diff --git a/tests/kafkatest/services/security/security_config.py b/tests/kafkatest/services/security/security_config.py
index 9ab7e6fa9c02f..5be0737f715d8 100644
--- a/tests/kafkatest/services/security/security_config.py
+++ b/tests/kafkatest/services/security/security_config.py
@@ -374,7 +374,8 @@ def interbroker_sasl_mechanism(self):
     def enabled_sasl_mechanisms(self):
         sasl_mechanisms = []
         if self.is_sasl(self.security_protocol):
-            sasl_mechanisms += [self.client_sasl_mechanism]
+            # .csv is supported so be sure to account for that possibility
+            sasl_mechanisms += [mechanism.strip() for mechanism in self.client_sasl_mechanism.split(',')]
         if self.is_sasl(self.interbroker_security_protocol):
             sasl_mechanisms += [self.interbroker_sasl_mechanism]
         if self.serves_raft_sasl: