diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 6e3f55b6d..4e36da811 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   include SimpleCaptcha::ControllerHelpers
   include HasFilters
 
-  before_action :authenticate_http_basic
+  before_action :authenticate_http_basic, if: :http_basic_auth_site?
   before_action :authenticate_user!, unless: :devise_controller?, if: :beta_site?
   before_action :authenticate_beta_tester!, unless: :devise_controller?, if: :beta_site?
 
@@ -26,10 +26,8 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   private
 
     def authenticate_http_basic
-      if Rails.env.staging? || Rails.env.preproduction? || Rails.env.production?
-        authenticate_or_request_with_http_basic do |username, password|
-          username == Rails.application.secrets.http_basic_username && password == Rails.application.secrets.http_basic_password
-        end
+      authenticate_or_request_with_http_basic do |username, password|
+        username == Rails.application.secrets.http_basic_username && password == Rails.application.secrets.http_basic_password
       end
     end
 
@@ -48,6 +46,10 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
       Rails.application.secrets.beta_site
     end
 
+    def http_basic_auth_site?
+      Rails.application.secrets.http_basic_auth
+    end
+
     def set_locale
       if params[:locale] && I18n.available_locales.include?(params[:locale].to_sym)
         session[:locale] = params[:locale]