diff --git a/test/e2e_new/kafka_source_test.go b/test/e2e_new/kafka_source_test.go
index b4d03253bf..f918847cb8 100644
--- a/test/e2e_new/kafka_source_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_new/kafka_source_test.go
@@ -242,6 +242,22 @@ func TestKafkaSourceKedaScaling(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestKafkaSourceScaledObject(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx, env := global.Environment(
+		knative.WithKnativeNamespace(system.Namespace()),
+		knative.WithLoggingConfig,
+		knative.WithTracingConfig,
+		k8s.WithEventListener,
+		environment.WithPollTimings(5*time.Second, 4*time.Minute),
+		environment.Managed(t),
+	)
+
+	env.Test(ctx, t, features.KafkaSourceScaledObjectHasNoEmptyAuthRef())
+
+}
+
 func TestKafkaSourceTLSSink(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Parallel()
diff --git a/test/rekt/features/keda_scaling.go b/test/rekt/features/keda_scaling.go
index df70549aa2..0020c661ee 100644
--- a/test/rekt/features/keda_scaling.go
+++ b/test/rekt/features/keda_scaling.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"knative.dev/eventing-kafka-broker/control-plane/pkg/autoscaler/keda"
 	"knative.dev/eventing-kafka-broker/control-plane/pkg/kafka"
 
 	"knative.dev/eventing/test/rekt/resources/trigger"
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"knative.dev/eventing-kafka-broker/test/rekt/resources/kafkasink"
 	"knative.dev/eventing-kafka-broker/test/rekt/resources/kafkasource"
 	"knative.dev/eventing-kafka-broker/test/rekt/resources/kafkatopic"
+	kedaclient "knative.dev/eventing-kafka-broker/third_party/pkg/client/injection/client"
 	eventingclient "knative.dev/eventing/pkg/client/injection/client"
 	"knative.dev/eventing/test/rekt/resources/broker"
 	subscriptionresources "knative.dev/eventing/test/rekt/resources/subscription"
@@ -51,6 +53,44 @@ import (
 	"knative.dev/reconciler-test/pkg/resources/service"
 )
 
+func KafkaSourceScaledObjectHasNoEmptyAuthRef() *feature.Feature {
+	f := feature.NewFeatureNamed("KafkaSourceScalesToZeroWithKeda")
+
+	// we need to ensure that autoscaling is enabled for the rest of the feature to work
+	f.Prerequisite("Autoscaling is enabled", kafkafeatureflags.AutoscalingEnabled())
+
+	kafkaSource := feature.MakeRandomK8sName("kafka-source")
+	topic := feature.MakeRandomK8sName("topic")
+	kafkaSink := feature.MakeRandomK8sName("kafkaSink")
+	receiver := feature.MakeRandomK8sName("eventshub-receiver")
+
+	event := cetest.FullEvent()
+	event.SetID(uuid.New().String())
+
+	f.Setup("install kafka topic", kafkatopic.Install(topic))
+	f.Setup("topic is ready", kafkatopic.IsReady(topic))
+
+	// Binary content mode is default for Kafka Sink.
+	f.Setup("install kafkasink", kafkasink.Install(kafkaSink, topic, testpkg.BootstrapServersPlaintextArr))
+	f.Setup("kafkasink is ready", kafkasink.IsReady(kafkaSink))
+
+	f.Setup("install eventshub receiver", eventshub.Install(receiver, eventshub.StartReceiver))
+
+	kafkaSourceOpts := []manifest.CfgFn{
+		kafkasource.WithSink(service.AsDestinationRef(receiver)),
+		kafkasource.WithTopics([]string{topic}),
+		kafkasource.WithBootstrapServers(testingpkg.BootstrapServersPlaintextArr),
+	}
+
+	f.Setup("install kafka source", kafkasource.Install(kafkaSource, kafkaSourceOpts...))
+	f.Setup("kafka source is ready", kafkasource.IsReady(kafkaSource))
+
+	// after the event is sent, the source should scale down to zero replicas
+	f.Alpha("kafka source consumergroup scaled object").MustNot("have an authentication ref set on the trigger", verifyScaledObjectTriggerRef(getKafkaSourceCg(kafkaSource)))
+
+	return f
+}
+
 func KafkaSourceScalesToZeroWithKeda() *feature.Feature {
 	f := feature.NewFeatureNamed("KafkaSourceScalesToZeroWithKeda")
 
@@ -265,3 +305,35 @@ func verifyConsumerGroupReplicas(getConsumerGroupName getCgName, expectedReplica
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func verifyScaledObjectTriggerRef(getConsumerGroupName getCgName) feature.StepFn {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, t feature.T) {
+		kedaClient := kedaclient.Get(ctx)
+		internalsClient := consumergroupclient.Get(ctx)
+		ns := environment.FromContext(ctx).Namespace()
+
+		cgName, err := getConsumerGroupName(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		cg, err := internalsClient.InternalV1alpha1().ConsumerGroups(ns).Get(ctx, cgName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		so, err := kedaClient.KedaV1alpha1().ScaledObjects(ns).Get(ctx, keda.GenerateScaledObjectName(cg), metav1.GetOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if so.Spec.Triggers != nil {
+			for _, trig := range so.Spec.Triggers {
+				if trig.AuthenticationRef != nil {
+					t.Fatal("trigger on scaled object should have no authentication ref but there is an authentication ref")
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+	}
+}