diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 10cc9f8..797d2b2 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ COPY . .
 
 # --- This block can be replaced by `RUN go mod download` when github.com/docker/attest is public
 ENV GOPRIVATE="github.com/docker/attest"
-RUN --mount=type=secret,id=GITHUB_TOKEN <<EOT
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=$GOPATH/pkg/mod --mount=type=secret,id=GITHUB_TOKEN <<EOT
   set -e
   GITHUB_TOKEN=${GITHUB_TOKEN:-$(cat /run/secrets/GITHUB_TOKEN)}
   if [ -n "$GITHUB_TOKEN" ]; then
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ RUN --mount=type=secret,id=GITHUB_TOKEN <<EOT
   go mod download
 EOT
 # ---
-RUN make build
+
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=$GOPATH/pkg/mod --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/go-build make build
 
 FROM ${BASEIMAGE}
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d64abb8..672e78e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -35,3 +35,10 @@ docker-buildx: docker-buildx-builder
 .PHONY: kind-load-image
 kind-load-image:
 	kind load docker-image ${IMG} --name gatekeeper
+
+.PHONY: rollout-restart
+rollout-restart:
+	kubectl -n security rollout restart deployment/attest-provider
+
+.PHONY: reload
+reload: docker-buildx kind-load-image rollout-restart
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5b81900..2a6cba6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ OPA Gatekeeper external data provider implementation for Docker attest library i
 
 1. Create a [kind cluster](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/quick-start/).
 
+```bash
+kind create cluster --name gatekeeper
+```
+
 2. Install the latest version of Gatekeeper and enable the external data feature.
 
 ```bash
@@ -23,6 +27,9 @@ helm repo add gatekeeper https://open-policy-agent.github.io/gatekeeper/charts
 helm install gatekeeper/gatekeeper \
     --set enableExternalData=true \
     --set validatingWebhookFailurePolicy=Fail \
+    --set validatingWebhookTimeoutSeconds=30 \
+    --set postInstall.probeWebhook.enabled=false \
+    --set postInstall.labelNamespace.enabled=false \
     --name-template=gatekeeper \
     --namespace security \
     --create-namespace
@@ -61,31 +68,33 @@ helm install attest-provider charts/external-data-provider \
     --set provider.tls.caBundle="$(cat certs/ca.crt | base64 | tr -d '\n\r')" \
     --namespace "${NAMESPACE:-gatekeeper-system}" \
     --create-namespace
+```
 
-4a. Install constraint template and constraint.
+4. Install constraint template and constraint.
 
 ```bash
 kubectl apply -f validation/attest-constraint-template.yaml
 kubectl apply -f validation/attest-constraint.yaml
 ```
 
-4b. Test the external data provider by dry-running the following command:
+5. Test the external data provider by dry-running the following command:
 
 ```bash
 kubectl create ns test
-kubectl run nginx -n test --dry-run=server -ojson
+kubectl run nginx --image nginx -n test --dry-run=server -ojson
 ```
 
 Gatekeeper should deny the pod admission above because the image `nginx` is missing signed annotations but has an image policy in tuf-staging.
 
 TODO: implement mutating policy (tag -> digest)
-<!-- 5a. Install Assign mutation.
+
+<!-- 6. Install Assign mutation.
 
 ```bash
 kubectl apply -f mutation/external-data-provider-mutation.yaml
 ```
 
-5b. Test the external data provider by dry-running the following command:
+7. Test the external data provider by dry-running the following command:
 
