diff --git a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/RolesAllowedResource.java b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/RolesAllowedResource.java
index 842e04d7d0ec84..b12389be803a0e 100644
--- a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/RolesAllowedResource.java
+++ b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/RolesAllowedResource.java
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 import javax.ws.rs.GET;
 import javax.ws.rs.Path;
 
+import io.smallrye.common.annotation.NonBlocking;
+
 /**
  * @author Michal Szynkiewicz, michal.l.szynkiewicz@gmail.com
  */
@@ -24,4 +26,12 @@ public String admin() {
         return "admin";
     }
 
+    @NonBlocking
+    @Path("/admin/non-blocking")
+    @RolesAllowed("admin")
+    @GET
+    public String adminNonBlocking() {
+        return "admin";
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/SecurityChecksWithDisabledProactiveAuthTest.java b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/SecurityChecksWithDisabledProactiveAuthTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..87811a3293cc76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/test/security/SecurityChecksWithDisabledProactiveAuthTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package io.quarkus.resteasy.reactive.server.test.security;
+
+import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
+
+import io.quarkus.security.test.utils.TestIdentityController;
+import io.quarkus.security.test.utils.TestIdentityProvider;
+import io.quarkus.test.QuarkusUnitTest;
+import io.restassured.RestAssured;
+
+public class SecurityChecksWithDisabledProactiveAuthTest {
+
+    @RegisterExtension
+    static final QuarkusUnitTest app = new QuarkusUnitTest()
+            .overrideConfigKey("quarkus.http.auth.proactive", "false")
+            .withApplicationRoot((jar) -> jar.addClasses(RolesAllowedResource.class, TestIdentityProvider.class,
+                    TestIdentityController.class));
+
+    @BeforeAll
+    public static void setupUsers() {
+        TestIdentityController.resetRoles()
+                .add("admin", "admin", "admin")
+                .add("user", "user", "user");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void test() {
+        // security identity in 'Quarkus - Security - Runtime' is resolved
+        RestAssured
+                .given()
+                .auth().basic("admin", "admin")
+                .get("/roles/admin/non-blocking")
+                .then()
+                .statusCode(200)
+                .body(Matchers.is("admin"));
+
+        // security check is applied
+        RestAssured
+                .given()
+                .auth().basic("user", "user")
+                .get("/roles/admin/non-blocking")
+                .then()
+                .statusCode(403);
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext.java b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext.java
index fb47a5faf78e4a..866cab0db461a3 100644
--- a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext.java
+++ b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext.java
@@ -17,15 +17,17 @@
 
 public class QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext extends VertxResteasyReactiveRequestContext {
 
+    public final boolean isProactiveAuthenticationDisabled;
     final CurrentIdentityAssociation association;
     boolean userSetup = false;
 
     public QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext(Deployment deployment, ProvidersImpl providers,
             RoutingContext context, ThreadSetupAction requestContext, ServerRestHandler[] handlerChain,
             ServerRestHandler[] abortHandlerChain, ClassLoader devModeTccl,
-            CurrentIdentityAssociation currentIdentityAssociation) {
+            CurrentIdentityAssociation currentIdentityAssociation, boolean isProactiveAuthenticationDisabled) {
         super(deployment, providers, context, requestContext, handlerChain, abortHandlerChain, devModeTccl);
         this.association = currentIdentityAssociation;
+        this.isProactiveAuthenticationDisabled = isProactiveAuthenticationDisabled;
         if (VertxContext.isOnDuplicatedContext()) {
             VertxContextSafetyToggle.setCurrentContextSafe(true);
         }
diff --git a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/ResteasyReactiveRecorder.java b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/ResteasyReactiveRecorder.java
index 1ab27aef29823e..4cdac507e46626 100644
--- a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/ResteasyReactiveRecorder.java
+++ b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/ResteasyReactiveRecorder.java
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ public ResteasyReactiveRequestContext createContext(Deployment deployment,
                     return new QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext(deployment, providers, (RoutingContext) context,
                             requestContext,
                             handlerChain,
-                            abortHandlerChain, launchMode == LaunchMode.DEVELOPMENT ? tccl : null, currentIdentityAssociation);
+                            abortHandlerChain, launchMode == LaunchMode.DEVELOPMENT ? tccl : null, currentIdentityAssociation,
+                            !vertxConfig.auth.proactive);
                 }
 
