diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/Authentication.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/Authentication.java
index 6ef2441011e6a..235264c8889de 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/Authentication.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/Authentication.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
+import static org.elasticsearch.TransportVersions.ROLE_REMOTE_CLUSTER_PRIVS;
 import static org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterPortSettings.TRANSPORT_VERSION_ADVANCED_REMOTE_CLUSTER_SECURITY;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xcontent.ConstructingObjectParser.constructorArg;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xcontent.ConstructingObjectParser.optionalConstructorArg;
@@ -1319,6 +1320,24 @@ private static Map<String, Object> maybeRewriteMetadataForApiKeyRoleDescriptors(
                     )
                 );
             }
+
+            if (authentication.getEffectiveSubject().getTransportVersion().onOrAfter(ROLE_REMOTE_CLUSTER_PRIVS)
+                && streamVersion.before(ROLE_REMOTE_CLUSTER_PRIVS)) {
+                metadata = new HashMap<>(metadata);
+                metadata.put(
+                    AuthenticationField.API_KEY_ROLE_DESCRIPTORS_KEY,
+                    maybeRemoveRemoteClusterFromRoleDescriptors(
+                        (BytesReference) metadata.get(AuthenticationField.API_KEY_ROLE_DESCRIPTORS_KEY)
+                    )
+                );
+                metadata.put(
+                    AuthenticationField.API_KEY_LIMITED_ROLE_DESCRIPTORS_KEY,
+                    maybeRemoveRemoteClusterFromRoleDescriptors(
+                        (BytesReference) metadata.get(AuthenticationField.API_KEY_LIMITED_ROLE_DESCRIPTORS_KEY)
+                    )
+                );
+            }
+
             if (authentication.getEffectiveSubject().getTransportVersion().onOrAfter(VERSION_API_KEY_ROLES_AS_BYTES)
                 && streamVersion.before(VERSION_API_KEY_ROLES_AS_BYTES)) {
                 metadata = new HashMap<>(metadata);
@@ -1397,6 +1416,32 @@ private static BytesReference convertRoleDescriptorsMapToBytes(Map<String, Objec
         }
     }
 
+    static BytesReference maybeRemoveRemoteClusterFromRoleDescriptors(BytesReference roleDescriptorsBytes) {
+        if (roleDescriptorsBytes == null || roleDescriptorsBytes.length() == 0) {
+            return roleDescriptorsBytes;
+        }
+
+        final Map<String, Object> roleDescriptorsMap = convertRoleDescriptorsBytesToMap(roleDescriptorsBytes);
+        final AtomicBoolean removedAtLeastOne = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+        roleDescriptorsMap.forEach((key, value) -> {
+            if (value instanceof Map) {
+                @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+                Map<String, Object> roleDescriptor = (Map<String, Object>) value;
+                boolean removed = roleDescriptor.remove(RoleDescriptor.Fields.REMOTE_CLUSTER.getPreferredName()) != null;
+                if (removed) {
+                    removedAtLeastOne.set(true);
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        if (removedAtLeastOne.get()) {
+            return convertRoleDescriptorsMapToBytes(roleDescriptorsMap);
+        } else {
+            // No need to serialize if we did not remove anything.
+            return roleDescriptorsBytes;
+        }
+    }
+
     static BytesReference maybeRemoveRemoteIndicesFromRoleDescriptors(BytesReference roleDescriptorsBytes) {
         if (roleDescriptorsBytes == null || roleDescriptorsBytes.length() == 0) {
             return roleDescriptorsBytes;