diff --git a/jws/headers.go b/jws/headers.go
index d550eb9a6..e566da635 100644
--- a/jws/headers.go
+++ b/jws/headers.go
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 package jws
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 )
 
-func (h *stdHeaders) Copy(_ context.Context, dst Headers) error {
+func (h *stdHeaders) Copy(dst Headers) error {
 	for _, k := range h.Keys() {
 		var v interface{}
 		if err := h.Get(k, &v); err != nil {
@@ -21,17 +20,17 @@ func (h *stdHeaders) Copy(_ context.Context, dst Headers) error {
 // mergeHeaders merges two headers, and works even if the first Header
 // object is nil. This is not exported because ATM it felt like this
 // function is not frequently used, and MergeHeaders seemed a clunky name
-func mergeHeaders(ctx context.Context, h1, h2 Headers) (Headers, error) {
+func mergeHeaders(h1, h2 Headers) (Headers, error) {
 	h3 := NewHeaders()
 
 	if h1 != nil {
-		if err := h1.Copy(ctx, h3); err != nil {
+		if err := h1.Copy(h3); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf(`failed to copy headers from first Header: %w`, err)
 		}
 	}
 
 	if h2 != nil {
-		if err := h2.Copy(ctx, h3); err != nil {
+		if err := h2.Copy(h3); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf(`failed to copy headers from second Header: %w`, err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -39,6 +38,6 @@ func mergeHeaders(ctx context.Context, h1, h2 Headers) (Headers, error) {
 	return h3, nil
 }
 
-func (h *stdHeaders) Merge(ctx context.Context, h2 Headers) (Headers, error) {
-	return mergeHeaders(ctx, h, h2)
+func (h *stdHeaders) Merge(h2 Headers) (Headers, error) {
+	return mergeHeaders(h, h2)
 }
diff --git a/jws/headers_gen.go b/jws/headers_gen.go
index 6cf67d567..89c5bf60f 100644
--- a/jws/headers_gen.go
+++ b/jws/headers_gen.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ package jws
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
@@ -51,8 +50,8 @@ type Headers interface {
 	X509CertThumbprint() string
 	X509CertThumbprintS256() string
 	X509URL() string
-	Copy(context.Context, Headers) error
-	Merge(context.Context, Headers) (Headers, error)
+	Copy(Headers) error
+	Merge(Headers) (Headers, error)
 	// Get is used to extract the value of any field, including non-standard fields, out of the header.
 	//
 	// The first argument is the name of the field. The second argument is a pointer
diff --git a/jws/message.go b/jws/message.go
index 2a5bc6898..a1b06a7b4 100644
--- a/jws/message.go
+++ b/jws/message.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package jws
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/lestrrat-go/jwx/v3/internal/base64"
@@ -102,10 +101,7 @@ func (s *Signature) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 // The second return value s the full three-segment signature
 // (e.g. "eyXXXX.XXXXX.XXXX")
 func (s *Signature) Sign(payload []byte, signer Signer, key interface{}) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	defer cancel()
-
-	hdrs, err := mergeHeaders(ctx, s.headers, s.protected)
+	hdrs, err := mergeHeaders(s.headers, s.protected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf(`failed to merge headers: %w`, err)
 	}
diff --git a/tools/cmd/genjws/main.go b/tools/cmd/genjws/main.go
index c06ef0b9c..08a42afdd 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/genjws/main.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/genjws/main.go
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ func generateHeaders(obj *codegen.Object) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	o.L("Copy(context.Context, Headers) error")
-	o.L("Merge(context.Context, Headers) (Headers, error)")
+	o.L("Copy(Headers) error")
+	o.L("Merge(Headers) (Headers, error)")
 
 	// These are used to access a single element by key name
 	o.L("// Get is used to extract the value of any field, including non-standard fields, out of the header.")