diff --git a/src/anemoi/training/diagnostics/mlflow/logger.py b/src/anemoi/training/diagnostics/mlflow/logger.py
index 2098ef50..4bee1e9e 100644
--- a/src/anemoi/training/diagnostics/mlflow/logger.py
+++ b/src/anemoi/training/diagnostics/mlflow/logger.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def get_mlflow_run_params(config, tracking_uri):
         if config.training.run_id:
             import mlflow
 
-            if not config.diagnostics.log.mlflow.offline:
+            if config.diagnostics.log.mlflow.authentication and not config.diagnostics.log.mlflow.offline:
                 TokenAuth(tracking_uri).authenticate()
 
             mlflow_client = mlflow.MlflowClient(tracking_uri)
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ def __init__(
         forked: Optional[bool] = False,
         run_id: Optional[str] = None,
         offline: Optional[bool] = False,
+        authentication: Optional[bool] = None,
         # artifact_location: Optional[str] = None,
         # avoid passing any artifact location otherwise it would mess up the offline logging of artifacts
     ) -> None:
@@ -278,8 +279,13 @@ def __init__(
         self._forked = forked
 
         if rank_zero_only.rank == 0:
-            self.auth = TokenAuth(tracking_uri, enabled=not offline)
-            LOGGER.info(f"Token authentication {'enabled' if not offline else 'disabled'} for {tracking_uri}")
+            enabled = authentication and not offline
+            self.auth = TokenAuth(tracking_uri, enabled=enabled)
+
+            if offline:
+                LOGGER.info("MLflow is logging offline.")
+            else:
+                LOGGER.info(f"MLflow token authentication {'enabled' if enabled else 'disabled'} for {tracking_uri}")
 
         super().__init__(
             experiment_name=experiment_name,