diff --git a/.changeset/weak-oranges-rhyme.md b/.changeset/weak-oranges-rhyme.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0b68ab498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/weak-oranges-rhyme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-auth-backend': patch
+---
+
+Optional identity token authorization of api requests
diff --git a/contrib/docs/tutorials/authenticate-api-requests.md b/contrib/docs/tutorials/authenticate-api-requests.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b8407abd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/docs/tutorials/authenticate-api-requests.md
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Authenticate API requests
+
+The Backstage backend APIs are by default available without authentication. To avoid evil-doers from accessing or modifying data, one might use a network protection mechanism such as a firewall or an authenticating reverse proxy. For Backstage instances that are available on the Internet one can instead use the experimental IdentityClient as outlined below.
+
+API requests from frontend plugins include an authorization header with a Backstage identity token acquired when the user logs in. By adding a middleware that verifies said token to be valid and signed by Backstage, non-authenticated requests can be blocked with a 401 Unauthorized response.
+
+Note that this means Backstage will stop working for guests, as no token is issued for them.
+
+Caveat: as of writing this, Backstage does not refresh the identity token so eventually users will get a 401 response on API calls (not on loading the web page as only the API calls are authenticated) and have to logout/login again to get a new token.
+
+```typescript
+// packages/backend/src/index.ts from a create-app deployment
+
+import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from 'express';
+import { IdentityClient } from '@backstage/plugin-auth-backend';
+
+// ...
+
+async function main() {
+  // ...
+
+  const discovery = SingleHostDiscovery.fromConfig(config);
+  const identity = new IdentityClient({
+    discovery,
+    issuer: await discovery.getExternalBaseUrl('auth'),
+  });
+  const authMiddleware = async (
+    req: Request,
+    res: Response,
+    next: NextFunction,
+  ) => {
+    try {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken(req.headers.authorization);
+      req.user = await identity.authenticate(token);
+      next();
+    } catch (error) {
+      res.status(401).send(`Unauthorized`);
+    }
+  };
+
+  const apiRouter = Router();
+  // The auth route must be publically available as it is used during login
+  apiRouter.use('/auth', await auth(authEnv));
+  // Only authenticated requests are allowed to the routes below
+  apiRouter.use('/catalog', authMiddleware, await catalog(catalogEnv));
+  apiRouter.use('/techdocs', authMiddleware, await techdocs(techdocsEnv));
+  apiRouter.use('/proxy', authMiddleware, await proxy(proxyEnv));
+  apiRouter.use(authMiddleware, notFoundHandler());
+
+  // ...
+}
+```
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/IdentityClient.test.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/IdentityClient.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f317aa0c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/IdentityClient.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { JWT, JSONWebKey } from 'jose';
+import { rest } from 'msw';
+import { setupServer } from 'msw/node';
+import {
+  getVoidLogger,
+  PluginEndpointDiscovery,
+} from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import { IdentityClient } from './IdentityClient';
+import { MemoryKeyStore } from './MemoryKeyStore';
+import { TokenFactory } from './TokenFactory';
+import { KeyStore } from './types';
+
+const logger = getVoidLogger();
+
+function jwtKid(jwt: string): string {
+  const { header } = JWT.decode(jwt, { complete: true }) as {
+    header: { kid: string };
+  };
+  return header.kid;
+}
+
+const server = setupServer();
+const mockBaseUrl = 'http://backstage:9191/i-am-a-mock-base';
+const discovery: PluginEndpointDiscovery = {
+  async getBaseUrl() {
+    return mockBaseUrl;
+  },
+  async getExternalBaseUrl() {
+    return mockBaseUrl;
+  },
+};
+
+describe('IdentityClient', () => {
+  let client: IdentityClient;
+  let factory: TokenFactory;
+  let keyStore: KeyStore;
+  const keyDurationSeconds = 5;
+
+  beforeAll(() => server.listen({ onUnhandledRequest: 'error' }));
+  afterAll(() => server.close());
+  afterEach(() => server.resetHandlers());
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    client = new IdentityClient({ discovery, issuer: mockBaseUrl });
+    keyStore = new MemoryKeyStore();
+    factory = new TokenFactory({
+      issuer: mockBaseUrl,
+      keyStore: keyStore,
+      keyDurationSeconds,
