diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5886d35..609ab3d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           target: ${{ matrix.target }}
           rustflags: ""
+      - name: Install musl
+        if: ${{ endsWith( matrix.target, '-musl' ) }}
+        run: sudo apt install musl-tools
 
       - name: Install protoc
         uses: ./.github/actions/install-protoc
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 22e7ee0..5362fc8 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ tracing = "0.1.40"
 paste = "1.0.15"
 strum = { version = "0.26", features = ["derive"] }
 base64 = "0.22"
+bs58 = { version = "0.5.0" }
 sha2 = "0.11.0-pre.3"
+ring = { version = "0.17.8" }
+jsonwebtoken = { version = "9.3.0" }
+serde = { version = "1.0.204", features = ["derive"] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 googletest = "0.11.0"
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 8342609..b41adbd 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+mod request_identity;
 mod service_protocol;
 mod vm;
 
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+pub use request_identity::*;
 pub use vm::CoreVM;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
diff --git a/src/request_identity.rs b/src/request_identity.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b838994
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/request_identity.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2024 - Restate Software, Inc., Restate GmbH.
+// All rights reserved.
+//
+// Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License
+// included in the LICENSE file.
+//
+// As of the Change Date specified in that file, in accordance with
+// the Business Source License, use of this software will be governed
+// by the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+
+use jsonwebtoken::{DecodingKey, Validation};
+use serde::Deserialize;
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+use std::convert::Infallible;
+
+const SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER: &str = "x-restate-signature-scheme";
+const SIGNATURE_SCHEME_V1: &str = "v1";
+const SIGNATURE_SCHEME_UNSIGNED: &str = "unsigned";
+const SIGNATURE_JWT_V1_HEADER: &str = "x-restate-jwt-v1";
+const IDENTITY_V1_PREFIX: &str = "publickeyv1_";
+
+pub trait IdentityHeaderMap {
+    type Error;
+
+    fn extract(&self, name: &str) -> Result<Option<&str>, Self::Error>;
+}
+
+impl IdentityHeaderMap for HashMap<String, String> {
+    type Error = Infallible;
+
+    fn extract(&self, name: &str) -> Result<Option<&str>, Self::Error> {
+        Ok(self.get(name).map(|x| x.as_str()))
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+pub enum KeyError {
+    #[error("identity v1 jwt public keys are expected to start with {IDENTITY_V1_PREFIX}")]
+    MissingPrefix,
+    #[error("cannot decode the public key with base58: {0}")]
+    Base58(#[from] bs58::decode::Error),
+    #[error("decoded key should have length of 32, was {0}")]
+    BadLength(usize),
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+pub enum VerifyError {
+    #[error("cannot read header {0}: {1}")]
+    ExtractHeader(
+        &'static str,
+        #[source] Box<dyn std::error::Error + Sync + Send + 'static>,
+    ),
+    #[error("missing header: {0}")]
+    MissingHeader(&'static str),
+    #[error("bad {SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER} header, unexpected value {0}")]
+    BadSchemeHeader(String),
+    #[error("got unsigned request, expecting only signed requests matching the configured keys")]
+    UnsignedRequest,
+    #[error("invalid JWT: {0}")]
+    InvalidJWT(#[from] jsonwebtoken::errors::Error),
+}
+
+pub struct IdentityVerifier {
+    validation: Validation,
+    keys: Vec<DecodingKey>,
+}
+
+impl Default for IdentityVerifier {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        let mut validation = Validation::new(jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::EdDSA);
+        validation.required_spec_claims =
+            HashSet::from(["aud".into(), "exp".into(), "iat".into(), "nbf".into()]);
+        validation.leeway = 0;
+        validation.reject_tokens_expiring_in_less_than = 0;
+        validation.validate_exp = true;
+        validation.validate_nbf = true;
+        validation.validate_aud = true;
+
+        Self {
+            validation,
+            keys: vec![],
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Deserialize)]
+struct Claims {}
+
+impl IdentityVerifier {
+    pub fn new(keys: &[&str]) -> Result<Self, KeyError> {
+        let mut iv = IdentityVerifier::default();
+        for k in keys {
+            iv = iv.with_key(k)?;
+        }
+        Ok(iv)
+    }
+
+    pub fn with_key(mut self, key: &str) -> Result<Self, KeyError> {
+        self.keys.push(Self::parse_key(key)?);
+        Ok(Self {
+            validation: self.validation,
+            keys: self.keys,
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn parse_key(key: &str) -> Result<DecodingKey, KeyError> {
+        if !key.starts_with(IDENTITY_V1_PREFIX) {
+            return Err(KeyError::MissingPrefix);
+        }
+
+        let decoded_key = bs58::decode(key.split_at(IDENTITY_V1_PREFIX.len()).1).into_vec()?;
+        if decoded_key.len() != 32 {
+            return Err(KeyError::BadLength(decoded_key.len()));
+        }
+
+        Ok(DecodingKey::from_ed_der(&decoded_key))
+    }
+
+    fn check_v1_keys(&self, jwt_token: &str, path: &str) -> Result<(), VerifyError> {
+        let mut validation = self.validation.clone();
+        validation.set_audience(&[path]);
+        let mut res = Ok(());
+        for k in &self.keys {
+            if let Err(e) = jsonwebtoken::decode::<Claims>(jwt_token, k, &validation) {
+                res = Err(e);
+            } else {
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+        }
+        res.map_err(VerifyError::InvalidJWT)
+    }
+
+    pub fn verify_identity<I>(&self, hm: &I, path: &str) -> Result<(), VerifyError>
+    where
+        I: IdentityHeaderMap,
+        <I as IdentityHeaderMap>::Error: std::error::Error + Send + Sync + 'static,
+    {
+        if self.keys.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
+        let scheme_header = hm
+            .extract(SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER)
+            .map_err(|e| VerifyError::ExtractHeader(SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER, Box::new(e)))?
