diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.test.ts
index ea95f308eb04..d29c780e414f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.test.ts
@@ -128,6 +128,19 @@ describe('AuthenticationService', () => {
         expect.any(Function)
       );
     });
+
+    it('properly registers auth handler with no providers', () => {
+      mockSetupAuthenticationParams.config.authc = {
+        ...mockSetupAuthenticationParams.config.authc,
+        sortedProviders: [],
+      };
+      service.setup(mockSetupAuthenticationParams);
+
+      expect(mockSetupAuthenticationParams.http.registerAuth).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(mockSetupAuthenticationParams.http.registerAuth).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.any(Function)
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('#start()', () => {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.ts
index ac66e62e97c8..d05260094df8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authentication_service.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ export class AuthenticationService {
     // 2. Login selector is disabled, but the provider with the lowest `order` uses login form
     const isLoginPageAvailable =
       config.authc.selector.enabled ||
-      shouldProviderUseLoginForm(config.authc.sortedProviders[0].type);
+      (config.authc.sortedProviders.length > 0 &&
+        shouldProviderUseLoginForm(config.authc.sortedProviders[0].type));
 
     http.registerAuth(async (request, response, t) => {
       if (!license.isLicenseAvailable()) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.test.ts
index cc232298bc87..c95944be75f9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.test.ts
@@ -1872,6 +1872,24 @@ describe('Authenticator', () => {
       expect(mockOptions.session.invalidate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
+    it('if session does not exist and providers is empty, redirects to default logout path.', async () => {
+      const request = httpServerMock.createKibanaRequest();
+
+      mockOptions = getMockOptions({
+        providers: { basic: { basic1: { order: 0, enabled: false } } },
+      });
+      authenticator = new Authenticator(mockOptions);
+
+      await expect(authenticator.logout(request)).resolves.toEqual(
+        DeauthenticationResult.redirectTo(
+          '/mock-server-basepath/security/logged_out?msg=LOGGED_OUT'
+        )
+      );
+
+      expect(mockBasicAuthenticationProvider.logout).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockOptions.session.invalidate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it('redirects to login form if session does not exist and provider name is invalid', async () => {
       const request = httpServerMock.createKibanaRequest({ query: { provider: 'foo' } });
       mockOptions.session.get.mockResolvedValue(null);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.ts
index 5608a3558033..ec804668c607 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security/server/authentication/authenticator.ts
@@ -806,10 +806,7 @@ export class Authenticator {
    * @param providerType Type of the provider that handles logout. If not specified, then the first
    * provider in the chain (default) is assumed.
    */
-  private getLoggedOutURL(
-    request: KibanaRequest,
-    providerType: string = this.options.config.authc.sortedProviders[0].type
-  ) {
+  private getLoggedOutURL(request: KibanaRequest, providerType?: string) {
     // The app that handles logout needs to know the reason of the logout and the URL we may need to
     // redirect user to once they log in again (e.g. when session expires).
     const searchParams = new URLSearchParams();
@@ -825,7 +822,12 @@ export class Authenticator {
 
     // Query string may contain the path where logout has been called or
     // logout reason that login page may need to know.
-    return this.options.config.authc.selector.enabled || shouldProviderUseLoginForm(providerType)
+    return this.options.config.authc.selector.enabled ||
+      (providerType
+        ? shouldProviderUseLoginForm(providerType)
+        : this.options.config.authc.sortedProviders.length > 0
+        ? shouldProviderUseLoginForm(this.options.config.authc.sortedProviders[0].type)
+        : false)
       ? `${this.options.basePath.serverBasePath}/login?${searchParams.toString()}`
       : `${this.options.basePath.serverBasePath}/security/logged_out?${searchParams.toString()}`;
   }
diff --git a/x-pack/scripts/functional_tests.js b/x-pack/scripts/functional_tests.js
index 1d0be47cb810..f95237a76a86 100644
--- a/x-pack/scripts/functional_tests.js
+++ b/x-pack/scripts/functional_tests.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ const onlyNotInCoverageTests = [
   require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/login_selector.config.ts'),
   require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/audit.config.ts'),
   require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/http_bearer.config.ts'),
+  require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/http_no_auth_providers.config.ts'),
   require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/kerberos.config.ts'),
   require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/kerberos_anonymous_access.config.ts'),
   require.resolve('../test/security_api_integration/pki.config.ts'),
diff --git a/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/http_no_auth_providers.config.ts b/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/http_no_auth_providers.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b46bbe3134dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/http_no_auth_providers.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
+ * 2.0.
+ */
+
+import { FtrConfigProviderContext } from '@kbn/test';
+import { services } from './services';
+
+export default async function ({ readConfigFile }: FtrConfigProviderContext) {
+  const xPackAPITestsConfig = await readConfigFile(require.resolve('../api_integration/config.ts'));
+
+  return {
+    testFiles: [require.resolve('./tests/http_no_auth_providers')],
+    servers: xPackAPITestsConfig.get('servers'),
+    security: { disableTestUser: true },
+    services,
+    junit: {
+      reportName: 'X-Pack Security API Integration Tests (HTTP without providers)',
+    },
+
+    esTestCluster: xPackAPITestsConfig.get('esTestCluster'),
+
+    kbnTestServer: {
+      ...xPackAPITestsConfig.get('kbnTestServer'),
+      serverArgs: [
+        ...xPackAPITestsConfig.get('kbnTestServer.serverArgs'),
+        `--xpack.security.authc.http.schemes=${JSON.stringify(['apikey', 'basic'])}`,
+        `--xpack.security.authc.providers=${JSON.stringify({
+          basic: { basic1: { order: 0, enabled: false } },
+        })}`,
+      ],
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/tests/http_no_auth_providers/authentication.ts b/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/tests/http_no_auth_providers/authentication.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..42951f8c3fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/tests/http_no_auth_providers/authentication.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
+ * 2.0.
+ */
+
+import expect from '@kbn/expect';
+import { adminTestUser } from '@kbn/test';
+import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../ftr_provider_context';
+
+export default function ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
+  const supertest = getService('supertestWithoutAuth');
+
+  describe('authorization', () => {
+    it('fail request without authorization request header', async () => {
+      await supertest.get('/internal/security/me').set('kbn-xsrf', 'true').expect(401);
+    });
+
+    it('accept request with authorization request header', async () => {
+      const credentials = Buffer.from(
+        `${adminTestUser.username}:${adminTestUser.password}`
+      ).toString('base64');
+
+      const { body: user, headers } = await supertest
+        .get('/internal/security/me')
+        .set('kbn-xsrf', 'xxx')
+        .set('Authorization', `Basic ${credentials}`)
+        .expect(200);
+
+      expect(user.username).to.eql(adminTestUser.username);
+      expect(user.authentication_provider).to.eql({ type: 'http', name: '__http__' });
+      expect(user.authentication_type).to.eql('realm');
+
+      // Make sure we don't automatically create a session
+      expect(headers['set-cookie']).to.be(undefined);
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/tests/http_no_auth_providers/index.ts b/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/tests/http_no_auth_providers/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..652bcc419e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/test/security_api_integration/tests/http_no_auth_providers/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
+ * 2.0.
+ */
+
+import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../ftr_provider_context';
+
+export default function ({ loadTestFile }: FtrProviderContext) {
+  describe('security APIs - HTTP no authentication providers are enabled', function () {
+    this.tags('ciGroup6');
+    loadTestFile(require.resolve('./authentication'));
+  });
+}