+      logger,
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('authenticate', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      server.use(
+        rest.get(
+          `${mockBaseUrl}/.well-known/jwks.json`,
+          async (_, res, ctx) => {
+            const keys = await factory.listPublicKeys();
+            return res(ctx.json(keys));
+          },
+        ),
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('should use the correct endpoint', async () => {
+      await factory.issueToken({ claims: { sub: 'foo' } });
+      const keys = await factory.listPublicKeys();
+      const response = await client.listPublicKeys();
+      expect(response).toEqual(keys);
+    });
+
+    it('should throw on undefined header', async () => {
+      return expect(async () => {
+        await client.authenticate(undefined);
+      }).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it('should accept fresh token', async () => {
+      const token = await factory.issueToken({ claims: { sub: 'foo' } });
+      const response = await client.authenticate(token);
+      expect(response).toEqual({ id: 'foo', idToken: token });
+    });
+
+    it('should throw on incorrect issuer', async () => {
+      const hackerFactory = new TokenFactory({
+        issuer: 'hacker',
+        keyStore,
+        keyDurationSeconds,
+        logger,
+      });
+      return expect(async () => {
+        const token = await hackerFactory.issueToken({
+          claims: { sub: 'foo' },
+        });
+        await client.authenticate(token);
+      }).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it('should throw on expired token', async () => {
+      return expect(async () => {
+        const fixedTime = Date.now();
+        jest
+          .spyOn(Date, 'now')
+          .mockImplementation(() => fixedTime - keyDurationSeconds * 1000 * 2);
+        const token = await factory.issueToken({
+          claims: { sub: 'foo' },
+        });
+        jest.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => fixedTime);
+        await client.authenticate(token);
+      }).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it('should throw on incorrect signing key', async () => {
+      const hackerFactory = new TokenFactory({
+        issuer: mockBaseUrl,
+        keyStore: new MemoryKeyStore(),
+        keyDurationSeconds,
+        logger,
+      });
+      return expect(async () => {
+        const token = await hackerFactory.issueToken({
+          claims: { sub: 'foo' },
+        });
+        await client.authenticate(token);
+      }).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it('should accept token from new key', async () => {
+      const fixedTime = Date.now();
+      jest
+        .spyOn(Date, 'now')
+        .mockImplementation(() => fixedTime - keyDurationSeconds * 1000 * 2);
+      const token1 = await factory.issueToken({ claims: { sub: 'foo1' } });
+      try {
+        // This throws as token has already expired
+        await client.authenticate(token1);
+      } catch (_err) {
+        // Ignore thrown error
+      }
+      // Move forward in time where the signing key has been rotated
+      jest.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => fixedTime);
+      const token = await factory.issueToken({ claims: { sub: 'foo' } });
+      const response = await client.authenticate(token);
+      expect(response).toEqual({ id: 'foo', idToken: token });
+    });
+
+    it('should not be fooled by the none algorithm', async () => {
+      return expect(async () => {
+        const token = await factory.issueToken({ claims: { sub: 'foo' } });
+        const header = btoa(
+          JSON.stringify({ alg: 'none', kid: jwtKid(token) }),
+        );
+        const payload = btoa(
+          JSON.stringify({
+            iss: mockBaseUrl,
+            sub: 'foo',
+            aud: 'backstage',
+            iat: Date.now() / 1000,
+            exp: Date.now() / 1000 + 60000,
+          }),
+        );
+        const fakeToken = `${header}.${payload}.`;
+        return await client.authenticate(fakeToken);
+      }).rejects.toThrow();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getBearerToken', () => {
+    it('should return undefined on undefined input', async () => {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken(undefined);
+      expect(token).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('should return undefined on malformed input', async () => {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken('malformed');
+      expect(token).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('should return undefined on unexpected scheme', async () => {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken('Basic token');
