diff --git a/.changeset/token-cache-iat-core2.md b/.changeset/token-cache-iat-core2.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4d8d2a05f92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/token-cache-iat-core2.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/clerk-js': patch
+---
+
+Fix token cache stale-while-revalidate timing to use the JWT issued-at time, keeping refresh thresholds accurate when tokens are cached after issuance.
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/tokenCache.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/tokenCache.test.ts
index 52e69871800..95f50a41f1e 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/tokenCache.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/tokenCache.test.ts
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ describe('SessionTokenCache', () => {
 
     it('removes token when it expires within the leeway threshold', async () => {
       const nowSeconds = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
-      const iat = nowSeconds;
+      const iat = nowSeconds - 13;
       const exp = iat + 20;
       const soonJwt = `eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.${btoa(JSON.stringify({ iat, exp }))}.signature`;
 
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ describe('SessionTokenCache', () => {
         jwt: { claims: { exp, iat } },
       } as any);
 
-      SessionTokenCache.set({ createdAt: nowSeconds - 13, tokenId: 'soon_expired_token', tokenResolver });
+      SessionTokenCache.set({ createdAt: nowSeconds, tokenId: 'soon_expired_token', tokenResolver });
 
       await tokenResolver;
 
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
index 9d0d183525a..f2b279fce59 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ describe('Session', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     // Mock Date.now() to make the test tokens appear valid
     // mockJwt has iat: 1666648250, exp: 1666648310
-    // Set current time to 1666648260 (10 seconds after iat, 50 seconds before exp)
+    // Set current time to iat so token appears freshly issued (60 seconds before exp)
     vi.useFakeTimers();
-    vi.setSystemTime(new Date(1666648260 * 1000));
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date(1666648250 * 1000));
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/tokenCache.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/tokenCache.ts
index c95faf79cb5..5c68cf3c4aa 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/tokenCache.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/tokenCache.ts
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ const MemoryTokenCache = (prefix = KEY_PREFIX): TokenCache => {
         const issuedAt = claims.iat;
         const expiresIn: Seconds = expiresAt - issuedAt;
 
+        value.createdAt = issuedAt;
         value.expiresIn = expiresIn;
 
         const timeoutId = setTimeout(deleteKey, expiresIn * 1000);