diff --git a/taf/auth_repo.py b/taf/auth_repo.py
index 566a27ca..d5cf46dd 100644
--- a/taf/auth_repo.py
+++ b/taf/auth_repo.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class AuthenticationRepository(GitRepository, TAFRepository):
 
     _conf_dir = None
     _dependencies: Dict = {}
-    _last_validated_data = None
+    _last_validated_data: Optional[Dict] = None
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ def last_validated_commit(self) -> Optional[str]:
         Return the last validated commit of the authentication repository
         """
         try:
-            return self.last_validated_data[self.LAST_VALIDATED_KEY]
+            if self.last_validated_data is not None:
+                return self.last_validated_data[self.LAST_VALIDATED_KEY]
         except KeyError:
             return None
 
@@ -293,13 +294,22 @@ def set_last_validated_data(
         self._log_debug(f"setting last validated data to: {last_data_str}")
         Path(self.conf_dir, self.LAST_VALIDATED_FILENAME).write_text(last_data_str)
 
-    def set_last_validated_of_repo(self, repo_name: str, commit: str):
+    def set_last_validated_of_repo(
+        self,
+        repo_name: str,
+        commit: str,
+        set_last_validated_commit: Optional[bool] = True,
+    ):
         last_validated_data = self.last_validated_data or {}
         last_validated_data[repo_name] = commit
         last_validated_data[self.LAST_VALIDATED_KEY] = commit
         last_data_str = json.dumps(last_validated_data, indent=4)
         self._log_debug(f"setting last validated data to: {last_data_str}")
-        Path(self.conf_dir, self.LAST_VALIDATED_DATA_FILENAME).write_text(last_data_str)
+        if set_last_validated_commit and self.name == repo_name:
+            last_validated_data[self.LAST_VALIDATED_KEY] = last_validated_data[
+                self.name
+            ]
+        Path(self.conf_dir, self.LAST_VALIDATED_FILENAME).write_text(last_data_str)
 
     def auth_repo_commits_after_repos_last_validated(
         self, target_repos: List, last_validated_data
@@ -519,11 +529,11 @@ def targets_at_revisions(
                 targets_at_revision = targets_at_revision["signed"]["targets"]
 
                 for target_path in targets_at_revision:
-                    # if there are older auth repo commtis corresponding to repositories
+                    # if there are older auth repo commits corresponding to repositories
                     # that were not validated in the one or more previous updates
                     # skip the ones that were validated more recently
                     # when the last validated commit of a repo is reached
-                    # the repo is addes to the repos_to_skip list
+                    # the repo is added to the repos_to_skip list
                     if target_path in repos_to_skip:
                         continue
                     if (
diff --git a/taf/tests/test_updater/conftest.py b/taf/tests/test_updater/conftest.py
index 8bcc4da0..c3e77aeb 100644
--- a/taf/tests/test_updater/conftest.py
+++ b/taf/tests/test_updater/conftest.py
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ def remove_last_validated_commit(auth_repo: AuthenticationRepository):
 
 
 def remove_last_validated_data(auth_repo: AuthenticationRepository):
-    Path(auth_repo.conf_dir, auth_repo.LAST_VALIDATED_DATA_FILENAME).unlink()
+    Path(auth_repo.conf_dir, auth_repo.LAST_VALIDATED_FILENAME).unlink()
     assert not auth_repo.last_validated_data