diff --git a/lib/events/complete.go b/lib/events/complete.go
index 18db3638f7c31..dc0d5310ba0e8 100644
--- a/lib/events/complete.go
+++ b/lib/events/complete.go
@@ -167,9 +167,16 @@ func (u *UploadCompleter) checkUploads(ctx context.Context) error {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if _, err := u.cfg.SessionTracker.GetSessionTracker(ctx, upload.SessionID.String()); err == nil {
+		switch _, err := u.cfg.SessionTracker.GetSessionTracker(ctx, upload.SessionID.String()); {
+		case err == nil: // session is still in progress, continue to other uploads
 			continue
-		} else if !trace.IsNotFound(err) {
+		case trace.IsNotFound(err): // upload abandoned, complete upload
+		case trace.IsAccessDenied(err): // upload abandoned, complete upload
+			// Treat access denied errors as not found errors, since we expect
+			// to get them if the auth server is v9.2.3 or earlier, since only
+			// node, proxy, and kube roles had permissions to create trackers.
+			// DELETE IN 11.0.0
+		default: // aka err != nil
 			return trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
 
diff --git a/lib/events/complete_test.go b/lib/events/complete_test.go
index 01fa836ba9a11..a674e05020ed8 100644
--- a/lib/events/complete_test.go
+++ b/lib/events/complete_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package events
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/api/types"
 	apievents "github.com/gravitational/teleport/api/types/events"
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/events/eventstest"
+	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/services"
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/session"
 	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
 	"github.com/jonboulle/clockwork"
@@ -85,42 +87,49 @@ func TestUploadCompleterCompletesAbandonedUploads(t *testing.T) {
 // completes uploads that have lived past the configured grace period.
 // DELETE IN 11.0.0
 func TestUploadCompleterWithGracePeriod(t *testing.T) {
-	clock := clockwork.NewFakeClock()
-	mu := NewMemoryUploader()
-	mu.Clock = clock
-
-	log := &mockAuditLog{}
-
-	sessionID := session.NewID()
-	sessionTrackerService := &mockSessionTrackerService{}
+	for _, sts := range []services.SessionTrackerService{
+		&mockSessionTrackerService{},
+		// Session tracker services will return an access denied error to
+		// db, app, and desktop sessions if the auth server is between v9.2.2
+		// and v9.2.3. We should handle these cases as if the tracker could
+		// not be found, and depend on the grace period to handle the completion.
+		&mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied{},
+	} {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%T", sts), func(t *testing.T) {
+			clock := clockwork.NewFakeClock()
+			mu := NewMemoryUploader()
+			mu.Clock = clock
 
-	uc, err := NewUploadCompleter(UploadCompleterConfig{
-		Uploader:       mu,
-		AuditLog:       log,
-		SessionTracker: sessionTrackerService,
-		Clock:          clock,
-		GracePeriod:    2 * time.Hour,
-	})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+			uc, err := NewUploadCompleter(UploadCompleterConfig{
+				Uploader:       mu,
+				AuditLog:       &mockAuditLog{},
+				SessionTracker: sts,
+				Clock:          clock,
+				GracePeriod:    2 * time.Hour,
+			})
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			t.Cleanup(uc.Close)
 
-	upload, err := mu.CreateUpload(context.Background(), sessionID)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+			upload, err := mu.CreateUpload(context.Background(), session.NewID())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	err = uc.checkUploads(context.Background())
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.False(t, mu.uploads[upload.ID].completed)
+			err = uc.checkUploads(context.Background())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.False(t, mu.uploads[upload.ID].completed)
 
-	// Even if session tracker is not found, the completer
-	// should wait until the grace period to complete it
-	clock.Advance(1 * time.Hour)
-	err = uc.checkUploads(context.Background())
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.False(t, mu.uploads[upload.ID].completed)
+			// Even if session tracker is not found, the completer
+			// should wait until the grace period to complete it
+			clock.Advance(1 * time.Hour)
+			err = uc.checkUploads(context.Background())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.False(t, mu.uploads[upload.ID].completed)
 
