diff --git a/.travis/docker-compose-travis.yml b/.travis/docker-compose-travis.yml
index 2edcc46591f..e94a4b167c3 100644
--- a/.travis/docker-compose-travis.yml
+++ b/.travis/docker-compose-travis.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ services:
     container_name: forum_testing
     volumes:
       - ..:/edx/app/forum/cs_comments_service
+    environment:
+      MONGOID_AUTH_MECH: ""
   forum:
     extends: forum-base
     command: tail -f /dev/null
diff --git a/config/mongoid.yml b/config/mongoid.yml
index 19978731f52..a993efe89de 100644
--- a/config/mongoid.yml
+++ b/config/mongoid.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ common: &default_client
     timeout: <%= ENV['MONGOID_TIMEOUT'] || 0.5 %>
     ssl: <%= ENV['MONGOID_USE_SSL'] || false %>
     auth_source: <%= ENV['MONGOID_AUTH_SOURCE'] || '' %>
+    auth_mech: <%= ENV['MONGOID_AUTH_MECH'].nil? ? ':scram' : ENV['MONGOID_AUTH_MECH'] %>
 
 common_uri: &default_uri
   uri: <%= ENV['MONGOHQ_URL'] %>