diff --git a/core/config.class.inc.php b/core/config.class.inc.php
index dcc40cfaa..4c5278dad 100644
--- a/core/config.class.inc.php
+++ b/core/config.class.inc.php
@@ -1975,11 +1975,6 @@ class Config
 	 */
 	protected $m_sAllowedLoginTypes;
 
-	/**
-	 * @var string Name of the PHP variable in which external authentication information is passed by the web server
-	 */
-	protected $m_sExtAuthVariable;
-
 	/**
 	 * @var string Encryption key used for all attributes of type "encrypted string". Can be set to a random value
 	 *             unless you want to import a database from another iTop instance, in which case you must use
@@ -2052,7 +2047,6 @@ class Config
 		$this->m_bSecureConnectionRequired = DEFAULT_SECURE_CONNECTION_REQUIRED;
 		$this->m_sDefaultLanguage = 'EN US';
 		$this->m_sAllowedLoginTypes = DEFAULT_ALLOWED_LOGIN_TYPES;
-		$this->m_sExtAuthVariable = DEFAULT_EXT_AUTH_VARIABLE;
 		$this->m_aCharsets = [];
 		$this->m_bQueryCacheEnabled = DEFAULT_QUERY_CACHE_ENABLED;
 		$this->m_iPasswordHashAlgo = DEFAULT_HASH_ALGO;
@@ -2206,7 +2200,6 @@ class Config
 
 		$this->m_sDefaultLanguage = isset($MySettings['default_language']) ? trim($MySettings['default_language']) : 'EN US';
 		$this->m_sAllowedLoginTypes = isset($MySettings['allowed_login_types']) ? trim($MySettings['allowed_login_types']) : DEFAULT_ALLOWED_LOGIN_TYPES;
-		$this->m_sExtAuthVariable = isset($MySettings['ext_auth_variable']) ? trim($MySettings['ext_auth_variable']) : DEFAULT_EXT_AUTH_VARIABLE;
 		$this->m_sEncryptionKey = isset($MySettings['encryption_key']) ? trim($MySettings['encryption_key']) : $this->m_sEncryptionKey;
 		$this->m_sEncryptionLibrary = isset($MySettings['encryption_library']) ? trim($MySettings['encryption_library']) : $this->m_sEncryptionLibrary;
 		$this->m_aCharsets = isset($MySettings['csv_import_charsets']) ? $MySettings['csv_import_charsets'] : [];
@@ -2521,7 +2514,7 @@ class Config
 
 	public function SetExternalAuthenticationVariable($sExtAuthVariable)
 	{
-		$this->m_sExtAuthVariable = $sExtAuthVariable;
+		$this->Set('ext_auth_variable', $sExtAuthVariable);
 	}
 
 	public function SetEncryptionKey($sKey)
@@ -2576,7 +2569,6 @@ class Config
 		$aSettings['secure_connection_required'] = $this->m_bSecureConnectionRequired;
 		$aSettings['default_language'] = $this->m_sDefaultLanguage;
 		$aSettings['allowed_login_types'] = $this->m_sAllowedLoginTypes;
-		$aSettings['ext_auth_variable'] = $this->m_sExtAuthVariable;
 		$aSettings['encryption_key'] = $this->m_sEncryptionKey;
 		$aSettings['encryption_library'] = $this->m_sEncryptionLibrary;
 		$aSettings['csv_import_charsets'] = $this->m_aCharsets;
@@ -2681,7 +2673,6 @@ class Config
 			$aOtherValues = [
 				'default_language' => $this->m_sDefaultLanguage,
 				'allowed_login_types' => $this->m_sAllowedLoginTypes,
-				'ext_auth_variable' => $this->m_sExtAuthVariable,
 				'encryption_key' => $this->m_sEncryptionKey,
 				'encryption_library' => $this->m_sEncryptionLibrary,
 				'csv_import_charsets' => $this->m_aCharsets,
diff --git a/tests/php-unit-tests/unitary-tests/application/LoginExternalTest.php b/tests/php-unit-tests/unitary-tests/application/LoginExternalTest.php
index 41e6ce6a8..93f16d2b3 100644
--- a/tests/php-unit-tests/unitary-tests/application/LoginExternalTest.php
+++ b/tests/php-unit-tests/unitary-tests/application/LoginExternalTest.php
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class LoginExternalTest extends ItopDataTestCase
 
 	protected function tearDown(): void
 	{
-		$this->oConfig->Set('ext_auth_variable', $this->sOriginalExtAuthVariable, 'unit_test');
+		$this->oConfig->SetExternalAuthenticationVariable($this->sOriginalExtAuthVariable);
 		parent::tearDown();
 	}
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class LoginExternalTest extends ItopDataTestCase
 	public function testGetAuthUserFromServerVariable()
 	{
 		$_SERVER['REMOTE_USER'] = 'alice';
-		$this->oConfig->Set('ext_auth_variable', '$_SERVER[\'REMOTE_USER\']', 'unit_test');
+		$this->oConfig->SetExternalAuthenticationVariable('$_SERVER[\'REMOTE_USER\']');
 
 		$this->assertSame('alice', $this->CallGetAuthUser());
 	}
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class LoginExternalTest extends ItopDataTestCase
 	public function testGetAuthUserFromCookie()
 	{
 		$_COOKIE['auth_user'] = 'bob';
-		$this->oConfig->Set('ext_auth_variable', '$_COOKIE[\'auth_user\']', 'unit_test');
+		$this->oConfig->SetExternalAuthenticationVariable('$_COOKIE[\'auth_user\']');
 
 		$this->assertSame('bob', $this->CallGetAuthUser());
 	}
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ class LoginExternalTest extends ItopDataTestCase
 	public function testGetAuthUserFromRequest()
 	{
 		$_REQUEST['auth_user'] = 'carol';
-		$this->oConfig->Set('ext_auth_variable', '$_REQUEST[\'auth_user\']', 'unit_test');
+		$this->oConfig->SetExternalAuthenticationVariable('$_REQUEST[\'auth_user\']');
 
 		$this->assertSame('carol', $this->CallGetAuthUser());
 	}
 
 	public function testInvalidExpressionReturnsFalse()
 	{
-		$this->oConfig->Set('ext_auth_variable', '$_SERVER[\'HTTP_X_CMD\']) ? print(\'x\') : false; //', 'unit_test');
+		$this->oConfig->SetExternalAuthenticationVariable('$_SERVER[\'HTTP_X_CMD\']) ? print(\'x\') : false; //');
 
 		$this->assertFalse($this->CallGetAuthUser());
 	}
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class LoginExternalTest extends ItopDataTestCase
 			$this->markTestSkipped('getallheaders() not available');
 		}
 		$_SERVER['HTTP_X_REMOTE_USER'] = 'CN=header-test';
-		$this->oConfig->Set('ext_auth_variable', 'getallheaders()[\'X-Remote-User\']', 'unit_test');
+		$this->oConfig->SetExternalAuthenticationVariable('getallheaders()[\'X-Remote-User\']');
 
 		$this->assertSame('CN=header-test', $this->CallGetAuthUser());
 	}