diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
index 405ca03d..4ae1e184 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ class MpdDispatcher(object):
     ### Filter: authenticate
 
     def _authenticate_filter(self, request, response, filter_chain):
-        if self.authenticated or settings.MPD_SERVER_PASSWORD is None:
+        if self.authenticated:
+            return self._call_next_filter(request, response, filter_chain)
+        elif  settings.MPD_SERVER_PASSWORD is None:
+            self.authenticated = True
             return self._call_next_filter(request, response, filter_chain)
         else:
             command = request.split(' ')[0]
diff --git a/tests/frontends/mpd/authentication_test.py b/tests/frontends/mpd/authentication_test.py
index 03fc5718..d795d726 100644
--- a/tests/frontends/mpd/authentication_test.py
+++ b/tests/frontends/mpd/authentication_test.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class AuthenticationTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_authentication_with_anything_when_password_check_turned_off(self):
         settings.MPD_SERVER_PASSWORD = None
         response = self.dispatcher.handle_request(u'any request at all')
-        self.assertFalse(self.dispatcher.authenticated)
+        self.assertTrue(self.dispatcher.authenticated)
         self.assert_('ACK [5@0] {} unknown command "any"' in response)
 
     def test_anything_when_not_authenticated_should_fail(self):