+      expect(token).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('should return Bearer token', async () => {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken('Bearer token');
+      expect(token).toEqual('token');
+    });
+
+    it('should return Bearer token despite extra space', async () => {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken('Bearer \n token ');
+      expect(token).toEqual('token');
+    });
+
+    it('should return Bearer token despite unconventionial case', async () => {
+      const token = IdentityClient.getBearerToken('bEARER token');
+      expect(token).toEqual('token');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('listPublicKeys', () => {
+    const defaultServiceResponse: {
+      keys: JSONWebKey[];
+    } = {
+      keys: [
+        {
+          crv: 'P-256',
+          x: 'JWy80Goa-8C3oaeDLnk0ANVPPMfI9T3u_T5T7W2b_ls',
+          y: 'Ge6jAhCDW1PFBfme2RA5ZsXN0cESiCwW29LMRPX5wkw',
+          kty: 'EC',
+          kid: 'kid-a',
+          alg: 'ES256',
+          use: 'sig',
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      server.use(
+        rest.get(`${mockBaseUrl}/.well-known/jwks.json`, (_, res, ctx) => {
+          return res(ctx.json(defaultServiceResponse));
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('should use the correct endpoint', async () => {
+      const response = await client.listPublicKeys();
+      expect(response).toEqual(defaultServiceResponse);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/IdentityClient.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/IdentityClient.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..970c30dd40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/IdentityClient.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import fetch from 'cross-fetch';
+import { JWK, JWT, JWKS, JSONWebKey } from 'jose';
+import { BackstageIdentity } from '../providers';
+import { PluginEndpointDiscovery } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+
+const CLOCK_MARGIN_S = 10;
+
+/**
+ * A identity client to interact with auth-backend
+ * and authenticate backstage identity tokens
+ *
+ * @experimental This is not a stable API yet
+ */
+export class IdentityClient {
+  private readonly discovery: PluginEndpointDiscovery;
+  private readonly issuer: string;
+  private keyStore: JWKS.KeyStore;
+  private keyStoreUpdated: number;
+
+  constructor(options: { discovery: PluginEndpointDiscovery; issuer: string }) {
+    this.discovery = options.discovery;
+    this.issuer = options.issuer;
+    this.keyStore = new JWKS.KeyStore();
+    this.keyStoreUpdated = 0;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verifies the given backstage identity token
+   * Returns a BackstageIdentity (user) matching the token.
+   * The method throws an error if verification fails.
+   */
+  async authenticate(token: string | undefined): Promise<BackstageIdentity> {
+    // Extract token from header
+    if (!token) {
+      throw new Error('No token specified');
+    }
+    // Get signing key matching token
+    const key = await this.getKey(token);
+    if (!key) {
+      throw new Error('No signing key matching token found');
+    }
+    // Verify token claims and signature
+    // Note: Claims must match those set by TokenFactory when issuing tokens
+    // Note: verify throws if verification fails
+    const decoded = JWT.IdToken.verify(token, key, {
+      algorithms: ['ES256'],
+      audience: 'backstage',
+      issuer: this.issuer,
+    }) as { sub: string };
+    // Verified, return the matching user as BackstageIdentity
+    // TODO: Settle internal user format/properties
+    const user: BackstageIdentity = {
+      id: decoded.sub,
+      idToken: token,
+    };
+    return user;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Parses the given authorization header and returns
+   * the bearer token, or null if no bearer token is given
+   */
+  static getBearerToken(
+    authorizationHeader: string | undefined,
+  ): string | undefined {
+    if (typeof authorizationHeader !== 'string') {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    const matches = authorizationHeader.match(/Bearer\s+(\S+)/i);
+    return matches?.[1];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the public signing key matching the given jwt token,
+   * or null if no matching key was found
+   */
+  private async getKey(rawJwtToken: string): Promise<JWK.Key | null> {
+    const { header, payload } = JWT.decode(rawJwtToken, {
+      complete: true,
+    }) as {
+      header: { kid: string };
+      payload: { iat: number };
+    };
+
+    // Refresh public keys if needed
+    // Add a small margin in case clocks are out of sync
+    const keyStoreHasKey = !!this.keyStore.get({ kid: header.kid });
+    const issuedAfterLastRefresh =
