diff --git a/lib/auth/auth.go b/lib/auth/auth.go
index b6351e50eedd5..ec6f40e3031e3 100644
--- a/lib/auth/auth.go
+++ b/lib/auth/auth.go
@@ -5420,16 +5420,30 @@ func (a *Server) validateMFAAuthResponseForRegister(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	resp *proto.MFAAuthenticateResponse, username string, passwordless bool,
 ) (hasDevices bool, err error) {
+	// Let users without a useable device go through registration.
 	if resp == nil || (resp.GetTOTP() == nil && resp.GetWebauthn() == nil) {
 		devices, err := a.Services.GetMFADevices(ctx, username, false /* withSecrets */)
-		switch {
-		case err != nil:
+		if err != nil {
 			return false, trace.Wrap(err)
-		case len(devices) > 0:
+		}
+		if len(devices) == 0 {
+			// Allowed, no devices registered.
+			return false, nil
+		}
+
+		authPref, err := a.GetAuthPreference(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		totpEnabled := authPref.IsSecondFactorTOTPAllowed()
+		webauthnEnabled := authPref.IsSecondFactorWebauthnAllowed()
+
+		devsByType := groupByDeviceType(devices, webauthnEnabled)
+		if (totpEnabled && devsByType.TOTP) || (webauthnEnabled && len(devsByType.Webauthn) > 0) {
 			return false, trace.BadParameter("second factor authentication required")
 		}
 
-		// Allowed, but no devices registered.
+		// Allowed, no useable devices registered.
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/auth/auth_login_test.go b/lib/auth/auth_login_test.go
index 65f9278c5dcd1..193dd42a3bf4b 100644
--- a/lib/auth/auth_login_test.go
+++ b/lib/auth/auth_login_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package auth
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -431,6 +432,113 @@ func TestCreateRegisterChallenge(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestCreateRegisterChallenge_unusableDevice tests that it is possible to
+// register new devices even if the user has an "unusable" device (due to
+// cluster setting changes).
+func TestCreateRegisterChallenge_unusableDevice(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testServer := newTestTLSServer(t)
+	authServer := testServer.Auth()
+	clock := authServer.GetClock()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	initialPref, err := types.NewAuthPreference(types.AuthPreferenceSpecV2{
+		Type:         constants.Local,
+		SecondFactor: constants.SecondFactorOptional, // most permissive setting
+		Webauthn: &types.Webauthn{
+			RPID: "localhost",
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err, "NewAuthPreference")
+
+	setAuthPref := func(t *testing.T, authPref types.AuthPreference) {
+		require.NoError(t,
+			authServer.SetAuthPreference(ctx, authPref),
+			"SetAuthPreference")
+	}
+	setAuthPref(t, initialPref)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name                  string
+		existingType, newType proto.DeviceType
+		newAuthSpec           types.AuthPreferenceSpecV2
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "unusable totp, new webauthn",
+			existingType: proto.DeviceType_DEVICE_TYPE_TOTP,
+			newType:      proto.DeviceType_DEVICE_TYPE_WEBAUTHN,
+			newAuthSpec: types.AuthPreferenceSpecV2{
+				Type:         initialPref.GetType(),
+				SecondFactor: constants.SecondFactorWebauthn, // makes TOTP unusable
+				Webauthn: func() *types.Webauthn {
+					w, _ := initialPref.GetWebauthn()
+					return w
+				}(),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "unusable webauthn, new totp",
+			existingType: proto.DeviceType_DEVICE_TYPE_WEBAUTHN,
+			newType:      proto.DeviceType_DEVICE_TYPE_TOTP,
+			newAuthSpec: types.AuthPreferenceSpecV2{
+				Type:         initialPref.GetType(),
+				SecondFactor: constants.SecondFactorOTP, // makes Webauthn unusable
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	devOpts := []TestDeviceOpt{WithTestDeviceClock(clock)}
+	for i, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			setAuthPref(t, initialPref) // restore permissive settings.
+
+			// Create user.
+			username := fmt.Sprintf("llama-%d", i)
+			user, _, err := CreateUserAndRole(authServer, username, []string{username} /* logins */, nil /* allowRules */)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "CreateUserAndRole")
+			userClient, err := testServer.NewClient(TestUser(user.GetName()))
+			require.NoError(t, err, "NewClient")
+
+			// Register initial MFA device.
+			_, err = RegisterTestDevice(
+				ctx,
+				userClient,
+				"existing", test.existingType, nil /* authenticator */, devOpts...)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "RegisterTestDevice")
+
+			// Sanity check: register challenges for test.existingType require a
+			// solved authn challenge.
+			_, err = userClient.CreateRegisterChallenge(ctx, &proto.CreateRegisterChallengeRequest{
+				ExistingMFAResponse: &proto.MFAAuthenticateResponse{},
+				DeviceType:          test.existingType,
+				DeviceUsage:         proto.DeviceUsage_DEVICE_USAGE_MFA, // not important for this test
+			})
+			assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "second factor")
+
+			// Restore initial settings after test.
+			defer func() {
+				setAuthPref(t, initialPref)
+			}()
+
+			// Change cluster settings.
+			// This should make the device registered above unusable.
+			newAuthPref, err := types.NewAuthPreference(test.newAuthSpec)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "NewAuthPreference")
+			setAuthPref(t, newAuthPref)
+
+			// Create a challenge for the "new" device without an ExistingMFAResponse.
+			// Not allowed if the device above was usable.
+			_, err = userClient.CreateRegisterChallenge(ctx, &proto.CreateRegisterChallengeRequest{
+				ExistingMFAResponse: &proto.MFAAuthenticateResponse{},
+				DeviceType:          test.newType,
+				DeviceUsage:         proto.DeviceUsage_DEVICE_USAGE_MFA, // not important for this test
+			})
+			assert.NoError(t, err, "CreateRegisterChallenge")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // sshPubKey is a randomly-generated public key used for login tests.
 //
 // The corresponding private key is: