diff --git a/lib/curl_sasl.c b/lib/curl_sasl.c
index dd2b6bef3..ad6b6090f 100644
--- a/lib/curl_sasl.c
+++ b/lib/curl_sasl.c
@@ -1455,8 +1455,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_sasl_start(struct SASL *sasl, struct connectdata *conn,
       }
     else
 #endif
-    if((enabledmechs & SASL_MECH_XOAUTH2) && ((conn->oauth_bearer) ||
-                                              (!conn->passwd))) {
+    if((enabledmechs & SASL_MECH_XOAUTH2) && conn->oauth_bearer) {
       mech = SASL_MECH_STRING_XOAUTH2;
       state1 = SASL_OAUTH2;
       sasl->authused = SASL_MECH_XOAUTH2;
diff --git a/lib/curl_sasl.h b/lib/curl_sasl.h
index b54d8f46b..ddf73f8f0 100644
--- a/lib/curl_sasl.h
+++ b/lib/curl_sasl.h
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ struct kerberos5data;
 /* Authentication mechanism values */
 #define SASL_AUTH_NONE          0
 #define SASL_AUTH_ANY           ~0U
-#define SASL_AUTH_DEFAULT       (SASL_AUTH_ANY & \
-                                 ~(SASL_MECH_EXTERNAL | SASL_MECH_XOAUTH2))
+#define SASL_AUTH_DEFAULT       (SASL_AUTH_ANY & ~SASL_MECH_EXTERNAL)
 
 /* Authentication mechanism strings */
 #define SASL_MECH_STRING_LOGIN      "LOGIN"