diff --git a/jupyterhub/jupyterhub-values.gomplate.yaml b/jupyterhub/jupyterhub-values.gomplate.yaml
index aaeb3a5..beb8b2f 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/jupyterhub-values.gomplate.yaml
+++ b/jupyterhub/jupyterhub-values.gomplate.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ hub:
         #!/bin/bash
         pip install --no-cache-dir hvac==2.3.0
         exec jupyterhub --config /usr/local/etc/jupyterhub/jupyterhub_config.py --upgrade-db
+    user_policy.hcl:
+      mountPath: /srv/jupyterhub/user_policy.hcl
+      mode: 0644
+      stringData: |
+{{ .Env.USER_POLICY_HCL | strings.Indent 8 }}
 
   # Override the default command to run our startup script first
   command:
@@ -73,36 +78,15 @@ hub:
 
               # Step 2: Create user-specific policy
               user_policy_name = "jupyter-user-{}".format(username)
-              user_path = "secret/data/jupyter/users/{}/*".format(username)
-              user_metadata_path = "secret/metadata/jupyter/users/{}/*".format(username)
-              user_base_path = "secret/metadata/jupyter/users/{}".format(username)
 
-              user_policy = (
-                  "# User-specific policy for {}\n".format(username) +
-                  "path \"{}\" ".format(user_path) + "{\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"create\", \"update\", \"read\", \"delete\", \"list\"]\n" +
-                  "}\n\n" +
-                  "path \"{}\" ".format(user_metadata_path) + "{\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"list\", \"read\", \"delete\", \"update\"]\n" +
-                  "}\n\n" +
-                  "path \"{}\" ".format(user_base_path) + "{\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"list\"]\n" +
-                  "}\n\n" +
-                  "# Read access to shared resources\n" +
-                  "path \"secret/data/jupyter/shared/*\" {\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"read\", \"list\"]\n" +
-                  "}\n\n" +
-                  "path \"secret/metadata/jupyter/shared\" {\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"list\"]\n" +
-                  "}\n\n" +
-                  "# Token management capabilities\n" +
-                  "path \"auth/token/lookup-self\" {\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"read\"]\n" +
-                  "}\n\n" +
-                  "path \"auth/token/renew-self\" {\n" +
-                  "    capabilities = [\"update\"]\n" +
-                  "}"
-              )
+              # Read policy template from file
+              import os
+              policy_template_path = "/srv/jupyterhub/user_policy.hcl"
+              with open(policy_template_path, 'r') as f:
+                  policy_template = f.read()
+
+              # Replace {username} placeholder with actual username
+              user_policy = policy_template.replace("{username}", username)
 
               # Write user-specific policy
               try:
diff --git a/jupyterhub/justfile b/jupyterhub/justfile
index 0f76488..fa20059 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/justfile
+++ b/jupyterhub/justfile
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ export JUPYTER_PROFILE_TENSORFLOW_ENABLED := env("JUPYTER_PROFILE_TENSORFLOW_ENA
 export JUPYTER_PROFILE_BUUN_STACK_ENABLED := env("JUPYTER_PROFILE_BUUN_STACK_ENABLED", "false")
 export JUPYTER_PROFILE_BUUN_STACK_CUDA_ENABLED := env("JUPYTER_PROFILE_BUUN_STACK_CUDA_ENABLED", "false")
 export IMAGE_REGISTRY := env("IMAGE_REGISTRY", "localhost:30500")
+export NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_TTL := env("NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_TTL", "1h")
+export NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_MAX_TTL := env("NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_MAX_TTL", "720h")
 export KEYCLOAK_REALM := env("KEYCLOAK_REALM", "buunstack")
 export LONGHORN_NAMESPACE := env("LONGHORN_NAMESPACE", "longhorn")
 export VAULT_ADDR := env("VAULT_ADDR", "http://vault.vault.svc:8200")
@@ -112,6 +114,9 @@ install:
     just create-jupyterhub-vault-token
     export JUPYTERHUB_VAULT_TOKEN=$(just vault::get jupyterhub/vault-token token)
 
+    # Read user policy template for Vault
+    export USER_POLICY_HCL=$(cat user_policy.hcl)
+
     # https://z2jh.jupyter.org/en/stable/
     gomplate -f jupyterhub-values.gomplate.yaml -o jupyterhub-values.yaml
 
@@ -207,14 +212,16 @@ setup-vault-jwt-auth:
     echo "  # Each user gets their own isolated Vault token and policy"
 
 # Create JupyterHub Vault token (uses admin policy for JWT operations)
-create-jupyterhub-vault-token ttl="8760h":
+create-jupyterhub-vault-token:
     #!/bin/bash
     set -euo pipefail
     echo "Creating JupyterHub Vault token with admin policy..."
+    echo "  TTL: ${NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_TTL}"
+    echo "  Max TTL: ${NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_MAX_TTL}"
 
     # JupyterHub needs admin privileges to read Keycloak credentials from Vault
     # Create token and store in Vault
-    just vault::create-token-and-store admin jupyterhub/vault-token {{ ttl }}
+    just vault::create-token-and-store admin jupyterhub/vault-token ${NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_TTL} ${NOTEBOOK_VAULT_TOKEN_MAX_TTL}
 
     echo "✓ JupyterHub Vault token created and stored"
     echo ""
diff --git a/jupyterhub/user_policy.hcl b/jupyterhub/user_policy.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3f8960
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jupyterhub/user_policy.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# User-specific policy for {username}
+path "secret/data/jupyter/users/{username}/*" {
+    capabilities = ["create", "update", "read", "delete", "list"]
+}
+
+path "secret/metadata/jupyter/users/{username}/*" {
+    capabilities = ["list", "read", "delete", "update"]
+}
+
+path "secret/metadata/jupyter/users/{username}" {
+    capabilities = ["list"]
+}
+
+# Read access to shared resources
+path "secret/data/jupyter/shared/*" {
+    capabilities = ["read", "list"]
+}
+
+path "secret/metadata/jupyter/shared" {
+    capabilities = ["list"]
+}
+
+# Token management capabilities
+path "auth/token/lookup-self" {
+    capabilities = ["read"]
+}
+
+path "auth/token/renew-self" {
+    capabilities = ["update"]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vault/justfile b/vault/justfile
index 883fc6e..3092b2a 100644
--- a/vault/justfile
+++ b/vault/justfile
@@ -137,14 +137,18 @@ create-admin-token root_token='': check-env
     vault token create -policy=admin
 
 # Create token with specified policy and store in Vault
-create-token-and-store policy path ttl="24h" root_token='': check-env
+create-token-and-store policy path ttl="24h" max_ttl="" root_token='': check-env
     #!/bin/bash
     set -euo pipefail
     {{ _vault_root_env_setup }}
 
     echo "Creating token with policy '{{ policy }}'..."
     # Create token with specified policy
-    token_output=$(vault token create -policy={{ policy }} -ttl={{ ttl }} -format=json)
+    max_ttl_arg=""
+    if [ -n "{{ max_ttl }}" ]; then
+        max_ttl_arg="-explicit-max-ttl={{ max_ttl }}"
+    fi
+    token_output=$(vault token create -policy={{ policy }} -ttl={{ ttl }} ${max_ttl_arg} -format=json)
     service_token=$(echo "${token_output}" | jq -r '.auth.client_token')
 
     echo "Storing token in Vault at path '{{ path }}'..."