diff --git a/api/openapi.yaml b/api/openapi.yaml
index 90cb47d97..d8832885e 100644
--- a/api/openapi.yaml
+++ b/api/openapi.yaml
@@ -289,6 +289,10 @@ components:
             $ref: "#/components/schemas/AuthInternalUserPermission"
         authHTTPFingerprint:
           type: string
+        authHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            $ref: "#/components/schemas/AuthInternalUserPermission"
         authInternalUsers:
           type: array
           items:
diff --git a/docs/2-features/06-authentication.md b/docs/2-features/06-authentication.md
index 98f5e3706..888cab5e7 100644
--- a/docs/2-features/06-authentication.md
+++ b/docs/2-features/06-authentication.md
@@ -121,6 +121,27 @@ authHTTPExclude:
   - action: pprof
 ```
 
+Some of the excluded actions can be validated through internal users instead of being left unauthenticated:
+
+```yml
+authHTTPExclude:
+  - action: publish
+  - action: api
+  - action: metrics
+  - action: pprof
+authHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions:
+  - action: publish
+  - action: api
+authInternalUsers:
+  - user: internal
+    pass: internalpass
+    permissions:
+      - action: publish
+      - action: api
+```
+
+In this example, `read` is still validated through the external HTTP server, while `publish` and `api` are validated through internal users. `metrics` and `pprof` remain excluded from any authentication.
+
 If the authentication server uses HTTPS and has a self-signed or invalid TLS certificate, you can provide the fingerprint of the certificate to validate it anyway:
 
 ```yml
diff --git a/internal/auth/manager.go b/internal/auth/manager.go
index 263b4c8e9..3fce992e2 100644
--- a/internal/auth/manager.go
+++ b/internal/auth/manager.go
@@ -90,19 +90,20 @@ func getToken(tokenInHTTPQuery bool, req *Request) string {
 
 // Manager is the authentication manager.
 type Manager struct {
-	Method             conf.AuthMethod
-	InternalUsers      []conf.AuthInternalUser
-	HTTPAddress        string
-	HTTPFingerprint    string
-	HTTPExclude        []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission
-	JWTJWKS            string
-	JWTJWKSFingerprint string
-	JWTClaimKey        string
-	JWTExclude         []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission
-	JWTInHTTPQuery     *bool
-	JWTIssuer          string
-	JWTAudience        string
-	ReadTimeout        time.Duration
+	Method                           conf.AuthMethod
+	InternalUsers                    []conf.AuthInternalUser
+	HTTPAddress                      string
+	HTTPFingerprint                  string
+	HTTPExclude                      []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission
+	HTTPForceInternalUsersForActions []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission
+	JWTJWKS                          string
+	JWTJWKSFingerprint               string
+	JWTClaimKey                      string
+	JWTExclude                       []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission
+	JWTInHTTPQuery                   *bool
+	JWTIssuer                        string
+	JWTAudience                      string
+	ReadTimeout                      time.Duration
 
 	mutex           sync.RWMutex
 	jwksLastRefresh time.Time
@@ -190,6 +191,9 @@ func (m *Manager) authenticateWithUser(
 
 func (m *Manager) authenticateHTTP(req *Request, token string) (string, error) {
 	if matchesPermission(m.HTTPExclude, req) {
+		if matchesPermission(m.HTTPForceInternalUsersForActions, req) {
+			return m.authenticateInternal(req)
+		}
 		return "", nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/auth/manager_test.go b/internal/auth/manager_test.go
index ef65fa762..fca5b9c05 100644
--- a/internal/auth/manager_test.go
+++ b/internal/auth/manager_test.go
@@ -455,6 +455,117 @@ func TestAuthHTTPExclude(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "", user)
 }
 
+func TestAuthHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions(t *testing.T) {
+	m := Manager{
+		Method:      conf.AuthMethodHTTP,
+		HTTPAddress: "http://not-to-be-used:9120/auth",
+		HTTPExclude: []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+			Action: conf.AuthActionPublish,
+		}, {
+			Action: conf.AuthActionAPI,
+		}},
+		HTTPForceInternalUsersForActions: []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+			Action: conf.AuthActionPublish,
+		}},
+		InternalUsers: []conf.AuthInternalUser{
+			{
+				User: conf.Credential("pubuser"),
+				Pass: conf.Credential("pubpass"),
+				Permissions: []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+					Action: conf.AuthActionPublish,
+				}},
+			},
+			{
+				User: conf.Credential("apiuser"),
+				Pass: conf.Credential("apipass"),
+				Permissions: []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+					Action: conf.AuthActionAPI,
+				}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	t.Run("publish with valid credentials", func(t *testing.T) {
+		user, err := m.Authenticate(&Request{
+			Action:   conf.AuthActionPublish,
+			Path:     "teststream",
+			Protocol: ProtocolRTSP,
+			Credentials: &Credentials{
+				User: "pubuser",
+				Pass: "pubpass",
+			},
+			IP: net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"),
+		})
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "pubuser", user)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("publish with invalid credentials", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, err := m.Authenticate(&Request{
+			Action:   conf.AuthActionPublish,
+			Path:     "teststream",
+			Protocol: ProtocolRTSP,
+			Credentials: &Credentials{
+				User: "wrong",
+				Pass: "wrong",
+			},
+			IP: net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"),
+		})
+		require.NotNil(t, err)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("api excluded but not forced to internal", func(t *testing.T) {
+		user, err := m.Authenticate(&Request{
+			Action:   conf.AuthActionAPI,
+			Path:     "",
+			Protocol: ProtocolRTSP,
+			Credentials: &Credentials{
+				User: "",
+				Pass: "",
+			},
+			IP: net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"),
+		})
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "", user)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("second matching user", func(t *testing.T) {
+		m2 := m
+		m2.HTTPForceInternalUsersForActions = []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+			Action: conf.AuthActionPublish,
+		}}
+		m2.InternalUsers = []conf.AuthInternalUser{
+			{
+				User: conf.Credential("wronguser"),
+				Pass: conf.Credential("wrongpass"),
+				Permissions: []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+					Action: conf.AuthActionPublish,
+				}},
+			},
+			{
+				User: conf.Credential("pubuser"),
+				Pass: conf.Credential("pubpass"),
+				Permissions: []conf.AuthInternalUserPermission{{
+					Action: conf.AuthActionPublish,
+				}},
+			},
+		}
+
+		user, err := m2.Authenticate(&Request{
+			Action:   conf.AuthActionPublish,
+			Path:     "teststream",
+			Protocol: ProtocolRTSP,
+			Credentials: &Credentials{
+				User: "pubuser",
+				Pass: "pubpass",
+			},
+			IP: net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"),
+		})
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "pubuser", user)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAuthJWT(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, ca := range []string{"object", "string"} {
 		t.Run(ca, func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/conf/conf.go b/internal/conf/conf.go
index c8b91874b..72baa6874 100644
--- a/internal/conf/conf.go
+++ b/internal/conf/conf.go
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@ type Conf struct {
 	AuthHTTPAddress           string                       `json:"authHTTPAddress"`
 	ExternalAuthenticationURL *string                      `json:"externalAuthenticationURL,omitempty" deprecated:"true"`
 	AuthHTTPFingerprint       string                       `json:"authHTTPFingerprint"`
-	AuthHTTPExclude           []AuthInternalUserPermission `json:"authHTTPExclude"`
+	AuthHTTPExclude                      []AuthInternalUserPermission `json:"authHTTPExclude"`
+	AuthHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions []AuthInternalUserPermission `json:"authHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions"`
 	AuthJWTJWKS               string                       `json:"authJWTJWKS"`
 	AuthJWTJWKSFingerprint    string                       `json:"authJWTJWKSFingerprint"`
 	AuthJWTClaimKey           string                       `json:"authJWTClaimKey"`
diff --git a/internal/core/core.go b/internal/core/core.go
index 2f935c184..00a3382bf 100644
--- a/internal/core/core.go
+++ b/internal/core/core.go
@@ -355,7 +355,8 @@ func (p *Core) createResources(initial bool) error {
 			InternalUsers:      p.conf.AuthInternalUsers,
 			HTTPAddress:        p.conf.AuthHTTPAddress,
 			HTTPFingerprint:    p.conf.AuthHTTPFingerprint,
-			HTTPExclude:        p.conf.AuthHTTPExclude,
+			HTTPExclude:                      p.conf.AuthHTTPExclude,
+			HTTPForceInternalUsersForActions: p.conf.AuthHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions,
 			JWTJWKS:            p.conf.AuthJWTJWKS,
 			JWTJWKSFingerprint: p.conf.AuthJWTJWKSFingerprint,
 			JWTClaimKey:        p.conf.AuthJWTClaimKey,
@@ -782,6 +783,7 @@ func (p *Core) closeResources(newConf *conf.Conf, calledByAPI bool) {
 		newConf.AuthHTTPAddress != p.conf.AuthHTTPAddress ||
 		newConf.AuthHTTPFingerprint != p.conf.AuthHTTPFingerprint ||
 		!reflect.DeepEqual(newConf.AuthHTTPExclude, p.conf.AuthHTTPExclude) ||
+		!reflect.DeepEqual(newConf.AuthHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions, p.conf.AuthHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions) ||
 		newConf.AuthJWTJWKS != p.conf.AuthJWTJWKS ||
 		newConf.AuthJWTJWKSFingerprint != p.conf.AuthJWTJWKSFingerprint ||
 		newConf.AuthJWTClaimKey != p.conf.AuthJWTClaimKey ||
diff --git a/mediamtx.yml b/mediamtx.yml
index ad5934f39..c490e7f54 100644
--- a/mediamtx.yml
+++ b/mediamtx.yml
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ authHTTPExclude:
   - action: api
   - action: metrics
   - action: pprof
+# Actions excluded from HTTP-based authentication that must be validated through
+# authInternalUsers instead. Format is the same as the one of user permissions.
+# An action must be present in both authHTTPExclude and this parameter.
+authHTTPForceInternalUsersForActions: []
 
 # JWT-based authentication.
 # Users have to log in through an external identity server and obtain a JWT.