diff --git a/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-container.inc b/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-container.inc
index 329843013..75966a275 100644
--- a/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-container.inc
+++ b/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-container.inc
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@ IMAGE_INSTALL_NODEPS += "ni-arch-gen"
 
 # ni-sysapi-webservice provides the /nisysapi/server endpoint needed
 # for NI MAX connectivity.
-# ni-auth is required by SystemWebServer (segfaults without niauth_daemon).
 # ni-system-webserver provides the web server for deployment and discovery
 # by NI MAX and VeriStand.
 # ni-webdav-system-webserver-support provides mod_nidav.so for WebDAV file
 # deployment (how VeriStand deploys .rtexe to /c).
-IMAGE_INSTALL_NODEPS += "ni-sysapi-webservice ni-auth ni-system-webserver ni-webdav-system-webserver-support"
+# NOTE: ni-auth has been intentionally removed from the default install.
+# The root account is used instead of admin. ni-auth remains in the feeds
+# and may still be pulled in as a transitive dependency of ni-system-webserver.
+IMAGE_INSTALL_NODEPS += "ni-sysapi-webservice ni-system-webserver ni-webdav-system-webserver-support"
 
 # nirtmdnsd provides NI RT mDNS service for target discovery.
 IMAGE_INSTALL_NODEPS += "nirtmdnsd"
diff --git a/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-proprietary.inc b/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-proprietary.inc
index 0fb1e9852..7c75d9455 100644
--- a/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-proprietary.inc
+++ b/recipes-core/images/includes/nilrt-proprietary.inc
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ NI_PROPRIETARY_SAFEMODE_PACKAGES = "\
 
