diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-debug.rs b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-debug.rs
index f1a76af1..df8969a9 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-debug.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-debug.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ fn main() {
     let mut rpcenv = CliEnvironment::new();
     rpcenv.set_auth_id(Some(format!("{}@pam", username)));
 
-    proxmox_backup::auth_helpers::setup_auth_context(true);
+    let args: Vec<String> = std::env::args().take(2).collect();
+    if args.len() < 2 || args[1] != "printdoc" {
+        proxmox_backup::auth_helpers::setup_auth_context(true);
+    }
 
     run_cli_command(
         cmd_def,
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-manager.rs b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-manager.rs
index 66a4ce76..665d4b5f 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-manager.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-manager.rs
@@ -490,7 +490,9 @@ async fn run() -> Result<(), Error> {
     let mut rpcenv = CliEnvironment::new();
     rpcenv.set_auth_id(Some(String::from("root@pam")));
 
-    proxmox_backup::auth_helpers::setup_auth_context(true);
+    if args.len() < 2 || args[1] != "printdoc" {
+        proxmox_backup::auth_helpers::setup_auth_context(true);
+    }
 
     run_async_cli_command(cmd_def, rpcenv).await; // this call exit(-1) on error
 
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs b/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs
index 8e2103d0..7ed91850 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs
@@ -1113,7 +1113,10 @@ fn main() {
     let mut rpcenv = CliEnvironment::new();
     rpcenv.set_auth_id(Some(String::from("root@pam")));
 
-    proxmox_backup::auth_helpers::setup_auth_context(true);
+    let args: Vec<String> = std::env::args().take(2).collect();
+    if args.len() < 2 || args[1] != "printdoc" {
+        proxmox_backup::auth_helpers::setup_auth_context(true);
+    }
 
     proxmox_async::runtime::main(run_async_cli_command(cmd_def, rpcenv));
 }