diff --git a/CONFIGURING.md b/CONFIGURING.md
index 1677f18a..bb32be76 100644
--- a/CONFIGURING.md
+++ b/CONFIGURING.md
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ libalpm and AUR related configuration.
 
 Base authorization settings.
 
+* `target` - specifies authorization provider, string, optional, default `disabled`. Allowed values are `disabled`, `configuration`.
 * `allowed_paths` - URI paths (exact match) which can be accessed without authorization, space separated list of strings, optional.
 * `allowed_paths_groups` - URI paths prefixes which can be accessed without authorization, space separated list of strings, optional.
-* `enabled` - enables web services authorization, boolean, optional, default `no`.  
 * `salt` - password hash salt, string, required in case if authorization enabled (automatically generated by `create-user` subcommand).
 
 ## `auth:*` groups
diff --git a/package/etc/ahriman.ini b/package/etc/ahriman.ini
index 8f729305..a0872e17 100644
--- a/package/etc/ahriman.ini
+++ b/package/etc/ahriman.ini
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ repositories = core extra community multilib
 root = /
 
 [auth]
-enabled = no
+target = disabled
 
 [build]
 archbuild_flags =
diff --git a/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py b/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py
index ee81442a..9ec1a1d8 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import Optional, Set, Type
 
 from ahriman.core.configuration import Configuration
+from ahriman.models.auth_settings import AuthSettings
 from ahriman.models.user_access import UserAccess
 
 
@@ -38,16 +39,17 @@ class Auth:
     ALLOWED_PATHS = {"/", "/favicon.ico", "/index.html", "/login", "/logout"}
     ALLOWED_PATHS_GROUPS: Set[str] = set()
 
-    def __init__(self, configuration: Configuration) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, configuration: Configuration, provider: AuthSettings = AuthSettings.Disabled) -> None:
         """
         default constructor
         :param configuration: configuration instance
+        :param provider: authorization type definition
         """
         self.allowed_paths = set(configuration.getlist("auth", "allowed_paths"))
         self.allowed_paths.update(self.ALLOWED_PATHS)
         self.allowed_paths_groups = set(configuration.getlist("auth", "allowed_paths_groups"))
         self.allowed_paths_groups.update(self.ALLOWED_PATHS_GROUPS)
-        self.enabled = configuration.getboolean("auth", "enabled", fallback=False)
+        self.enabled = provider.is_enabled
 
     @classmethod
     def load(cls: Type[Auth], configuration: Configuration) -> Auth:
@@ -56,7 +58,8 @@ class Auth:
         :param configuration: configuration instance
         :return: authorization module according to current settings
         """
-        if configuration.getboolean("auth", "enabled", fallback=False):
+        provider = AuthSettings.from_option(configuration.get("auth", "target", fallback="disabled"))
+        if provider == AuthSettings.Configuration:
             from ahriman.core.auth.mapping_auth import MappingAuth
             return MappingAuth(configuration)
         return cls(configuration)
diff --git a/src/ahriman/core/auth/mapping_auth.py b/src/ahriman/core/auth/mapping_auth.py
index 873e591a..3a25b9d3 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/core/auth/mapping_auth.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/core/auth/mapping_auth.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from typing import Dict, Optional
 from ahriman.core.auth.auth import Auth
 from ahriman.core.configuration import Configuration
 from ahriman.core.exceptions import DuplicateUser
+from ahriman.models.auth_settings import AuthSettings
 from ahriman.models.user import User
 from ahriman.models.user_access import UserAccess
 
@@ -33,12 +34,13 @@ class MappingAuth(Auth):
     :ivar _users: map of username to its descriptor
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, configuration: Configuration) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, configuration: Configuration, provider: AuthSettings = AuthSettings.Configuration) -> None:
         """
         default constructor
         :param configuration: configuration instance
+        :param provider: authorization type definition
         """
-        Auth.__init__(self, configuration)
+        Auth.__init__(self, configuration, provider)
         self.salt = configuration.get("auth", "salt")
         self._users = self.get_users(configuration)
 
