diff --git a/etcdserver/auth/auth.go b/etcdserver/auth/auth.go
index 6730aa6bd..e3ddd6593 100644
--- a/etcdserver/auth/auth.go
+++ b/etcdserver/auth/auth.go
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ type store struct {
 	timeout     time.Duration
 	ensuredOnce bool
 
-	mu      sync.Mutex // protect enabled
-	enabled *bool
+	mu sync.Mutex
 }
 
 type User struct {
@@ -409,8 +408,6 @@ func (s *store) EnableAuth() error {
 	}
 	err = s.enableAuth()
 	if err == nil {
-		b := true
-		s.enabled = &b
 		plog.Noticef("auth: enabled auth")
 	} else {
 		plog.Errorf("error enabling auth (%v)", err)
@@ -428,8 +425,6 @@ func (s *store) DisableAuth() error {
 
 	err := s.disableAuth()
 	if err == nil {
-		b := false
-		s.enabled = &b
 		plog.Noticef("auth: disabled auth")
 	} else {
 		plog.Errorf("error disabling auth (%v)", err)
diff --git a/etcdserver/auth/auth_requests.go b/etcdserver/auth/auth_requests.go
index d621ed0ef..7103578c4 100644
--- a/etcdserver/auth/auth_requests.go
+++ b/etcdserver/auth/auth_requests.go
@@ -85,15 +85,10 @@ func (s *store) detectAuth() bool {
 	if s.server == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	if s.enabled != nil {
-		return *s.enabled
-	}
 	value, err := s.requestResource("/enabled", false)
 	if err != nil {
 		if e, ok := err.(*etcderr.Error); ok {
 			if e.ErrorCode == etcderr.EcodeKeyNotFound {
-				b := false
-				s.enabled = &b
 				return false
 			}
 		}
@@ -107,7 +102,6 @@ func (s *store) detectAuth() bool {
 		plog.Errorf("internal bookkeeping value for enabled isn't valid JSON (%v)", err)
 		return false
 	}
-	s.enabled = &u
 	return u
 }
 
diff --git a/etcdserver/auth/auth_test.go b/etcdserver/auth/auth_test.go
index 1f4615af4..d9813c969 100644
--- a/etcdserver/auth/auth_test.go
+++ b/etcdserver/auth/auth_test.go
@@ -611,8 +611,6 @@ func TestDisableAuth(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("Expected error; already disabled")
 	}
 
-	// clear cache
-	s.enabled = nil
 	err = s.DisableAuth()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("Unexpected error", err)