diff --git a/auth/token-managers/jwt-token-manager.ts b/auth/token-managers/jwt-token-manager.ts
index 7f2aeba2b..4c66caccd 100644
--- a/auth/token-managers/jwt-token-manager.ts
+++ b/auth/token-managers/jwt-token-manager.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { verify } from 'jsonwebtoken';
+import { decode } from 'jsonwebtoken';
 import logger from '../../lib/logger';
 import { TokenManager, TokenManagerOptions } from './token-manager';
 
@@ -80,18 +80,7 @@ export class JwtTokenManager extends TokenManager {
       throw new Error(err);
     }
 
-    let decodedResponse;
-    try {
-      decodedResponse = verify(this.accessToken);
-    } catch (e) {
-      // the token is either an invalid JWT or it could not be verified
-      logger.error('Failed to verify the JWT. See error message:');
-      logger.error(e);
-      throw new Error(e);
-    }
-
-    // the 'catch' method above should handle any verificiation/decoding issues but
-    // this check is here as a failsafe
+    const decodedResponse = decode(this.accessToken);
     if (!decodedResponse) {
       const err = 'Access token recieved is not a valid JWT';
       logger.error(err);
diff --git a/test/unit/iam-token-manager.test.js b/test/unit/iam-token-manager.test.js
index a2dd270d5..a2993ab34 100644
--- a/test/unit/iam-token-manager.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/iam-token-manager.test.js
@@ -16,13 +16,14 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
+jest.mock('jsonwebtoken/decode');
+const decode = require('jsonwebtoken/decode');
+
+decode.mockImplementation(() => ({ exp: 100, iat: 100 }));
 
 jest.mock('../../dist/lib/request-wrapper');
 const { RequestWrapper } = require('../../dist/lib/request-wrapper');
 
-jwt.verify = jest.fn(() => ({ exp: 100, iat: 100 }));
-
 const { IamTokenManager } = require('../../dist/auth');
 
 const mockSendRequest = jest.fn();
diff --git a/test/unit/jwt-token-manager.test.js b/test/unit/jwt-token-manager.test.js
index 377e050a4..8c25b0b4e 100644
--- a/test/unit/jwt-token-manager.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/jwt-token-manager.test.js
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
+jest.mock('jsonwebtoken/decode');
+const decode = require('jsonwebtoken/decode');
+
+decode.mockImplementation(() => ({ exp: 100, iat: 100 }));
+
 const { JwtTokenManager } = require('../../dist/auth');
 
 function getCurrentTime() {
@@ -47,9 +51,7 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
       const instance = new JwtTokenManager();
       const saveTokenInfoSpy = jest.spyOn(instance, 'saveTokenInfo');
 
-      const verifySpy = jest
-        .spyOn(jwt, 'verify')
-        .mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
+      decode.mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
 
       const requestTokenSpy = jest
         .spyOn(instance, 'requestToken')
@@ -58,20 +60,18 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
       const token = await instance.getToken();
       expect(requestTokenSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(saveTokenInfoSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(verifySpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(decode).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(token).toBe(ACCESS_TOKEN);
 
       saveTokenInfoSpy.mockRestore();
-      verifySpy.mockRestore();
+      decode.mockRestore();
       requestTokenSpy.mockRestore();
     });
 
     it('should pace token requests', async () => {
       const instance = new JwtTokenManager();
 
-      const verifySpy = jest
-        .spyOn(jwt, 'verify')
-        .mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
+      decode.mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
 
       const requestTokenSpy = jest.spyOn(instance, 'requestToken').mockImplementation(
         () =>
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
       expect(requestTokenSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(requestTokenSpy.mock.calls).toHaveLength(1);
 
-      verifySpy.mockRestore();
+      decode.mockRestore();
       requestTokenSpy.mockRestore();
     });
 
@@ -131,9 +131,7 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
       instance.tokenInfo.access_token = CURRENT_ACCESS_TOKEN;
 
       const saveTokenInfoSpy = jest.spyOn(instance, 'saveTokenInfo');
-      const verifySpy = jest
-        .spyOn(jwt, 'verify')
-        .mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
+      decode.mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
 
       const requestTokenSpy = jest
         .spyOn(instance, 'requestToken')
@@ -142,11 +140,11 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
       const token = await instance.getToken();
       expect(requestTokenSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(saveTokenInfoSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(verifySpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(decode).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(token).toBe(CURRENT_ACCESS_TOKEN);
 
       saveTokenInfoSpy.mockRestore();
-      verifySpy.mockRestore();
+      decode.mockRestore();
       requestTokenSpy.mockRestore();
     });
 
@@ -271,16 +269,14 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
   describe('saveTokenInfo', () => {
     it('should save information to object state', () => {
       const instance = new JwtTokenManager();
-      const verifySpy = jest
-        .spyOn(jwt, 'verify')
-        .mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
+      decode.mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 10, exp: 100 }));
 
       const tokenResponse = { result: { access_token: ACCESS_TOKEN } };
 
       instance.saveTokenInfo(tokenResponse);
       expect(instance.expireTime).toBe(100);
       expect(instance.tokenInfo).toEqual(tokenResponse.result);
-      verifySpy.mockRestore();
+      decode.mockRestore();
     });
 
     it('should throw an error when access token is undefined', () => {
@@ -294,15 +290,13 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
   describe('calculateTimeForNewToken', () => {
     it('should calculate time for new token based on valid jwt', () => {
       const instance = new JwtTokenManager();
-      const verifySpy = jest
-        .spyOn(jwt, 'verify')
-        .mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 100, exp: 200 }));
+      decode.mockImplementation((token) => ({ iat: 100, exp: 200 }));
 
       const tokenResponse = { result: { access_token: ACCESS_TOKEN } };
 
       instance.saveTokenInfo(tokenResponse);
       expect(instance.refreshTime).toBe(180);
-      verifySpy.mockRestore();
+      decode.mockRestore();
     });
 
     it('should throw an error if token is not a valid jwt', () => {
@@ -312,16 +306,14 @@ describe('JWT Token Manager', () => {
 
     it('should gracefully handle a jwt without exp or iat claims', () => {
       const instance = new JwtTokenManager();
-      const verifySpy = jest
-        .spyOn(jwt, 'verify')
-        .mockImplementation((token) => ({ foo: 0, bar: 100 }));
+      decode.mockImplementation((token) => ({ foo: 0, bar: 100 }));
 
       const tokenResponse = { result: { access_token: ACCESS_TOKEN } };
 
       instance.saveTokenInfo(tokenResponse);
       expect(instance.expireTime).toBe(0);
       expect(instance.tokenInfo).toEqual(tokenResponse.result);
-      verifySpy.mockRestore();
+      decode.mockRestore();
     });
   });
 });