diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3b235a1..06607ed 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func UploadHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, pipes []pipelines.IPi
 	logrus.Info("Pipeline routes registered successfully")
 }
 
-func RegisterRoutes(r *mux.Router, pipelines []pipelines.IPipeline, storageProvider storage.IStorageProvider) {
+func RegisterRoutes(r *mux.Router, appSettings settings.Settings, pipelines []pipelines.IPipeline, storageProvider storage.IStorageProvider) {
 	index := r.Methods(http.MethodGet).Subrouter()
 	index.HandleFunc("/", IndexHandler)
 
@@ -150,6 +150,13 @@ func RegisterRoutes(r *mux.Router, pipelines []pipelines.IPipeline, storageProvi
 
 		w.WriteHeader(404)
 	})
+
+	if appSettings.Authentication.Enabled {
+		authMiddleware := middlewares.CreateAuthenticationMiddleware(appSettings.Authentication.Token)
+
+		upload.Use(authMiddleware.Middleware)
+		pipeline.Use(authMiddleware.Middleware)
+	}
 }
 
 func main() {
@@ -182,12 +189,6 @@ func main() {
 
 	r := mux.NewRouter()
 
-	if appSettings.Authentication.Enabled {
-		authMiddleware := middlewares.CreateAuthenticationMiddleware(appSettings.Authentication.Token)
-
-		r.Use(authMiddleware.Middleware)
-	}
-
 	if appSettings.RateLimiter.Enabled {
 		rateLimiterMiddleware, err := middlewares.CreateRateLimiterMiddleware(appSettings.RateLimiter.RequestsPerMinute, appSettings.RateLimiter.AllowedBurst)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -197,9 +198,7 @@ func main() {
 		r.Use(rateLimiterMiddleware.Middleware)
 	}
 
-	r.HandleFunc("/", IndexHandler)
-
-	RegisterRoutes(r, pipes, storageProvider)
+	RegisterRoutes(r, appSettings, pipes, storageProvider)
 
 	logrus.Info("Lithium started, listening for requests...")
 
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index bcc73f4..e1c8a74 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/bxcodec/faker/v3"
 	"github.com/geplauder/lithium/pipelines"
+	"github.com/geplauder/lithium/settings"
 	"github.com/geplauder/lithium/storage"
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -35,8 +37,9 @@ func TestEndpointRoute(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Registered pipelines are valid routes", func(t *testing.T) {
 		router := mux.NewRouter()
 		fs := storage.GetMemoryStorageProvider()
+		appSettings, _ := settings.LoadSettings(afero.NewMemMapFs())
 
-		RegisterRoutes(router, []pipelines.IPipeline{data}, fs)
+		RegisterRoutes(router, appSettings, []pipelines.IPipeline{data}, fs)
 
 		request, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "/pipelines/"+data.Slug, nil)
 		responseRecorder := httptest.NewRecorder()
@@ -64,8 +67,9 @@ func TestUploadRoute(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Test uploads missing multipart boundary", func(t *testing.T) {
 		router := mux.NewRouter()
 		fs := storage.GetMemoryStorageProvider()
+		appSettings, _ := settings.LoadSettings(afero.NewMemMapFs())
 
-		RegisterRoutes(router, []pipelines.IPipeline{pipelines.Pipeline{
+		RegisterRoutes(router, appSettings, []pipelines.IPipeline{pipelines.Pipeline{
 			Name:           "",
 			Slug:           "",
 			Type:           0,
@@ -92,8 +96,9 @@ func TestUploadRoute(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Test uploads missing multipart boundary", func(t *testing.T) {
 		router := mux.NewRouter()
 		fs := storage.GetMemoryStorageProvider()
+		appSettings, _ := settings.LoadSettings(afero.NewMemMapFs())
 
-		RegisterRoutes(router, []pipelines.IPipeline{pipelines.Pipeline{
+		RegisterRoutes(router, appSettings, []pipelines.IPipeline{pipelines.Pipeline{
 			Name:           "",
 			Slug:           "",
 			Type:           0,
diff --git a/settings/settings.go b/settings/settings.go
index 81cd6e4..5f2c447 100644
--- a/settings/settings.go
+++ b/settings/settings.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func LoadSettings(fileSystem afero.Fs) (Settings, error) {
 	defaultSettings := Settings{
 		Endpoint: "127.0.0.1:8000",
 		Authentication: AuthenticationSettings{
-			Enabled: true,
+			Enabled: false,
 			Token:   "changeme",
 		},
 		RateLimiter: RateLimiterSettings{