diff --git a/lib/auth.js b/lib/auth.js
index a0cf5b4a..ffabe13a 100644
--- a/lib/auth.js
+++ b/lib/auth.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { ClientRequest } from 'node:http';
 
 import ghauth from 'ghauth';
 
-import { getMergedConfig, getNcurcPath } from './config.js';
+import { clearCachedConfig, getMergedConfig, getNcurcPath } from './config.js';
 
 export default lazy(auth);
 
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ async function auth(
         mode: 0o600 /* owner read/write */
       });
       // Try again reading the file
+      clearCachedConfig();
       ({ username, token } = getMergedConfig());
     }
     check(username, token);
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index 6703ec87..1b34b5c5 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -18,12 +18,19 @@ export function getNcurcPath() {
   }
 }
 
+let mergedConfig;
 export function getMergedConfig(dir, home) {
-  const globalConfig = getConfig(GLOBAL_CONFIG, home);
-  const projectConfig = getConfig(PROJECT_CONFIG, dir);
-  const localConfig = getConfig(LOCAL_CONFIG, dir);
-  return Object.assign(globalConfig, projectConfig, localConfig);
+  if (mergedConfig == null) {
+    const globalConfig = getConfig(GLOBAL_CONFIG, home);
+    const projectConfig = getConfig(PROJECT_CONFIG, dir);
+    const localConfig = getConfig(LOCAL_CONFIG, dir);
+    mergedConfig = Object.assign(globalConfig, projectConfig, localConfig);
+  }
+  return mergedConfig;
 };
+export function clearCachedConfig() {
+  mergedConfig = null;
+}
 
 export function getConfig(configType, dir) {
   const configPath = getConfigPath(configType, dir);
@@ -31,7 +38,7 @@ export function getConfig(configType, dir) {
   if (existsSync(encryptedConfigPath)) {
     console.warn('Encrypted config detected, spawning gpg to decrypt it...');
     const { status, stdout } =
-      spawnSync('gpg', ['--decrypt', encryptedConfigPath]);
+      spawnSync(process.env.GPG_BIN || 'gpg', ['--decrypt', encryptedConfigPath]);
     if (status === 0) {
       return JSON.parse(stdout.toString('utf-8'));
     }
@@ -69,7 +76,7 @@ export function writeConfig(configType, obj, dir) {
     const tmpFile = path.join(tmpDir, 'config.json');
     try {
       writeJson(tmpFile, obj);
-      const { status } = spawnSync('gpg',
+      const { status } = spawnSync(process.env.GPG_BIN || 'gpg',
         ['--default-recipient-self', '--yes', '--encrypt', '--output', encryptedConfigPath, tmpFile]
       );
       if (status !== 0) {