diff --git a/auth/token/accesscontroller.go b/auth/token/accesscontroller.go
index b1a262f40..4bbbc3e01 100644
--- a/auth/token/accesscontroller.go
+++ b/auth/token/accesscontroller.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/libtrust"
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/auth"
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/collections"
 )
 
 // accessSet maps a typed, named resource to
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ func newAccessSet(accessItems ...auth.Access) accessSet {
 			accessSet[resource] = set
 		}
 
-		set.Add(access.Action)
+		set.add(access.Action)
 	}
 
 	return accessSet
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ func newAccessSet(accessItems ...auth.Access) accessSet {
 func (s accessSet) contains(access auth.Access) bool {
 	actionSet, ok := s[access.Resource]
 	if ok {
-		return actionSet.Contains(access.Action)
+		return actionSet.contains(access.Action)
 	}
 
 	return false
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ func (s accessSet) scopeParam() string {
 	scopes := make([]string, 0, len(s))
 
 	for resource, actionSet := range s {
-		actions := strings.Join(actionSet.Keys(), ",")
+		actions := strings.Join(actionSet.keys(), ",")
 		scopes = append(scopes, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s:%s", resource.Type, resource.Name, actions))
 	}
 
@@ -241,8 +240,8 @@ func (ac *accessController) Authorized(req *http.Request, accessItems ...auth.Ac
 	}
 
 	verifyOpts := VerifyOptions{
-		TrustedIssuers:    collections.NewStringSet(ac.issuer),
-		AcceptedAudiences: collections.NewStringSet(ac.service),
+		TrustedIssuers:    []string{ac.issuer},
+		AcceptedAudiences: []string{ac.service},
 		Roots:             ac.rootCerts,
 		TrustedKeys:       ac.trustedKeys,
 	}
diff --git a/collections/stringset.go b/auth/token/stringset.go
similarity index 64%
rename from collections/stringset.go
rename to auth/token/stringset.go
index 8ce1becbc..1d04f104c 100644
--- a/collections/stringset.go
+++ b/auth/token/stringset.go
@@ -1,30 +1,30 @@
-package collections
+package token
 
 // StringSet is a useful type for looking up strings.
-type StringSet map[string]struct{}
+type stringSet map[string]struct{}
 
 // NewStringSet creates a new StringSet with the given strings.
-func NewStringSet(keys ...string) StringSet {
-	ss := make(StringSet, len(keys))
-	ss.Add(keys...)
+func newStringSet(keys ...string) stringSet {
+	ss := make(stringSet, len(keys))
+	ss.add(keys...)
 	return ss
 }
 
 // Add inserts the given keys into this StringSet.
-func (ss StringSet) Add(keys ...string) {
+func (ss stringSet) add(keys ...string) {
 	for _, key := range keys {
 		ss[key] = struct{}{}
 	}
 }
 
 // Contains returns whether the given key is in this StringSet.
-func (ss StringSet) Contains(key string) bool {
+func (ss stringSet) contains(key string) bool {
 	_, ok := ss[key]
 	return ok
 }
 
 // Keys returns a slice of all keys in this StringSet.
-func (ss StringSet) Keys() []string {
+func (ss stringSet) keys() []string {
 	keys := make([]string, 0, len(ss))
 
 	for key := range ss {
diff --git a/auth/token/token.go b/auth/token/token.go
index d63a45a14..49449f3ba 100644
--- a/auth/token/token.go
+++ b/auth/token/token.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/libtrust"
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/auth"
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/collections"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -71,8 +70,8 @@ type Token struct {
 // VerifyOptions is used to specify
 // options when verifying a JSON Web Token.
 type VerifyOptions struct {
-	TrustedIssuers    collections.StringSet
-	AcceptedAudiences collections.StringSet
+	TrustedIssuers    []string
+	AcceptedAudiences []string
 	Roots             *x509.CertPool
 	TrustedKeys       map[string]libtrust.PublicKey
 }
@@ -132,13 +131,13 @@ func NewToken(rawToken string) (*Token, error) {
 // Returns a nil error if the token is valid.
 func (t *Token) Verify(verifyOpts VerifyOptions) error {
 	// Verify that the Issuer claim is a trusted authority.
-	if !verifyOpts.TrustedIssuers.Contains(t.Claims.Issuer) {
+	if !contains(verifyOpts.TrustedIssuers, t.Claims.Issuer) {
 		log.Errorf("token from untrusted issuer: %q", t.Claims.Issuer)
 		return ErrInvalidToken
 	}
 
 	// Verify that the Audience claim is allowed.
-	if !verifyOpts.AcceptedAudiences.Contains(t.Claims.Audience) {
+	if !contains(verifyOpts.AcceptedAudiences, t.Claims.Audience) {
 		log.Errorf("token intended for another audience: %q", t.Claims.Audience)
 		return ErrInvalidToken
 	}
@@ -332,7 +331,7 @@ func (t *Token) accessSet() accessSet {
 		}
 
 		for _, action := range resourceActions.Actions {
-			set.Add(action)
+			set.add(action)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/auth/token/token_test.go b/auth/token/token_test.go
index e8248217f..ba81900b5 100644
--- a/auth/token/token_test.go
+++ b/auth/token/token_test.go
@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/docker/libtrust"
-
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/auth"
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/collections"
+	"github.com/docker/libtrust"
 )
 
 func makeRootKeys(numKeys int) ([]libtrust.PrivateKey, error) {
@@ -196,8 +194,8 @@ func TestTokenVerify(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	verifyOps := VerifyOptions{
-		TrustedIssuers:    collections.NewStringSet(issuer),
-		AcceptedAudiences: collections.NewStringSet(audience),
+		TrustedIssuers:    []string{issuer},
+		AcceptedAudiences: []string{audience},
 		Roots:             rootPool,
 		TrustedKeys:       trustedKeys,
 	}
diff --git a/auth/token/util.go b/auth/token/util.go
index f90721710..bf3e01e83 100644
--- a/auth/token/util.go
+++ b/auth/token/util.go
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"errors"
 	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/collections"
 )
 
 // joseBase64UrlEncode encodes the given data using the standard base64 url
@@ -35,15 +33,26 @@ func joseBase64UrlDecode(s string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 // actionSet is a special type of stringSet.
 type actionSet struct {
-	collections.StringSet
+	stringSet
 }
 
 func newActionSet(actions ...string) actionSet {
-	return actionSet{collections.NewStringSet(actions...)}
+	return actionSet{newStringSet(actions...)}
 }
 
 // Contains calls StringSet.Contains() for
 // either "*" or the given action string.
-func (s actionSet) Contains(action string) bool {
-	return s.StringSet.Contains("*") || s.StringSet.Contains(action)
+func (s actionSet) contains(action string) bool {
+	return s.stringSet.contains("*") || s.stringSet.contains(action)
+}
+
+// contains returns true if q is found in ss.
+func contains(ss []string, q string) bool {
+	for _, s := range ss {
+		if s == q {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
 }