open.
+
+Rotation is this script plus a restart: generate, replace the public key the
+service reads, hand the private half to the minter. Tokens signed by the old key
+stop verifying immediately, which is the point.
+
+Usage:
+    ./bin/make-human-token-keypair.py deploy/beta
+"""
+
+import stat
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization
+from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric.ed25519 import Ed25519PrivateKey
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+        print(__doc__)
+        return 2
+    directory = Path(sys.argv[1])
+    directory.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+    public_path = directory / "human_token_public.pem"
+    private_path = directory / "human_token_private.pem"
+
+    # Refuse rather than overwrite: silently replacing a private key would
+    # invalidate every token in flight with no way back.
+    for path in (public_path, private_path):
+        if path.exists():
+            print(f"{path} exists. Move it aside first if you mean to rotate.")
+            return 1
+
+    private_key = Ed25519PrivateKey.generate()
+    private_path.write_bytes(
+        private_key.private_bytes(
+            encoding=serialization.Encoding.PEM,
+            format=serialization.PrivateFormat.PKCS8,
+            encryption_algorithm=serialization.NoEncryption(),
+        )
+    )
+    private_path.chmod(stat.S_IRUSR | stat.S_IWUSR)  # 0600
+
+    public_path.write_bytes(
+        private_key.public_key().public_bytes(
+            encoding=serialization.Encoding.PEM,
+            format=serialization.PublicFormat.SubjectPublicKeyInfo,
+        )
+    )
+    public_path.chmod(0o644)  # The container reads this as a non-root user.
+
+    print(f"public  {public_path}  (0644, mounted read-only into the container)")
+    print(f"private {private_path}  (0600, for whoever mints tokens -- D1)")
+    print()
+    print("Point the service at the public half:")
+    print(f"    HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH=/run/secrets/{public_path.name}")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/compose.yaml b/compose.yaml
index e585275..4fc671a 100644
--- a/compose.yaml
+++ b/compose.yaml
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ services:
       OAUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET: ${OAUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET}
       OPENAI_API_KEY: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}
       TAVILY_API_KEY: ${TAVILY_API_KEY}
+      HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH: /run/secrets/HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY
       # Postgres access when not using Vault (for development)
       POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
     secrets:
+      - HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY
       - CHAINLIT_AUTH_SECRET
       - CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY
       - OAUTH_AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET
@@ -70,9 +72,11 @@ services:
       CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY: ${CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY}
       OPENAI_API_KEY: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}
       TAVILY_API_KEY: ${TAVILY_API_KEY}
+      HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH: /run/secrets/HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY
       # Postgres access when not using Vault (for development)
       POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
     secrets:
+      - HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY
       - CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY
       - OPENAI_API_KEY
       - TAVILY_API_KEY
@@ -152,6 +156,12 @@ services:
 
 
 secrets:
+  # The public half of the answer endpoint's token-verifying keypair.
+  # External like the rest, so no key material lives in the repository:
+  #   docker secret create HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY deploy/beta/human_token_public.pem
+  # Generate the pair with ./bin/make-human-token-keypair.py deploy/beta
+  HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY:
+    external: true
   CHAINLIT_AUTH_SECRET:
     external: true
   CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY:
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index d684451..1cee603 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ services:
       - OAUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=${OAUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET}
       - CHAINLIT_AUTH_SECRET=${CHAINLIT_AUTH_SECRET}
       - CHAINLIT_URI=${CHAINLIT_URI}
+      - HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH=${HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH}
       - CHAINLIT_URL=${CHAINLIT_URL}
       - CHAINLIT_ROOT_PATH=${CHAINLIT_ROOT_PATH}
       - TAVILY_API_KEY=${TAVILY_API_KEY}
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ services:
       - ./embeddings:/app/embeddings
       - ./records:/app/records
       - ./config.yml:/app/config.yml
+    secrets:
+      - human_token_public.pem
 
   chainlit-no-login:
     image: ${CHAINLIT_IMAGE}
@@ -52,6 +55,7 @@ services:
       - CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY=${CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY}
       - CLOUDFLARE_SITE_KEY=${CLOUDFLARE_SITE_KEY}
       - CHAINLIT_URI=${CHAINLIT_URI_NO_LOGIN}
+      - HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH=${HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH}
       - CHAINLIT_URI_LOGIN=${CHAINLIT_URI}
       - CHAINLIT_URL=${CHAINLIT_URL}
       - TAVILY_API_KEY=${TAVILY_API_KEY}
@@ -63,6 +67,8 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - ./embeddings:/app/embeddings
       - ./config.yml:/app/config.yml
+    secrets:
+      - human_token_public.pem
 
 
   postgres:
@@ -94,3 +100,18 @@ services:
 
