diff --git a/packages/backend-common/api-report.md b/packages/backend-common/api-report.md
index c774e6baa3..b929251890 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/backend-common/api-report.md
@@ -502,8 +502,6 @@ export class ServerTokenManager implements TokenManager {
     token: string;
   }>;
   // (undocumented)
-  readonly isSecure: boolean;
-  // (undocumented)
   static noop(): TokenManager;
 }
 
@@ -574,7 +572,6 @@ export interface TokenManager {
   getToken: () => Promise<{
     token: string;
   }>;
-  isSecure: boolean;
 }
 
 // @public
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts
index 82ef5b8401..a3481c2f97 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { TokenManager } from './types';
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
 
 class NoopTokenManager implements TokenManager {
-  public readonly isSecure: boolean = false;
+  public readonly isInsecureServerTokenManager: boolean = true;
 
   async getToken() {
     return { token: '' };
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ class NoopTokenManager implements TokenManager {
 export class ServerTokenManager implements TokenManager {
   private readonly verificationKeys: JWKS.KeyStore;
   private readonly signingKey: JWK.Key;
-  public readonly isSecure: boolean = true;
 
   static noop(): TokenManager {
     return new NoopTokenManager();
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/types.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/types.ts
index 2be1936885..1fea018db9 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/types.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/types.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,6 @@
  * @public
  */
 export interface TokenManager {
-  /**
-   * This property should be true when the token manager is expected to only
-   * authenticate tokens created by itself, or an equivalently-constructed
-   * instance.
-   */
-  isSecure: boolean;
   getToken: () => Promise<{ token: string }>;
   authenticate: (token: string) => Promise<void>;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/search/DefaultCatalogCollator.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/search/DefaultCatalogCollator.test.ts
index 81f728b862..1360ca2647 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/search/DefaultCatalogCollator.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/search/DefaultCatalogCollator.test.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ describe('DefaultCatalogCollator', () => {
       getExternalBaseUrl: jest.fn(),
     };
     mockTokenManager = {
-      isSecure: true,
       getToken: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ token: '' }),
       authenticate: jest.fn(),
     };
diff --git a/plugins/permission-node/src/ServerPermissionClient.ts b/plugins/permission-node/src/ServerPermissionClient.ts
index a6f3488851..c85cc7048b 100644
--- a/plugins/permission-node/src/ServerPermissionClient.ts
+++ b/plugins/permission-node/src/ServerPermissionClient.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ export class ServerPermissionClient implements PermissionAuthorizer {
     const permissionEnabled =
       config.getOptionalBoolean('permission.enabled') ?? false;
 
-    if (permissionEnabled && !tokenManager.isSecure) {
+    if (
+      permissionEnabled &&
+      (tokenManager as any).isInsecureServerTokenManager
+    ) {
       throw new Error(
         'You must configure at least one key in backend.auth.keys if permissions are enabled.',
       );
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/search/DefaultTechDocsCollator.test.ts b/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/search/DefaultTechDocsCollator.test.ts
index 6f38d5291d..5f0bed55dd 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/search/DefaultTechDocsCollator.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/search/DefaultTechDocsCollator.test.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ describe('DefaultTechDocsCollator with legacyPathCasing configuration', () => {
       getExternalBaseUrl: jest.fn(),
     };
     mockTokenManager = {
-      isSecure: true,
       getToken: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ token: '' }),
       authenticate: jest.fn(),
     };
@@ -166,7 +165,6 @@ describe('DefaultTechDocsCollator', () => {
       getExternalBaseUrl: jest.fn(),
     };
     mockTokenManager = {
-      isSecure: true,
       getToken: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ token: '' }),
       authenticate: jest.fn(),
     };