diff --git a/server/cmd/ops-api/main.go b/server/cmd/ops-api/main.go
index 26f6ba7..64c6975 100644
--- a/server/cmd/ops-api/main.go
+++ b/server/cmd/ops-api/main.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"github.com/geo-platform/tenant-api/internal/ops/app"
 	opsconfig "github.com/geo-platform/tenant-api/internal/ops/config"
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	rdb, err := redis.NewClient(ctx, cfg.Redis)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Sugar().Fatalf("ops-api init redis: %v", err)
+		logger.Warn("redis unavailable during startup; continuing with degraded auth/cache fallback", zap.Error(err))
+		rdb = redis.NewLazyClient(cfg.Redis)
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = rdb.Close() }()
 	appCache := cache.New(cfg.Cache.Driver, rdb)
diff --git a/server/internal/bootstrap/bootstrap.go b/server/internal/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
index 2b7ef3b..9dc627b 100644
--- a/server/internal/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
+++ b/server/internal/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
@@ -90,9 +90,8 @@ func New(configPath string) (*App, error) {
 
 	rdb, err := redis.NewClient(ctx, cfg.Redis)
 	if err != nil {
-		pool.Close()
-		monitoringPool.Close()
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("init redis: %w", err)
+		logger.Warn("redis unavailable during startup; continuing with degraded auth/cache fallback", zap.Error(err))
+		rdb = redis.NewLazyClient(cfg.Redis)
 	}
 
 	mqClient, err := rabbitmq.New(ctx, cfg.RabbitMQ)
diff --git a/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store.go b/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store.go
index 30b9969..dc68d72 100644
--- a/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store.go
+++ b/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/redis/go-redis/v9"
@@ -28,32 +29,60 @@ return 1
 `)
 
 type SessionStore struct {
-	rdb *redis.Client
+	rdb      *redis.Client
+	fallback *memorySessionStore
 }
 
 func NewSessionStore(rdb *redis.Client) *SessionStore {
-	return &SessionStore{rdb: rdb}
+	return &SessionStore{
+		rdb:      rdb,
+		fallback: newMemorySessionStore(),
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *SessionStore) SaveRefresh(ctx context.Context, jti string, tokenHash string, ttl time.Duration) error {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("refresh:%s", jti)
-	return s.rdb.Set(ctx, key, tokenHash, ttl).Err()
+	s.fallback.set(key, tokenHash, ttl)
+	if s.rdb == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := s.rdb.Set(ctx, key, tokenHash, ttl).Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *SessionStore) GetRefresh(ctx context.Context, jti string) (string, error) {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("refresh:%s", jti)
-	return s.rdb.Get(ctx, key).Result()
+	if s.rdb != nil {
+		value, err := s.rdb.Get(ctx, key).Result()
+		if err == nil {
+			return value, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return s.fallback.get(key)
 }
 
 func (s *SessionStore) DeleteRefresh(ctx context.Context, jti string) error {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("refresh:%s", jti)
-	return s.rdb.Del(ctx, key).Err()
+	s.fallback.delete(key)
+	if s.rdb == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := s.rdb.Del(ctx, key).Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *SessionStore) RotateRefresh(ctx context.Context, oldJTI, oldHash, newJTI, newHash string, ttl time.Duration) error {
 	oldKey := fmt.Sprintf("refresh:%s", oldJTI)
 	newKey := fmt.Sprintf("refresh:%s", newJTI)
 
+	if s.rdb == nil {
+		return s.fallback.rotate(oldKey, oldHash, newKey, newHash, ttl)
+	}
+
 	result, err := rotateRefreshScript.Run(
 		ctx,
 		s.rdb,
@@ -63,13 +92,17 @@ func (s *SessionStore) RotateRefresh(ctx context.Context, oldJTI, oldHash, newJT
 		ttl.Milliseconds(),
 	).Int()
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return s.fallback.rotate(oldKey, oldHash, newKey, newHash, ttl)
 	}
 
 	switch result {
 	case 1:
+		_ = s.fallback.rotate(oldKey, oldHash, newKey, newHash, ttl)
 		return nil
 	case 0:
+		if err := s.fallback.rotate(oldKey, oldHash, newKey, newHash, ttl); err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return ErrRefreshSessionNotFound
 	case -1:
 		return ErrRefreshTokenMismatch
@@ -80,14 +113,107 @@ func (s *SessionStore) RotateRefresh(ctx context.Context, oldJTI, oldHash, newJT
 