 volumes:
   postgres_data:
+
+secrets:
+  # NOTE: compose.yaml is the file Docker Compose actually uses when both
+  # exist, and it declares this as an external secret like every other.
+  # This file-based form keeps THIS compose file working standalone.
+  #
+  # Delivered at /run/secrets/human_token_public.pem, which is what
+  # HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH points at. A secret rather than a bind mount on
+  # purpose: a bind mount whose source is missing makes Docker create a
+  # root-owned directory at that path, which then needs sudo to clear and which
+  # the key generator would refuse to overwrite. A missing secret just errors.
+  #
+  # Generate it with ./bin/make-human-token-keypair.py deploy/beta
+  human_token_public.pem:
+    file: ./deploy/beta/human_token_public.pem
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 836a677..4e4f24c 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -9176,4 +9176,4 @@ cffi = ["cffi (>=1.17,<2.0) ; platform_python_implementation != \"PyPy\" and pyt
 [metadata]
 lock-version = "2.1"
 python-versions = ">=3.12, <4"
-content-hash = "da54dc988ec5fe6226c1df227eb05770d527401b945fa958310b2d2093f91f55"
+content-hash = "f78f40deab1059d18ed2483bb95c5bc4b61369f9f79534419de4d7a293f7a386"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 8655222..a57dff4 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ langchain = "^1.4.0"
 # chainlit upgrade could end, and the symptom would be an endpoint that cannot
 # verify anyone.
 pyjwt = {version = "^2.10", extras = ["crypto"]}
+# Imported directly by bin/make-human-token-keypair.py and the token tests,
+# not just pulled in by pyjwt's crypto extra. Declared so it does not vanish
+# if that extra or the JWT library ever changes.
+cryptography = ">=42,<51"
 # Declared, not inherited. LangChain 1.0 moved the pre-LCEL chain builders here
 # (retrievers/rag_chain.py, the metadata_info modules), so this repository
 # imports langchain_classic directly and must depend on it directly. It arrived
diff --git a/src/util/secrets.py b/src/util/secrets.py
index 11ab66c..49d196b 100644
--- a/src/util/secrets.py
+++ b/src/util/secrets.py
@@ -127,6 +127,14 @@ def load_secrets_to_environ(names: Iterable[str]) -> None:
 #
 # That had already happened: compose.yaml declared the two OAuth secrets and
 # this tuple did not list them.
+# Secrets the app consumes as a FILE at /run/secrets/<name>, not by loading the
+# value into the environment. The answer endpoint's verifying key is one: it is
+# read through HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH, and putting PEM text in an
+# environment variable would buy nothing. Listed so the compose tripwire can tell
+# "read as a file" apart from "mounted and silently never read", which is the
+# drift it exists to catch.
+FILE_SECRET_NAMES = ("HUMAN_TOKEN_PUBLIC_KEY",)
+
 SECRET_NAMES = (
     "CHAINLIT_AUTH_SECRET",
     "CLOUDFLARE_SECRET_KEY",
diff --git a/tests/util/test_secrets.py b/tests/util/test_secrets.py
index 30ee9a1..0f855d9 100644
--- a/tests/util/test_secrets.py
+++ b/tests/util/test_secrets.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import util.secrets as secrets
 from util.secrets import (
+    FILE_SECRET_NAMES,
     SECRET_NAMES,
     get_secret,
     load_secrets_to_environ,
@@ -140,10 +141,13 @@ def test_every_secret_compose_declares_is_one_the_app_loads() -> None:
         (Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "compose.yaml").read_text()
     )
     declared = set(compose.get("secrets") or {})
-    missing = sorted(declared - set(SECRET_NAMES))
+    # FILE_SECRET_NAMES are read from /run/secrets/<name> directly rather than
+    # loaded into the environment, so they are accounted for, not unread.
+    missing = sorted(declared - set(SECRET_NAMES) - set(FILE_SECRET_NAMES))
     assert not missing, (
         f"compose.yaml mounts these but nothing loads them: {missing}. "
-        "Add them to SECRET_NAMES in src/util/secrets.py."
+        "Add them to SECRET_NAMES in src/util/secrets.py, or to "
+        "FILE_SECRET_NAMES if the app reads the file instead of the value."
     )
 
 
@@ -229,3 +233,28 @@ def test_no_password_anywhere_returns_none(
     monkeypatch.setattr(secrets, "VAULT_TOKEN_FILE", Path("/nonexistent"))
     monkeypatch.delenv("POSTGRES_PASSWORD", raising=False)
     assert secrets.get_db_uri("chainlit") is None
+
+
+def test_file_secrets_are_actually_read_as_files() -> None:
+    """FILE_SECRET_NAMES excuses a secret from the tripwire above, so it must not
+    become a way to silence it.
+
+    A name listed there has to be consumed somewhere as a path under
+    /run/secrets/. If it is not, it is exactly the drift the tripwire exists to
+    catch, wearing a label that says otherwise.
+    """
+    root = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent
+    haystack = "\n".join(
+        path.read_text()
+        for path in (
+            root / "compose.yaml",
+            root / "docker-compose.yml",
+            *(root / "src").rglob("*.py"),
+            *(root / "bin").glob("*.py"),
+        )
+    )
+    for name in FILE_SECRET_NAMES:
+        assert f"/run/secrets/{name}" in haystack, (
+            f"{name} is in FILE_SECRET_NAMES but nothing reads "
+            f"/run/secrets/{name}. Either wire it up or drop it from the list."
+        )