+            .ok_or(VerifyError::MissingHeader(SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER))?;
+
+        match scheme_header {
+            SIGNATURE_SCHEME_V1 => {
+                let jwt = hm
+                    .extract(SIGNATURE_JWT_V1_HEADER)
+                    .map_err(|e| VerifyError::ExtractHeader(SIGNATURE_JWT_V1_HEADER, Box::new(e)))?
+                    .ok_or(VerifyError::MissingHeader(SIGNATURE_JWT_V1_HEADER))?;
+
+                self.check_v1_keys(jwt, path)
+            }
+            SIGNATURE_SCHEME_UNSIGNED => Err(VerifyError::UnsignedRequest),
+            scheme => Err(VerifyError::BadSchemeHeader(scheme.to_owned())),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    use ring::rand::SystemRandom;
+    use ring::signature::{Ed25519KeyPair, KeyPair};
+    use serde::Serialize;
+    use std::time::SystemTime;
+
+    #[derive(Serialize)]
+    pub(crate) struct Claims<'aud> {
+        aud: &'aud str,
+        exp: u64,
+        iat: u64,
+        nbf: u64,
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn verify() {
+        let (jwt, identity_key) = mock_token_and_key();
+
+        let verifier = IdentityVerifier::new(&[&identity_key]).unwrap();
+
+        let headers: HashMap<String, String> = [
+            (
+                SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER.to_owned(),
+                SIGNATURE_SCHEME_V1.to_owned(),
+            ),
+            (SIGNATURE_JWT_V1_HEADER.to_owned(), jwt),
+        ]
+        .into_iter()
+        .collect();
+
+        verifier.verify_identity(&headers, "/invoke/foo").unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bad_key() {
+        let verifier =
+            IdentityVerifier::new(&["publickeyv1_ChjENKeMvCtRnqG2mrBK1HmPKufgFUc98K8B3ononQvp"])
+                .unwrap();
+
+        let headers: HashMap<String, String> = [
+            (SIGNATURE_SCHEME_HEADER.to_owned(), SIGNATURE_SCHEME_V1.to_owned()),
+            (SIGNATURE_JWT_V1_HEADER.to_owned(), "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImtpZCI6InB1YmxpY2tleXYxX0FmUXdtd2ZnRVpocldwdnY4TjUyU0hwUnRacUdHYUZyNEFaTjZxdFlXU2lZIn0.eyJhdWQiOiIvaW52b2tlL2ZvbyIsImV4cCI6MTcyMTY2MjcwOSwiaWF0IjoxNzIxNjYyNjQ5LCJuYmYiOjE3MjE2NjI1ODl9.UBReG_9cdFQ5VcaJxAV0rM8U_zaNw9kMXJZt691SiI0SWw7Ucmz5Zz3wtmVUc1jrkNsnTDhNEvOFGEZoKXTMCQ".to_owned())
+        ].into_iter().collect();
+
+        assert!(verifier.verify_identity(&headers, "/invoke/foo").is_err())
+    }
+
+    fn mock_token_and_key() -> (String, String) {
+        let serialized_keypair = Ed25519KeyPair::generate_pkcs8(&SystemRandom::new()).unwrap();
+        let keypair = Ed25519KeyPair::from_pkcs8(serialized_keypair.as_ref()).unwrap();
+
+        let kid = format!(
+            "{IDENTITY_V1_PREFIX}{}",
+            bs58::encode(keypair.public_key()).into_string()
+        );
+        let signing_key = jsonwebtoken::EncodingKey::from_ed_der(serialized_keypair.as_ref());
+
+        let header = jsonwebtoken::Header {
+            typ: Some("JWT".into()),
+            kid: Some(kid.clone()),
+            alg: jsonwebtoken::Algorithm::EdDSA,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let unix_seconds = SystemTime::now()
+            .duration_since(SystemTime::UNIX_EPOCH)
+            .expect("duration since Unix epoch should be well-defined")
+            .as_secs();
+        let claims = Claims {
+            aud: "/invoke/foo",
+            nbf: unix_seconds.saturating_sub(60),
+            iat: unix_seconds,
+            exp: unix_seconds.saturating_add(60),
+        };
+        let jwt = jsonwebtoken::encode(&header, &claims, &signing_key).unwrap();
+
+        (jwt, kid)
+    }
+}