diff --git a/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go b/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go
index 18ab0f4662ed7..df47965982b65 100644
--- a/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go
+++ b/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go
@@ -201,8 +201,8 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) actionForKindSession(namespace string, sid session.ID)
 	return trace.Wrap(a.actionWithExtendedContext(namespace, types.KindSession, types.VerbRead, extendContext))
 }
 
-// serverAction returns an access denied error if the role is not one of the builtin server roles.
-func (a *ServerWithRoles) serverAction() error {
+// localServerAction returns an access denied error if the role is not one of the builtin server roles.
+func (a *ServerWithRoles) localServerAction() error {
 	role, ok := a.context.Identity.(authz.BuiltinRole)
 	if !ok || !role.IsServer() {
 		return trace.AccessDenied("this request can be only executed by a teleport built-in server")
@@ -210,6 +210,22 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) serverAction() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// remoteServerAction returns an access denied error if the role is not one of the remote builtin server roles.
+func (a *ServerWithRoles) remoteServerAction() error {
+	role, ok := a.context.UnmappedIdentity.(authz.RemoteBuiltinRole)
+	if !ok || !role.IsRemoteServer() {
+		return trace.AccessDenied("this request can be only executed by a teleport remote server")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// isLocalOrRemoteServerAction returns true if the role is one of the builtin server roles (local or remote).
+func (a *ServerWithRoles) isLocalOrRemoteServerAction() bool {
+	errLocal := a.localServerAction()
+	errRemote := a.remoteServerAction()
+	return errLocal == nil || errRemote == nil
+}
+
 // hasBuiltinRole checks that the attached identity is a builtin role and
 // whether any of the given roles match the role set.
 func (a *ServerWithRoles) hasBuiltinRole(roles ...types.SystemRole) bool {
@@ -445,7 +461,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) GenerateAWSOIDCToken(ctx context.Context, req types.Ge
 
 // CreateSessionTracker creates a tracker resource for an active session.
 func (a *ServerWithRoles) CreateSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, tracker types.SessionTracker) (types.SessionTracker, error) {
-	if err := a.serverAction(); err != nil {
+	if err := a.localServerAction(); err != nil {
 		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
@@ -602,7 +618,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) GetSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, sessionID strin
 		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := a.serverAction(); err == nil {
+	if err := a.localServerAction(); err == nil {
 		return tracker, nil
 	}
 
@@ -627,7 +643,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) GetActiveSessionTrackers(ctx context.Context) ([]types
 		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := a.serverAction(); err == nil {
+	if err := a.localServerAction(); err == nil {
 		return sessions, nil
 	}
 
@@ -655,7 +671,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) GetActiveSessionTrackersWithFilter(ctx context.Context
 		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
-	if err := a.serverAction(); err == nil {
+	if err := a.localServerAction(); err == nil {
 		return sessions, nil
 	}
 
@@ -678,7 +694,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) GetActiveSessionTrackersWithFilter(ctx context.Context
 
 // RemoveSessionTracker removes a tracker resource for an active session.
 func (a *ServerWithRoles) RemoveSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, sessionID string) error {
-	if err := a.serverAction(); err != nil {
+	if err := a.localServerAction(); err != nil {
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
@@ -687,7 +703,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) RemoveSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, sessionID st
 
 // UpdateSessionTracker updates a tracker resource for an active session.
 func (a *ServerWithRoles) UpdateSessionTracker(ctx context.Context, req *proto.UpdateSessionTrackerRequest) error {
-	if err := a.serverAction(); err != nil {
+	if err := a.localServerAction(); err != nil {
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
@@ -1525,12 +1541,12 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) ListResources(ctx context.Context, req proto.ListResou
 	}
 
 	// Check if auth server has a license for this resource type but only return an
-	// error if the user is not a builtin proxy or kube role.
-	// Builtin proxy and kube roles are allowed to list resources to avoid crashes
+	// error if the requester is not a builtin or remote server.
+	// Builtin and remote server roles are allowed to list resources to avoid crashes
 	// even if the license is missing.
 	// Users with other roles will get an error if the license is missing so they
 	// can request a license with the correct features.
-	if err := enforceLicense(req.ResourceType); err != nil && !a.hasBuiltinRole(types.RoleProxy, types.RoleKube) {
+	if err := enforceLicense(req.ResourceType); err != nil && !a.isLocalOrRemoteServerAction() {
 		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
@@ -4918,7 +4934,7 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) StreamSessionEvents(ctx context.Context, sessionID ses
 		return nil, e
 	}
 
-	err := a.serverAction()
+	err := a.localServerAction()
 	isTeleportServer := err == nil
 
 	if !isTeleportServer {
diff --git a/lib/authz/permissions.go b/lib/authz/permissions.go
index 0355d5fa684fe..ecd204c0538c4 100644
--- a/lib/authz/permissions.go
+++ b/lib/authz/permissions.go
@@ -1240,6 +1240,12 @@ func (r RemoteBuiltinRole) GetIdentity() tlsca.Identity {
 	return r.Identity
 }
 
+// IsRemoteServer returns true if the primary role is either RoleRemoteProxy, or one of
+// the local service roles (e.g. proxy) from the remote cluster.
+func (r RemoteBuiltinRole) IsRemoteServer() bool {
+	return r.Role == types.RoleInstance || r.Role == types.RoleRemoteProxy || r.Role.IsLocalService()
+}
+
 // RemoteUser defines encoded remote user.
 type RemoteUser struct {
 	// Username is a name of the remote user
diff --git a/lib/service/kubernetes.go b/lib/service/kubernetes.go
index 8b4087f4b5c7f..4ca205e5a1adb 100644
--- a/lib/service/kubernetes.go
+++ b/lib/service/kubernetes.go
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@ func (process *TeleportProcess) initKubernetes() {
 		if conn == nil {
 			return trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
-
+		if !process.getClusterFeatures().Kubernetes {
+			log.Warn("Warning: Kubernetes service not intialized because Teleport Auth Server is not licensed for Kubernetes Access. ",
+				"Please contact the cluster administrator to enable it.")
+			return nil
+		}
 		if err := process.initKubernetesService(log, conn); err != nil {
 			warnOnErr(conn.Close(), log)
 			return trace.Wrap(err)