diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts
index 6b2dcc3ff9..a3e816da9e 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts
@@ -355,6 +355,11 @@ export class RetrieveAuthMethodsSuccessAction implements Action {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Set password as default authentication method on error
+ * @class RetrieveAuthMethodsErrorAction
+ * @implements {Action}
+ */
 export class RetrieveAuthMethodsErrorAction implements Action {
   public type: string = AuthActionTypes.RETRIEVE_AUTH_METHODS_ERROR;
 }
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.spec.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.spec.ts
index b7073e3fa5..6fdc5933fb 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.spec.ts
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ describe('authReducer', () => {
       authenticated: false,
       loaded: false,
       loading: false,
-      authMethods: []
+      authMethods: [new AuthMethod(AuthMethodType.Password)]
     };
     expect(newState).toEqual(state);
   });
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts
index 7e6db94eab..29fe3d76a4 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
 import { EPerson } from '../eperson/models/eperson.model';
 import { AuthTokenInfo } from './models/auth-token-info.model';
 import { AuthMethod } from './models/auth.method';
+import { AuthMethodType } from './models/auth.method-type';
 
 /**
  * The auth state.
@@ -199,7 +200,8 @@ export function authReducer(state: any = initialState, action: AuthActions): Aut
 
     case AuthActionTypes.RETRIEVE_AUTH_METHODS_ERROR:
       return Object.assign({}, state, {
-        loading: false
+        loading: false,
+        authMethods: [new AuthMethod(AuthMethodType.Password)]
       });
 
     case AuthActionTypes.SET_REDIRECT_URL: