diff --git a/cmd/policy/main.go b/cmd/policy/main.go
index 72d5b57a0cc8fa20350cbe24f20ef37216056229..7c0364b6915286a9aee0ca859dc0e3e3d32e3e1e 100644
--- a/cmd/policy/main.go
+++ b/cmd/policy/main.go
@@ -62,10 +62,13 @@ func main() {
 
 	httpClient := httpClient()
 
-	// Create an HTTP Client which automatically issues and carries an OAuth2 token.
-	// The token will auto-refresh when its expiration is near.
-	oauthCtx := context.WithValue(context.Background(), oauth2.HTTPClient, httpClient)
-	oauthClient := newOAuth2Client(oauthCtx, cfg.OAuth.ClientID, cfg.OAuth.ClientSecret, cfg.OAuth.TokenURL)
+	oauthClient := httpClient
+	if cfg.Auth.Enabled {
+		// Create an HTTP Client which automatically issues and carries an OAuth2 token.
+		// The token will auto-refresh when its expiration is near.
+		oauthCtx := context.WithValue(context.Background(), oauth2.HTTPClient, httpClient)
+		oauthClient = newOAuth2Client(oauthCtx, cfg.OAuth.ClientID, cfg.OAuth.ClientSecret, cfg.OAuth.TokenURL)
+	}
 
 	// create cache client
 	cache := cache.New(cfg.Cache.Addr, cache.WithHTTPClient(oauthClient))
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index f203bd462e76b90d9b364fd0335aa311b1e9bee4..5073ffd9bb0052349642b808e92b78454095b700 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ type ocmConfig struct {
 }
 
 type oauthConfig struct {
-	ClientID     string `envconfig:"OAUTH_CLIENT_ID" required:"true"`
-	ClientSecret string `envconfig:"OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET" required:"true"`
-	TokenURL     string `envconfig:"OAUTH_TOKEN_URL" required:"true"`
+	ClientID     string `envconfig:"OAUTH_CLIENT_ID"`
+	ClientSecret string `envconfig:"OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET"`
+	TokenURL     string `envconfig:"OAUTH_TOKEN_URL"`
 }
 
 type refresherConfig struct {
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ type refresherConfig struct {
 }
 
 type authConfig struct {
-	Enabled         bool          `envconfig:"AUTH_ENABLED" default:"true"`
+	Enabled         bool          `envconfig:"AUTH_ENABLED" default:"false"`
 	JwkURL          string        `envconfig:"AUTH_JWK_URL"`
 	RefreshInterval time.Duration `envconfig:"AUTH_REFRESH_INTERVAL" default:"1h"`
 }