diff --git a/lib/server/auth/connectionWatchdog.ts b/lib/server/auth/connectionWatchdog.ts
index c66ae7b10..ba7dfed34 100644
--- a/lib/server/auth/connectionWatchdog.ts
+++ b/lib/server/auth/connectionWatchdog.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export const disconnectConnectionsWithStaleCreds = async () => {
           },
           'Cutting off connection.',
         );
-        client.socket!.end();
+        client.socket?.end();
       }
     });
   }
diff --git a/lib/server/routesHandlers/connectionStatusHandler.ts b/lib/server/routesHandlers/connectionStatusHandler.ts
index c6bb181e6..9fd96368d 100644
--- a/lib/server/routesHandlers/connectionStatusHandler.ts
+++ b/lib/server/routesHandlers/connectionStatusHandler.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export const connectionStatusHandler = async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
     const localHostname = hostname();
     const regex = new RegExp(/-[0-9]{1,2}-[0-1]/);
     if (
+      !process.env.BROKER_SERVER_MANDATORY_AUTH_ENABLED &&
       localHostname &&
       localHostname.endsWith('-1') &&
       localHostname.match(regex)
diff --git a/lib/server/routesHandlers/httpRequestHandler.ts b/lib/server/routesHandlers/httpRequestHandler.ts
index 257a8d20d..d62c6c954 100644
--- a/lib/server/routesHandlers/httpRequestHandler.ts
+++ b/lib/server/routesHandlers/httpRequestHandler.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const overloadHttpRequestWithConnectionDetailsMiddleware = async (
     const localHostname = hostname();
     const regex = new RegExp(/-[0-9]{1,2}-[0-1]/);
     if (
+      !process.env.BROKER_SERVER_MANDATORY_AUTH_ENABLED &&
       localHostname &&
       localHostname.endsWith('-1') &&
       localHostname.match(regex)
@@ -63,7 +64,6 @@ export const overloadHttpRequestWithConnectionDetailsMiddleware = async (
       return res.status(404).json({ ok: false });
     }
   }
-
   // Grab a first (newest) client from the pool
   // This is really silly...
   res.locals.websocket = connections.get(token)![0].socket;
diff --git a/lib/server/socket.ts b/lib/server/socket.ts
index 914dd2f40..89f79c9b4 100644
--- a/lib/server/socket.ts
+++ b/lib/server/socket.ts
@@ -96,13 +96,23 @@ const socket = ({ server, loadedServerOpts }): SocketHandler => {
           connectionIdentifier,
         );
         if (!credsCheckResponse) {
+          logger.debug(
+            { maskedToken: maskToken(connectionIdentifier), brokerClientId },
+            `Denied auth for Connection ${connectionIdentifier} client Id ${brokerClientId}, role ${role}`,
+          );
           done({
             statusCode: 401,
             authenticate: 'Bearer',
             message: 'Invalid credentials.',
           });
+          return;
         }
 
+        logger.debug(
+          { maskedToken: maskToken(connectionIdentifier), brokerClientId },
+          `Successful auth for Connection ${connectionIdentifier} client Id ${brokerClientId}, role ${role}`,
+        );
+
         const decodedJwt = decode(jwt, { complete: true });
         const brokerAppClientId = decodedJwt?.payload['azp'] ?? '';
         const nowDate = new Date().toISOString();
diff --git a/test/unit/old-client-redirect-disabled-in-universal-broker-stack.test.ts b/test/unit/old-client-redirect-disabled-in-universal-broker-stack.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37a4cdd77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/old-client-redirect-disabled-in-universal-broker-stack.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+import bodyParser from 'body-parser';
+import { overloadHttpRequestWithConnectionDetailsMiddleware } from '../../lib/server/routesHandlers/httpRequestHandler';
+import express from 'express';
+import request from 'supertest';
