diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ae5bbdc26..eded242b3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ### Added
 
 ### Changed
+- Fix serialization for api key location in api key auth configuration
 
 ### Remove
 
diff --git a/kompendium-oas/build.gradle.kts b/kompendium-oas/build.gradle.kts
index 6c010bd98..cd0afa9b9 100644
--- a/kompendium-oas/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/kompendium-oas/build.gradle.kts
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ sourdough {
 
 dependencies {
   implementation(group = "org.jetbrains.kotlinx", "kotlinx-serialization-json", version = "1.3.2")
+
+  // TESTING
+
+  testImplementation(testFixtures(projects.kompendiumCore))
 }
 
 testing {
diff --git a/kompendium-oas/src/main/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuth.kt b/kompendium-oas/src/main/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuth.kt
index 32c07d316..719a4583b 100644
--- a/kompendium-oas/src/main/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuth.kt
+++ b/kompendium-oas/src/main/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuth.kt
@@ -1,20 +1,18 @@
 package io.bkbn.kompendium.oas.security
 
 import kotlinx.serialization.Serializable
-import java.util.Locale
 
 // TODO... is there even an official ktor api auth mechanism??
 
 @Serializable
-@Suppress("UnusedPrivateMember")
-class ApiKeyAuth(val `in`: ApiKeyLocation, val name: String) : SecuritySchema {
+class ApiKeyAuth private constructor(val `in`: String, val name: String) : SecuritySchema {
   val type: String = "apiKey"
 
-  enum class ApiKeyLocation {
-    HEADER,
-    QUERY,
-    COOKIE;
+  constructor(location: ApiKeyLocation, name: String) : this(location.value, name)
 
-    override fun toString(): String = name.lowercase(Locale.getDefault())
+  enum class ApiKeyLocation(val value: String) {
+    HEADER("header"),
+    QUERY("query"),
+    COOKIE("cookie");
   }
 }
diff --git a/kompendium-oas/src/test/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuthTest.kt b/kompendium-oas/src/test/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuthTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..93f051cb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kompendium-oas/src/test/kotlin/io/bkbn/kompendium/oas/security/ApiKeyAuthTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package io.bkbn.kompendium.oas.security
+
+import io.kotest.core.spec.style.DescribeSpec
+import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
+import kotlinx.serialization.json.Json
+
+private val json = Json { encodeDefaults = true }
+
+class ApiKeyAuthTest : DescribeSpec({
+  describe("ApiKeyAuth") {
+    it("should produce correct json") {
+      mapOf(
+        ApiKeyAuth.ApiKeyLocation.HEADER to "header",
+        ApiKeyAuth.ApiKeyLocation.COOKIE to "cookie",
+        ApiKeyAuth.ApiKeyLocation.QUERY to "query",
+      ).forEach {
+        val example = ApiKeyAuth(it.key, "test-name")
+
+        val json = json.encodeToString(ApiKeyAuth.serializer(), example)
+
+        json.shouldBe("""{"in":"${it.value}","name":"test-name","type":"apiKey"}""")
+      }
+    }
+  }
+})