diff --git a/src/remote/remote_daemon.c b/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
index fdc9e4333a..0dabd3dff8 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
@@ -534,15 +534,10 @@ daemonSetupNetworking(virNetServerPtr srv,
     }
 
 #if WITH_SASL
-    if (config->auth_unix_rw == REMOTE_AUTH_SASL ||
-        (sock_path_ro && config->auth_unix_ro == REMOTE_AUTH_SASL) ||
-        (ipsock && config->listen_tls && config->auth_tls == REMOTE_AUTH_SASL) ||
-        (ipsock && config->listen_tcp && config->auth_tcp == REMOTE_AUTH_SASL)) {
-        saslCtxt = virNetSASLContextNewServer(
-            (const char *const*)config->sasl_allowed_username_list);
-        if (!saslCtxt)
+    if (virNetServerNeedsAuth(srv, REMOTE_AUTH_SASL) &&
+        !(saslCtxt = virNetSASLContextNewServer(
+              (const char *const*)config->sasl_allowed_username_list)))
             goto cleanup;
-    }
 #endif
 
     ret = 0;