-	clock.Advance(1 * time.Hour)
-	err = uc.checkUploads(context.Background())
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.True(t, mu.uploads[upload.ID].completed)
+			clock.Advance(1 * time.Hour)
+			err = uc.checkUploads(context.Background())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.True(t, mu.uploads[upload.ID].completed)
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 // TestUploadCompleterEmitsSessionEnd verifies that the upload completer
@@ -248,3 +257,29 @@ func (m *mockSessionTrackerService) RemoveSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, se
 func (m *mockSessionTrackerService) UpdatePresence(ctx context.Context, sessionID, user string) error {
 	return trace.NotImplemented("UpdatePresence is not implemented")
 }
+
+type mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied struct{}
+
+func (m *mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied) GetActiveSessionTrackers(ctx context.Context) ([]types.SessionTracker, error) {
+	return nil, trace.AccessDenied("access denied")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied) GetSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, sessionID string) (types.SessionTracker, error) {
+	return nil, trace.AccessDenied("access denied")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied) CreateSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, st types.SessionTracker) (types.SessionTracker, error) {
+	return nil, trace.AccessDenied("access denied")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied) UpdateSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, req *proto.UpdateSessionTrackerRequest) error {
+	return trace.AccessDenied("access denied")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied) RemoveSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, sessionID string) error {
+	return trace.AccessDenied("access denied")
+}
+
+func (m *mockSessionTrackerServiceAccessDenied) UpdatePresence(ctx context.Context, sessionID, user string) error {
+	return trace.AccessDenied("access denied")
+}
diff --git a/lib/srv/app/session.go b/lib/srv/app/session.go
index 35b2bf80ffb9d..8f61126a03dc7 100644
--- a/lib/srv/app/session.go
+++ b/lib/srv/app/session.go
@@ -260,7 +260,16 @@ func (s *Server) createTracker(sess *sessionChunk, identity *tlsca.Identity) err
 
 	s.log.Debugf("Creating tracker for session chunk %v", sess.id)
 	tracker, err := srv.NewSessionTracker(s.closeContext, trackerSpec, s.c.AuthClient)
-	if err != nil {
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+	case trace.IsAccessDenied(err):
+		// Ignore access denied errors, which we may get if the auth
+		// server is v9.2.3 or earlier, since only node, proxy, and
+		// kube roles had permission to create session trackers.
+		// DELETE IN 11.0.0
+		s.log.Debugf("Insufficient permissions to create session tracker, skipping session tracking for session chunk %v", sess.id)
+		return nil
+	default: // aka err != nil
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/srv/db/server.go b/lib/srv/db/server.go
index 04c8f34f055db..dddf69fb68e83 100644
--- a/lib/srv/db/server.go
+++ b/lib/srv/db/server.go
@@ -898,7 +898,16 @@ func (s *Server) trackSession(ctx context.Context, sessionCtx *common.Session) e
 
 	s.log.Debugf("Creating tracker for session %v", sessionCtx.ID)
 	tracker, err := srv.NewSessionTracker(s.closeContext, trackerSpec, s.cfg.AuthClient)
-	if err != nil {
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+	case trace.IsAccessDenied(err):
+		// Ignore access denied errors, which we may get if the auth
+		// server is v9.2.3 or earlier, since only node, proxy, and
+		// kube roles had permission to create session trackers.
+		// DELETE IN 11.0.0
+		s.log.Debugf("Insufficient permissions to create session tracker, skipping session tracking for session %v", sessionCtx.ID)
+		return nil
+	default: // aka err != nil
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/srv/desktop/windows_server.go b/lib/srv/desktop/windows_server.go
index 0637e4a85b802..789051b1f7469 100644
--- a/lib/srv/desktop/windows_server.go
+++ b/lib/srv/desktop/windows_server.go
@@ -1282,7 +1282,16 @@ func (s *WindowsService) trackSession(ctx context.Context, id *tlsca.Identity, w
 
 	s.cfg.Log.Debugf("Creating tracker for session %v", sessionID)
 	tracker, err := srv.NewSessionTracker(ctx, trackerSpec, s.cfg.AuthClient)
-	if err != nil {
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+	case trace.IsAccessDenied(err):
+		// Ignore access denied errors, which we may get if the auth
+		// server is v9.2.3 or earlier, since only node, proxy, and
+		// kube roles had permission to create session trackers.
+		// DELETE IN 11.0.0
+		s.cfg.Log.Debugf("Insufficient permissions to create session tracker, skipping session tracking for session %v", sessionID)
+		return nil
+	default: // aka err != nil
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}