diff --git a/lib/apps/fabro-server/src/serve.rs b/lib/apps/fabro-server/src/serve.rs
index bc90e604e..3e0752c82 100644
--- a/lib/apps/fabro-server/src/serve.rs
+++ b/lib/apps/fabro-server/src/serve.rs
@@ -783,24 +783,13 @@ where
     )
     .await
     .context("activating SQLite blob storage")?;
-    // Refresh tokens and authorization codes now live in SQLite. Nothing reads
-    // the old records and no reaper collects them any more, so clear them out
-    // once rather than leaving them in the object store forever. Retiring the
-    // authorization-code keyspace is fatal on failure; refresh-token cleanup
-    // stays best-effort.
-    let (retired_authorization_codes, retired_refresh_tokens) = tokio::join!(
-        store.retire_authorization_code_keyspace(),
-        store.retire_refresh_token_keyspace(),
-    );
-    let retired_authorization_codes =
-        retired_authorization_codes.context("retiring SlateDB authorization code records")?;
-    if retired_authorization_codes > 0 {
-        info!(
-            removed = retired_authorization_codes,
-            "Removed retired SlateDB authorization code records"
-        );
-    }
-    match retired_refresh_tokens {
+    // Refresh tokens now live in SQLite. Nothing reads the old records and no
+    // reaper collects them any more, so clear them out once rather than
+    // leaving them in the object store forever. Pending authorization codes
+    // also moved to SQLite, but their old records are left in place: at most a
+    // handful exist at cutover, every binary rejects them within 60 seconds of
+    // issue, and nothing reads their keyspace again.
+    match store.retire_refresh_token_keyspace().await {
         Ok(0) => {}
         Ok(removed) => info!(removed, "Removed retired SlateDB refresh token records"),
         Err(err) => warn!(error = %err, "Failed to remove retired SlateDB refresh token records"),
diff --git a/lib/components/fabro-store/src/slate/mod.rs b/lib/components/fabro-store/src/slate/mod.rs
index aac69c659..0e7d48d90 100644
--- a/lib/components/fabro-store/src/slate/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/components/fabro-store/src/slate/mod.rs
@@ -436,24 +436,10 @@ impl Database {
     /// nothing else would ever remove them. Returns the number of records
     /// deleted; a later boot finds the prefix empty and does nothing.
     pub async fn retire_refresh_token_keyspace(&self) -> Result<u64> {
-        self.retire_keyspace(keys::SlateKey::new("auth").with("refresh"))
-            .await
-    }
-
-    /// Delete every record under the retired `auth/code` prefix.
-    ///
-    /// Authorization codes move to SQLite without an import. Their short
-    /// lifetime makes them safe to discard, while deletion prevents an older
-    /// binary from accepting a code issued before the storage cutover.
-    /// Returns the number of records deleted; later boots are no-ops.
-    pub async fn retire_authorization_code_keyspace(&self) -> Result<u64> {
-        self.retire_keyspace(keys::SlateKey::new("auth").with("code"))
-            .await
-    }
-
-    async fn retire_keyspace(&self, keyspace: keys::SlateKey) -> Result<u64> {
         let db = self.open_db().await?;
-        let mut iter = db.scan_prefix(keyspace.into_prefix()).await?;
+        let mut iter = db
+            .scan_prefix(keys::SlateKey::new("auth").with("refresh").into_prefix())
+            .await?;
         let mut batch = slatedb::WriteBatch::new();
         let mut deletes = 0_u64;
         while let Some(entry) = iter.next().await? {
@@ -584,8 +570,8 @@ mod tests {
                 .as_ref()
                 .to_vec()
         });
-        // "auth/code" sorts adjacent to "auth/refresh" and is still live, so
-        // it is the neighbour a too-wide prefix delete would take with it.
+        // "auth/code" sorts adjacent to "auth/refresh", so it is the
+        // neighbour a too-wide prefix delete would take with it.
         let auth_code_key = keys::SlateKey::new("auth")
             .with("code")
             .with("keep")
@@ -610,42 +596,6 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
-    #[tokio::test]
-    async fn retire_authorization_code_keyspace_clears_only_its_prefix_and_is_idempotent() {
-        let (_object_store, store) = make_store();
-        let db = store.open_db().await.unwrap();
-
-        let authorization_code_keys = ["aaa", "bbb"].map(|id| {
-            keys::SlateKey::new("auth")
-                .with("code")
-                .with(id)
-                .as_ref()
-                .to_vec()
-        });
-        let neighboring_key = keys::SlateKey::new("auth")
-            .with("refresh")
-            .with("keep")
-            .as_ref()
-            .to_vec();
-
-        let mut batch = slatedb::WriteBatch::new();
-        for key in &authorization_code_keys {
-            batch.put(key.as_slice(), b"{}".as_slice());
-        }
-        batch.put(neighboring_key.as_slice(), b"{}".as_slice());
-        db.write(batch).await.unwrap();
-
-        assert_eq!(store.retire_authorization_code_keyspace().await.unwrap(), 2);
-        assert_eq!(store.retire_authorization_code_keyspace().await.unwrap(), 0);
-        for key in &authorization_code_keys {
-            assert!(db.get(key.as_slice()).await.unwrap().is_none());
-        }
-        assert!(
-            db.get(neighboring_key.as_slice()).await.unwrap().is_some(),
-            "retiring authorization codes must not touch neighboring auth prefixes"
-        );
-    }
-
     async fn make_summary_store() -> (tempfile::TempDir, Arc<RunSummaryStore>) {
         let (directory, store) = store_test_support::sqlite_summary_store().await;
         (directory, Arc::new(store))