diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.c b/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.c
index d3407a2a4..180b30a89 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.c
@@ -601,8 +601,16 @@ int gssapi_auth_load_users(SERV_LISTENER *listener)
 
     if (serviceGetUser(listener->service, &user, &pw) && (pw = decrypt_password(pw)))
     {
+        bool no_active_servers = true;
+
         for (SERVER_REF *servers = listener->service->dbref; servers; servers = servers->next)
         {
+            if (!SERVER_REF_IS_ACTIVE(servers) || !SERVER_IS_ACTIVE(servers->server))
+            {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            no_active_servers = false;
             MYSQL *mysql = mysql_init(NULL);
 
             if (mxs_mysql_real_connect(mysql, servers->server, user, pw))
@@ -645,6 +653,11 @@ int gssapi_auth_load_users(SERV_LISTENER *listener)
         }
 
         MXS_FREE(pw);
+
+        if (no_active_servers)
+        {
+            rval = MXS_AUTH_LOADUSERS_OK;
+        }
     }
 
     return rval;
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c
index a2acf87b2..63f0eeb42 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c
@@ -855,15 +855,18 @@ static int get_users(SERV_LISTENER *listener, bool skip_local)
 
     SERVER_REF *server = service->dbref;
     int total_users = -1;
+    bool no_active_servers = true;
 
     for (server = service->dbref; !service->svc_do_shutdown && server; server = server->next)
     {
-        if (skip_local && server_is_mxs_service(server->server))
+        if (!SERVER_REF_IS_ACTIVE(server) || !SERVER_IS_ACTIVE(server->server) ||
+            (skip_local && server_is_mxs_service(server->server)))
         {
-            total_users = 0;
             continue;
         }
 
+        no_active_servers = false;
+
         MYSQL *con = gw_mysql_init();
         if (con)
         {
@@ -897,7 +900,12 @@ static int get_users(SERV_LISTENER *listener, bool skip_local)
 
     MXS_FREE(dpwd);
 
-    if (server == NULL && total_users == -1)
+    if (no_active_servers)
+    {
+        // This service has no servers or all servers are local MaxScale services
+        total_users = 0;
+    }
+    else if (server == NULL && total_users == -1)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Unable to get user data from backend database for service [%s]."
                   " Failed to connect to any of the backend databases.", service->name);