diff --git a/packages/c/cmake/atsdk.cmake b/packages/c/cmake/atsdk.cmake
index f2ac6c7d0..35207f004 100644
--- a/packages/c/cmake/atsdk.cmake
+++ b/packages/c/cmake/atsdk.cmake
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ if(NOT atsdk_FOUND)
   FetchContent_Declare(
     atsdk
     GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/atsign-foundation/at_c.git
-    GIT_TAG 504c299c48efdf7c9e6ecf9f7969ae9bedf495c7
+    GIT_TAG d8afd18535259b389344bc9d6392e213e7243650
   )
   FetchContent_MakeAvailable(atsdk)
   install(TARGETS atclient atchops atlogger)
diff --git a/packages/c/sshnpd/include/sshnpd/background_jobs.h b/packages/c/sshnpd/include/sshnpd/background_jobs.h
index 145eae934..8ba8353c7 100644
--- a/packages/c/sshnpd/include/sshnpd/background_jobs.h
+++ b/packages/c/sshnpd/include/sshnpd/background_jobs.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ struct refresh_device_entry_params {
   const char *payload;
   const char *username;
   volatile sig_atomic_t *should_run;
+  atclient_atkey *infokeys;
+  atclient_atkey *usernamekeys;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/c/sshnpd/src/background_jobs.c b/packages/c/sshnpd/src/background_jobs.c
index 4559a4b5d..a9893ae69 100644
--- a/packages/c/sshnpd/src/background_jobs.c
+++ b/packages/c/sshnpd/src/background_jobs.c
@@ -17,12 +17,9 @@
 void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
   struct refresh_device_entry_params *params = void_refresh_device_entry_params;
 
-  // Buffer for the atkeys
-  size_t num_managers = params->params->manager_list_len;
-  size_t num_username_keys = params->params->hide ? 0 : num_managers;
-
-  atclient_atkey infokeys[num_managers];
-  atclient_atkey usernamekeys[num_username_keys];
+  const size_t num_managers = params->params->manager_list_len;
+  atclient_atkey *infokeys = params->infokeys;
+  atclient_atkey *usernamekeys = params->usernamekeys;
 
   // Buffer for the base portion of each atkey
   size_t infokey_base_len = strlen(params->params->device) + strlen(params->params->atsign) +
@@ -55,7 +52,6 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
   int index;
   for (index = 0; index < num_managers; index++) {
     // device_info
-    atclient_atkey_init(infokeys + index);
     size_t buffer_len = strlen(params->params->manager_list[index]) + infokey_base_len;
     char atkey_buffer[buffer_len];
     // example: @client_atsign:device_info.device_name.sshnp@client_atsign
@@ -65,7 +61,6 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
     if (ret != 0) {
       atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to create device_info atkey for %s\n",
                    params->params->manager_list[index]);
-      atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + index);
       break;
     }
 
@@ -76,8 +71,6 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
     atclient_atkey_metadata_set_ccd(metadata, true);
     atclient_atkey_metadata_set_ttl(metadata, (long)30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000); // 30 days in ms
 
-    // username
-    atclient_atkey_init(usernamekeys + index);
     buffer_len = strlen(params->params->manager_list[index]) + usernamekey_base_len;
     // example: @client_atsign:device_info.device_name.sshnp@client_atsign
     snprintf(atkey_buffer, buffer_len, "%s%s", params->params->manager_list[index], username_key_base);
@@ -85,8 +78,6 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
     if (ret != 0) {
       atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to create username atkey for %s\n",
                    params->params->manager_list[index]);
-      atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + index);
-      atclient_atkey_free(usernamekeys + index);
       break;
     }
 
@@ -100,8 +91,6 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
       if (ret != 0) {
         atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to delete username atkey for %s\n",
                      params->params->manager_list[index]);
-        atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + index);
-        atclient_atkey_free(usernamekeys + index);
         break;
       }
     } else {
@@ -109,18 +98,12 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
       if (ret != 0) {
         atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to put username atkey for %s\n",
                      params->params->manager_list[index]);
-        atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + index);
-        atclient_atkey_free(usernamekeys + index);
         break;
       }
     }
   }
 
   if (ret != 0) {
-    for (int i = 0; i < index; i++) {
-      atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + i);
-      atclient_atkey_free(usernamekeys + i);
-    }
     *params->should_run = 0;
   }
 
@@ -135,10 +118,6 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
     pthread_exit(NULL);
   }
 
-  for (int i = 0; i < num_managers; i++) {
-    atclient_atkey_free(usernamekeys + i);
-  }
-
   // Build each atkey
   int interval_seconds = 60 * 60; // once an hour
   int counter = 0;
@@ -190,10 +169,5 @@ void *refresh_device_entry(void *void_refresh_device_entry_params) {
     sleep(1);
   }
 
-  // Clean up upon exit
-  for (int i = 0; i < num_managers; i++) {
-    atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + i); // automatically cleans up metadata as well
-  }
-
   pthread_exit(NULL);
 }
diff --git a/packages/c/sshnpd/src/main.c b/packages/c/sshnpd/src/main.c
index 098d14a5b..db7525150 100644
--- a/packages/c/sshnpd/src/main.c
+++ b/packages/c/sshnpd/src/main.c
@@ -243,8 +243,27 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
   // 9. Start the device refresh loop - if hide is off
   pthread_t refresh_tid;
+  atclient_atkey *infokeys = malloc(sizeof(atclient_atkey) * params.manager_list_len);
+  if (infokeys == NULL) {
+    atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to allocate memory for infokeys\n");
+    exit_res = 1;
+    goto cancel_atclient;
+  }
+
+  atclient_atkey *usernamekeys = malloc(sizeof(atclient_atkey) * params.manager_list_len);
+  if (usernamekeys == NULL) {
+    atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to allocate memory for usernamekeys\n");
+    exit_res = 1;
+    goto clean_atkeys;
+  }
+
+  for(int i = 0; i < params.manager_list_len; i++) {
+    atclient_atkey_init(infokeys + i);
+    atclient_atkey_init(usernamekeys + i);
+  }
+
   struct refresh_device_entry_params refresh_params = {&worker,       &atclient_lock, &params,
-                                                       ping_response, username,       &should_run};
+                                                       ping_response, username,       &should_run, infokeys, usernamekeys};
   res = pthread_create(&refresh_tid, NULL, refresh_device_entry, (void *)&refresh_params);
   if (res != 0) {
     atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_ERROR, "Failed to start refresh device entry thread\n");
@@ -308,6 +327,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   main_loop();
   atlogger_log(LOGGER_TAG, ATLOGGER_LOGGING_LEVEL_INFO, "Exited main loop\n");
 
+  for(int i = 0; i < params.manager_list_len; i++) {
+    atclient_atkey_free(infokeys + i);
+    atclient_atkey_free(usernamekeys + i);
+  }
+
+  free(infokeys);
+  free(usernamekeys);
+
 close_authkeys:
   fclose(authkeys_file);
   free(authkeys_filename);