diff --git a/core/modules/rest/src/RestResourceConfigInterface.php b/core/modules/rest/src/RestResourceConfigInterface.php
index 601bb0e..b0c6f27 100644
--- a/core/modules/rest/src/RestResourceConfigInterface.php
+++ b/core/modules/rest/src/RestResourceConfigInterface.php
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public function getMethods();
    * @param string $method
    *   The request method e.g GET or POST.
    *
-   * @return string[]
+   * @return string[]|null
    *   A list of supported authentication provider IDs.
    */
   public function getAuthenticationProviders($method);
diff --git a/core/modules/rest/src/Routing/ResourceRoutes.php b/core/modules/rest/src/Routing/ResourceRoutes.php
index 8aedfba..fcf8fc8 100644
--- a/core/modules/rest/src/Routing/ResourceRoutes.php
+++ b/core/modules/rest/src/Routing/ResourceRoutes.php
@@ -94,7 +94,10 @@ protected function getRoutesForResourceConfig(RestResourceConfigInterface $rest_
         $route->setRequirement('_csrf_request_header_token', 'TRUE');
 
         // Check that authentication providers are defined.
-        if (empty($rest_resource_config->getAuthenticationProviders($method))) {
+        $authentication_providers = $rest_resource_config->getAuthenticationProviders($method);
+        // We want to allow people to specify no authentication providers by
+        // using @code [] @endcode explicitly.
+        if ($authentication_providers !== [] && empty($authentication_providers)) {
           $this->logger->error('At least one authentication provider must be defined for resource @id', array(':id' => $rest_resource_config->id()));
           continue;
         }
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ protected function getRoutesForResourceConfig(RestResourceConfigInterface $rest_
 
         // The configuration seems legit at this point, so we set the
         // authentication provider and add the route.
-        $route->setOption('_auth', $rest_resource_config->getAuthenticationProviders($method));
+        $route->setOption('_auth', $authentication_providers);
         $route->setDefault('_rest_resource_config', $rest_resource_config->id());
         $collection->add("rest.$name", $route);
       }