diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/src/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/src/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2.erl
index eea7771782..8c839e9257 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/src/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/src/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2.erl
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ post_process_payload_in_rich_auth_request_format(#{<<"authorization_details">> :
 
 
 
-validate_payload(#{?SCOPE_JWT_FIELD := _Scope } = DecodedToken) ->
+validate_payload(DecodedToken) ->
     ResourceServerEnv = application:get_env(?APP, ?RESOURCE_SERVER_ID, <<>>),
     ResourceServerId = rabbit_data_coercion:to_binary(ResourceServerEnv),
     ScopePrefix = application:get_env(?APP, ?SCOPE_PREFIX, <<ResourceServerId/binary, ".">>),
@@ -507,6 +507,11 @@ validate_payload(#{?SCOPE_JWT_FIELD := Scope, ?AUD_JWT_FIELD := Aud} = DecodedTo
         ok           -> {ok, DecodedToken#{?SCOPE_JWT_FIELD => filter_scopes(Scope, ScopePrefix)}};
         {error, Err} -> {refused, {invalid_aud, Err}}
     end;
+validate_payload(#{?AUD_JWT_FIELD := Aud} = DecodedToken, ResourceServerId, _ScopePrefix) ->
+    case check_aud(Aud, ResourceServerId) of
+        ok           -> {ok, DecodedToken};
+        {error, Err} -> {refused, {invalid_aud, Err}}
+    end;
 validate_payload(#{?SCOPE_JWT_FIELD := Scope} = DecodedToken, _ResourceServerId, ScopePrefix) ->
   case application:get_env(?APP, ?VERIFY_AUD, true) of
     true -> {error, {badarg, {aud_field_is_missing}}};
@@ -534,7 +539,8 @@ check_aud(Aud, ResourceServerId) ->
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-get_scopes(#{?SCOPE_JWT_FIELD := Scope}) -> Scope.
+get_scopes(#{?SCOPE_JWT_FIELD := Scope}) -> Scope;
+get_scopes(#{}) -> [].
 
 -spec get_expanded_scopes(map(), #resource{}) -> [binary()].
 get_expanded_scopes(Token, #resource{virtual_host = VHost}) ->
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2_test_util.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2_test_util.erl
index 51d0a94355..715806179b 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2_test_util.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2_test_util.erl
@@ -84,6 +84,15 @@ token_with_scopes_and_expiration(Scopes, Expiration) ->
       <<"aud">> => [<<"rabbitmq">>],
       <<"scope">> => Scopes}.
 
+token_without_scopes() ->
+    %% expiration is a timestamp with precision in seconds
+    #{
+      <<"kid">> => <<"token-key">>,
+      <<"iss">> => <<"unit_test">>,
+      <<"foo">> => <<"bar">>,
+      <<"aud">> => [<<"rabbitmq">>]
+      }.
+
 fixture_token() ->
     fixture_token([]).
 
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/scope_SUITE.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/scope_SUITE.erl
index 73062ce08b..65964871a5 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/scope_SUITE.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/scope_SUITE.erl
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ all() ->
         permission_resource,
         permission_topic
     ].
-  
+
 variable_expansion(_Config) ->
     Scenarios = [
       { "Emtpy Scopes",
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/unit_SUITE.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/unit_SUITE.erl
index 71b74590bb..8395909dbd 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/unit_SUITE.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2/test/unit_SUITE.erl
@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@ all() ->
         test_validate_payload_resource_server_id_mismatch,
         test_validate_payload_with_scope_prefix,
         test_validate_payload,
+        test_validate_payload_without_scope,
         test_validate_payload_when_verify_aud_false,
         test_successful_access_with_a_token,
+        test_successful_authentication_without_scopes,
+        test_successful_authorization_without_scopes,
+        test_unsuccessful_access_without_scopes,
         test_successful_access_with_a_token_with_variables_in_scopes,
         test_successful_access_with_a_parsed_token,
         test_successful_access_with_a_token_that_has_tag_scopes,
@@ -609,6 +613,30 @@ post_process_payload_with_complex_claim_authorization(Authorization) ->
     {true, Payload} = uaa_jwt_jwt:decode_and_verify(Jwk, EncodedToken),
     rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:post_process_payload(Payload).
 
