diff --git a/bookkeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/proto/AuthHandler.java b/bookkeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/proto/AuthHandler.java
index f923b61ad50..eee1f52644e 100644
--- a/bookkeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/proto/AuthHandler.java
+++ b/bookkeeper-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/proto/AuthHandler.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 import org.apache.bookkeeper.client.BKException;
 import org.apache.bookkeeper.proto.BookkeeperProtocol.AuthMessage;
 import org.apache.bookkeeper.util.ByteBufList;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.tuple.Pair;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ static class ClientSideHandler extends ChannelDuplexHandler {
         final ClientAuthProvider.Factory authProviderFactory;
         ClientAuthProvider authProvider;
         final AtomicLong transactionIdGenerator;
-        final Queue<Object> waitingForAuth = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
+        final Queue<Pair<Object, ChannelPromise>> waitingForAuth = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
         final ClientConnectionPeer connectionPeer;
 
         private final boolean isUsingV2Protocol;
@@ -349,7 +350,7 @@ public void write(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg, ChannelPromise promise)
                         super.write(ctx, msg, promise);
                         super.flush(ctx);
                     } else {
-                        waitingForAuth.add(msg);
+                        waitingForAuth.add(Pair.of(msg, promise));
                     }
                 } else if (msg instanceof BookieProtocol.Request) {
                     // let auth messages through, queue the rest
@@ -358,10 +359,10 @@ public void write(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg, ChannelPromise promise)
                         super.write(ctx, msg, promise);
                         super.flush(ctx);
                     } else {
-                        waitingForAuth.add(msg);
+                        waitingForAuth.add(Pair.of(msg, promise));
                     }
                 } else if (msg instanceof ByteBuf || msg instanceof ByteBufList) {
-                    waitingForAuth.add(msg);
+                    waitingForAuth.add(Pair.of(msg, promise));
                 } else {
                     LOG.info("[{}] dropping write of message {}", ctx.channel(), msg);
                 }
@@ -427,10 +428,10 @@ public void operationComplete(int rc, Void v) {
                 if (rc == BKException.Code.OK) {
                     synchronized (this) {
                         authenticated = true;
-                        Object msg = waitingForAuth.poll();
-                        while (msg != null) {
-                            ctx.writeAndFlush(msg);
-                            msg = waitingForAuth.poll();
+                        Pair<Object, ChannelPromise> pair = waitingForAuth.poll();
+                        while (pair != null && pair.getLeft() != null) {
+                            ctx.writeAndFlush(pair.getLeft(), pair.getRight());
+                            pair = waitingForAuth.poll();
                         }
                     }
                 } else {