diff --git a/src/paperless/auto_auth.py b/src/paperless/auto_auth.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a12bf9405..000000000
--- a/src/paperless/auto_auth.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-from django.contrib.auth.models import User
-
-'''
-  This is a dummy authentication middleware module that creates what
-  is roughly an Anonymous authenticated user so we can disable login
-  and not interfere with existing user ID's.
-'''
-
-
-class User:
-    is_superuser = True
-    is_active = True
-    is_staff = True
-    is_authenticated = True
-
-    '''
-     Must be -1 to avoid colliding with possible
-     existing user ID's (that start number at 1)
-    '''
-    id = -1
-    pk = -1
-
-
-def return_true(*args, **kwargs):
-    return True
-
-
-User.has_module_perms = return_true
-User.has_perm = return_true
-
-
-class Middleware(object):
-    def process_request(self, request):
-        request.user = User()
diff --git a/src/paperless/middleware.py b/src/paperless/middleware.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2a74cc51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless/middleware.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from django.utils.deprecation import MiddlewareMixin
+from .models import User
+
+class Middleware (MiddlewareMixin):
+    """
+      This is a dummy authentication middleware class that creates what
+      is roughly an Anonymous authenticated user so we can disable login
+      and not interfere with existing user ID's. It's only used if 
+      login is disabled in paperless.conf (default is to require login)
+    """
+
+    def process_request(self, request):
+        request.user = User()
+
diff --git a/src/paperless/models.py b/src/paperless/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1728d6822
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+class User:
+    """
+      This is a dummy django User used with our middleware to disable
+      login authentication if that is configured in paperless.conf
+    """
+    is_superuser = True
+    is_active = True
+    is_staff = True
+    is_authenticated = True
+    has_module_perms = lambda *_: True
+    has_perm = lambda *_: True
+
+    #Must be -1 to avoid colliding with real user ID's (which start at 1)
+    id = -1
+
+    @property
+    def pk(self):
+      return self.id 
+  
diff --git a/src/paperless/settings.py b/src/paperless/settings.py
index e9e668037..b998e101a 100644
--- a/src/paperless/settings.py
+++ b/src/paperless/settings.py
@@ -78,25 +78,24 @@ if os.getenv("PAPERLESS_INSTALLED_APPS"):
     INSTALLED_APPS += os.getenv("PAPERLESS_INSTALLED_APPS").split(",")
 
 
-#Default Django authentication middleware (requires a username/password)
-AUTH_CLASSES = [\
-    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.SessionAuthenticationMiddleware']
-
-#If AUTH is disabled, we just use our "bypass" authentication middleware
-if bool(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DISABLE_LOGIN","false").lower() in ("yes", "y", "1", "t", "true")):  
-    AUTH_CLASSES = ['paperless.auto_auth.Middleware']   
 
 MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = [
     'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
     'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware']\
-    + AUTH_CLASSES + \
-    ['django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
+    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
+    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
+    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.SessionAuthenticationMiddleware',
+    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
 ]
 
+#If AUTH is disabled, we just use our "bypass" authentication middleware
+if  bool(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DISABLE_LOGIN", "false").lower() in ("yes", "y", "1", "t", "true")):
+    _index = MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES.index('django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware')
+    MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES[_index] = 'paperless.middleware.Middleware'
+    MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES.remove('django.contrib.auth.middleware.SessionAuthenticationMiddleware')
+
 ROOT_URLCONF = 'paperless.urls'
 
 TEMPLATES = [