diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/Realms.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/Realms.java
index 0dcc995db5a..604110c6ddc 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/Realms.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/Realms.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.shield.authc;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchException;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Iterators;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.component.AbstractLifecycleComponent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting;
@@ -101,6 +102,10 @@ public class Realms extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Realms> implements Iterab
 
     @Override
     public Iterator<Realm> iterator() {
+        if (shieldLicenseState.authenticationAndAuthorizationEnabled() == false) {
+            return Collections.emptyIterator();
+        }
+
         EnabledRealmType enabledRealmType = shieldLicenseState.enabledRealmType();
         switch (enabledRealmType) {
             case ALL:
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/SecurityFeatureSetTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/SecurityFeatureSetTests.java
index be1a6412f2e..0aaee2b15b3 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/SecurityFeatureSetTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/SecurityFeatureSetTests.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.support.xcontent.XContentSource;
 import org.junit.Before;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ public class SecurityFeatureSetTests extends ESTestCase {
             realmUsage.put("key3", i % 2 == 0);
             when(realm.usageStats()).thenReturn(realmUsage);
         }
-        when(realms.iterator()).thenReturn(realmsList.iterator());
+        when(realms.iterator()).thenReturn(available ? realmsList.iterator() : Collections.<Realm>emptyIterator());
 
         SecurityFeatureSet featureSet = new SecurityFeatureSet(settings.build(), licenseState, realms, namedWriteableRegistry);
         XPackFeatureSet.Usage usage = featureSet.usage();
@@ -102,12 +103,14 @@ public class SecurityFeatureSetTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertThat(usage.available(), is(available));
         XContentSource source = new XContentSource(usage);
 
-        if (enabled) {
+        if (enabled && available) {
             for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
                 assertThat(source.getValue("enabled_realms." + i + ".key1"), is("value" + i));
                 assertThat(source.getValue("enabled_realms." + i + ".key2"), is(i));
                 assertThat(source.getValue("enabled_realms." + i + ".key3"), is(i % 2 == 0));
             }
+        } else if (enabled) {
+            assertThat(source.getValue("enabled_realms"), is(notNullValue()));
         } else {
             assertThat(source.getValue("enabled_realms"), is(nullValue()));
         }
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/InternalAuthenticationServiceTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/InternalAuthenticationServiceTests.java
index f0dcbaf5148..c21233e739e 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/InternalAuthenticationServiceTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/InternalAuthenticationServiceTests.java
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ public class InternalAuthenticationServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         Settings settings = Settings.builder().put("path.home", createTempDir()).build();
         SecurityLicenseState shieldLicenseState = mock(SecurityLicenseState.class);
         when(shieldLicenseState.enabledRealmType()).thenReturn(EnabledRealmType.ALL);
+        when(shieldLicenseState.authenticationAndAuthorizationEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
         realms = new Realms(Settings.EMPTY, new Environment(settings), Collections.<String, Realm.Factory>emptyMap(), shieldLicenseState,
                 mock(ReservedRealm.class)) {
 
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/RealmsTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/RealmsTests.java
index ee14210ff7d..426c9a13c23 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/RealmsTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/RealmsTests.java
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public class RealmsTests extends ESTestCase {
         }
         shieldLicenseState = mock(SecurityLicenseState.class);
         reservedRealm = mock(ReservedRealm.class);
+        when(shieldLicenseState.authenticationAndAuthorizationEnabled()).thenReturn(true);
         when(shieldLicenseState.enabledRealmType()).thenReturn(EnabledRealmType.ALL);
     }
 
@@ -338,6 +339,21 @@ public class RealmsTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertThat(count, equalTo(orderToIndex.size()));
     }
 
+    public void testAuthcAuthzDisabled() {
+        Settings settings = Settings.builder()
+                .put("path.home", createTempDir())
+                .put("xpack.security.authc.realms.realm_1.type", FileRealm.TYPE)
+                .put("xpack.security.authc.realms.realm_1.order", 0)
+                .build();
+        Environment env = new Environment(settings);
+        Realms realms = new Realms(settings, env, factories, shieldLicenseState, reservedRealm).start();
+
+        assertThat(realms.iterator().hasNext(), is(true));
+
+        when(shieldLicenseState.authenticationAndAuthorizationEnabled()).thenReturn(false);
+        assertThat(realms.iterator().hasNext(), is(false));
+    }
+
     static class DummyRealm extends Realm {
 
         public DummyRealm(String type, RealmConfig config) {