diff --git a/src/backend/core/resource_server/authentication.py b/src/backend/core/resource_server/authentication.py
index 7be60e5..aaac211 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/resource_server/authentication.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/resource_server/authentication.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 
 from mozilla_django_oidc.contrib.drf import OIDCAuthentication
 
-from .backend import ResourceServerBackend
+from .backend import ResourceServerBackend, ResourceServerImproperlyConfiguredBackend
 from .clients import AuthorizationServerClient
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -21,16 +21,21 @@ class ResourceServerAuthentication(OIDCAuthentication):
     def __init__(self):
         super().__init__()
 
-        authorization_server_client = AuthorizationServerClient(
-            url=settings.OIDC_OP_URL,
-            verify_ssl=settings.OIDC_VERIFY_SSL,
-            timeout=settings.OIDC_TIMEOUT,
-            proxy=settings.OIDC_PROXY,
-            url_jwks=settings.OIDC_OP_JWKS_ENDPOINT,
-            url_introspection=settings.OIDC_OP_INTROSPECTION_ENDPOINT,
-        )
+        try:
+            authorization_server_client = AuthorizationServerClient(
+                url=settings.OIDC_OP_URL,
+                verify_ssl=settings.OIDC_VERIFY_SSL,
+                timeout=settings.OIDC_TIMEOUT,
+                proxy=settings.OIDC_PROXY,
+                url_jwks=settings.OIDC_OP_JWKS_ENDPOINT,
+                url_introspection=settings.OIDC_OP_INTROSPECTION_ENDPOINT,
+            )
+            self.backend = ResourceServerBackend(authorization_server_client)
 
-        self.backend = ResourceServerBackend(authorization_server_client)
+        except ImproperlyConfigured as err:
+            message = "Resource Server authentication is disabled"
+            logger.debug("%s. Exception: %s", message, err)
+            self.backend = ResourceServerImproperlyConfiguredBackend()
 
     def get_access_token(self, request):
         """Retrieve and decode the access token from the request.
diff --git a/src/backend/core/resource_server/backend.py b/src/backend/core/resource_server/backend.py
index fbee913..87dbbc4 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/resource_server/backend.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/resource_server/backend.py
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ import logging
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib import auth
-from django.core.exceptions import SuspiciousOperation
+from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured, SuspiciousOperation
 
 from joserfc import jwe as jose_jwe
 from joserfc import jwt as jose_jwt
 from joserfc.errors import InvalidClaimError, InvalidTokenError
 from requests.exceptions import HTTPError
+from rest_framework.exceptions import AuthenticationFailed
 
 from . import utils
 
@@ -41,6 +42,16 @@ class ResourceServerBackend:
         self._encryption_algorithm = settings.OIDC_RS_ENCRYPTION_ALGO
         self._signing_algorithm = settings.OIDC_RS_SIGNING_ALGO
         self._scopes = settings.OIDC_RS_SCOPES
+
+        if (
+            not self._client_id
+            or not self._client_secret
+            or not authorization_server_client
+        ):
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured(
+                "Could not instantiate ResourceServerBackend, some parameters are missing."
+            )
+
         self._authorization_server_client = authorization_server_client
 
         self._claims_registry = jose_jwt.JWTClaimsRegistry(
@@ -56,6 +67,7 @@ class ResourceServerBackend:
         Params 'id_token', 'payload' won't be used, and our implementation will only
         support 'get_user', not 'get_or_create_user'.
         """
+
         return self.get_user(access_token)
 
     def get_user(self, access_token):
@@ -201,3 +213,11 @@ class ResourceServerBackend:
             raise SuspiciousOperation(message) from err
 
         return token.claims
+
+
+class ResourceServerImproperlyConfiguredBackend:
+    """Fallback backend for improperly configured Resource Servers."""
+
+    def get_or_create_user(self, access_token, id_token, payload):
+        """Indicate that the Resource Server is improperly configured."""
+        raise AuthenticationFailed("Resource Server is improperly configured")
diff --git a/src/backend/core/resource_server/clients.py b/src/backend/core/resource_server/clients.py
index 5acd648..ea9aed6 100644
--- a/src/backend/core/resource_server/clients.py
+++ b/src/backend/core/resource_server/clients.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """Resource Server Clients classes"""
 
+from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
+
 import requests
 from joserfc.jwk import KeySet
 
@@ -28,6 +30,11 @@ class AuthorizationServerClient:
         timeout,
         proxy,
     ):
+        if not url or not url_jwks or not url_introspection:
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured(
+                "Could not instantiate AuthorizationServerClient, some parameters are missing."
+            )
+
         self.url = url
         self._url_introspection = url_introspection
         self._url_jwks = url_jwks