diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index 46e1dd8c9..317e395d3 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ def init_app(application):
     application.after_request(useful_headers_after_request)
     application.after_request(save_service_after_request)
     application.before_request(load_service_before_request)
+    application.before_request(request_helper.check_proxy_header_before_request)
 
     @application.context_processor
     def _attach_current_service():
diff --git a/app/cloudfoundry_config.py b/app/cloudfoundry_config.py
index d04b3eb5d..6d55acf37 100644
--- a/app/cloudfoundry_config.py
+++ b/app/cloudfoundry_config.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ def extract_notify_config(notify_config):
     os.environ['ADMIN_BASE_URL'] = notify_config['credentials']['admin_base_url']
     os.environ['SECRET_KEY'] = notify_config['credentials']['secret_key']
     os.environ['DANGEROUS_SALT'] = notify_config['credentials']['dangerous_salt']
+    os.environ['ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_1'] = notify_config['credentials']['route_secret_key_1']
+    os.environ['ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_2'] = notify_config['credentials']['route_secret_key_2']
 
 
 def extract_notify_aws_config(aws_config):
diff --git a/app/config.py b/app/config.py
index 71a1e21ad..eb2cdd5e2 100644
--- a/app/config.py
+++ b/app/config.py
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ class Config(object):
     ]
 
     LOGO_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'public-logos-local'
+    ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_1 = os.environ.get('ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_1', '')
+    ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_2 = os.environ.get('ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_2', '')
+    CHECK_PROXY_HEADER = False
 
 
 class Development(Config):
@@ -128,6 +131,7 @@ class Preview(Config):
     CSV_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'preview-notifications-csv-upload'
     LOGO_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'public-logos-preview'
     NOTIFY_ENVIRONMENT = 'preview'
+    CHECK_PROXY_HEADER = True
 
 
 class Staging(Config):
@@ -138,6 +142,7 @@ class Staging(Config):
     CSV_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'staging-notify-csv-upload'
     LOGO_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'public-logos-staging'
     NOTIFY_ENVIRONMENT = 'staging'
+    CHECK_PROXY_HEADER = True
 
 
 class Live(Config):
@@ -148,6 +153,7 @@ class Live(Config):
     CSV_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'live-notifications-csv-upload'
     LOGO_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'public-logos-production'
     NOTIFY_ENVIRONMENT = 'live'
+    CHECK_PROXY_HEADER = False
 
 
 class CloudFoundryConfig(Config):
diff --git a/app/status/views/healthcheck.py b/app/status/views/healthcheck.py
index 4d5515d57..2eedad519 100644
--- a/app/status/views/healthcheck.py
+++ b/app/status/views/healthcheck.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from flask import jsonify, request
+from flask import jsonify, request, current_app
 from app import (version, status_api_client)
 from app.status import status
 from notifications_python_client.errors import HTTPError
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ def show_status():
         try:
             api_status = status_api_client.get_status()
         except HTTPError as e:
+            current_app.logger.exception("API failed to respond")
             return jsonify(status="error", message=str(e.message)), 500
         return jsonify(
             status="ok",
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 2f60866a5..a0ebd5053 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ notifications-python-client==4.6.0
 awscli>=1.11,<1.12
 awscli-cwlogs>=1.4,<1.5
 
-git+https://github.com/alphagov/notifications-utils.git@23.0.0#egg=notifications-utils==23.0.0
+git+https://github.com/alphagov/notifications-utils.git@23.0.1#egg=notifications-utils==23.0.1
diff --git a/tests/app/main/test_choose_time_form.py b/tests/app/main/test_choose_time_form.py
index 77e9449f0..fbe1a5330 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/test_choose_time_form.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/test_choose_time_form.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from freezegun import freeze_time
 
 
 @freeze_time("2016-01-01 11:09:00.061258")
-def test_form_contains_next_24h():
+def test_form_contains_next_24h(app_):
 
     choices = ChooseTimeForm().scheduled_for.choices
 
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ def test_form_contains_next_24h():
 
 
 @freeze_time("2016-01-01 11:09:00.061258")
-def test_form_defaults_to_now(client):
+def test_form_defaults_to_now(app_):
     assert ChooseTimeForm().scheduled_for.data == ''
 
 
 @freeze_time("2016-01-01 11:09:00.061258")
-def test_form_contains_next_three_days():
+def test_form_contains_next_three_days(app_):
     assert ChooseTimeForm().scheduled_for.categories == [
         'Later today', 'Tomorrow', 'Sunday', 'Monday'
     ]
diff --git a/tests/app/main/test_request_header.py b/tests/app/main/test_request_header.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..643d33c56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/app/main/test_request_header.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import pytest
+
+from tests.conftest import set_config_values
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('check_proxy_header,header_value,expected_code', [
+    (True, 'key_1', 200),
+    (True, 'wrong_key', 403),
+    (False, 'wrong_key', 200),
+    (False, 'key_1', 200),
+])
+def test_route_correct_secret_key(app_, check_proxy_header, header_value, expected_code):
+    with set_config_values(app_, {
+        'ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_1': 'key_1',
+        'ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_2': '',
+        'CHECK_PROXY_HEADER': check_proxy_header,
+    }):
+
+        with app_.test_client() as client:
+            response = client.get(
+                path='/_status?elb=True',
+                headers=[
+                    ('X-Custom-forwarder', header_value),
+                ]
+            )
+        assert response.status_code == expected_code
diff --git a/tests/app/test_cloudfoundry_config.py b/tests/app/test_cloudfoundry_config.py
index 81852d7bf..22b8f93c0 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_cloudfoundry_config.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_cloudfoundry_config.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ def notify_config():
             'admin_client_secret': 'admin client secret',
             'secret_key': 'secret key',
             'dangerous_salt': 'dangerous salt',
+            'route_secret_key_1': 'key 1',
+            'route_secret_key_2': 'key 2',
         }
     }
 
@@ -118,6 +120,8 @@ def test_notify_config():
     assert os.environ['ADMIN_CLIENT_SECRET'] == 'admin client secret'
     assert os.environ['SECRET_KEY'] == 'secret key'
     assert os.environ['DANGEROUS_SALT'] == 'dangerous salt'
+    assert os.environ['ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_1'] == 'key 1'
+    assert os.environ['ROUTE_SECRET_KEY_2'] == 'key 2'
 
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures('os_environ', 'cloudfoundry_environ')
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index f0d871560..a7364b646 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ from notifications_utils.url_safe_token import generate_token
 import json
 
 
-@pytest.fixture(scope='session')
+@pytest.fixture
 def app_(request):
     app = Flask('app')
     create_app(app)
@@ -2482,6 +2482,20 @@ def set_config(app, name, value):
     app.config[name] = old_val
 
 
+@contextmanager
+def set_config_values(app, dict):
+    old_values = {}
+
+    for key in dict:
+        old_values[key] = app.config.get(key)
+        app.config[key] = dict[key]
+
+    yield
+
+    for key in dict:
+        app.config[key] = old_values[key]
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope='function')
 def valid_token(app_, fake_uuid):
     return generate_token(