diff --git a/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvid.java b/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvid.java
index 46b19b52..210363a1 100644
--- a/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvid.java
+++ b/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvid.java
@@ -276,7 +276,18 @@ public Date getExpiry() {
         return new Date(expiry.getTime());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a copy of the issued at date time of the JWT SVID.
+     *
+     * @return a copy of the issued at date time of the JWT SVID, or {@code null} if the token
+     * does not have an 'iat' claim
+     */
     public Date getIssuedAt() {
+        // the 'iat' claim is optional in a JWT-SVID
+        if (issuedAt == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        // defensive copy to prevent exposing a mutable object
         return new Date(issuedAt.getTime());
     }
 
diff --git a/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/workloadapi/CachedJwtSource.java b/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/workloadapi/CachedJwtSource.java
index bd39915a..e5ddbd3c 100644
--- a/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/workloadapi/CachedJwtSource.java
+++ b/java-spiffe-core/src/main/java/io/spiffe/workloadapi/CachedJwtSource.java
@@ -270,13 +270,13 @@ private static Set<String> getAudienceSet(String audience, String[] extraAudienc
     }
 
     private boolean isTokenPastHalfLifetime(JwtSvid jwtSvid) {
-        Object issuedAtClaim = jwtSvid.getClaims().get("iat");
-        if (!(issuedAtClaim instanceof Date)) {
+        Date issuedAt = jwtSvid.getIssuedAt();
+        if (issuedAt == null) {
             return true;
         }
 
         long expiryTime = jwtSvid.getExpiry().getTime();
-        long issuedAtTime = ((Date) issuedAtClaim).getTime();
+        long issuedAtTime = issuedAt.getTime();
         long halfLifeTime = expiryTime - (expiryTime - issuedAtTime) / 2;
 
         return clock.instant().toEpochMilli() > halfLifeTime;
diff --git a/java-spiffe-core/src/test/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvidParseInsecureTest.java b/java-spiffe-core/src/test/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvidParseInsecureTest.java
index 25b72ea7..a23c9edc 100644
--- a/java-spiffe-core/src/test/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvidParseInsecureTest.java
+++ b/java-spiffe-core/src/test/java/io/spiffe/svid/jwtsvid/JwtSvidParseInsecureTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.security.KeyPair;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.fail;
 
 class JwtSvidParseInsecureTest {
@@ -96,6 +98,40 @@ void testParseInsecure_nullAudience_throwsNullPointerException() throws JwtSvidE
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testParseInsecure_missingIssuedAt_getIssuedAtReturnsNull() throws JwtSvidException {
+        KeyPair key1 = TestUtils.generateECKeyPair(Curve.P_521);
+        SpiffeId spiffeId = TrustDomain.parse("test.domain").newSpiffeId("host");
+        Set<String> audience = Collections.singleton("audience");
+        Date expiration = new Date(System.currentTimeMillis() + 3600000);
+        JWTClaimsSet claims = TestUtils.buildJWTClaimSet(audience, spiffeId.toString(), expiration);
+
+        JwtSvid jwtSvid = JwtSvid.parseInsecure(TestUtils.generateToken(claims, key1, "authority1"), audience);
+
+        assertNull(jwtSvid.getIssuedAt());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testParseInsecure_withIssuedAt_getIssuedAtReturnsCopy() throws JwtSvidException {
+        KeyPair key1 = TestUtils.generateECKeyPair(Curve.P_521);
+        SpiffeId spiffeId = TrustDomain.parse("test.domain").newSpiffeId("host");
+        Set<String> audience = Collections.singleton("audience");
+        Date issuedAt = new Date((System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000) * 1000);
+        Date expiration = new Date(issuedAt.getTime() + 3600000);
+        JWTClaimsSet claims = new JWTClaimsSet.Builder()
+                .subject(spiffeId.toString())
+                .audience(new ArrayList<>(audience))
+                .issueTime(issuedAt)
+                .expirationTime(expiration)
+                .build();
+
+        JwtSvid jwtSvid = JwtSvid.parseInsecure(TestUtils.generateToken(claims, key1, "authority1"), audience);
+
+        assertEquals(issuedAt, jwtSvid.getIssuedAt());
+        jwtSvid.getIssuedAt().setTime(0);
+        assertEquals(issuedAt, jwtSvid.getIssuedAt());
+    }
+
     static Stream<Arguments> provideSuccessScenarios() {
         KeyPair key1 = TestUtils.generateECKeyPair(Curve.P_521);
         KeyPair key2 = TestUtils.generateECKeyPair(Curve.P_521);