diff --git a/backend/api/controllers/ape-keys.ts b/backend/api/controllers/ape-keys.ts
index 2784bd9ce..bc56a4007 100644
--- a/backend/api/controllers/ape-keys.ts
+++ b/backend/api/controllers/ape-keys.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { MonkeyResponse } from "../../utils/monkey-response";
 import { base64UrlEncode } from "../../utils/misc";
 
 function cleanApeKey(apeKey: MonkeyTypes.ApeKey): Partial<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey> {
-  return _.omit(apeKey, "hash");
+  return _.omit(apeKey, "hash", "_id", "uid", "useCount");
 }
 
 class ApeKeysController {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class ApeKeysController {
     const { uid } = req.ctx.decodedToken;
 
     const apeKeys = await ApeKeysDAO.getApeKeys(uid);
-    const hashlessKeys = _.mapValues(apeKeys, cleanApeKey);
+    const hashlessKeys = _(apeKeys).keyBy("_id").mapValues(cleanApeKey).value();
 
     return new MonkeyResponse("ApeKeys retrieved", hashlessKeys);
   }
@@ -43,13 +43,15 @@ class ApeKeysController {
     const apeKey: MonkeyTypes.ApeKey = {
       name,
       enabled,
+      uid,
       hash: saltyHash,
       createdOn: Date.now(),
       modifiedOn: Date.now(),
       lastUsedOn: -1,
+      useCount: 0,
     };
 
-    const apeKeyId = await ApeKeysDAO.addApeKey(uid, apeKey);
+    const apeKeyId = await ApeKeysDAO.addApeKey(apeKey);
 
     return new MonkeyResponse("ApeKey generated", {
       apeKey: base64UrlEncode(`${uid}.${apeKeyId}.${apiKey}`),
@@ -58,12 +60,12 @@ class ApeKeysController {
     });
   }
 
-  static async updateApeKey(req: MonkeyTypes.Request): Promise<MonkeyResponse> {
+  static async editApeKey(req: MonkeyTypes.Request): Promise<MonkeyResponse> {
     const { apeKeyId } = req.params;
     const { name, enabled } = req.body;
     const { uid } = req.ctx.decodedToken;
 
-    await ApeKeysDAO.updateApeKey(uid, apeKeyId, name, enabled);
+    await ApeKeysDAO.editApeKey(uid, apeKeyId, name, enabled);
 
     return new MonkeyResponse("ApeKey updated");
   }
diff --git a/backend/api/controllers/user.ts b/backend/api/controllers/user.ts
index c35804065..e96f7c2df 100644
--- a/backend/api/controllers/user.ts
+++ b/backend/api/controllers/user.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import _ from "lodash";
 import UsersDAO from "../../dao/user";
 import BotDAO from "../../dao/bot";
 import MonkeyError from "../../utils/error";
@@ -7,10 +6,6 @@ import { MonkeyResponse } from "../../utils/monkey-response";
 import { linkAccount } from "../../utils/discord";
 import { buildAgentLog } from "../../utils/misc";
 
-function cleanUser(user: MonkeyTypes.User): Omit<MonkeyTypes.User, "apeKeys"> {
-  return _.omit(user, "apeKeys");
-}
-
 class UserController {
   static async createNewUser(
     req: MonkeyTypes.Request
@@ -106,7 +101,7 @@ class UserController {
     const agentLog = buildAgentLog(req);
     Logger.log("user_data_requested", agentLog, uid);
 
-    return new MonkeyResponse("User data retrieved", cleanUser(userInfo));
+    return new MonkeyResponse("User data retrieved", userInfo);
   }
 
   static async linkDiscord(req: MonkeyTypes.Request): Promise<MonkeyResponse> {
diff --git a/backend/api/routes/ape-keys.ts b/backend/api/routes/ape-keys.ts
index df0ec37db..96ee19bf1 100644
--- a/backend/api/routes/ape-keys.ts
+++ b/backend/api/routes/ape-keys.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ router.patch(
       enabled: joi.boolean(),
     },
   }),
-  asyncHandler(ApeKeysController.updateApeKey)
+  asyncHandler(ApeKeysController.editApeKey)
 );
 
 router.delete(
diff --git a/backend/dao/ape-keys.ts b/backend/dao/ape-keys.ts
index 827205641..8a607eba7 100644
--- a/backend/dao/ape-keys.ts
+++ b/backend/dao/ape-keys.ts
@@ -1,86 +1,92 @@
 import _ from "lodash";
-import UsersDAO from "./user";
-import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
-import MonkeyError from "../utils/error";
+import db from "../init/db";
+import { Filter, ObjectId, MatchKeysAndValues } from "mongodb";
 