 func (s *SessionStore) Blacklist(ctx context.Context, accessJTI string, ttl time.Duration) error {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("blacklist:%s", accessJTI)
-	return s.rdb.Set(ctx, key, "1", ttl).Err()
+	s.fallback.set(key, "1", ttl)
+	if s.rdb == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := s.rdb.Set(ctx, key, "1", ttl).Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *SessionStore) IsBlacklisted(ctx context.Context, accessJTI string) (bool, error) {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("blacklist:%s", accessJTI)
+	if _, err := s.fallback.get(key); err == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	if s.rdb == nil {
+		return false, nil
+	}
 	n, err := s.rdb.Exists(ctx, key).Result()
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
+		return false, nil
 	}
 	return n > 0, nil
 }
+
+type memorySessionStore struct {
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+	items map[string]memorySessionItem
+}
+
+type memorySessionItem struct {
+	value     string
+	expiresAt time.Time
+}
+
+func newMemorySessionStore() *memorySessionStore {
+	return &memorySessionStore{items: make(map[string]memorySessionItem)}
+}
+
+func (s *memorySessionStore) set(key, value string, ttl time.Duration) {
+	if s == nil || ttl <= 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	s.items[key] = memorySessionItem{
+		value:     value,
+		expiresAt: time.Now().Add(ttl),
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *memorySessionStore) get(key string) (string, error) {
+	if s == nil {
+		return "", redis.Nil
+	}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	item, ok := s.items[key]
+	if !ok {
+		return "", redis.Nil
+	}
+	if !item.expiresAt.After(time.Now()) {
+		delete(s.items, key)
+		return "", redis.Nil
+	}
+	return item.value, nil
+}
+
+func (s *memorySessionStore) delete(key string) {
+	if s == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	delete(s.items, key)
+}
+
+func (s *memorySessionStore) rotate(oldKey, oldHash, newKey, newHash string, ttl time.Duration) error {
+	if s == nil {
+		return ErrRefreshSessionNotFound
+	}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	item, ok := s.items[oldKey]
+	if !ok {
+		return ErrRefreshSessionNotFound
+	}
+	if !item.expiresAt.After(time.Now()) {
+		delete(s.items, oldKey)
+		return ErrRefreshSessionNotFound
+	}
+	if item.value != oldHash {
+		return ErrRefreshTokenMismatch
+	}
+	delete(s.items, oldKey)
+	if ttl > 0 {
+		s.items[newKey] = memorySessionItem{
+			value:     newHash,
+			expiresAt: time.Now().Add(ttl),
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store_test.go b/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store_test.go
index 50b34e2..2c9442e 100644
--- a/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store_test.go
+++ b/server/internal/shared/auth/session_store_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,19 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+func newFailingSessionRedisClient(t *testing.T) *goredis.Client {
+	t.Helper()
+	client := goredis.NewClient(&goredis.Options{
+		Addr:         "127.0.0.1:1",
+		MaxRetries:   0,
+		DialTimeout:  10 * time.Millisecond,
+		ReadTimeout:  10 * time.Millisecond,
+		WriteTimeout: 10 * time.Millisecond,
+	})
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = client.Close() })
+	return client
+}
+
 func TestSessionStoreRotateRefreshSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	mr := miniredis.RunT(t)
 	client := goredis.NewClient(&goredis.Options{Addr: mr.Addr()})
@@ -50,3 +63,25 @@ func TestSessionStoreRotateRefreshRejectsMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 	_, getErr = store.GetRefresh(ctx, "new-jti")
 	assert.Error(t, getErr)
 }
+
+func TestSessionStoreUsesMemoryFallbackWhenRedisUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
+	store := NewSessionStore(newFailingSessionRedisClient(t))
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	require.NoError(t, store.SaveRefresh(ctx, "old-jti", "old-hash", time.Minute))
+	value, err := store.GetRefresh(ctx, "old-jti")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "old-hash", value)
+
+	require.NoError(t, store.RotateRefresh(ctx, "old-jti", "old-hash", "new-jti", "new-hash", time.Minute))
+	_, err = store.GetRefresh(ctx, "old-jti")
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	value, err = store.GetRefresh(ctx, "new-jti")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "new-hash", value)
+
+	require.NoError(t, store.Blacklist(ctx, "access-jti", time.Minute))
+	revoked, err := store.IsBlacklisted(ctx, "access-jti")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, revoked)
+}
diff --git a/server/internal/shared/repository/redis/redis.go b/server/internal/shared/repository/redis/redis.go
index 7e544a2..eb744cf 100644
--- a/server/internal/shared/repository/redis/redis.go
+++ b/server/internal/shared/repository/redis/redis.go
@@ -10,14 +10,18 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewClient(ctx context.Context, cfg config.RedisConfig) (*goredis.Client, error) {
-	client := goredis.NewClient(&goredis.Options{
-		Addr: cfg.Addr,
-		DB:   cfg.DB,
-	})
-
+	client := NewLazyClient(cfg)
 	if err := client.Ping(ctx).Err(); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("ping redis: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	return client, nil
 }
+
+func NewLazyClient(cfg config.RedisConfig) *goredis.Client {
+	client := goredis.NewClient(&goredis.Options{
+		Addr: cfg.Addr,
+		DB:   cfg.DB,
+	})
+	return client
+}