+import { connectionStatusHandler } from '../../lib/server/routesHandlers/connectionStatusHandler';
+
+jest.mock('../../lib/server/socket', () => {
+  const originalModule = jest.requireActual('../../lib/server/socket');
+
+  return {
+    __esModule: true,
+    ...originalModule,
+    getSocketConnections: () => {
+      const map = new Map();
+
+      map.set('7fe7a57b-aa0d-416a-97fc-472061737e24', [
+        { socket: {}, socketVersion: '1', metadata: { capabilities: {} } },
+      ]);
+      // map.set('7fe7a57b-aa0d-416a-97fc-472061737e26', [
+      //   { metadata: {version: '123', filter: {}} },
+      // ]);
+      return map;
+    },
+  };
+});
+
+jest.mock('node:os', () => {
+  const originalModule = jest.requireActual('node:os');
+
+  return {
+    __esModule: true,
+    ...originalModule,
+    hostname: () => {
+      return 'my-server-name-10-1';
+    },
+  };
+});
+
+describe('Testing older clients specific logic', () => {
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    process.env.BROKER_SERVER_MANDATORY_AUTH_ENABLED = 'true';
+  });
+  afterAll(() => {
+    delete process.env.BROKER_SERVER_MANDATORY_AUTH_ENABLED;
+  });
+
+  it('Testing the old client redirected to primary from secondary pods', async () => {
+    const app = express();
+    app.use(
+      bodyParser.raw({
+        type: (req) =>
+          req.headers['content-type'] !==
+          'application/vnd.broker.stream+octet-stream',
+        limit: '10mb',
+      }),
+    );
+    app.all(
+      '/broker/:token/*',
+      overloadHttpRequestWithConnectionDetailsMiddleware,
+    );
+
+    const response = await request(app)
+      .get('/broker/7fe7a57b-aa0d-416a-97fc-472061737e25/path')
+      .set('Host', 'my-server-name-1.default.svc.cluster');
+
+    expect(response.status).toEqual(404);
+  });
+  it('Testing the old client redirected to primary from secondary pods - POST request', async () => {
+    const app = express();
+    app.use(
+      bodyParser.raw({
+        type: (req) =>
+          req.headers['content-type'] !==
+          'application/vnd.broker.stream+octet-stream',
+        limit: '10mb',
+      }),
+    );
+    app.all(
+      '/broker/:token/*',
+      overloadHttpRequestWithConnectionDetailsMiddleware,
+    );
+
+    const response = await request(app)
+      .post('/broker/7fe7a57b-aa0d-416a-97fc-472061737e25/path')
+      .set('Host', 'my-server-name-1.default.svc.cluster')
+      .send({ test: 'value2' });
+
+    expect(response.status).toEqual(404);
+  });
+  it('Testing the old client redirected to primary from secondary pods - get request', async () => {
+    const app = express();
+    app.use(
+      bodyParser.raw({
+        type: (req) =>
+          req.headers['content-type'] !==
+          'application/vnd.broker.stream+octet-stream',
+        limit: '10mb',
+      }),
+    );
+    app.all(
+      '/broker/:token/*',
+      overloadHttpRequestWithConnectionDetailsMiddleware,
+    );
+
+    const response = await request(app)
+      .get('/broker/7fe7a57b-aa0d-416a-97fc-472061737e25/file')
+      .set('Host', 'my-server-name-1.default.svc.cluster');
+
+    expect(response.status).toEqual(404);
+  });
+
+  it('Testing the connection-status old client redirected to primary from secondary pods', async () => {
+    const app = express();
+    app.use(
+      bodyParser.raw({
+        type: (req) =>
+          req.headers['content-type'] !==
+          'application/vnd.broker.stream+octet-stream',
+        limit: '10mb',
+      }),
+    );
+    app.all('/connection-status/:token', connectionStatusHandler);
+
+    const response = await request(app)
+      .get('/connection-status/7fe7a57b-aa0d-416a-97fc-472061737e26')
+      .set('Host', 'my-server-name-1.default.svc.cluster');
+
+    expect(response.status).toEqual(404);
+  });
+});