diff --git a/gate-saml/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/gate/security/saml/SAMLConfiguration.java b/gate-saml/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/gate/security/saml/SAMLConfiguration.java
index 32e5afa7aa..46f5d8c3ef 100644
--- a/gate-saml/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/gate/security/saml/SAMLConfiguration.java
+++ b/gate-saml/src/main/java/com/netflix/spinnaker/gate/security/saml/SAMLConfiguration.java
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ public RelyingPartyRegistrationRepository relyingPartyRegistrationRepository() {
       // requests
       if (properties.isSignRequests()) {
         builder.signingX509Credentials(c -> c.addAll(properties.getSigningCredentials()));
+      } else {
+        builder.assertingPartyDetails(
+            assertingPartyDetails -> assertingPartyDetails.wantAuthnRequestsSigned(false));
       }
       RelyingPartyRegistration registration = builder.build();
       return new InMemoryRelyingPartyRegistrationRepository(registration);