             };
diff --git a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/security/EagerSecurityHandler.java b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/security/EagerSecurityHandler.java
index 21078343d33905..08b2cc6b719403 100644
--- a/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/security/EagerSecurityHandler.java
+++ b/extensions/resteasy-reactive/quarkus-resteasy-reactive/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/resteasy/reactive/server/runtime/security/EagerSecurityHandler.java
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@
 
 import io.quarkus.arc.Arc;
 import io.quarkus.arc.InjectableInstance;
+import io.quarkus.resteasy.reactive.server.runtime.QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext;
 import io.quarkus.security.identity.CurrentIdentityAssociation;
 import io.quarkus.security.identity.SecurityIdentity;
 import io.quarkus.security.spi.runtime.AuthorizationController;
 import io.quarkus.security.spi.runtime.MethodDescription;
 import io.quarkus.security.spi.runtime.SecurityCheck;
 import io.quarkus.security.spi.runtime.SecurityCheckStorage;
+import io.smallrye.mutiny.Uni;
 import io.smallrye.mutiny.subscription.UniSubscriber;
 import io.smallrye.mutiny.subscription.UniSubscription;
 
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ public void apply(SecurityIdentity identity, MethodDescription method, Object[]
     private volatile InjectableInstance<CurrentIdentityAssociation> currentIdentityAssociation;
     private volatile SecurityCheck check;
     private volatile AuthorizationController authorizationController;
+    private Boolean setIdentity;
 
     @Override
     public void handle(ResteasyReactiveRequestContext requestContext) throws Exception {
@@ -66,18 +69,36 @@ public void handle(ResteasyReactiveRequestContext requestContext) throws Excepti
         if (!authorizationController.isAuthorizationEnabled()) {
             return;
         }
+
+        // if proactive auth is disabled, then accessing SecurityIdentity is a blocking operation
+        // setting identity here will enable SecurityInterceptors registered in Quarkus Security Deployment to run checks
+        final boolean setSecurityIdentity;
+        if (requestContext instanceof QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext) {
+            setSecurityIdentity = ((QuarkusResteasyReactiveRequestContext) requestContext).isProactiveAuthenticationDisabled;
+        } else {
+            setSecurityIdentity = false;
+        }
+
         requestContext.requireCDIRequestScope();
         SecurityCheck theCheck = check;
         if (!theCheck.isPermitAll()) {
             requestContext.suspend();
-            getCurrentIdentityAssociation().get().getDeferredIdentity().map(new Function<SecurityIdentity, Object>() {
-                @Override
-                public Object apply(SecurityIdentity securityIdentity) {
-                    theCheck.apply(securityIdentity, methodDescription,
-                            requestContext.getParameters());
-                    return null;
-                }
-            })
+            final var currentIdentityAssociation = getCurrentIdentityAssociation().get();
+            currentIdentityAssociation.getDeferredIdentity()
+                    .call(securityIdentity -> {
+                        if (setSecurityIdentity && securityIdentity != null) {
+                            currentIdentityAssociation.setIdentity(securityIdentity);
+                        }
+                        return Uni.createFrom().item(securityIdentity);
+                    })
+                    .map(new Function<SecurityIdentity, Object>() {
+                        @Override
+                        public Object apply(SecurityIdentity securityIdentity) {
+                            theCheck.apply(securityIdentity, methodDescription,
+                                    requestContext.getParameters());
+                            return null;
+                        }
+                    })
                     .subscribe().withSubscriber(new UniSubscriber<Object>() {
                         @Override
                         public void onSubscribe(UniSubscription subscription) {