diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index bdb3ec6fde..f5b74c326b 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -105,12 +105,9 @@ TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
     'django.core.context_processors.static',
     'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
     'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',  # this is required for admin
+    'django.core.context_processors.csrf'
 )
 
-# add csrf support unless disabled for load testing
-if not MITX_FEATURES.get('AUTOMATIC_AUTH_FOR_LOAD_TESTING'):
-    TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS += ('django.core.context_processors.csrf',)  # necessary for csrf protection
-
 LMS_BASE = None
 
 #################### CAPA External Code Evaluation #############################
@@ -141,6 +138,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     'request_cache.middleware.RequestCache',
     'django.middleware.cache.UpdateCacheMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
+    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
     'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
     'method_override.middleware.MethodOverrideMiddleware',
 
@@ -157,10 +155,6 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     'django.middleware.transaction.TransactionMiddleware'
 )
 
-# add in csrf middleware unless disabled for load testing
-if not MITX_FEATURES.get('AUTOMATIC_AUTH_FOR_LOAD_TESTING'):
-    MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES + ('django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',)
-
 ############################ SIGNAL HANDLERS ################################
 # This is imported to register the exception signal handling that logs exceptions
 import monitoring.exceptions  # noqa
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 29e0de7d91..6c64cf1d90 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
     'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
     #'django.core.context_processors.i18n',
     'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',  # this is required for admin
+    'django.core.context_processors.csrf',
 
     # Added for django-wiki
     'django.core.context_processors.media',
@@ -235,10 +236,6 @@ TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
     'mitxmako.shortcuts.marketing_link_context_processor',
 )
 
-# add csrf support unless disabled for load testing
-if not MITX_FEATURES.get('AUTOMATIC_AUTH_FOR_LOAD_TESTING'):
-    TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS += ('django.core.context_processors.csrf',)  # necessary for csrf protection
-
 STUDENT_FILEUPLOAD_MAX_SIZE = 4 * 1000 * 1000  # 4 MB
 MAX_FILEUPLOADS_PER_INPUT = 20
 
@@ -485,6 +482,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
     'track.middleware.TrackMiddleware',
     'mitxmako.middleware.MakoMiddleware',
+    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
 
     'course_wiki.course_nav.Middleware',
 
@@ -498,10 +496,6 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     'codejail.django_integration.ConfigureCodeJailMiddleware',
 )
 
-# add in csrf middleware unless disabled for load testing
-if not MITX_FEATURES.get('AUTOMATIC_AUTH_FOR_LOAD_TESTING'):
-    MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES + ('django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',)
-
 ############################### Pipeline #######################################
 
 STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'pipeline.storage.PipelineCachedStorage'
diff --git a/lms/envs/load_test.py b/lms/envs/load_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f4d3cae758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/envs/load_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"""
+Settings for load testing.
+"""
+
+# We intentionally define lots of variables that aren't used, and
+# want to import all variables from base settings files
+# pylint: disable=W0401, W0614
+
+from .aws import *
+
+# Disable CSRF for load testing
+exclude_csrf = lambda elem: not elem in \
+               ['django.core.context_processors.csrf',
+                'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware']
+TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = filter(exclude_csrf, TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS)
+MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = filter(exclude_csrf, MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES)