diff --git a/aleksis/core/preferences.py b/aleksis/core/preferences.py
index f0aeb001062b0a1c0fc49d3bf8fcf6f25da67d32..890801b6770db01d0aea4bea07b2eb9b4c2e81a4 100644
--- a/aleksis/core/preferences.py
+++ b/aleksis/core/preferences.py
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ class AuthenticationBackends(MultipleChoicePreference):
     name = "backends"
     default = None
     verbose_name = _("Enabled custom authentication backends")
+    field_attribute = {"initial": []}
 
     def get_choices(self):
         return [(b, b) for b in settings.CUSTOM_AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS]