diff --git a/test/common/services/security/system_indices_user.ts b/test/common/services/security/system_indices_user.ts
index 9bfaddd9f0306..aaec8a5b2b834 100644
--- a/test/common/services/security/system_indices_user.ts
+++ b/test/common/services/security/system_indices_user.ts
@@ -65,11 +65,12 @@ export async function createSystemIndicesUser(ctx: FtrProviderContext) {
   const log = ctx.getService('log');
   const config = ctx.getService('config');
 
-  const enabled = !config
-    .get('esTestCluster.serverArgs')
-    .some((arg: string) => arg === 'xpack.security.enabled=false');
+  const enabled = !(config.get('esTestCluster.serverArgs') || []).some(
+    (arg: string) => arg === 'xpack.security.enabled=false'
+  );
+  const isServerless = !!config.get('serverless');
 
-  if (!enabled) {
+  if (!enabled || isServerless) {
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/common/services/security/test_user.ts b/test/common/services/security/test_user.ts
index bc5dbf68698bc..2a75edf147ea4 100644
--- a/test/common/services/security/test_user.ts
+++ b/test/common/services/security/test_user.ts
@@ -77,10 +77,9 @@ export async function createTestUserService(ctx: FtrProviderContext, role: Role,
   const config = ctx.getService('config');
 
   const enabled =
-    !config
-      .get('esTestCluster.serverArgs')
-      .some((arg: string) => arg === 'xpack.security.enabled=false') &&
-    !config.get('security.disableTestUser');
+    !(config.get('esTestCluster.serverArgs') || []).some(
+      (arg: string) => arg === 'xpack.security.enabled=false'
+    ) && !config.get('security.disableTestUser');
 
   if (enabled) {
     log.debug('===============creating roles and users===============');
diff --git a/x-pack/test_serverless/shared/config.base.ts b/x-pack/test_serverless/shared/config.base.ts
index da0efc8b4d9fc..4c7f1e89aa2e8 100644
--- a/x-pack/test_serverless/shared/config.base.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test_serverless/shared/config.base.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ export default async () => {
     esTestCluster: {
       license: 'trial',
       from: 'snapshot',
-      serverArgs: ['xpack.security.enabled=false'],
     },
 
     kbnTestServer: {