diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3289e0be..6178a07d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ and this project adheres to
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## Fixed
+
+- 🐛 (backend) gitlab oicd userinfo endpoint #232
+
 
 ## [1.4.0] - 2024-09-17
 
diff --git a/src/backend/core/authentication/backends.py b/src/backend/core/authentication/backends.py
index bfa2c107..efada966 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/authentication/backends.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/authentication/backends.py
@@ -45,7 +45,17 @@ class OIDCAuthenticationBackend(MozillaOIDCAuthenticationBackend):
             proxies=self.get_settings("OIDC_PROXY", None),
         )
         user_response.raise_for_status()
-        userinfo = self.verify_token(user_response.text)
+
+        try:
+            userinfo = user_response.json()
+        except ValueError:
+            try:
+                userinfo = self.verify_token(user_response.text)
+            except Exception as e:
+                raise SuspiciousOperation(
+                    _("Invalid response format or token verification failed")
+                ) from e
+
         return userinfo
 
     def get_or_create_user(self, access_token, id_token, payload):
diff --git a/src/backend/core/tests/authentication/test_backends.py b/src/backend/core/tests/authentication/test_backends.py
index 6e216c2d..f3b9e093 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/tests/authentication/test_backends.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/tests/authentication/test_backends.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 """Unit tests for the Authentication Backends."""
 
+import re
+
 from django.core.exceptions import SuspiciousOperation
+from django.test.utils import override_settings
 
 import pytest
+import responses
 
 from core import models
 from core.authentication.backends import OIDCAuthenticationBackend
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ def test_authentication_getter_new_user_with_email(monkeypatch):
     assert models.User.objects.count() == 1
 
 
-def test_models_oidc_user_getter_invalid_token(django_assert_num_queries, monkeypatch):
+def test_authentication_getter_invalid_token(django_assert_num_queries, monkeypatch):
     """The user's info doesn't contain a sub."""
     klass = OIDCAuthenticationBackend()
 
@@ -102,3 +106,64 @@ def test_models_oidc_user_getter_invalid_token(django_assert_num_queries, monkey
         klass.get_or_create_user(access_token="test-token", id_token=None, payload=None)
 
     assert models.User.objects.exists() is False
+
+
+@override_settings(OIDC_OP_USER_ENDPOINT="http://oidc.endpoint.test/userinfo")
+@responses.activate
+def test_authentication_get_userinfo_json_response():
+    """Test get_userinfo method with a JSON response."""
+
+    responses.add(
+        responses.GET,
+        re.compile(r".*/userinfo"),
+        json={"name": "John Doe", "email": "john.doe@example.com"},
+        status=200,
+    )
+
+    oidc_backend = OIDCAuthenticationBackend()
+    result = oidc_backend.get_userinfo("fake_access_token", None, None)
+
+    assert result["name"] == "John Doe"
+    assert result["email"] == "john.doe@example.com"
+
+
+@override_settings(OIDC_OP_USER_ENDPOINT="http://oidc.endpoint.test/userinfo")
+@responses.activate
+def test_authentication_get_userinfo_token_response(monkeypatch):
+    """Test get_userinfo method with a token response."""
+
+    responses.add(
+        responses.GET, re.compile(r".*/userinfo"), body="fake.jwt.token", status=200
+    )
+
+    def mock_verify_token(self, token):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+        return {"name": "Jane Doe", "email": "jane.doe@example.com"}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(OIDCAuthenticationBackend, "verify_token", mock_verify_token)
+
+    oidc_backend = OIDCAuthenticationBackend()
+    result = oidc_backend.get_userinfo("fake_access_token", None, None)
+
+    assert result["name"] == "Jane Doe"
+    assert result["email"] == "jane.doe@example.com"
+
+
+@override_settings(OIDC_OP_USER_ENDPOINT="http://oidc.endpoint.test/userinfo")
+@responses.activate
+def test_authentication_get_userinfo_invalid_response():
+    """
+    Test get_userinfo method with an invalid JWT response that
+    causes verify_token to raise an error.
+    """
+
+    responses.add(
+        responses.GET, re.compile(r".*/userinfo"), body="fake.jwt.token", status=200
+    )
+
+    oidc_backend = OIDCAuthenticationBackend()
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        SuspiciousOperation,
+        match="Invalid response format or token verification failed",
+    ):
+        oidc_backend.get_userinfo("fake_access_token", None, None)