diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/security/AuthenticationManager.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/security/AuthenticationManager.java
index 1f7248b9..a014ab30 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/security/AuthenticationManager.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/security/AuthenticationManager.java
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ public class AuthenticationManager implements Reconfigurable {
 
   private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getLogger(AuthenticationManager.class);
 
+  /**
+   * Default authentication handler
+   */
+  public static final String DEFAULT_AUTHENTICATION_HANDLER = "org.apache.sqoop.security.SimpleAuthenticationHandler";
+
 
   /**
    * Default authentication auto upgrade option value
@@ -86,7 +91,9 @@ public synchronized void initialize() throws ClassNotFoundException, IllegalAcce
       LOG.trace("Begin authentication manager initialization");
     }
 
-    String handler = SqoopConfiguration.getInstance().getContext().getString(AuthenticationConstants.AUTHENTICATION_HANDLER.trim());
+    String handler = SqoopConfiguration.getInstance().getContext().getString(
+        AuthenticationConstants.AUTHENTICATION_HANDLER,
+        DEFAULT_AUTHENTICATION_HANDLER).trim();
     authenticationHandler = AuthenticationHandlerFactory.getAuthenticationHandler(handler);
     authenticationHandler.doInitialize();
     authenticationHandler.secureLogin();
diff --git a/dist/src/main/server/conf/sqoop.properties b/dist/src/main/server/conf/sqoop.properties
index 3d18e7bc..26bf7340 100755
--- a/dist/src/main/server/conf/sqoop.properties
+++ b/dist/src/main/server/conf/sqoop.properties
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ org.apache.sqoop.execution.engine=org.apache.sqoop.execution.mapreduce.Mapreduce
 #
 # Authentication configuration
 #
-org.apache.sqoop.authentication.type=SIMPLE
-org.apache.sqoop.authentication.handler=org.apache.sqoop.security.SimpleAuthenticationHandler
+#org.apache.sqoop.authentication.type=SIMPLE
+#org.apache.sqoop.authentication.handler=org.apache.sqoop.security.SimpleAuthenticationHandler
 #org.apache.sqoop.anonymous=true
 #org.apache.sqoop.authentication.type=KERBEROS
 #org.apache.sqoop.authentication.handler=org.apache.sqoop.security.KerberosAuthenticationHandler
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/filter/SqoopAuthenticationFilter.java b/server/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/filter/SqoopAuthenticationFilter.java
index 4165b866..bb662904 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/filter/SqoopAuthenticationFilter.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/filter/SqoopAuthenticationFilter.java
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ protected Properties getConfiguration(String configPrefix,
     Properties properties = super.getConfiguration(configPrefix, filterConfig);
     MapContext mapContext = SqoopConfiguration.getInstance().getContext();
     String type = mapContext.getString(
-            AuthenticationConstants.AUTHENTICATION_TYPE).trim();
+        AuthenticationConstants.AUTHENTICATION_TYPE,
+        AuthenticationConstants.TYPE.SIMPLE.name()).trim();
 
     if (type.equalsIgnoreCase(AuthenticationConstants.TYPE.KERBEROS.name())) {
       properties.setProperty(AUTH_TYPE, AuthenticationConstants.TYPE.KERBEROS.name().toLowerCase());