diff --git a/auth/password_authenticator.cc b/auth/password_authenticator.cc
index 48b93a9bae..ba939c838a 100644
--- a/auth/password_authenticator.cc
+++ b/auth/password_authenticator.cc
@@ -62,10 +62,7 @@
 
 namespace auth {
 
-const sstring& password_authenticator_name() {
-    static const sstring name = make_sstring(meta::AUTH_PACKAGE_NAME, "PasswordAuthenticator");
-    return name;
-}
+constexpr std::string_view password_authenticator_name("org.apache.cassandra.auth.PasswordAuthenticator");
 
 // name of the hash column.
 static const sstring SALTED_HASH = "salted_hash";
@@ -198,7 +195,7 @@ db::consistency_level password_authenticator::consistency_for_user(std::string_v
 }
 
 std::string_view password_authenticator::qualified_java_name() const {
-    return password_authenticator_name();
+    return password_authenticator_name;
 }
 
 bool password_authenticator::require_authentication() const {
diff --git a/auth/password_authenticator.hh b/auth/password_authenticator.hh
index 4bd6c2e279..4a605116c4 100644
--- a/auth/password_authenticator.hh
+++ b/auth/password_authenticator.hh
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class migration_manager;
 
 namespace auth {
 
-const sstring& password_authenticator_name();
+extern const std::string_view password_authenticator_name;
 
 class password_authenticator : public authenticator {
     cql3::query_processor& _qp;
diff --git a/auth/service.cc b/auth/service.cc
index 9ca1c7b49c..5392983795 100644
--- a/auth/service.cc
+++ b/auth/service.cc
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@ service::service(
     // The password authenticator requires that the `standard_role_manager` is running so that the roles metadata table
     // it manages is created and updated. This cross-module dependency is rather gross, but we have to maintain it for
     // the sake of compatibility with Apache Cassandra and its choice of auth. schema.
-    if ((_authenticator->qualified_java_name() == password_authenticator_name())
+    if ((_authenticator->qualified_java_name() == password_authenticator_name)
             && (_role_manager->qualified_java_name() != standard_role_manager_name())) {
         throw incompatible_module_combination(
                 format("The {} authenticator must be loaded alongside the {} role-manager.",
-                        password_authenticator_name(),
+                        password_authenticator_name,
                         standard_role_manager_name()));
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/boost/auth_test.cc b/test/boost/auth_test.cc
index 7014b3156e..3b196d88d3 100644
--- a/test/boost/auth_test.cc
+++ b/test/boost/auth_test.cc
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_default_authenticator) {
 
 SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_password_authenticator_attributes) {
     auto cfg = make_shared<db::config>();
-    cfg->authenticator(auth::password_authenticator_name());
+    cfg->authenticator(sstring(auth::password_authenticator_name));
 
     return do_with_cql_env([](cql_test_env& env) {
         auto& a = env.local_auth_service().underlying_authenticator();
         BOOST_REQUIRE(a.require_authentication());
-        BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(a.qualified_java_name(), auth::password_authenticator_name());
+        BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(a.qualified_java_name(), auth::password_authenticator_name);
         return make_ready_future();
     }, cfg);
 }
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ future<> require_throws(seastar::future<Args...> fut) {
 
 SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_password_authenticator_operations) {
     auto cfg = make_shared<db::config>();
-    cfg->authenticator(auth::password_authenticator_name());
+    cfg->authenticator(sstring(auth::password_authenticator_name));
 
     /**
      * Not using seastar::async due to apparent ASan bug.