diff --git a/packages/auth/src/core/auth/auth_impl.ts b/packages/auth/src/core/auth/auth_impl.ts
index 2103306bf5a..eb7e2a322c8 100644
--- a/packages/auth/src/core/auth/auth_impl.ts
+++ b/packages/auth/src/core/auth/auth_impl.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ import { _logWarn } from '../util/log';
 import { _getPasswordPolicy } from '../../api/password_policy/get_password_policy';
 import { PasswordPolicyInternal } from '../../model/password_policy';
 import { PasswordPolicyImpl } from './password_policy_impl';
+import { getAccountInfo } from '../../api/account_management/account';
+import { UserImpl } from '../user/user_impl';
 
 interface AsyncAction {
   (): Promise<void>;
@@ -174,10 +176,7 @@ export class AuthImpl implements AuthInternal, _FirebaseService {
         }
       }
 
-      // Skip loading users from persistence in FirebaseServerApp Auth instances.
-      if (!_isFirebaseServerApp(this.app)) {
-        await this.initializeCurrentUser(popupRedirectResolver);
-      }
+      await this.initializeCurrentUser(popupRedirectResolver);
 
       this.lastNotifiedUid = this.currentUser?.uid || null;
 
@@ -221,9 +220,47 @@ export class AuthImpl implements AuthInternal, _FirebaseService {
     await this._updateCurrentUser(user, /* skipBeforeStateCallbacks */ true);
   }
 
+  private async initializeCurrentUserFromIdToken(
+    idToken: string
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      const response = await getAccountInfo(this, { idToken });
+      const user = await UserImpl._fromGetAccountInfoResponse(
+        this,
+        response,
+        idToken
+      );
+      await this.directlySetCurrentUser(user);
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.warn(
+        'FirebaseServerApp could not login user with provided authIdToken: ',
+        err
+      );
+      await this.directlySetCurrentUser(null);
+    }
+  }
+
   private async initializeCurrentUser(
     popupRedirectResolver?: PopupRedirectResolver
   ): Promise<void> {
+    if (_isFirebaseServerApp(this.app)) {
+      const idToken = this.app.settings.authIdToken;
+      if (idToken) {
+        // Start the auth operation in the next tick to allow a moment for the customer's app to
+        // attach an emulator, if desired.
+        return new Promise<void>(resolve => {
+          setTimeout(() =>
+            this.initializeCurrentUserFromIdToken(idToken).then(
+              resolve,
+              resolve
+            )
+          );
+        });
+      } else {
+        return this.directlySetCurrentUser(null);
+      }
+    }
+
     // First check to see if we have a pending redirect event.
     const previouslyStoredUser =
       (await this.assertedPersistence.getCurrentUser()) as UserInternal | null;
diff --git a/packages/auth/src/core/auth/initialize.ts b/packages/auth/src/core/auth/initialize.ts
index 3bb21364718..c6218953508 100644
--- a/packages/auth/src/core/auth/initialize.ts
+++ b/packages/auth/src/core/auth/initialize.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { _getProvider, _isFirebaseServerApp, FirebaseApp } from '@firebase/app';
+import { _getProvider, FirebaseApp } from '@firebase/app';
 import { deepEqual } from '@firebase/util';
 import { Auth, Dependencies } from '../../model/public_types';
 
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ import { AuthErrorCode } from '../errors';
 import { PersistenceInternal } from '../persistence';
 import { _fail } from '../util/assert';
 import { _getInstance } from '../util/instantiator';
-import { AuthImpl, _castAuth } from './auth_impl';
-import { UserImpl } from '../user/user_impl';
-import { getAccountInfo } from '../../api/account_management/account';
+import { AuthImpl } from './auth_impl';
 
 /**
  * Initializes an {@link Auth} instance with fine-grained control over
@@ -67,40 +65,9 @@ export function initializeAuth(app: FirebaseApp, deps?: Dependencies): Auth {
 
   const auth = provider.initialize({ options: deps }) as AuthImpl;
 
-  if (_isFirebaseServerApp(app)) {
-    if (app.settings.authIdToken !== undefined) {
-      const idToken = app.settings.authIdToken;
-      // Start the auth operation in the next tick to allow a moment for the customer's app to
-      // attach an emulator, if desired.
-      setTimeout(() => void _loadUserFromIdToken(auth, idToken), 0);
-    }
-  }
-
   return auth;
 }
 
-export async function _loadUserFromIdToken(
-  auth: Auth,
-  idToken: string
-): Promise<void> {
-  try {
-    const response = await getAccountInfo(auth, { idToken });
-    const authInternal = _castAuth(auth);
-    await authInternal._initializationPromise;
-    const user = await UserImpl._fromGetAccountInfoResponse(
-      authInternal,
-      response,
-      idToken
-    );
-    await authInternal._updateCurrentUser(user);
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.warn(
-      'FirebaseServerApp could not login user with provided authIdToken: ',
-      err
-    );
-  }
-}
-
 export function _initializeAuthInstance(
   auth: AuthImpl,
   deps?: Dependencies