-function checkIfKeyExists(
-  apeKeys: MonkeyTypes.User["apeKeys"],
+const COLLECTION_NAME = "ape-keys";
+
+function getApeKeyFilter(
+  uid: string,
   keyId: string
-): void {
-  if (!_.has(apeKeys, keyId)) {
-    throw new MonkeyError(404, "Could not find ApeKey");
-  }
+): Filter<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey> {
+  return {
+    _id: new ObjectId(keyId),
+    uid,
+  };
 }
 
 class ApeKeysDAO {
-  static async getApeKeys(uid: string): Promise<MonkeyTypes.User["apeKeys"]> {
-    const user = (await UsersDAO.getUser(uid)) as MonkeyTypes.User;
-    const userApeKeys = user.apeKeys ?? {};
-    return userApeKeys;
+  static async getApeKeys(uid: string): Promise<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey[]> {
+    return await db
+      .collection<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey>(COLLECTION_NAME)
+      .find({ uid })
+      .toArray();
+  }
+
+  static async getApeKey(
+    uid: string,
+    keyId: string
+  ): Promise<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey | null> {
+    return await db
+      .collection<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey>(COLLECTION_NAME)
+      .findOne(getApeKeyFilter(uid, keyId));
   }
 
   static async countApeKeysForUser(uid: string): Promise<number> {
-    const user = (await UsersDAO.getUser(uid)) as MonkeyTypes.User;
-    return _.size(user.apeKeys);
+    const apeKeys = await this.getApeKeys(uid);
+    return _.size(apeKeys);
   }
 
-  static async addApeKey(
-    uid: string,
-    apeKey: MonkeyTypes.ApeKey
-  ): Promise<string> {
-    const user = (await UsersDAO.getUser(uid)) as MonkeyTypes.User;
+  static async addApeKey(apeKey: MonkeyTypes.ApeKey): Promise<string> {
+    const apeKeyId = new ObjectId();
 
-    const apeKeyId = new ObjectId().toHexString();
+    await db.collection<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey>(COLLECTION_NAME).insertOne({
+      _id: apeKeyId,
+      ...apeKey,
+    });
 
-    const apeKeys = {
-      ...user.apeKeys,
-      [apeKeyId]: apeKey,
-    };
-
-    await UsersDAO.setApeKeys(uid, apeKeys);
-
-    return apeKeyId;
+    return apeKeyId.toHexString();
   }
 
-  static async updateApeKey(
+  private static async updateApeKey(
     uid: string,
     keyId: string,
-    name?: string,
-    enabled?: boolean
+    updates: MatchKeysAndValues<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey>
   ): Promise<void> {
-    const user = (await UsersDAO.getUser(uid)) as MonkeyTypes.User;
-    checkIfKeyExists(user.apeKeys, keyId);
+    await db
+      .collection<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey>(COLLECTION_NAME)
+      .updateOne(getApeKeyFilter(uid, keyId), {
+        $inc: { useCount: _.has(updates, "lastUsedOn") ? 1 : 0 },
+        $set: _.pickBy(updates, (value) => !_.isNil(value)),
+      });
+  }
 
-    const apeKey = user.apeKeys![keyId];
-
-    const updatedApeKey: MonkeyTypes.ApeKey = {
-      ...apeKey,
+  static async editApeKey(
+    uid: string,
+    keyId: string,
+    name: string,
+    enabled: boolean
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    const apeKeyUpdates = {
+      name,
+      enabled,
       modifiedOn: Date.now(),
-      name: name ?? apeKey.name,
-      enabled: _.isNil(enabled) ? apeKey.enabled : enabled,
     };
 
-    user.apeKeys![keyId] = updatedApeKey;
+    await this.updateApeKey(uid, keyId, apeKeyUpdates);
+  }
 
-    await UsersDAO.setApeKeys(uid, user.apeKeys);
+  static async updateLastUsedOn(uid: string, keyId: string): Promise<void> {
+    const apeKeyUpdates = {
+      lastUsedOn: Date.now(),
+    };
+
+    await this.updateApeKey(uid, keyId, apeKeyUpdates);
   }
 
   static async deleteApeKey(uid: string, keyId: string): Promise<void> {
-    const user = (await UsersDAO.getUser(uid)) as MonkeyTypes.User;
-    checkIfKeyExists(user.apeKeys, keyId);
-
-    const apeKeys = _.omit(user.apeKeys, keyId);
-    await UsersDAO.setApeKeys(uid, apeKeys);
-  }
-
-  static async updateLastUsedOn(
-    user: MonkeyTypes.User,
-    keyId: string
-  ): Promise<void> {
-    checkIfKeyExists(user.apeKeys, keyId);
-
-    user.apeKeys![keyId].lastUsedOn = Date.now();
-    await UsersDAO.setApeKeys(user.uid, user.apeKeys);
+    await db
+      .collection<MonkeyTypes.ApeKey>(COLLECTION_NAME)
+      .deleteOne(getApeKeyFilter(uid, keyId));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/dao/user.js b/backend/dao/user.js
index 63369823a..898beada0 100644
--- a/backend/dao/user.js
+++ b/backend/dao/user.js
@@ -298,10 +298,6 @@ class UsersDAO {
     }
   }
 
-  static async setApeKeys(uid, apeKeys) {
-    await db.collection("users").updateOne({ uid }, { $set: { apeKeys } });
-  }
-
   static async getPersonalBests(uid, mode, mode2) {
     const user = await db.collection("users").findOne({ uid });
     if (mode2) {
diff --git a/backend/middlewares/auth.ts b/backend/middlewares/auth.ts
index c863af56d..7a4aa81d5 100644
--- a/backend/middlewares/auth.ts
+++ b/backend/middlewares/auth.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-import _ from "lodash";
 import { compare } from "bcrypt";
-import UsersDAO from "../dao/user";
 import ApeKeysDAO from "../dao/ape-keys";
 import MonkeyError from "../utils/error";
 import { verifyIdToken } from "../utils/auth";
@@ -156,10 +154,13 @@ async function authenticateWithApeKey(
   const decodedKey = base64UrlDecode(key);
   const [uid, keyId, apeKey] = decodedKey.split(".");
 
-  const keyOwner = (await UsersDAO.getUser(uid)) as MonkeyTypes.User;
-  const targetApeKey = _.get(keyOwner.apeKeys, keyId);
+  const targetApeKey = await ApeKeysDAO.getApeKey(uid, keyId);
 
-  if (!targetApeKey?.enabled) {
+  if (!targetApeKey) {
+    throw new MonkeyError(404, "ApeKey not found");
+  }
+
+  if (!targetApeKey.enabled) {
     const { code, message } = statuses.APE_KEY_INACTIVE;
     throw new MonkeyError(code, message);
   }
@@ -171,12 +172,12 @@ async function authenticateWithApeKey(
     throw new MonkeyError(code, message);
   }
 
-  await ApeKeysDAO.updateLastUsedOn(keyOwner, keyId);
+  await ApeKeysDAO.updateLastUsedOn(uid, keyId);
 
   return {
     type: "ApeKey",
     uid,
-    email: keyOwner.email,
+    email: "",
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/types/types.d.ts b/backend/types/types.d.ts
index 0a1a55006..a45c87b12 100644
--- a/backend/types/types.d.ts
+++ b/backend/types/types.d.ts
@@ -62,16 +62,17 @@ declare namespace MonkeyTypes {
     uid: string;
     quoteMod?: boolean;
     cannotReport?: boolean;
-    apeKeys?: Record<string, ApeKey>;
     banned?: boolean;
   }
 
   interface ApeKey {
+    uid: string;
     name: string;
     hash: string;
     createdOn: number;
     modifiedOn: number;
     lastUsedOn: number;
+    useCount: number;
     enabled: boolean;
   }