diff --git a/auth_flow.go b/auth_flow.go
index db489d6..f2205f4 100644
--- a/auth_flow.go
+++ b/auth_flow.go
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func (t *TraefikOidc) handleCallback(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 		return
 	}
 
-	if nonceClaim != sessionNonce {
+	if !constantTimeStringCompare(nonceClaim, sessionNonce) {
 		t.logger.Error("Nonce claim does not match session nonce during callback")
 		t.sendErrorResponse(rw, req, "Authentication failed: Nonce mismatch", http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
diff --git a/middleware.go b/middleware.go
index 84295b2..ac872c6 100644
--- a/middleware.go
+++ b/middleware.go
@@ -788,6 +788,16 @@ func (t *TraefikOidc) forwardAuthorized(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Reques
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Bearer source: strip the raw inbound Authorization header to keep the
+	// token out of downstream service logs (off-by-config for operators who
+	// chain services that each re-verify the bearer). Stripped here, before
+	// header-template application, so an operator-supplied Authorization
+	// template (e.g. "Authorization: Bearer {{.AccessToken}}") can re-supply
+	// the downstream value rather than being immediately deleted.
+	if p.Source == sourceBearer && t.stripAuthorizationHeader {
+		req.Header.Del("Authorization")
+	}
+
 	if len(t.headerTemplates) > 0 {
 		// p.Claims may be nil (e.g. session without an ID token). Templates
 		// referencing .Claims.* will simply produce empty values — matches
@@ -853,13 +863,6 @@ func (t *TraefikOidc) forwardAuthorized(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Reques
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Bearer source: strip the Authorization header to keep the raw token
-	// out of downstream service logs. Off-by-config for operators who chain
-	// services that each re-verify the bearer.
-	if p.Source == sourceBearer && t.stripAuthorizationHeader {
-		req.Header.Del("Authorization")
-	}
-
 	t.logger.Debugf("Request authorized for user %s (source=%d), forwarding to next handler", p.Identifier, p.Source)
 
 	t.next.ServeHTTP(rw, req)
diff --git a/review_r45_regression_test.go b/review_r45_regression_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc78def
--- /dev/null
+++ b/review_r45_regression_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package traefikoidc
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+	"text/template"
+)
+
+// TestForwardAuthorized_BearerStripPreservesTemplatedAuthorization is a
+// regression test for the order in forwardAuthorized between the bearer
+// Authorization strip and header-template application. Previously the strip
+// (when source==sourceBearer && StripAuthorizationHeader, the default) ran
+// AFTER template application, deleting an operator-supplied Authorization
+// template (e.g. "Authorization: Bearer {{.AccessToken}}") and defeating
+// its purpose. The strip must run first so an explicit template survives.
+func TestForwardAuthorized_BearerStripPreservesTemplatedAuthorization(t *testing.T) {
+	var forwarded *http.Request
+	next := http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		forwarded = r.Clone(r.Context())
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	})
+
+	authTpl := template.Must(template.New("auth").Parse("Bearer {{.AccessToken}}"))
+	oidc := &TraefikOidc{
+		logger:                NewLogger("debug"),
+		next:                  next,
+		stripAuthorizationHeader: true,
+		headerTemplates: map[string]*template.Template{
+			"Authorization": authTpl,
+		},
+	}
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "http://example.com/", nil)
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer raw-inbound-token")
+
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	oidc.forwardAuthorized(rec, req, &principal{
+		Source:      sourceBearer,
+		AccessToken: "access-token-x",
+	})
+
+	d := forwarded.Header.Get("Authorization")
+	// The operator's templated value must survive, replacing the raw inbound
+	// token that would otherwise leak into downstream logs.
+	if d != "Bearer access-token-x" {
+		t.Fatalf("Authorization = %q, want %q", d, "Bearer access-token-x")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestForwardAuthorized_BearerStripDefault is the regression-guard for the
+// default config (strip on, no Authorization template): the raw inbound
+// bearer header must still be removed before forwarding.
+func TestForwardAuthorized_BearerStripDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	var forwarded *http.Request
+	next := http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		forwarded = r.Clone(r.Context())
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	})
+
+	oidc := &TraefikOidc{
+		logger:                NewLogger("debug"),
+		next:                  next,
+		stripAuthorizationHeader: true,
+	}
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "http://example.com/", nil)
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer raw-inbound-token")
+
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	oidc.forwardAuthorized(rec, req, &principal{Source: sourceBearer})
+
+	if v := forwarded.Header.Get("Authorization"); v != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("Authorization = %q, want empty (stripped)", v)
+	}
+}