diff --git a/docker/nginx/conf.d/include/cors-headers b/docker/nginx/conf.d/include/cors-headers
index 0f0bb328..80ee73bd 100644
--- a/docker/nginx/conf.d/include/cors-headers
+++ b/docker/nginx/conf.d/include/cors-headers
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 more_set_headers 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin: $http_origin';
 more_set_headers 'Access-Control-Allow-Credentials: true';
 more_set_headers 'Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS, PUT, PATCH, DELETE';
-more_set_headers 'Access-Control-Allow-Headers: DNT,User-Agent,X-Requested-With,If-Modified-Since,If-None-Match,Cache-Control,Content-Type,Range,X-HTTP-Method-Override,upload-offset,upload-metadata,upload-length,tus-version,tus-resumable,tus-extension,tus-max-size,upload-concat,location,Skynet-API-Key';
+more_set_headers 'Access-Control-Allow-Headers: DNT,User-Agent,X-Requested-With,If-Modified-Since,If-None-Match,Cache-Control,Content-Type,Range,X-HTTP-Method-Override,upload-offset,upload-metadata,upload-length,tus-version,tus-resumable,tus-extension,tus-max-size,upload-concat,location,Skynet-Api-Key';
 more_set_headers 'Access-Control-Expose-Headers: Content-Length,Content-Range,ETag,Skynet-File-Metadata,Skynet-Skylink,Skynet-Proof,Skynet-Portal-Api,Skynet-Server-Api,upload-offset,upload-metadata,upload-length,tus-version,tus-resumable,tus-extension,tus-max-size,upload-concat,location';
diff --git a/packages/health-check/bin/cli b/packages/health-check/bin/cli
index dbf39344..5bf0064c 100755
--- a/packages/health-check/bin/cli
+++ b/packages/health-check/bin/cli
@@ -6,16 +6,6 @@ require("yargs/yargs")(process.argv.slice(2))
   .help()
   .demandCommand()
   .strict(true)
-  .command(
-    "__authenticate", // Internal only function - this function will be removed when API keys are implemented
-    false, // hide this function cli help
-    () => {},
-    async () => {
-      const { getAuthCookie } = require("../src/utils");
-
-      console.log(await getAuthCookie(true));
-    }
-  )
   .command(
     "enable",
     "Mark portal as enabled",
diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js b/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js
index ac406f10..db9617e3 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 const got = require("got");
 const FormData = require("form-data");
 const { isEqual } = require("lodash");
-const { calculateElapsedTime, getResponseContent, getAuthCookie, isPortalModuleEnabled } = require("../utils");
+const { calculateElapsedTime, getResponseContent, isPortalModuleEnabled } = require("../utils");
 const { SkynetClient, stringToUint8ArrayUtf8, genKeyPairAndSeed } = require("skynet-js");
 
 const MODULE_BLOCKER = "b";
 
-const skynetClient = new SkynetClient(process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API);
+const skynetClient = new SkynetClient(process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API, {
+  skynetApiKey: process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_API_KEY,
+});
 const exampleSkylink = "AACogzrAimYPG42tDOKhS3lXZD8YvlF8Q8R17afe95iV2Q";
 
 // check that any relevant configuration is properly set in skyd
@@ -36,7 +38,6 @@ async function skydConfigCheck(done) {
 
 // uploadCheck returns the result of uploading a sample file
 async function uploadCheck(done) {
-  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const form = new FormData();
   const payload = Buffer.from(new Date()); // current date to ensure data uniqueness
@@ -47,7 +48,9 @@ async function uploadCheck(done) {
   try {
     const response = await got.post(`${process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API}/skynet/skyfile`, {
       body: form,
-      headers: { cookie: authCookie },
+      headers: {
+        "Skynet-Api-Key": process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_API_KEY,
+      },
     });
 
     data.statusCode = response.statusCode;
@@ -106,15 +109,14 @@ async function accountWebsiteCheck(done) {
 
 // registryWriteAndReadCheck writes to registry and immediately reads and compares the data
 async function registryWriteAndReadCheck(done) {
-  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const data = { name: "registry_write_and_read", up: false };
   const { privateKey, publicKey } = genKeyPairAndSeed();
   const expected = { dataKey: "foo-key", data: stringToUint8ArrayUtf8("foo-data"), revision: BigInt(0) };
 
   try {
-    await skynetClient.registry.setEntry(privateKey, expected, { customCookie: authCookie });
-    const { entry } = await skynetClient.registry.getEntry(publicKey, expected.dataKey, { customCookie: authCookie });
+    await skynetClient.registry.setEntry(privateKey, expected);
+    const { entry } = await skynetClient.registry.getEntry(publicKey, expected.dataKey);
 
     if (isEqual(expected, entry)) {
       data.up = true;
@@ -204,12 +206,16 @@ async function blockerHealthCheck(done) {
 }
 
