diff --git a/services/bff/Bff.Api/Program.cs b/services/bff/Bff.Api/Program.cs
index 9823a29..871ae31 100644
--- a/services/bff/Bff.Api/Program.cs
+++ b/services/bff/Bff.Api/Program.cs
@@ -120,10 +120,21 @@ internal static class BehandelAuth
             return;
 
         var realmAccess = principal.FindFirst("realm_access")?.Value;
-        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(realmAccess))
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(realmAccess))
             return;
 
-        var roles = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<RealmAccess>(realmAccess)?.Roles ?? [];
+        // A malformed realm_access claim must not fail authentication (a throw here becomes a 401);
+        // it simply yields no roles, so the authorization policy answers 403.
+        string[] roles;
+        try
+        {
+            roles = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<RealmAccess>(realmAccess)?.Roles ?? [];
+        }
+        catch (JsonException)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
         foreach (var role in roles)
             identity.AddClaim(new Claim(identity.RoleClaimType, role));
     }
diff --git a/services/bff/Bff.Tests/BffFactory.cs b/services/bff/Bff.Tests/BffFactory.cs
index e6a487a..5e74fb9 100644
--- a/services/bff/Bff.Tests/BffFactory.cs
+++ b/services/bff/Bff.Tests/BffFactory.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Testing;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.TestHost;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using Microsoft.IdentityModel.Protocols;
 using Microsoft.IdentityModel.Protocols.OpenIdConnect;
 using Microsoft.IdentityModel.Tokens;
 
@@ -23,9 +24,34 @@ internal sealed class BffFactory : WebApplicationFactory<Program>
     public FakeDomainClient Domain { get; } = new();
     public FakeProjectionClient Projection { get; } = new();
 
+    private static void ValidateWithTestKey(IServiceCollection services, string scheme) =>
+        services.Configure<JwtBearerOptions>(scheme, options =>
+        {
+            // Validate locally against the test key and NEVER reach out for OIDC metadata. A static
+            // configuration manager guarantees this regardless of Configure/PostConfigure ordering —
+            // clearing Authority alone left the medewerker scheme fetching metadata under CI timing
+            // (2s hang → 401), because JwtBearer's PostConfigure could still build a ConfigurationManager.
+            options.Authority = null;
+            options.MetadataAddress = null!;
+            options.RequireHttpsMetadata = false;
+            options.Configuration = new OpenIdConnectConfiguration();
+            options.ConfigurationManager =
+                new StaticConfigurationManager<OpenIdConnectConfiguration>(new OpenIdConnectConfiguration());
+            options.TokenValidationParameters = new TokenValidationParameters
+            {
+                ValidateIssuer = false,
+                ValidateAudience = false,
+                ValidateLifetime = true,
+                ValidateIssuerSigningKey = true,
+                IssuerSigningKey = TestSigningKey,
+                ClockSkew = TimeSpan.Zero,
+            };
+        });
+
     protected override void ConfigureWebHost(IWebHostBuilder builder)
     {
         builder.UseSetting("Keycloak:Authority", "https://keycloak.invalid/realms/digid");
+        builder.UseSetting("Keycloak:MedewerkerAuthority", "https://keycloak.invalid/realms/medewerker");
         builder.UseSetting("Downstream:Domain:BaseUrl", "http://domain.invalid/");
         builder.UseSetting("Downstream:Projection:BaseUrl", "http://projection.invalid/");
 
@@ -34,23 +60,11 @@ internal sealed class BffFactory : WebApplicationFactory<Program>
             services.AddSingleton<IDomainClient>(Domain);
             services.AddSingleton<IProjectionClient>(Projection);
 
-            services.Configure<JwtBearerOptions>(JwtBearerDefaults.AuthenticationScheme, options =>
-            {
-                // Validate locally against the test key; never reach out for OIDC metadata.
-                options.Authority = null;
-                options.MetadataAddress = null!;
-                options.RequireHttpsMetadata = false;
-                options.Configuration = new OpenIdConnectConfiguration();
-                options.TokenValidationParameters = new TokenValidationParameters
-                {
-                    ValidateIssuer = false,
-                    ValidateAudience = false,
-                    ValidateLifetime = true,
-                    ValidateIssuerSigningKey = true,
-                    IssuerSigningKey = TestSigningKey,
-                    ClockSkew = TimeSpan.Zero,
-                };
-            });
+            // Both realms validate locally against the test key (no live Keycloak). The medewerker
+            // scheme keeps its OnTokenValidated role-lifting from Program.cs — only the validation
+            // parameters are swapped here.
+            ValidateWithTestKey(services, JwtBearerDefaults.AuthenticationScheme);
+            ValidateWithTestKey(services, "medewerker");
         });
     }
 }