+test_successful_authentication_without_scopes(_) ->
+  Jwk = ?UTIL_MOD:fixture_jwk(),
+  UaaEnv = [{signing_keys, #{<<"token-key">> => {map, Jwk}}}],
+  application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, key_config, UaaEnv),
+  application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, resource_server_id, <<"rabbitmq">>),
+
+  Username = <<"username">>,
+  Token    = ?UTIL_MOD:sign_token_hs(?UTIL_MOD:token_with_sub(?UTIL_MOD:fixture_token(), Username), Jwk),
+
+  {ok, #auth_user{username = Username} } =
+      rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:user_login_authentication(Username, [{password, Token}]).
+
+test_successful_authorization_without_scopes(_) ->
+  Jwk = ?UTIL_MOD:fixture_jwk(),
+  UaaEnv = [{signing_keys, #{<<"token-key">> => {map, Jwk}}}],
+  application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, key_config, UaaEnv),
+  application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, resource_server_id, <<"rabbitmq">>),
+
+  Username = <<"username">>,
+  Token    = ?UTIL_MOD:sign_token_hs(?UTIL_MOD:token_with_sub(?UTIL_MOD:fixture_token(), Username), Jwk),
+
+  {ok, _ } =
+      rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:user_login_authorization(Username, [{password, Token}]).
+
 test_successful_access_with_a_token(_) ->
     %% Generate a token with JOSE
     %% Check authorization with the token
@@ -980,6 +1008,21 @@ test_unsuccessful_access_with_a_bogus_token(_) ->
     ?assertMatch({refused, _, _},
                  rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:user_login_authentication(Username, [{password, <<"not a token">>}])).
 
+test_unsuccessful_access_without_scopes(_) ->
+    Username = <<"username">>,
+    application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, resource_server_id, <<"rabbitmq">>),
+
+    Jwk   = ?UTIL_MOD:fixture_jwk(),
+    Token = ?UTIL_MOD:sign_token_hs(?UTIL_MOD:token_with_sub(?UTIL_MOD:token_without_scopes(), Username), Jwk),
+    UaaEnv = [{signing_keys, #{<<"token-key">> => {map, Jwk}}}],
+    application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, key_config, UaaEnv),
+
+    {ok, #auth_user{username = Username, tags = [], impl = CredentialsFun } = AuthUser} =
+        rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:user_login_authentication(Username, [{password, Token}]),
+
+    ct:log("authuser ~p ~p ", [AuthUser, CredentialsFun()]),
+    assert_vhost_access_denied(AuthUser, <<"vhost">>).
+
 test_restricted_vhost_access_with_a_valid_token(_) ->
     Username = <<"username">>,
     application:set_env(rabbitmq_auth_backend_oauth2, resource_server_id, <<"rabbitmq">>),
@@ -1277,6 +1320,12 @@ test_validate_payload(_) ->
                         <<"scope">> => [<<"bar">>, <<"other.third">>]}},
                  rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:validate_payload(KnownResourceServerId, ?RESOURCE_SERVER_ID, ?DEFAULT_SCOPE_PREFIX)).
 
+test_validate_payload_without_scope(_) ->
+    KnownResourceServerId = #{<<"aud">>   => [?RESOURCE_SERVER_ID]
+                              },
+    ?assertEqual({ok, #{<<"aud">>   => [?RESOURCE_SERVER_ID] }},
+                 rabbit_auth_backend_oauth2:validate_payload(KnownResourceServerId, ?RESOURCE_SERVER_ID, ?DEFAULT_SCOPE_PREFIX)).
+
 test_validate_payload_when_verify_aud_false(_) ->
     WithoutAud = #{
                               <<"scope">> => [<<"foo">>, <<"rabbitmq.bar">>,