diff --git a/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go b/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go
index 317b124dd6b7f..aec1f116a440d 100644
--- a/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go
+++ b/lib/auth/auth_with_roles.go
@@ -1469,12 +1469,10 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) ListUnifiedResources(ctx context.Context, req *proto.L
 		Kinds:               req.Kinds,
 	}
 
-	// resourceAccessMap is a map of resourceKind to error, that holds any errors returned when checking verbs
-	// for that resource (list/read)
-	resourceAccessMap := make(map[string]error)
-
-	// we want to populate the resourceAccessMap at the start of the request for all available kind in the
-	// unified resource cache
+	// Populate resourceAccessMap with any access errors the user has for each possible
+	// resource kind. This allows the access check to occur a single time per resource
+	// kind instead of once per matching resource.
+	resourceAccessMap := make(map[string]error, len(services.UnifiedResourceKinds))
 	for _, kind := range services.UnifiedResourceKinds {
 		actionVerbs := []string{types.VerbList, types.VerbRead}
 		if kind == types.KindNode {
@@ -1489,6 +1487,24 @@ func (a *ServerWithRoles) ListUnifiedResources(ctx context.Context, req *proto.L
 		resourceAccessMap[kind] = a.action(apidefaults.Namespace, kind, actionVerbs...)
 	}
 
+	// Before doing any listing, verify that the user is allowed to list
+	// at least one of the requested kinds. If no access is permitted, then
+	// return an access denied error.
+	requested := req.Kinds
+	if len(req.Kinds) == 0 {
+		requested = services.UnifiedResourceKinds
+	}
+	var rbacErrors int
+	for _, kind := range requested {
+		if err, ok := resourceAccessMap[kind]; ok && err != nil {
+			rbacErrors++
+		}
+	}
+
+	if rbacErrors == len(requested) {
+		return nil, trace.AccessDenied("User does not have access to any of the requested kinds: %v", requested)
+	}
+
 	// Apply any requested additional search_as_roles and/or preview_as_roles
 	// for the duration of the search.
 	if req.UseSearchAsRoles || req.UsePreviewAsRoles {
diff --git a/lib/auth/auth_with_roles_test.go b/lib/auth/auth_with_roles_test.go
index 30e87ef8b8d26..34aabe4276f8f 100644
--- a/lib/auth/auth_with_roles_test.go
+++ b/lib/auth/auth_with_roles_test.go
@@ -4579,6 +4579,35 @@ func TestListUnifiedResources_MixedAccess(t *testing.T) {
 		r := resource.GetDatabaseServer()
 		require.Equal(t, types.KindDatabaseServer, r.GetKind())
 	}
+
+	// Update the roles to prevent access to any resource kinds.
+	role.SetRules(types.Deny, []types.Rule{{Resources: services.UnifiedResourceKinds, Verbs: []string{types.VerbList, types.VerbRead}}})
+	err = srv.Auth().UpsertRole(ctx, role)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// ensure updated roles have propagated to auth cache
+	flushCache(t, srv.Auth())
+
+	// Get a new client to test with the new roles.
+	clt, err = srv.NewClient(identity)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Validate that an error is returned when no kinds are requested.
+	resp, err = clt.ListUnifiedResources(ctx, &proto.ListUnifiedResourcesRequest{
+		Limit:  20,
+		SortBy: types.SortBy{IsDesc: true, Field: types.ResourceMetadataName},
+	})
+	require.True(t, trace.IsAccessDenied(err))
+	require.Nil(t, resp)
+
+	// Validate that an error is returned when a subset of kinds are requested.
+	resp, err = clt.ListUnifiedResources(ctx, &proto.ListUnifiedResourcesRequest{
+		Limit:  20,
+		SortBy: types.SortBy{IsDesc: true, Field: types.ResourceMetadataName},
+		Kinds:  []string{types.KindNode, types.KindDatabaseServer},
+	})
+	require.True(t, trace.IsAccessDenied(err))
+	require.Nil(t, resp)
 }
 
 // TestListUnifiedResources_WithPredicate will return resources that match the