diff --git a/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/NodeJSConstants.java b/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/NodeJSConstants.java
index e51aa86..71edb0d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/NodeJSConstants.java
+++ b/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/NodeJSConstants.java
@@ -65,15 +65,6 @@ private NodeJSConstants() {
      */
     public static final String NPM_USERCONFIG = "npm_config_userconfig";
 
-    /**
-     * Force npm to always require authentication when accessing the registry,
-     * even for GET requests.
-     * <p>
-     * Default: false<br>
-     * Type: Boolean
-     * </p>
-     */
-    public static final String NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH = "always-auth";
     /**
      * The base URL of the npm package registry.
      * <p>
diff --git a/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelper.java b/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelper.java
index 75002e6..ae993a4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelper.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
  */
 package jenkins.plugins.nodejs.configfiles;
 
-import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH;
 import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_AUTH;
 import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_AUTHTOKEN;
 import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_PASSWORD;
@@ -143,8 +142,6 @@ public String fillRegistry(String npmrcContent, Map<String, StandardCredentials>
                     // add scoped values to the user config file
                     npmrc.set(compose('@' + scope, NPM_SETTINGS_REGISTRY), registryURL);
                     if (credentials != null) { // NOSONAR
-                        npmrc.set(compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH), credentials != null);
-
                         // the _auth directive seems not be considered for scoped registry
                         // only authToken or username/password works
                         if (credentials instanceof UsernamePasswordCredentials) {
@@ -165,7 +162,6 @@ public String fillRegistry(String npmrcContent, Map<String, StandardCredentials>
                 // add values to the user config file
                 npmrc.set(NPM_SETTINGS_REGISTRY, registry.getUrl());
                 if (credentials != null) {
-                    npmrc.set(compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH), credentials != null);
                     if (credentials instanceof UsernamePasswordCredentials) {
                         UsernamePasswordCredentials usernamePassowrd = (UsernamePasswordCredentials) credentials;
                         String authValue = usernamePassowrd.getUsername() + ':' + Secret.toString(usernamePassowrd.getPassword());
diff --git a/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelperCredentialsTest.java b/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelperCredentialsTest.java
index 3a928dd..03b521e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelperCredentialsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/jenkins/plugins/nodejs/configfiles/RegistryHelperCredentialsTest.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
  */
 package jenkins.plugins.nodejs.configfiles;
 
-import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH;
 import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_AUTH;
 import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_PASSWORD;
 import static jenkins.plugins.nodejs.NodeJSConstants.NPM_SETTINGS_REGISTRY;
@@ -116,7 +115,6 @@ private void verifyScopedRegistry(RegistryHelper helper, Npmrc npmrc, NPMRegistr
         String registryPrefix = helper.calculatePrefix(registry.getUrl());
 
         // scoped registry not depends on npm format, has always the registry prefix
-        String alwaysAuthKey = helper.compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH);
         String usernameKey = helper.compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_USER);
         String passwordKey = helper.compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_PASSWORD);
 
@@ -124,10 +122,6 @@ private void verifyScopedRegistry(RegistryHelper helper, Npmrc npmrc, NPMRegistr
             assertThat(npmrc.contains(helper.compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_AUTH))).as("Unexpected value for " + NPM_SETTINGS_AUTH).isFalse();
 
             if (registry.getCredentialsId() != null) {
-                // test require authentication, by default is false
-                assertThat(npmrc.contains(alwaysAuthKey)).as("key %s not found", NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH).isTrue();
-                assertThat(npmrc.getAsBoolean(alwaysAuthKey)).isTrue();
-
                 // test credentials fields
                 assertThat(npmrc.get(usernameKey)).isEqualTo(user.getUsername());
                 String password = npmrc.get(passwordKey);
@@ -146,12 +140,8 @@ private void verifyScopedRegistry(RegistryHelper helper, Npmrc npmrc, NPMRegistr
 
     private void verifyGlobalRegistry(RegistryHelper helper, NPMRegistry registry, Npmrc npmrc, boolean npm9Format) {
         String registryPrefix = helper.calculatePrefix(registry.getUrl());
-        String alwaysAuthKey = npm9Format ? helper.compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH) : NPM_SETTINGS_ALWAYS_AUTH;
         String authKey = npm9Format ? helper.compose(registryPrefix, NPM_SETTINGS_AUTH) : NPM_SETTINGS_AUTH;
 
-        assertThat(npmrc.contains(alwaysAuthKey)).as("Unexpected value for %s", alwaysAuthKey).isEqualTo(registry.getCredentialsId() != null) //
-            ;
-
         if (registry.getCredentialsId() != null) {
             // test _auth
             String auth = npmrc.get(authKey);