diff --git a/config/cp.php b/config/cp.php
index b1717d474ef..be058d6e9a2 100644
--- a/config/cp.php
+++ b/config/cp.php
@@ -15,6 +15,21 @@
 
     'route' => env('CP_ROUTE', 'cp'),
 
+    /*
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    | Authentication
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    |
+    | Whether the Control Panel's authentication pages should be enabled,
+    | and where users should be redirected in order to authenticate.
+    |
+    */
+
+    'auth' => [
+        'enabled' => true,
+        'redirect_to' => null,
+    ],
+
     /*
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     | Start Page
diff --git a/resources/js/components/SessionExpiry.vue b/resources/js/components/SessionExpiry.vue
index 19d2959b3cc..d932542894e 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/SessionExpiry.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/SessionExpiry.vue
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ export default {
         warnAt: Number,
         lifetime: Number,
         email: String,
-        oauthProvider: String
+        oauthProvider: String,
+        auth: Object,
     },
 
     data() {
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ export default {
     watch: {
 
         count(count) {
-            this.isShowingLogin = this.remaining <= 0;
+            this.isShowingLogin = this.auth.enabled && this.remaining <= 0;
 
             // While we're in the warning period, we'll check every second so that any
             // activity in another tab is picked up and the count will get restarted.
@@ -145,7 +146,10 @@ export default {
             return this.$axios.get(cp_url('session-timeout')).then(response => {
                 this.count = this.remaining = response.data;
             }).catch(e => {
-                if (e.response.status === 401) this.remaining = 0;
+                if (e.response.status === 401) {
+                    this.remaining = 0;
+                    if (!this.auth.enabled) window.location = this.auth.redirect_to || '/';
+                }
                 throw e;
             }).finally(response => {
                 this.pinging = false;
diff --git a/resources/views/partials/session-expiry.blade.php b/resources/views/partials/session-expiry.blade.php
index de483bb6167..29488f33105 100644
--- a/resources/views/partials/session-expiry.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/partials/session-expiry.blade.php
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@
     :warn-at="{{ $warnAt }}"
     :lifetime="{{ $lifetime }}"
     :oauth-provider="{{ json_encode($oauth) }}"
-></session-expiry>
\ No newline at end of file
+    :auth="{{ json_encode($auth) }}"
+></session-expiry>
diff --git a/routes/cp.php b/routes/cp.php
index 536ab6b926a..959e0f63c1a 100644
--- a/routes/cp.php
+++ b/routes/cp.php
@@ -101,14 +101,17 @@
 use Statamic\Statamic;
 
 Route::group(['prefix' => 'auth'], function () {
-    Route::get('login', [LoginController::class, 'showLoginForm'])->name('login');
-    Route::post('login', [LoginController::class, 'login']);
-    Route::get('logout', [LoginController::class, 'logout'])->name('logout');
+    if (config('statamic.cp.auth.enabled', true)) {
+        Route::get('login', [LoginController::class, 'showLoginForm'])->name('login');
+        Route::post('login', [LoginController::class, 'login']);
+
+        Route::get('password/reset', [ForgotPasswordController::class, 'showLinkRequestForm'])->name('password.request');
+        Route::post('password/email', [ForgotPasswordController::class, 'sendResetLinkEmail'])->name('password.email');
+        Route::get('password/reset/{token}', [ResetPasswordController::class, 'showResetForm'])->name('password.reset');
+        Route::post('password/reset', [ResetPasswordController::class, 'reset'])->name('password.reset.action');
+    }
 
-    Route::get('password/reset', [ForgotPasswordController::class, 'showLinkRequestForm'])->name('password.request');
-    Route::post('password/email', [ForgotPasswordController::class, 'sendResetLinkEmail'])->name('password.email');
-    Route::get('password/reset/{token}', [ResetPasswordController::class, 'showResetForm'])->name('password.reset');
-    Route::post('password/reset', [ResetPasswordController::class, 'reset'])->name('password.reset.action');
+    Route::get('logout', [LoginController::class, 'logout'])->name('logout');
 
     Route::get('token', CsrfTokenController::class)->name('token');
     Route::get('extend', ExtendSessionController::class)->name('extend');
diff --git a/src/Exceptions/AuthenticationException.php b/src/Exceptions/AuthenticationException.php
index f7566d07770..35f36e90806 100644
--- a/src/Exceptions/AuthenticationException.php
+++ b/src/Exceptions/AuthenticationException.php
@@ -11,6 +11,17 @@ public function toResponse($request)
     {
         return $request->expectsJson()
             ? response()->json(['message' => $this->getMessage()], 401)
-            : redirect()->route('statamic.cp.login');
+            : $this->handleRedirect();
+    }
+
+    protected function handleRedirect()
+    {
+        if (! config('statamic.cp.auth.enabled', true)) {
+            return config('statamic.cp.auth.redirect_to')
+                ? redirect()->guest(config('statamic.cp.auth.redirect_to'))
+                : abort(401);
+        }
+
+        return redirect()->route('statamic.cp.login');
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Http/View/Composers/SessionExpiryComposer.php b/src/Http/View/Composers/SessionExpiryComposer.php
index 1f7a5cd3f64..45d81ecf86d 100644
--- a/src/Http/View/Composers/SessionExpiryComposer.php
+++ b/src/Http/View/Composers/SessionExpiryComposer.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public function compose(View $view)
             'lifetime' => config('session.lifetime') * 60,
             'warnAt' => 60,
             'oauth' => $this->oauth(),
+            'auth' => config('statamic.cp.auth'),
         ]);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/Feature/AuthenticationTest.php b/tests/Feature/AuthenticationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c416ffd1a33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/AuthenticationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Tests\Feature;
+
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+
+class AuthenticationTest extends TestCase
+{
+    #[Test]
+    public function it_responds_with_a_401_when_requesting_json()
+    {
+        $this->getJson('/cp/anything')->assertStatus(401)->assertJson(['message' => 'Unauthenticated.']);
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function redirects_to_login_page()
+    {
+        $this->get('/cp/anything')->assertRedirect('/cp/auth/login');
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function redirects_to_defined_login_page_when_auth_is_disabled()
+    {
+        config(['statamic.cp.auth' => ['enabled' => false, 'redirect_to' => '/my-login-page']]);
+
+        $this->get('/cp/anything')->assertRedirect('/my-login-page');
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function responds_with_401_when_auth_is_disabled_and_no_redirect_is_defined()
+    {
+        config(['statamic.cp.auth' => ['enabled' => false]]);
+
+        $this->get('/cp/anything')->assertStatus(401);
+    }
+}