diff --git a/src/ahriman/models/auth_settings.py b/src/ahriman/models/auth_settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46294e30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ahriman/models/auth_settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2021 ahriman team.
+#
+# This file is part of ahriman
+# (see https://github.com/arcan1s/ahriman).
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from enum import Enum, auto
+from typing import Type
+
+from ahriman.core.exceptions import InvalidOption
+
+
+class AuthSettings(Enum):
+    """
+    web authorization type
+    :cvar Disabled: authorization is disabled
+    :cvar Configuration: configuration based authorization
+    """
+
+    Disabled = auto()
+    Configuration = auto()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_option(cls: Type[AuthSettings], value: str) -> AuthSettings:
+        """
+        construct value from configuration
+        :param value: configuration value
+        :return: parsed value
+        """
+        if value.lower() in ("disabled", "no"):
+            return cls.Disabled
+        if value.lower() in ("configuration", "mapping"):
+            return cls.Configuration
+        raise InvalidOption(value)
+
+    @property
+    def is_enabled(self) -> bool:
+        """
+        :return: False in case if authorization is disabled and True otherwise
+        """
+        if self == AuthSettings.Disabled:
+            return False
+        return True
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/core/auth/conftest.py b/tests/ahriman/core/auth/conftest.py
index 71b2a49d..4430b262 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/core/auth/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/core/auth/conftest.py
@@ -10,5 +10,4 @@ def mapping_auth(configuration: Configuration) -> MappingAuth:
     auth provider fixture
     :return: auth service instance
     """
-    configuration.set_option("auth", "enabled", "yes")
     return MappingAuth(configuration)
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py b/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py
index 6e8a2051..fe42b1d4 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ def test_load_dummy(configuration: Configuration) -> None:
     """
     must load dummy validator if authorization is not enabled
     """
-    configuration.set_option("auth", "enabled", "no")
+    configuration.set_option("auth", "target", "disabled")
     auth = Auth.load(configuration)
     assert isinstance(auth, Auth)
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def test_load_mapping(configuration: Configuration) -> None:
     """
     must load mapping validator if option set
     """
-    configuration.set_option("auth", "enabled", "yes")
+    configuration.set_option("auth", "target", "configuration")
     auth = Auth.load(configuration)
     assert isinstance(auth, MappingAuth)
 
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/models/test_auth_settings.py b/tests/ahriman/models/test_auth_settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c5d6ed9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ahriman/models/test_auth_settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import pytest
+
+from ahriman.core.exceptions import InvalidOption
+from ahriman.models.auth_settings import AuthSettings
+
+
+def test_from_option_invalid() -> None:
+    """
+    must raise exception on invalid option
+    """
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidOption, match=".* `invalid`$"):
+        AuthSettings.from_option("invalid")
+
+
+def test_from_option_valid() -> None:
+    """
+    must return value from valid options
+    """
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("disabled") == AuthSettings.Disabled
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("DISABLED") == AuthSettings.Disabled
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("no") == AuthSettings.Disabled
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("NO") == AuthSettings.Disabled
+
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("configuration") == AuthSettings.Configuration
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("ConFigUration") == AuthSettings.Configuration
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("mapping") == AuthSettings.Configuration
+    assert AuthSettings.from_option("MAPPing") == AuthSettings.Configuration
+
+
+def test_is_enabled() -> None:
+    """
+    must mark as disabled authorization for disabled and enabled otherwise
+    """
+    assert not AuthSettings.Disabled.is_enabled
+    for option in filter(lambda o: o != AuthSettings.Disabled, AuthSettings):
+        assert option.is_enabled
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/web/conftest.py b/tests/ahriman/web/conftest.py
index 44cf4e9e..57d26139 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/web/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/web/conftest.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def application_with_auth(configuration: Configuration, user: User, mocker: Mock
     :param mocker: mocker object
     :return: application test instance
     """
-    configuration.set_option("auth", "enabled", "yes")
+    configuration.set_option("auth", "target", "configuration")
     mocker.patch.object(ahriman.core.auth.helpers, "_has_aiohttp_security", True)
     mocker.patch("pathlib.Path.mkdir")
     application = setup_service("x86_64", configuration)
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/web/middlewares/conftest.py b/tests/ahriman/web/middlewares/conftest.py
index 0f2e7e8a..716c29cd 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/web/middlewares/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/web/middlewares/conftest.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def authorization_policy(configuration: Configuration, user: User) -> Authorizat
     fixture for authorization policy
     :return: authorization policy fixture
     """
-    configuration.set_option("auth", "enabled", "yes")
+    configuration.set_option("auth", "target", "configuration")
     validator = Auth.load(configuration)
     policy = AuthorizationPolicy(validator)
     policy.validator._users = {user.username: user}