 ```bash
 kubectl run nginx --image=nginx --dry-run=server -ojson
@@ -103,6 +112,12 @@ The expected JSON output should have the following image field with `_valid` app
 ]
 ``` -->
 
+1. To reload the attest-provider image after making changes, run the following command:
+
+```bash
+make reload
+```
+
 1. Uninstall the external data provider and Gatekeeper.
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c51664d..d25a703 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -11,10 +11,16 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/open-policy-agent/gatekeeper-external-data-provider/pkg/handler"
+	"github.com/open-policy-agent/gatekeeper-external-data-provider/pkg/utils"
 
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 )
 
+const (
+	handlerTimeout    = 15 * time.Second
+	readHeaderTimeout = 1 * time.Second
+)
+
 const (
 	defaultPort = 8090
 
@@ -28,6 +34,8 @@ var (
 	port         int
 )
 
+var timeoutError = string(utils.GatekeeperError("operation timed out"))
+
 func init() {
 	klog.InitFlags(nil)
 	flag.StringVar(&certDir, "cert-dir", "", "path to directory containing TLS certificates")
@@ -38,12 +46,12 @@ func init() {
 
 func main() {
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
-	mux.HandleFunc("/", handler.Handler)
+	mux.Handle("POST /", http.TimeoutHandler(handler.Handler(), handlerTimeout, timeoutError))
 
 	server := &http.Server{
 		Addr:              fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port),
 		Handler:           mux,
-		ReadHeaderTimeout: time.Duration(15) * time.Second,
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: readHeaderTimeout,
 	}
 
 	config := &tls.Config{
@@ -79,25 +87,3 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
-
-// TODO: root cause Content-Length header error
-// func processTimeout(h http.HandlerFunc, duration time.Duration) http.HandlerFunc {
-// 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-// 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(r.Context(), duration)
-// 		defer cancel()
-
-// 		r = r.WithContext(ctx)
-
-// 		processDone := make(chan bool)
-// 		go func() {
-// 			h(w, r)
-// 			processDone <- true
-// 		}()
-
-// 		select {
-// 		case <-ctx.Done():
-// 			utils.SendResponse(nil, "operation timed out", w)
-// 		case <-processDone:
-// 		}
-// 	}
-// }
diff --git a/pkg/handler/handler.go b/pkg/handler/handler.go
index fa8b03a..32e719d 100644
--- a/pkg/handler/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/handler/handler.go
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 package handler
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime/debug"
 
 	"github.com/docker/attest/pkg/attest"
 	"github.com/docker/attest/pkg/oci"
@@ -18,12 +18,17 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 )
 
-func Handler(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-	// only accept POST requests
-	if req.Method != http.MethodPost {
-		utils.SendResponse(nil, "only POST is allowed", w)
-		return
-	}
+func Handler() http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(handler)
+}
+
+func handler(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			klog.Error(string(debug.Stack()))
+			klog.ErrorS(fmt.Errorf("%v", r), "panic occurred")
+		}
+	}()
 
 	// read request body
 	requestBody, err := io.ReadAll(req.Body)
@@ -68,7 +73,7 @@ func Handler(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 		}
 
 		// verify attestations
-		ctx := context.TODO()
+		ctx := req.Context()
 		debug := true
 		ctx = policy.WithPolicyEvaluator(ctx, policy.NewRegoEvaluator(debug))
 		policy, err := attest.Verify(ctx, opts, resolver)
diff --git a/pkg/utils/utils.go b/pkg/utils/utils.go
index f97a42b..87fcfa2 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/utils.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package utils
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http"
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/open-policy-agent/frameworks/constraint/pkg/externaldata"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -14,8 +13,7 @@ const (
 	kind       = "ProviderResponse"
 )
 
-// sendResponse sends back the response to Gatekeeper.
-func SendResponse(results *[]externaldata.Item, systemErr string, w http.ResponseWriter) {
+func GatekeeperResponse(results *[]externaldata.Item, systemErr string) []byte {
 	response := externaldata.ProviderResponse{
 		APIVersion: apiVersion,
 		Kind:       kind,
@@ -30,18 +28,27 @@ func SendResponse(results *[]externaldata.Item, systemErr string, w http.Respons
 		response.Response.SystemError = systemErr
 	}
 
-	klog.InfoS("sending response", "response", response)
-
 	body, err := json.Marshal(response)
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.ErrorS(err, "unable to marshal response")
-		os.Exit(1)
+		panic(err)
 	}
+	return body
+}
+
+func GatekeeperError(systemErr string) []byte {
+	return GatekeeperResponse(nil, systemErr)
+}
+
+// sendResponse sends back the response to Gatekeeper.
+func SendResponse(results *[]externaldata.Item, systemErr string, w http.ResponseWriter) {
+	body := GatekeeperResponse(results, systemErr)
+	klog.InfoS("sending response", "response", string(body))
 
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-	_, err = w.Write(body)
+	_, err := w.Write(body)
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.ErrorS(err, "unable to write response")
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return
 	}
 }
diff --git a/scripts/generate-tls-cert.sh b/scripts/generate-tls-cert.sh
index 16243c3..a8586ab 100755
--- a/scripts/generate-tls-cert.sh
+++ b/scripts/generate-tls-cert.sh
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ generate() {
     # generate CA key and certificate
     echo "Generating CA key and certificate for attest-provider..."
     openssl genrsa -out ca.key 2048
-    openssl req -new -x509 -days 1 -key ca.key -subj "/O=Gatekeeper/CN=Gatekeeper Root CA" -out ca.crt
+    openssl req -new -x509 -days 3650 -key ca.key -subj "/O=Gatekeeper/CN=Gatekeeper Root CA" -out ca.crt
 
     # generate server key and certificate
     echo "Generating server key and certificate for attest-provider..."
     openssl genrsa -out tls.key 2048
     openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout tls.key -subj "/CN=attest-provider.${NAMESPACE}" -out server.csr
-    openssl x509 -req -extfile <(printf "subjectAltName=DNS:attest-provider.%s" "${NAMESPACE}") -days 1 -sha256 -in server.csr -CA ca.crt -CAkey ca.key -CAcreateserial -out tls.crt
+    openssl x509 -req -extfile <(printf "subjectAltName=DNS:attest-provider.%s" "${NAMESPACE}") -days 3650 -sha256 -in server.csr -CA ca.crt -CAkey ca.key -CAcreateserial -out tls.crt
 }
 
 mkdir -p "${REPO_ROOT}/certs"