diff --git a/get.go b/get.go
index 00f2f2f..7ba613f 100644
--- a/get.go
+++ b/get.go
@@ -49,7 +49,14 @@ func Get(jwksURL string, options Options) (jwks *JWKS, err error) {
 
 	err = jwks.refresh()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		if options.TolerateInitialJWKHTTPError {
+			if jwks.refreshErrorHandler != nil {
+				jwks.refreshErrorHandler(err)
+			}
+			jwks.keys = make(map[string]parsedJWK)
+		} else {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if jwks.refreshInterval != 0 || jwks.refreshUnknownKID {
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index b4ab35c..6291ffb 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ type Options struct {
 	// ResponseExtractor consumes a *http.Response and produces the raw JSON for the JWKS. By default, the
 	// ResponseExtractorStatusOK function is used. The default behavior changed in v1.4.0.
 	ResponseExtractor func(ctx context.Context, resp *http.Response) (json.RawMessage, error)
+
+	// TolerateInitialJWKHTTPError will tolerate any error from the initial HTTP JWKS request. If an error occurs,
+	// the RefreshErrorHandler will be given the error. The program will continue to run as if the error did not occur
+	// and a valid JWK Set with no keys was received in the response. This allows for the background goroutine to
+	// request the JWKS at a later time.
+	//
+	// It does not make sense to mark this field as true unless the background refresh goroutine is active.
+	TolerateInitialJWKHTTPError bool
 }
 
 // MultipleOptions is used to configure the behavior when multiple JWKS are used by MultipleJWKS.
diff --git a/options_test.go b/options_test.go
index 3d7abad..6bf4845 100644
--- a/options_test.go
+++ b/options_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package keyfunc_test
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"sync"
@@ -77,3 +78,52 @@ func TestResponseExtractorStatusAny(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected error no error for 500 status code.\nError: %s", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTolerateStartupFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	var mux sync.Mutex
+	shouldError := true
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(writer http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Request) {
+		mux.Lock()
+		defer mux.Unlock()
+		if shouldError {
+			writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		} else {
+			writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+			_, _ = writer.Write([]byte(jwksJSON))
+		}
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	options := keyfunc.Options{
+		TolerateInitialJWKHTTPError: true,
+		RefreshUnknownKID:           true,
+	}
+	jwks, err := keyfunc.Get(server.URL, options)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("TolerateInitialJWKHTTPError should not return error on bad HTTP startup.\nError: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(jwks.ReadOnlyKeys()) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected JWK Set to have no keys.")
+	}
+
+	const token = "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCIgOiAiSldUIiwia2lkIiA6ICJDR3QwWldTNExjNWZhaUtTZGkwdFUwZmpDQWR2R1JPUVJHVTlpUjd0VjBBIn0.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.iQ77QGoPDNjR2oWLu3zT851mswP8J-h_nrGhs3fpa_tFB3FT1deKPGkjef9JOTYFI-CIVxdCFtW3KODOaw9Nrw"
+	_, err = jwt.Parse(token, jwks.Keyfunc)
+	if !errors.Is(err, keyfunc.ErrKIDNotFound) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected error to be ErrKIDNotFound.\nError: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	mux.Lock()
+	shouldError = false
+	mux.Unlock()
+
+	_, err = jwt.Parse(token, jwks.Keyfunc)
+	if !errors.Is(err, jwt.ErrTokenExpired) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected error to be jwt.ErrTokenExpired.\nError: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(jwks.ReadOnlyKeys()) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected JWK Set to have keys.")
+	}
+}