diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 2b117cb3..8da753b5 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ bolded warnings in the full release notes below.
 - Add `--with-asan` to configure to produce an ASan instrumented build
 
 ### server protocol
+- **Breaking:** Don't implicitly abort SASL when connection registration handshake completes;
+  requires updating atheme to include https://github.com/atheme/atheme/pull/833.
 - OPER is now propagated globally, as :operator OPER opername privset
 
 ### user
diff --git a/modules/m_sasl.c b/modules/m_sasl.c
index c5c74ba1..4623e008 100644
--- a/modules/m_sasl.c
+++ b/modules/m_sasl.c
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ mapi_clist_av1 sasl_clist[] = {
 	&authenticate_msgtab, &sasl_msgtab, &mechlist_msgtab, NULL
 };
 mapi_hfn_list_av1 sasl_hfnlist[] = {
-	{ "new_local_user",	abort_sasl },
 	{ "client_exit",	abort_sasl_exit },
 	{ NULL, NULL }
 };
@@ -300,9 +299,6 @@ me_mechlist(struct MsgBuf *msgbuf_p, struct Client *client_p, struct Client *sou
 	rb_strlcpy(mechlist_buf, parv[1], sizeof mechlist_buf);
 }
 
-/* If the client never finished authenticating but is
- * registering anyway, abort the exchange.
- */
 static void
 abort_sasl(void *data_)
 {
diff --git a/tests/sasl_abort1.c b/tests/sasl_abort1.c
index cdd5b924..ef43748e 100644
--- a/tests/sasl_abort1.c
+++ b/tests/sasl_abort1.c
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
 #include "s_newconf.h"
 #include "hash.h"
 
-#define MSG "%s:%d (%s; aborted=%d, by_user=%d)", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, aborted, by_user
+#define MSG "%s:%d (%s; aborted=%d)", __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, aborted
 
-static void common_sasl_test(bool aborted, bool by_user)
+static void common_sasl_test(bool aborted)
 {
 	ircd_util_init(__FILE__);
 	client_util_init();
@@ -78,19 +78,12 @@ static void common_sasl_test(bool aborted, bool by_user)
 	is_client_sendq_empty(server, MSG);
 
 	if (aborted) {
-		if (by_user) {
-			// Explicit abort by user
-			client_util_parse(user, "AUTHENTICATE *" CRLF);
-			is_client_sendq(":" TEST_ME_NAME " 906 " TEST_NICK " :SASL authentication aborted" CRLF, user, MSG);
+		// Explicit abort by user
+		client_util_parse(user, "AUTHENTICATE *" CRLF);
+		is_client_sendq(":" TEST_ME_NAME " 906 " TEST_NICK " :SASL authentication aborted" CRLF, user, MSG);
 
-			client_util_parse(user, "CAP END" CRLF);
-			ok(IsClient(user), MSG);
-		} else {
-			// Implicit abort by completing registration
-			client_util_parse(user, "CAP END" CRLF);
-			ok(IsClient(user), MSG);
-			is_client_sendq_one(":" TEST_ME_NAME " 906 " TEST_NICK " :SASL authentication aborted" CRLF, user, MSG);
-		}
+		client_util_parse(user, "CAP END" CRLF);
+		ok(IsClient(user), MSG);
 
 		is_client_sendq_one(":" TEST_ME_ID " ENCAP " TEST_SERVER_NAME " SASL " TEST_ME_ID "AAAAAB " TEST_REMOTE_ID " D A" CRLF, server, MSG);
 		is_client_sendq(":" TEST_ME_ID " UID " TEST_NICK " 1 42 +i ~" TEST_USERNAME " " TEST_HOSTNAME " " TEST_IP " " TEST_ME_ID "AAAAAB :" TEST_REALNAME CRLF, server, MSG);
@@ -128,17 +121,12 @@ static void common_sasl_test(bool aborted, bool by_user)
 
 static void successful_login(void)
 {
-	common_sasl_test(false, false);
-}
-
-static void successful_login_after_aborted_by_registration(void)
-{
-	common_sasl_test(true, false);
+	common_sasl_test(false);
 }
 
 static void successful_login_after_aborted_by_user(void)
 {
-	common_sasl_test(true, true);
+	common_sasl_test(true);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -146,7 +134,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	plan_lazy();
 
 	successful_login();
-	successful_login_after_aborted_by_registration();
 	successful_login_after_aborted_by_user();
 
 	return 0;