diff --git a/lisp/auth-source.el b/lisp/auth-source.el
index 0692dbb..6a2e500 100644
--- a/lisp/auth-source.el
+++ b/lisp/auth-source.el
@@ -312,12 +312,19 @@ If the value is not a list, symmetric encryption will be used."
          (setq source (or (secrets-get-alias (symbol-name source))
                           "Login")))
 
-       (auth-source-backend
-        (format "Secrets API (%s)" source)
-        :source source
-        :type 'secrets
-        :search-function 'auth-source-secrets-search
-        :create-function 'auth-source-secrets-create)))
+       (if (featurep 'secrets)
+           (auth-source-backend
+            (format "Secrets API (%s)" source)
+            :source source
+            :type 'secrets
+            :search-function 'auth-source-secrets-search
+            :create-function 'auth-source-secrets-create)
+         (auth-source-do-debug
+          "auth-source-backend-parse: no Secrets API, ignoring spec: %S" entry)
+         (auth-source-backend
+          (format "Ignored Secrets API (%s)" source)
+          :source ""
+          :type 'ignore))))
 
     ;; none of them
     (t