diff --git a/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueService.java b/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/AbstractJwtIssueService.java
similarity index 79%
rename from src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueService.java
rename to src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/AbstractJwtIssueService.java
index 502ae02..62f883f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/AbstractJwtIssueService.java
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * @author Mike Conway - NIEHS
  *
  */
-public interface JwtIssueService {
+public abstract class AbstractJwtIssueService {
 
 	/**
 	 * Given a subject, issue a proper JWT that can be understood by Metalnx plugins
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public interface JwtIssueService {
 	 * @param subject {@code String} with the subject for the JWT claim
 	 * @return {@code String} with the JWT token
 	 */
-	public String issueJwtToken(String subject);
+	public abstract String issueJwtToken(String subject);
 
 	/**
 	 * Given a JWT token, return the decoded claims
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@ public interface JwtIssueService {
 	 * @param token {@code String} with the JWT token
 	 * @return {@link Jws} with the associated claims
 	 */
-	public Jws<Claims> decodeJwtToken(String token);
+	public abstract Jws<Claims> decodeJwtToken(String token);
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueServiceImpl.java
index dc084b2..a89270a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/irods/jargon/irodsext/jwt/JwtIssueServiceImpl.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  * @author Mike Conway - NIEHS
  *
  */
-public class JwtIssueServiceImpl implements JwtIssueService {
+public class JwtIssueServiceImpl extends AbstractJwtIssueService {
 
 	public static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(JwtIssueServiceImpl.class);
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public JwtIssueServiceImpl(final JwtServiceConfig jwtServiceConfig) {
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
 	 * 
 	 * @see
-	 * org.irods.jargon.irodsext.jwt.JwtIssueService#issueJwtToken(java.lang.String)
+	 * org.irods.jargon.irodsext.jwt.AbstractJwtIssueService#issueJwtToken(java.lang.String)
 	 */
 	@Override
 	public String issueJwtToken(final String subject) {
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public String issueJwtToken(final String subject) {
 	/*
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
 	 * 
-	 * @see org.irods.jargon.irodsext.jwt.JwtIssueService#decodeJwtToken(java.lang.
+	 * @see org.irods.jargon.irodsext.jwt.AbstractJwtIssueService#decodeJwtToken(java.lang.
 	 * String)
 	 */
 	@Override