diff --git a/src/lib/config-generator/toml-generator.ts b/src/lib/config-generator/toml-generator.ts
index 64ba2f07..c3e8a2ee 100644
--- a/src/lib/config-generator/toml-generator.ts
+++ b/src/lib/config-generator/toml-generator.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ export function generateVectorToml(
       ...nodeConfig,
     };
 
+    // Strip empty nested objects (e.g. auth: {} when no auth is configured)
+    for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(entry)) {
+      if (
+        val != null &&
+        typeof val === "object" &&
+        !Array.isArray(val) &&
+        Object.values(val as Record<string, unknown>).every((v) => v == null || v === "")
+      ) {
+        delete entry[key];
+      }
+    }
+
     if (componentDef.kind !== "source") {
       const inputs = enabledEdges
         .filter((e) => e.target === node.id)
diff --git a/src/lib/config-generator/yaml-generator.ts b/src/lib/config-generator/yaml-generator.ts
index 088a67fe..d2b687c9 100644
--- a/src/lib/config-generator/yaml-generator.ts
+++ b/src/lib/config-generator/yaml-generator.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,18 @@ export function generateVectorYaml(
       ...nodeConfig,
     };
 
+    // Strip empty nested objects (e.g. auth: {} when no auth is configured)
+    for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(entry)) {
+      if (
+        val != null &&
+        typeof val === "object" &&
+        !Array.isArray(val) &&
+        Object.values(val as Record<string, unknown>).every((v) => v == null || v === "")
+      ) {
+        delete entry[key];
+      }
+    }
+
     // For transforms and sinks, build inputs array from incoming edges
     if (componentDef.kind !== "source") {
       const inputs = enabledEdges
diff --git a/src/lib/vector/schemas/shared.ts b/src/lib/vector/schemas/shared.ts
index d21fee06..3f156f3f 100644
--- a/src/lib/vector/schemas/shared.ts
+++ b/src/lib/vector/schemas/shared.ts
@@ -301,6 +301,51 @@ export function authBasicBearerSchema() {
   };
 }
 
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+/*  Auth: HTTP Server (basic + custom — server-mode validation)        */
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+
+/**
+ * Auth schema for Vector's http_server source.
+ *
+ * Server-mode auth validates *incoming* requests, so the field names and
+ * strategies differ from the outbound (client-mode) auth used by sinks:
+ *   - `username` / `password` for basic (not `user`)
+ *   - `source` (VRL expression) for custom
+ *   - No bearer support
+ */
+export function authHttpServerSchema() {
+  return {
+    auth: {
+      type: "object",
+      properties: {
+        strategy: {
+          type: "string",
+          enum: ["basic", "custom"],
+          description: "Authentication strategy",
+        },
+        username: {
+          type: "string",
+          description: "Basic auth username",
+          dependsOn: { field: "strategy", value: "basic" },
+        },
+        password: {
+          type: "string",
+          description: "Basic auth password",
+          sensitive: true,
+          dependsOn: { field: "strategy", value: "basic" },
+        },
+        source: {
+          type: "string",
+          description: "VRL boolean expression for custom auth validation",
+          dependsOn: { field: "strategy", value: "custom" },
+        },
+      },
+      description: "Authentication configuration (optional — omit for no auth)",
+    },
+  };
+}
+
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 /*  Auth: AWS                                                          */
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
diff --git a/src/lib/vector/schemas/sources/network.ts b/src/lib/vector/schemas/sources/network.ts
index 457d82fb..f50022f6 100644
--- a/src/lib/vector/schemas/sources/network.ts
+++ b/src/lib/vector/schemas/sources/network.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   decodingSchema,
   framingSchema,
   authBasicBearerSchema,
+  authHttpServerSchema,
 } from "../shared";
 
 export const networkSources: VectorComponentDef[] = [
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ export const networkSources: VectorComponentDef[] = [
           description: "The HTTP status code to return on success",
           default: 200,
         },
-        ...authBasicBearerSchema(),
+        ...authHttpServerSchema(),
         ...tlsSchema(),
         ...decodingSchema(),
         ...framingSchema(),