diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_auth_backends.py b/zerver/tests/test_auth_backends.py
index c7b42fef90..d49fe8183d 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_auth_backends.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_auth_backends.py
@@ -39,13 +39,12 @@ from zproject.backends import ZulipDummyBackend, EmailAuthBackend, \
     GoogleMobileOauth2Backend, ZulipRemoteUserBackend, ZulipLDAPAuthBackend, \
     ZulipLDAPUserPopulator, DevAuthBackend, GitHubAuthBackend, ZulipAuthMixin, \
     dev_auth_enabled, password_auth_enabled, github_auth_enabled, \
-    SocialAuthMixin, AUTH_BACKEND_NAME_MAP
+    SocialAuthMixin, AUTH_BACKEND_NAME_MAP, SocialAuthStrategy
 
 from zerver.views.auth import maybe_send_to_registration
 from version import ZULIP_VERSION
 
 from social_core.exceptions import AuthFailed, AuthStateForbidden
-from social_django.strategy import DjangoStrategy
 from social_django.storage import BaseDjangoStorage
 from social_core.backends.github import GithubOrganizationOAuth2, GithubTeamOAuth2, \
     GithubOAuth2
@@ -392,7 +391,7 @@ class GitHubAuthBackendTest(ZulipTestCase):
         self.email = 'hamlet@zulip.com'
         self.name = 'Hamlet'
         self.backend = GitHubAuthBackend()
-        self.backend.strategy = DjangoStrategy(storage=BaseDjangoStorage())
+        self.backend.strategy = SocialAuthStrategy(storage=BaseDjangoStorage())
         self.user_profile = get_user_profile_by_email(self.email)
         self.user_profile.backend = self.backend
 
@@ -406,7 +405,7 @@ class GitHubAuthBackendTest(ZulipTestCase):
     def do_auth(self, *args, **kwargs):
         # type: (*Any, **Any) -> UserProfile
         with self.settings(AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS=('zproject.backends.GitHubAuthBackend',)):
-            return self.backend.authenticate(**kwargs)
+            return self.backend.strategy.authenticate(self.backend, **kwargs)
 
     def test_github_auth_enabled(self):
         # type: () -> None
diff --git a/zproject/backends.py b/zproject/backends.py
index 59576be16f..c442e9e999 100644
--- a/zproject/backends.py
+++ b/zproject/backends.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from zerver.models import UserProfile, Realm, get_user_profile_by_id, \
 
 from apiclient.sample_tools import client as googleapiclient
 from oauth2client.crypt import AppIdentityError
+from social_core.backends.base import BaseAuth
 from social_core.backends.github import GithubOAuth2, GithubOrganizationOAuth2, \
     GithubTeamOAuth2
 from social_core.exceptions import AuthFailed, SocialAuthBaseException
@@ -102,6 +103,11 @@ class ZulipAuthMixin(object):
         except UserProfile.DoesNotExist:
             return None
 
+class SocialAuthStrategy(DjangoStrategy):
+    def authenticate(self, backend, *args, **kwargs):
+        # type: (BaseAuth, *Any, **Any) -> None
+        return backend.authenticate(*args, **kwargs)
+
 class SocialAuthMixin(ZulipAuthMixin):
     auth_backend_name = None # type: Text
 
@@ -116,7 +122,7 @@ class SocialAuthMixin(ZulipAuthMixin):
     def authenticate(self,
                      realm_subdomain='',  # type: Optional[Text]
                      storage=None,  # type: Optional[DjangoStorage]
-                     strategy=None,  # type: Optional[DjangoStrategy]
+                     strategy=None,  # type: Optional[SocialAuthStrategy]
                      user=None,  # type: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]
                      return_data=None,  # type: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]
                      response=None,  # type: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]
diff --git a/zproject/settings.py b/zproject/settings.py
index 1969e56410..5f6f1205ed 100644
--- a/zproject/settings.py
+++ b/zproject/settings.py
@@ -1202,6 +1202,7 @@ SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_ORG_KEY = SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_KEY
 SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_ORG_SECRET = SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_SECRET
 SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_TEAM_KEY = SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_KEY
 SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_TEAM_SECRET = SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_SECRET
+SOCIAL_AUTH_STRATEGY = 'zproject.backends.SocialAuthStrategy'
 
 ########################################################################
 # EMAIL SETTINGS