diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.test.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.test.ts
index b692a35216..874b89d92c 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.test.ts
@@ -52,11 +52,15 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
   });
 
   describe('start authentication handler', () => {
-    const mockResponse = ({} as unknown) as express.Response;
+    const mockResponse = ({
+      send: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
+      status: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
+    } as unknown) as express.Response;
     const mockNext: express.NextFunction = jest.fn();
 
     it('should initiate authenticate request with provided scopes', () => {
       const mockRequest = ({
+        header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
         query: {
           scope: 'a,b',
         },
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
 
     it('should throw error if no scopes provided', () => {
       const mockRequest = ({
+        header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
         query: {},
       } as unknown) as express.Request;
 
@@ -93,7 +98,9 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
   });
 
   describe('logout handler', () => {
-    const mockRequest = ({} as unknown) as express.Request;
+    const mockRequest = ({
+      header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
+    } as unknown) as express.Request;
 
     it('should perform logout and respond with 200', () => {
       const mockResponse: any = ({
@@ -122,7 +129,9 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
   });
 
   describe('redirect frame handler', () => {
-    const mockRequest = ({} as unknown) as express.Request;
+    const mockRequest = ({
+      header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
+    } as unknown) as express.Request;
     const mockResponse: any = ({
       status: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
       send: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(),
@@ -245,6 +254,7 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
       it('should respond with a 401', () => {
         const mockRequest = ({
           cookies: jest.fn(),
+          header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
         } as unknown) as express.Request;
 
         const googleAuthProvider = new GoogleAuthProvider(
@@ -262,6 +272,7 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
 
     describe('refresh token cookie, no scope', () => {
       const mockRequest = ({
+        header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
         cookies: { 'google-refresh-token': 'REFRESH_TOKEN' },
         query: {},
       } as unknown) as express.Request;
@@ -349,6 +360,7 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
 
     describe('refresh token cookie and scope', () => {
       const mockRequest = ({
+        header: () => 'XMLHttpRequest',
         cookies: { 'google-refresh-token': 'REFRESH_TOKEN' },
         query: {
           scope: 'a,b',
@@ -387,6 +399,20 @@ describe('GoogleAuthProvider', () => {
           scope: 'a,b',
         });
       });
+
+      it('ensures x-requested-with header', () => {
+        const mockHeaderRequest = ({
+          header: () => 'TEST',
+        } as unknown) as express.Request;
+
+        googleAuthProvider.refresh(mockHeaderRequest, mockResponse);
+        expect(mockResponse.send).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(mockResponse.send).toBeCalledWith(
+          'Invalid X-Requested-With header',
+        );
+        expect(mockResponse.status).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(mockResponse.status).toBeCalledWith(401);
+      });
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.ts
index 096260e044..35c7b3f6e2 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/google/provider.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import {
   AuthProviderRouteHandlers,
   AuthProviderConfig,
 } from './../types';
-import { postMessageResponse } from './../utils';
+import { postMessageResponse, ensuresXRequestedWith } from './../utils';
 import { InputError } from '@backstage/backend-common';
 
 export const THOUSAND_DAYS_MS = 1000 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
@@ -95,7 +95,11 @@ export class GoogleAuthProvider
     })(req, res, next);
   }
 
-  async logout(_req: express.Request, res: express.Response) {
+  async logout(req: express.Request, res: express.Response) {
+    if (!ensuresXRequestedWith(req)) {
+      return res.status(401).send('Invalid X-Requested-With header');
+    }
+
     const options: CookieOptions = {
       maxAge: 0,
       secure: false,
@@ -110,6 +114,10 @@ export class GoogleAuthProvider
   }
 
   async refresh(req: express.Request, res: express.Response) {
+    if (!ensuresXRequestedWith(req)) {
+      return res.status(401).send('Invalid X-Requested-With header');
+    }
+
     const refreshToken =
       req.cookies[`${this.providerConfig.provider}-refresh-token`];
 
diff --git a/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/utils.ts b/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/utils.ts
index 7fb906ad7c..83229e55d4 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/utils.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-backend/src/providers/utils.ts
@@ -39,3 +39,12 @@ export const postMessageResponse = (
 </html>
   `);
 };
+
+export const ensuresXRequestedWith = (req: express.Request) => {
+  const requiredHeader = req.header('X-Requested-With');
+
+  if (!requiredHeader || requiredHeader !== 'XMLHttpRequest') {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+};