 NI_PROPRIETARY_COMMON_PACKAGES = "\
         libnitargetcfg \
-        ni-auth \
-        ni-auth-webservice \
         ni-avahi-client \
         ni-ca-certs \
         ni-rt-exec-webservice \
diff --git a/recipes-core/packagegroups/packagegroup-ni-ptest-smoke.bb b/recipes-core/packagegroups/packagegroup-ni-ptest-smoke.bb
index 9d900e8bc..e9bf1efdb 100644
--- a/recipes-core/packagegroups/packagegroup-ni-ptest-smoke.bb
+++ b/recipes-core/packagegroups/packagegroup-ni-ptest-smoke.bb
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ RDEPENDS:${PN}:append = "\
 	nettle-ptest \
 	ni-hw-scripts-ptest \
 	ni-test-boot-time-ptest \
+	niauth-tests-ptest \
 	nilrt-snac-ptest \
 	opkg-ptest \
 	parted-ptest \
diff --git a/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/ptest-format.sh b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/ptest-format.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ffe86847
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/ptest-format.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Version 1.3
+# Utility script containing common functions for ptest-compatible test scripts.
+# USAGE:
+# 1) Source this file at the top of your ptest script.
+# 2) Set ptest_test to the name of your test; recommended:
+#    $(basename -s ".sh" "$0")
+# 3) Define your subtests in functions, which call ptest_pass when they pass and
+#    ptest_fail otherwise (FAIL is DEFAULT)
+# 4) Prior to calling your test function, call ptest_change_subtest
+# 5) Call your test function.
+# 6) Call ptest_report immediately after the function returns.
+
+exec 2>&1  # redirect all stderr to stdout to maintain ordering of output
+
+declare -irx PTEST_RC_PASS=0
+declare -irx PTEST_RC_FAIL=1
+declare -irx PTEST_RC_SKIP=77
+
+function ptest_report () {
+	local result='FAIL'
+	case $ptest_rc in
+		0)
+			result='PASS'
+			;;
+		77)
+			result='SKIP'
+			;;
+		*)
+			result='FAIL'
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
+		echo "$@"
+	fi
+
+	printf "${result}: %s" "${ptest_test}"
+	if [ -n "${ptest_subtest}" ]; then
+		printf " %d" "${ptest_subtest}"
+		if [ -n "${ptest_subtest_desc}" ]; then
+			printf " - %s" "${ptest_subtest_desc}"
+		fi
+	fi
+	printf "\n"
+}
+
+function ptest_pass () {
+	ptest_rc=0
+}
+
+function ptest_skip () {
+	ptest_rc=77
+}
+
+function ptest_fail () {
+	ptest_rc=1
+}
+
+# 1 - new test name
+# 2 - new subtest number
+# 3 - new subtest description
+function ptest_change_test () {
+	ptest_test="$1"
+	ptest_subtest="$2"
+	ptest_subtest_desc="$3"
+	ptest_fail
+}
+
+# 1 - new subtest number
+# 2 - new subtest description
+function ptest_change_subtest () {
+	ptest_subtest="$1"
+	ptest_subtest_desc="$2"
+	ptest_fail
+}
+
+ptest_test=''
+ptest_subtest=''
+ptest_subtest_desc=''
+ptest_fail  # set ptest_rc to FAIL
diff --git a/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/run-ptest b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/run-ptest
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f00e2e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/run-ptest
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+./test_niauth_packages.sh
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/test_niauth_packages.sh b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/test_niauth_packages.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb768b82d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/files/test_niauth_packages.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Verifies that ni-auth related packages are not installed.
+
+source "$(dirname "$0")/ptest-format.sh"
+
+ptest_test=$(basename "$0" ".sh")  # test_niauth_packages
+
+
+# TEST: ni-auth is not installed
+function test_ni_auth_not_installed() {
+    ptest_pass
+    if opkg list-installed | grep -q "^ni-auth "; then
+        ptest_fail
+    fi
+}
+
+# TEST: pam-plugin-niauth is not installed
+function test_pam_plugin_niauth_not_installed() {
+    ptest_pass
+    if opkg list-installed | grep -q "^pam-plugin-niauth "; then
+        ptest_fail
+    fi
+}
+
+# TEST: libnss-niauth is not installed
+function test_libnss_niauth_not_installed() {
+    ptest_pass
+    if opkg list-installed | grep -q "^libnss-niauth "; then
+        ptest_fail
+    fi
+}
+
+# TEST: ni-auth-networkcontroller is not installed
+function test_ni_auth_networkcontroller_not_installed() {
+    ptest_pass
+    if opkg list-installed | grep -q "^ni-auth-networkcontroller "; then
+        ptest_fail
+    fi
+}
+
+
+ptest_change_subtest 1 "ni-auth not installed"
+test_ni_auth_not_installed
+ptest_report
+
+ptest_change_subtest 2 "pam-plugin-niauth not installed"
+test_pam_plugin_niauth_not_installed
+ptest_report
+
+ptest_change_subtest 3 "libnss-niauth not installed"
+test_libnss_niauth_not_installed
+ptest_report
+
+ptest_change_subtest 4 "ni-auth-networkcontroller not installed"
+test_ni_auth_networkcontroller_not_installed
+ptest_report
diff --git a/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/niauth-tests.bb b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/niauth-tests.bb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc30f8ec4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes-ni/niauth-tests/niauth-tests.bb
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+SUMMARY = "Ptests confirming ni-auth and niacctbase-sudo are not installed"
+DESCRIPTION = "\
+Installs ptests that verify ni-auth and niacctbase-sudo packages are not \
+present on the system, as required by the SNAC configuration."
+
+SECTION = "tests"
+LICENSE = "MIT"
+LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://${COMMON_LICENSE_DIR}/MIT;md5=0835ade698e0bcf8506ecda2f7b4f302"
+
+FILESEXTRAPATHS:prepend := "${THISDIR}/files:"
+
+SRC_URI = "\
+    file://run-ptest \
+    file://ptest-format.sh \
+    file://test_niauth_packages.sh \
+"
+
+S = "${UNPACKDIR}"
+
+inherit ptest
+
+do_install_ptest() {
+    install -m 0755 ${S}/run-ptest              ${D}${PTEST_PATH}
+    install -m 0644 ${S}/ptest-format.sh        ${D}${PTEST_PATH}
+    install -m 0755 ${S}/test_niauth_packages.sh ${D}${PTEST_PATH}
+}
+
+ALLOW_EMPTY:${PN} = "1"
+
+# Only build the base (empty) and -ptest packages
+PACKAGES:remove = "${PN}-dev ${PN}-staticdev ${PN}-dbg"
+
+RDEPENDS:${PN}-ptest:append = " bash opkg"