+      payload?.iat && payload.iat > this.keyStoreUpdated - CLOCK_MARGIN_S;
+    if (!keyStoreHasKey && issuedAfterLastRefresh) {
+      await this.refreshKeyStore();
+    }
+
+    return this.keyStore.get({ kid: header.kid });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Lists public part of keys used to sign Backstage Identity tokens
+   */
+  async listPublicKeys(): Promise<{
+    keys: JSONWebKey[];
+  }> {
+    const url = `${await this.discovery.getBaseUrl(
+      'auth',
+    )}/.well-known/jwks.json`;
+    const response = await fetch(url);
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      const payload = await response.text();
+      const message = `Request failed with ${response.status} ${response.statusText}, ${payload}`;
+      throw new Error(message);
+    }
+
+    const publicKeys: { keys: JSONWebKey[] } = await response.json();
+
+    return publicKeys;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Fetches public keys and caches them locally
+   */
+  private async refreshKeyStore(): Promise<void> {
+    const now = Date.now() / 1000;
+    const publicKeys = await this.listPublicKeys();
+    this.keyStore = JWKS.asKeyStore({
+      keys: publicKeys.keys.map(key => key as JSONWebKey),
+    });
+    this.keyStoreUpdated = now;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/MemoryKeyStore.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/MemoryKeyStore.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b35002b146
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/MemoryKeyStore.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { utc } from 'moment';
+import { KeyStore, AnyJWK, StoredKey } from './types';
+
+export class MemoryKeyStore implements KeyStore {
+  private readonly keys = new Map<
+    string,
+    { createdAt: moment.Moment; key: string }
+  >();
+
+  async addKey(key: AnyJWK): Promise<void> {
+    this.keys.set(key.kid, {
+      createdAt: utc(),
+      key: JSON.stringify(key),
+    });
+  }
+
+  async removeKeys(kids: string[]): Promise<void> {
+    for (const kid of kids) {
+      this.keys.delete(kid);
+    }
+  }
+
+  async listKeys(): Promise<{ items: StoredKey[] }> {
+    return {
+      items: Array.from(this.keys).map(([, { createdAt, key: keyStr }]) => ({
+        createdAt,
+        key: JSON.parse(keyStr),
+      })),
+    };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/TokenFactory.test.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/TokenFactory.test.ts
index 8b719799b1..0c7febe616 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/TokenFactory.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/TokenFactory.test.ts
@@ -14,43 +14,13 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { utc } from 'moment';
+import { MemoryKeyStore } from './MemoryKeyStore';
 import { TokenFactory } from './TokenFactory';
 import { getVoidLogger } from '@backstage/backend-common';
-import { KeyStore, AnyJWK, StoredKey } from './types';
 import { JWKS, JSONWebKey, JWT } from 'jose';
 
 const logger = getVoidLogger();
 
-class MemoryKeyStore implements KeyStore {
-  private readonly keys = new Map<
-    string,
-    { createdAt: moment.Moment; key: string }
-  >();
-
-  async addKey(key: AnyJWK): Promise<void> {
-    this.keys.set(key.kid, {
-      createdAt: utc(),
-      key: JSON.stringify(key),
-    });
-  }
-
-  async removeKeys(kids: string[]): Promise<void> {
-    for (const kid of kids) {
-      this.keys.delete(kid);
-    }
-  }
-
-  async listKeys(): Promise<{ items: StoredKey[] }> {
-    return {
-      items: Array.from(this.keys).map(([, { createdAt, key: keyStr }]) => ({
-        createdAt,
-        key: JSON.parse(keyStr),
-      })),
-    };
-  }
-}
-
 function jwtKid(jwt: string): string {
   const { header } = JWT.decode(jwt, { complete: true }) as {
     header: { kid: string };
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/index.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/index.ts
index 19eec94556..a76dcea440 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/identity/index.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 export { createOidcRouter } from './router';
+export { IdentityClient } from './IdentityClient';
 export { TokenFactory } from './TokenFactory';
 export { DatabaseKeyStore } from './DatabaseKeyStore';
 export type { KeyStore, TokenIssuer, TokenParams } from './types';
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/index.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/index.ts
index 3d3f059dcc..a352362089 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/index.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 export * from './service/router';
+export { IdentityClient } from './identity';
 export * from './providers';
 
 // flow package provides 2 functions