 async function genericAccessCheck(name, url) {
-  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const data = { up: false, url };
 
   try {
-    const response = await got(url, { headers: { cookie: `nocache=true;${authCookie}` } });
+    const response = await got(url, {
+      headers: {
+        cookie: "nocache=true",
+        "Skynet-Api-Key": process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_API_KEY,
+      },
+    });
 
     data.statusCode = response.statusCode;
     data.up = true;
diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js b/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js
index 170bd9d1..5c620c61 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const got = require("got");
 const hasha = require("hasha");
 const { detailedDiff } = require("deep-object-diff");
 const { isEqual } = require("lodash");
-const { calculateElapsedTime, ensureValidJSON, getResponseContent, getAuthCookie } = require("../utils");
+const { calculateElapsedTime, ensureValidJSON, getResponseContent } = require("../utils");
 const { parseSkylink } = require("skynet-js");
 
 // audioExampleCheck returns the result of trying to download the skylink
@@ -1130,13 +1130,18 @@ function parseHeaderString(header) {
 
 // skylinkVerification verifies a skylink against provided information.
 async function skylinkVerification(done, expected, { followRedirect = true, method = "get" } = {}) {
-  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const details = { name: expected.name, skylink: expected.skylink };
 
   try {
     const query = `${process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API}/${expected.skylink}`;
-    const response = await got[method](query, { followRedirect, headers: { cookie: `nocache=true;${authCookie}` } });
+    const response = await got[method](query, {
+      followRedirect,
+      headers: {
+        cookie: "nocache=true",
+        "Skynet-Api-Key": process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_API_KEY,
+      },
+    });
     const entry = { ...details, up: true, statusCode: response.statusCode, time: calculateElapsedTime(time) };
     const info = {};
 
diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/utils.js b/packages/health-check/src/utils.js
index 8dbab0de..19a8e594 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/utils.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/utils.js
@@ -61,70 +61,6 @@ function getRequiredEnvironmentVariable(name) {
   return value;
 }
 
-/**
- * Authenticate with given credentials and return auth cookie
- * Creates new account if username does not exist
- * Only authenticates when portal is set to authenticated users only mode
- * @param {boolean} forceAuth forcibly ensure authentication with test credentials
- */
-function getAuthCookie(forceAuth = false) {
-  // cache auth promise so only one actual request will be made
-  if (getAuthCookie.cache) return getAuthCookie.cache;
-
-  // accounts disabled, do not try to authenticate
-  if (!isPortalModuleEnabled("a")) return "";
-
-  // do not authenticate if it is not required by portal limit access rule
-  if (!forceAuth && !["authenticated", "subscription"].includes(process.env.ACCOUNTS_LIMIT_ACCESS)) return "";
-
-  // assign all required environment variables
-  const portalDomain = getRequiredEnvironmentVariable("PORTAL_DOMAIN");
-  const email = getRequiredEnvironmentVariable("ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_EMAIL");
-  const password = getRequiredEnvironmentVariable("ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_PASSWORD");
-
-  async function authenticate() {
-    const got = require("got");
-
-    try {
-      // authenticate with given test user credentials
-      const response = await got.post(`https://account.${portalDomain}/api/login`, {
-        json: { email, password },
-      });
-
-      // extract set-cookie from successful authentication request
-      const cookies = response.headers["set-cookie"];
-
-      // throw meaningful error when set-cookie header is missing
-      if (!cookies) throw new Error(`Auth successful (code ${response.statusCode}) but 'set-cookie' header is missing`);
-
-      // find the skynet-jwt cookie
-      const jwtcookie = cookies.find((cookie) => cookie.startsWith("skynet-jwt"));
-
-      // throw meaningful error when skynet-jwt cookie is missing
-      if (!jwtcookie) throw new Error(`Header 'set-cookie' found but 'skynet-jwt' cookie is missing`);
-
-      // extract just the cookie value (no set-cookie props) from set-cookie
-      return jwtcookie.match(/skynet-jwt=[^;]+;/)[0];
-    } catch (error) {
-      // 401 means that service worked but user could not have been authenticated
-      if (error.response && error.response.statusCode === 401) {
-        // sign up with the given credentials
-        await got.post(`https://account.${portalDomain}/api/user`, {
-          json: { email, password },
-        });
-
-        // retry authentication
-        return authenticate();
-      }
-
-      // rethrow unhandled exception
-      throw error;
-    }
-  }
-
-  return (getAuthCookie.cache = authenticate());
-}
-
 /**
  * isPortalModuleEnabled returns true if the given module is enabled
  */
@@ -137,7 +73,6 @@ module.exports = {
   getYesterdayISOString,
   getResponseContent,
   ensureValidJSON,
-  getAuthCookie,
   isPortalModuleEnabled,
   ipCheckService,
   ipRegex,