diff --git a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c
index 9c1c3c84402..1375ba2c463 100644
--- a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c
+++ b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ pthread_key_t oauth2_type;
 pthread_key_t oauth2_token;
 pthread_key_t oauth2_token_expires;
 
+static int oauth2_cache_initialized = FLB_FALSE;
+static int oauth2_cache_users = 0;
+static pthread_mutex_t oauth2_cache_lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+
 static void oauth2_cache_exit(void *ptr)
 {
     if (ptr) {
@@ -64,12 +68,60 @@ static void oauth2_cache_free_expiration(void *ptr)
     }
 }
 
-static void oauth2_cache_init()
+static int oauth2_cache_init()
 {
-    /* oauth2 pthread key */
-    pthread_key_create(&oauth2_type, oauth2_cache_exit);
-    pthread_key_create(&oauth2_token, oauth2_cache_exit);
-    pthread_key_create(&oauth2_token_expires, oauth2_cache_free_expiration);
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = 0;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&oauth2_cache_lock);
+
+    if (oauth2_cache_initialized == FLB_FALSE) {
+        /* oauth2 pthread key */
+        ret = pthread_key_create(&oauth2_type, oauth2_cache_exit);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            goto done;
+        }
+        ret = pthread_key_create(&oauth2_token, oauth2_cache_exit);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            pthread_key_delete(oauth2_type);
+            goto done;
+        }
+        ret = pthread_key_create(&oauth2_token_expires,
+                                 oauth2_cache_free_expiration);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            pthread_key_delete(oauth2_type);
+            pthread_key_delete(oauth2_token);
+            goto done;
+        }
+        oauth2_cache_initialized = FLB_TRUE;
+    }
+
+    if (ret == 0) {
+        oauth2_cache_users++;
+    }
+
+done:
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&oauth2_cache_lock);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static void oauth2_cache_cleanup(void)
+{
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&oauth2_cache_lock);
+
+    if (oauth2_cache_users > 0) {
+        oauth2_cache_users--;
+        if (oauth2_cache_users == 0 &&
+            oauth2_cache_initialized == FLB_TRUE) {
+            pthread_key_delete(oauth2_type);
+            pthread_key_delete(oauth2_token);
+            pthread_key_delete(oauth2_token_expires);
+            oauth2_cache_initialized = FLB_FALSE;
+        }
+    }
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&oauth2_cache_lock);
 }
 
 /* Set oauth2 type and token in pthread keys */
@@ -1221,7 +1273,7 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     /* Load config map */
     ret = flb_output_config_map_set(ins, (void *) ctx);
     if (ret == -1) {
-        return -1;
+        goto error;
     }
 
     /* Set context */
@@ -1237,10 +1289,20 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     }
 
     /* Initialize oauth2 cache pthread keys */
-    oauth2_cache_init();
+    ret = oauth2_cache_init();
+    if (ret != 0) {
+        flb_plg_error(ins, "failed to initialize oauth2 cache");
+        goto error;
+    }
+    ctx->oauth2_cache_acquired = FLB_TRUE;
 
     /* Create mutex for acquiring oauth tokens (they are shared across flush coroutines) */
-    pthread_mutex_init(&ctx->token_mutex, NULL);
+    ret = pthread_mutex_init(&ctx->token_mutex, NULL);
+    if (ret != 0) {
+        flb_plg_error(ins, "failed to initialize token mutex");
+        goto error;
+    }
+    ctx->token_mutex_initialized = FLB_TRUE;
 
     /* Create Upstream context for Stackdriver Logging (no oauth2 service) */
     ctx->u = flb_upstream_create_url(config, ctx->cloud_logging_write_url,
@@ -1253,15 +1315,15 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
 
     if (!ctx->u) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "upstream creation failed");
-        return -1;
+        goto error;
     }
     if (!ctx->metadata_u) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "metadata upstream creation failed");
-        return -1;
+        goto error;
     }
     if (!ctx->o) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "cannot create oauth2 context");
-        return -1;
+        goto error;
     }
     flb_output_upstream_set(ctx->u, ins);
 
@@ -1282,19 +1344,19 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     if (ctx->metadata_server_auth) {
         ret = gce_metadata_read_project_id(ctx);
         if (ret == -1) {
-            return -1;
+            goto error;
         }
 
         if (ctx->resource_type != RESOURCE_TYPE_GENERIC_NODE
             && ctx->resource_type != RESOURCE_TYPE_GENERIC_TASK) {
             ret = gce_metadata_read_zone(ctx);
             if (ret == -1) {
-                return -1;
+                goto error;
             }
 
             ret = gce_metadata_read_instance_id(ctx);
             if (ret == -1) {
-                return -1;
+                goto error;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1302,7 +1364,7 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     /* Validate project_id */
     if (!ctx->project_id) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "property 'project_id' is not set");
-        return -1;
+        goto error;
     }
 
     if (!ctx->export_to_project_id) {
@@ -1312,10 +1374,22 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     ret = flb_stackdriver_regex_init(ctx);
     if (ret == -1) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "failed to init stackdriver custom regex");
-        return -1;
+        goto error;
     }
 
     return 0;
+
+error:
+    if (ctx->token_mutex_initialized == FLB_TRUE) {
+        pthread_mutex_destroy(&ctx->token_mutex);
+        ctx->token_mutex_initialized = FLB_FALSE;
+    }
+    if (ctx->oauth2_cache_acquired == FLB_TRUE) {
+        oauth2_cache_cleanup();
+        ctx->oauth2_cache_acquired = FLB_FALSE;
+    }
+    flb_stackdriver_conf_destroy(ctx);
+    return -1;
 }
 
 static int validate_severity_level(severity_t * s,
@@ -3087,6 +3161,10 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_exit(void *data, struct flb_config *config)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (ctx->oauth2_cache_acquired == FLB_TRUE) {
+        oauth2_cache_cleanup();
+        ctx->oauth2_cache_acquired = FLB_FALSE;
+    }
     flb_stackdriver_conf_destroy(ctx);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h
index dd1536963b9..f54faa9d339 100644
--- a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h
+++ b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h
@@ -202,8 +202,12 @@ struct flb_stackdriver {
     /* environment variable settings */
     struct flb_stackdriver_env *env;
 
+    /* oauth2 cache reference */
+    int oauth2_cache_acquired;
+
     /* mutex for acquiring oauth tokens */
     pthread_mutex_t token_mutex;
+    int token_mutex_initialized;
 
     /* upstream context for stackdriver write end-point */
     struct flb_upstream *u;
diff --git a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c
index 635752d0c57..7c36b2e02b9 100644
--- a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c
+++ b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c
@@ -706,6 +706,9 @@ int flb_stackdriver_conf_destroy(struct flb_stackdriver *ctx)
 
     flb_kv_release(&ctx->config_labels);
     flb_kv_release(&ctx->resource_labels_kvs);
+    if (ctx->token_mutex_initialized) {
+        pthread_mutex_destroy(&ctx->token_mutex);
+    }
     flb_free(ctx);
 
     return 0;