diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6e8ad97..58e6a70 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -42,3 +42,6 @@ Network Trash Folder
 Temporary Items
 .apdisk
 .jenkins-external
+
+# Local virtual environment
+.venv/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/root/app/ldap-backend-app.py b/root/app/ldap-backend-app.py
index 6b72732..9f53123 100644
--- a/root/app/ldap-backend-app.py
+++ b/root/app/ldap-backend-app.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 # 1) accepts GET  requests on /login and /ldaplogin and responds with a login form
 # 2) accepts POST requests on /login and /ldaplogin, sets a cookie, and responds with redirect
 
-import sys, os, signal, base64, cgi
+import sys, os, signal, base64, cgi, datetime
 if sys.version_info.major == 2:
     from urlparse import urlparse
     from Cookie import BaseCookie
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ def do_POST(self):
             cipher_suite = Fernet(fernetkey)
             enc = cipher_suite.encrypt(ensure_bytes(user + ':' + passwd))
             enc = enc.decode()
-            self.send_header('Set-Cookie', 'nginxauth=' + enc + '; httponly')
+            expires = datetime.datetime.now(datetime.UTC) + datetime.timedelta(weeks=1)
+            expires_str = expires.strftime('%a, %d-%b-%Y %H:%M:%S GMT')
+            self.send_header('Set-Cookie', 'nginxauth=' + enc + f'; Expires={expires_str}; httponly')
 
             self.send_header('Location', target)
             self.end_headers()
@@ -171,4 +173,4 @@ def exit_handler(signal, frame):
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     server = AuthHTTPServer(Listen, AppHandler)
     signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, exit_handler)
-    server.serve_forever()
+    server.serve_forever()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/root/app/nginx-ldap-auth-daemon.py b/root/app/nginx-ldap-auth-daemon.py
index 0c5f1c6..78ee0b9 100644
--- a/root/app/nginx-ldap-auth-daemon.py
+++ b/root/app/nginx-ldap-auth-daemon.py
@@ -82,31 +82,69 @@ def do_GET(self):
 
             return True
 
-        ctx['action'] = 'decoding credentials'
+        ctx['action'] = 'decoding credentials with fernet key'
 
+        user: str | None
+        passwd: str | None
+        error: str | None
+        user, passwd, error = self.decode_credentials_with_fernet_key(ctx, auth_header)
+
+        if error == "InvalidToken":
+            self.log_message('Incorrect token.')
+            ctx['action'] = 'decoding credentials with base64'
+            user, passwd = self.decode_credentials_with_base64(ctx, auth_header)
+
+        if user is None and passwd is None:
+            return True
+
+        ctx['user'] = ldap.filter.escape_filter_chars(user)
+        ctx['pass'] = passwd
+
+        # Continue request processing
+        return False
+
+
+    def decode_credentials_with_fernet_key(
+        self,
+        ctx: dict,
+        auth_header: str
+    ) -> tuple[str, str, str]:
+        user: str | None = None
+        passwd: str | None = None
+        error: str | None = None
         try:
             fernetkey = os.getenv("FERNET_KEY").encode()
             cipher_suite = Fernet(fernetkey)
-            self.log_message('Trying to dechipher credentials...')
+            self.log_message('Trying to dechipher credentials with Fernet Key...')
             auth_decoded = auth_header[6:].encode()
             auth_decoded = cipher_suite.decrypt(auth_decoded)
             auth_decoded = auth_decoded.decode("utf-8")
             user, passwd = auth_decoded.split(':', 1)
-        except InvalidToken:
-            self.log_message('Incorrect token. Trying to decode credentials from BASE64...')
+        except (InvalidToken, TypeError, UnicodeDecodeError):
+            error = "InvalidToken"
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.auth_failed(ctx)
+            self.log_error(str(e))
+        return user, passwd, error
+
+
+    def decode_credentials_with_base64(
+        self,
+        ctx: dict,
+        auth_header: str
+    ) -> tuple[str, str]:
+        user: str | None = None
+        passwd: str | None = None
+        try:
+            self.log_message('Trying to decode credentials from BASE64...')
             auth_decoded = base64.b64decode(auth_header[6:])
             auth_decoded = auth_decoded.decode("utf-8")
             user, passwd = auth_decoded.split(':', 1)
         except Exception as e:
             self.auth_failed(ctx)
-            self.log_error(e)
-            return True
-
-        ctx['user'] = ldap.filter.escape_filter_chars(user)
-        ctx['pass'] = passwd
+            self.log_error(str(e))
+        return user, passwd
 
-        # Continue request processing
-        return False
 
     def get_cookie(self, name):
         cookies = self.headers.get('Cookie')
@@ -217,7 +255,7 @@ def do_GET(self):
                 return
 
             ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_REQUIRE_CERT, ldap.OPT_X_TLS_ALLOW)
-            
+
             ctx['action'] = 'initializing LDAP connection'
             ldap_obj = ldap.initialize(ctx['url']);
 
@@ -254,7 +292,7 @@ def do_GET(self):
                                           searchfilter, ['objectclass'], 1)
 
             ctx['action'] = 'verifying search query results'
-            
+
             nres = len(results)
 
             if nres < 1:
@@ -363,4 +401,3 @@ def exit_handler(signal, frame):
     sys.stdout.write("Start listening on %s:%d...\n" % Listen)
     sys.stdout.flush()
     server.serve_forever()
-