diff --git a/packages/cli/src/Server.ts b/packages/cli/src/Server.ts
index b248b70408..7e4af8414b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/Server.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/Server.ts
@@ -35,15 +35,12 @@ import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';
 import _, { cloneDeep } from 'lodash';
 import { dirname as pathDirname, join as pathJoin, resolve as pathResolve } from 'path';
 import {
-	FindConditions,
 	FindManyOptions,
 	getConnection,
 	getConnectionManager,
 	In,
 	IsNull,
-	LessThan,
 	LessThanOrEqual,
-	MoreThan,
 	Not,
 	Raw,
 } from 'typeorm';
@@ -61,13 +58,7 @@ import { createHmac } from 'crypto';
 // tested with all possible systems like Windows, Alpine on ARM, FreeBSD, ...
 import { compare } from 'bcryptjs';
 
-import {
-	BinaryDataManager,
-	Credentials,
-	IBinaryDataConfig,
-	LoadNodeParameterOptions,
-	UserSettings,
-} from 'n8n-core';
+import { BinaryDataManager, Credentials, LoadNodeParameterOptions, UserSettings } from 'n8n-core';
 
 import {
 	ICredentialType,
@@ -154,14 +145,11 @@ import { WEBHOOK_METHODS } from './WebhookHelpers';
 import { userManagementRouter } from './UserManagement';
 import { resolveJwt } from './UserManagement/auth/jwt';
 import { User } from './databases/entities/User';
-import { CredentialsEntity } from './databases/entities/CredentialsEntity';
 import type {
-	CredentialRequest,
 	ExecutionRequest,
 	WorkflowRequest,
 	NodeParameterOptionsRequest,
 	OAuthRequest,
-	AuthenticatedRequest,
 	TagsRequest,
 } from './requests';
 import { DEFAULT_EXECUTIONS_GET_ALL_LIMIT, validateEntity } from './GenericHelpers';
@@ -169,7 +157,11 @@ import { ExecutionEntity } from './databases/entities/ExecutionEntity';
 import { SharedWorkflow } from './databases/entities/SharedWorkflow';
 import { AUTH_COOKIE_NAME, RESPONSE_ERROR_MESSAGES } from './constants';
 import { credentialsController } from './api/credentials.api';
-import { getInstanceBaseUrl, isEmailSetUp } from './UserManagement/UserManagementHelper';
+import {
+	getInstanceBaseUrl,
+	isEmailSetUp,
+	isUserManagementEnabled,
+} from './UserManagement/UserManagementHelper';
 
 require('body-parser-xml')(bodyParser);
 
@@ -311,9 +303,7 @@ class App {
 				config.getEnv('personalization.enabled') && config.getEnv('diagnostics.enabled'),
 			defaultLocale: config.getEnv('defaultLocale'),
 			userManagement: {
-				enabled:
-					config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') === false ||
-					config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp') === true,
+				enabled: isUserManagementEnabled(),
 				showSetupOnFirstLoad:
 					config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') === false &&
 					config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp') === false &&
@@ -346,9 +336,7 @@ class App {
 	getSettingsForFrontend(): IN8nUISettings {
 		// refresh user management status
 		Object.assign(this.frontendSettings.userManagement, {
-			enabled:
-				config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') === false ||
-				config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp') === true,
+			enabled: isUserManagementEnabled(),
 			showSetupOnFirstLoad:
 				config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') === false &&
 				config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp') === false &&
@@ -567,12 +555,14 @@ class App {
 						return;
 					}
 
-					try {
-						const authCookie = req.cookies?.[AUTH_COOKIE_NAME] ?? '';
-						await resolveJwt(authCookie);
-					} catch (error) {
-						res.status(401).send('Unauthorized');
-						return;
+					if (isUserManagementEnabled()) {
+						try {
+							const authCookie = req.cookies?.[AUTH_COOKIE_NAME] ?? '';
+							await resolveJwt(authCookie);
+						} catch (error) {
+							res.status(401).send('Unauthorized');
+							return;
+						}
 					}
 
 					this.push.add(req.query.sessionId as string, req, res);
@@ -3041,9 +3031,7 @@ export async function start(): Promise<void> {
 			},
 			deploymentType: config.getEnv('deployment.type'),
 			binaryDataMode: binarDataConfig.mode,
-			n8n_multi_user_allowed:
-				config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') === false ||
-				config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp') === true,
+			n8n_multi_user_allowed: isUserManagementEnabled(),
 			smtp_set_up: config.getEnv('userManagement.emails.mode') === 'smtp',
 		};
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/UserManagementHelper.ts b/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/UserManagementHelper.ts
index 4e2737c4c5..95edbb16c2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/UserManagementHelper.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/UserManagementHelper.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,20 @@ export function isEmailSetUp(): boolean {
 	return smtp && host && user && pass;
 }
 
+export function isUserManagementEnabled(): boolean {
+	return (
+		!config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') ||
+		config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp')
+	);
+}
+
+export function isUserManagementDisabled(): boolean {
+	return (
+		config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled') &&
+		!config.getEnv('userManagement.isInstanceOwnerSetUp')
+	);
+}
+
 async function getInstanceOwnerRole(): Promise<Role> {
 	const ownerRole = await Db.collections.Role.findOneOrFail({
 		where: {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/index.ts
index c1ca208951..0a8400e4ef 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/index.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,13 @@ import { usersNamespace } from './users';
 import { passwordResetNamespace } from './passwordReset';
 import { AuthenticatedRequest } from '../../requests';
 import { ownerNamespace } from './owner';
-import { isAuthExcluded, isPostUsersId, isAuthenticatedRequest } from '../UserManagementHelper';
+import {
+	isAuthExcluded,
+	isPostUsersId,
+	isAuthenticatedRequest,
+	isUserManagementDisabled,
+} from '../UserManagementHelper';
+import { Db } from '../..';
 
 export function addRoutes(this: N8nApp, ignoredEndpoints: string[], restEndpoint: string): void {
 	// needed for testing; not adding overhead since it directly returns if req.cookies exists
@@ -47,7 +53,7 @@ export function addRoutes(this: N8nApp, ignoredEndpoints: string[], restEndpoint
 
 	this.app.use(passport.initialize());
 
-	this.app.use((req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
+	this.app.use(async (req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
 		if (
 			// TODO: refactor me!!!
 			// skip authentication for preflight requests
@@ -73,6 +79,17 @@ export function addRoutes(this: N8nApp, ignoredEndpoints: string[], restEndpoint
 			return next();
 		}
 
+		// skip authentication if user management is disabled
+		if (isUserManagementDisabled()) {
+			req.user = await Db.collections.User.findOneOrFail(
+				{},
+				{
+					relations: ['globalRole'],
+				},
+			);
+			return next();
+		}
+
 		return passport.authenticate('jwt', { session: false })(req, res, next);
 	});
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/users.ts b/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/users.ts
index d6f1caac7d..4e3be7a653 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/users.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/UserManagement/routes/users.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
 	getInstanceBaseUrl,
 	hashPassword,
 	isEmailSetUp,
+	isUserManagementDisabled,
 	sanitizeUser,
 	validatePassword,
 } from '../UserManagementHelper';
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ export function usersNamespace(this: N8nApp): void {
 			}
 
 			// TODO: this should be checked in the middleware rather than here
-			if (config.getEnv('userManagement.disabled')) {
+			if (isUserManagementDisabled()) {
 				Logger.debug(
 					'Request to send email invite(s) to user(s) failed because user management is disabled',
 				);