diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index 28fd3b16d6..c659fac0c5 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     eldap_filter_yecc, 'XmppAddr', mongoose_xmpp_errors,
     %% *_backend
     mongoose_rdbms_backend, mod_vcard_backend,
-    ejabberd_sm_backend, mod_auth_token_backend,
+    ejabberd_sm_backend,
     mod_bosh_backend, mod_event_pusher_push_backend,
     mod_global_distrib_mapping_backend, mod_http_upload_backend,
     mod_inbox_backend, mod_keystore_backend,
diff --git a/src/gen_mod.erl b/src/gen_mod.erl
index a317ee8e0d..0834ce226d 100644
--- a/src/gen_mod.erl
+++ b/src/gen_mod.erl
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
          start_module/3,
          start_backend_module/2,
          start_backend_module/3,
-         get_backend_module/2,
+         get_backend_module/3,
          stop_module/2,
          stop_module_keep_config/2,
          reload_module/3,
@@ -225,8 +225,9 @@ start_backend_module(Module, Opts, TrackedFuncs) ->
     Backend = gen_mod:get_opt(backend, Opts, mnesia),
     backend_module:create(Module, Backend, TrackedFuncs).
 
-get_backend_module(HostType, Module) ->
-    Backend = get_module_opt(HostType, Module, backend, mnesia),
+-spec get_backend_module(host_type(), module(), atom()) -> module().
+get_backend_module(HostType, Module, DefaultBackend) ->
+    Backend = get_module_opt(HostType, Module, backend, DefaultBackend),
     backend_module(Module, Backend).
 
 backend_module(Module, Backend) ->
diff --git a/src/mod_auth_token.erl b/src/mod_auth_token.erl
index 92b9669503..95832d6ed8 100644
--- a/src/mod_auth_token.erl
+++ b/src/mod_auth_token.erl
@@ -51,12 +51,7 @@
               token/0,
               token_type/0]).
 
--define(MOD_AUTH_TOKEN_BACKEND, mod_auth_token_backend).
 -ignore_xref([
-    {?MOD_AUTH_TOKEN_BACKEND, start, 1},
-    {?MOD_AUTH_TOKEN_BACKEND, revoke, 2},
-    {?MOD_AUTH_TOKEN_BACKEND, get_valid_sequence_number, 2},
-    {?MOD_AUTH_TOKEN_BACKEND, clean_tokens, 2},
     behaviour_info/1, clean_tokens/3, datetime_to_seconds/1, deserialize/1,
     disco_local_features/1, expiry_datetime/3, get_key_for_host_type/2, process_iq/5,
     revoke/2, revoke_token_command/1, seconds_to_datetime/1, serialize/1, token/3,
@@ -74,14 +69,6 @@
                            | {ok, module(), jid:user(), binary()}
                            | error().
 
--callback start(mongooseim:host_type()) -> ok.
-
--callback revoke(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> ok | not_found.
-
--callback get_valid_sequence_number(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> integer().
-
--callback clean_tokens(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> ok.
-
 -define(A2B(A), atom_to_binary(A, utf8)).
 
 -define(I2B(I), integer_to_binary(I)).
@@ -94,7 +81,6 @@
 -spec start(mongooseim:host_type(), gen_mod:module_opts()) -> ok.
 start(HostType, Opts) ->
     IQDisc = gen_mod:get_opt(iqdisc, Opts, no_queue),
-    gen_mod:start_backend_module(?MODULE, default_opts(Opts)),
     mod_auth_token_backend:start(HostType),
     ejabberd_hooks:add(hooks(HostType)),
     gen_iq_handler:add_iq_handler_for_domain(
@@ -144,9 +130,6 @@ process_validity_period(KVs) ->
         proplists:split(KVs, [token, value, unit]),
     {{validity_period, Token}, {Value, Unit}}.
 
-default_opts(Opts) ->
-    [{backend, rdbms} || not proplists:is_defined(backend, Opts)] ++ Opts.
-
 -spec commands() -> [ejabberd_commands:cmd()].
 commands() ->
     [#ejabberd_commands{ name = revoke_token, tags = [tokens],
diff --git a/src/mod_auth_token_backend.erl b/src/mod_auth_token_backend.erl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e9769629d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mod_auth_token_backend.erl
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+%%%----------------------------------------------------------------------
+%%% @copyright 2021, Erlang Solutions Ltd.
+%%% @doc A proxy interface module between the main mod_auth_token
+%%% module and the backend modules.
+%%% @end
+%%%----------------------------------------------------------------------
+-module(mod_auth_token_backend).
+-export([start/1,
+         revoke/2,
+         get_valid_sequence_number/2,
+         clean_tokens/2]).
+
+-define(MAIN_MODULE, mod_auth_token).
+
+%% ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+%% Callbacks
+
+-callback start(mongooseim:host_type()) -> ok.
+
+-callback revoke(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> ok | not_found.
+
+-callback get_valid_sequence_number(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> integer().
+
+-callback clean_tokens(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> ok.
+
+%% ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+%% API Functions
+
+-spec start(HostType :: mongooseim:host_type()) -> ok.
+start(HostType) ->
+    mongoose_backend:init_per_host_type(HostType, ?MAIN_MODULE, [], rdbms),
+    Args = [HostType],
+    mongoose_backend:call(HostType, ?MAIN_MODULE, ?FUNCTION_NAME, Args).
+
+-spec revoke(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> ok | not_found.
+revoke(HostType, JID) ->
+    Args = [HostType, JID],
+    mongoose_backend:call(HostType, ?MAIN_MODULE, ?FUNCTION_NAME, Args).
+
+-spec get_valid_sequence_number(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> integer().
+get_valid_sequence_number(HostType, JID) ->
+    Args = [HostType, JID],
+    mongoose_backend:call(HostType, ?MAIN_MODULE, ?FUNCTION_NAME, Args).
+
+-spec clean_tokens(mongooseim:host_type(), jid:jid()) -> ok.
+clean_tokens(HostType, JID) ->
+    Args = [HostType, JID],
+    mongoose_backend:call(HostType, ?MAIN_MODULE, ?FUNCTION_NAME, Args).
diff --git a/src/mod_auth_token_rdbms.erl b/src/mod_auth_token_rdbms.erl
index afe3d2a7ef..23e7f25da3 100644
--- a/src/mod_auth_token_rdbms.erl
+++ b/src/mod_auth_token_rdbms.erl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 -module(mod_auth_token_rdbms).
--behaviour(mod_auth_token).
+-behaviour(mod_auth_token_backend).
 
 -export([start/1,
          get_valid_sequence_number/2,
diff --git a/src/mongoose_backend.erl b/src/mongoose_backend.erl
index 4d14a8dc2f..1dd717cc0d 100644
--- a/src/mongoose_backend.erl
+++ b/src/mongoose_backend.erl
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 %% API
 -export([init_per_host_type/3,
+         init_per_host_type/4,
          call/4,
          call_tracked/4]).
 
@@ -20,8 +21,15 @@
                          MainModule :: main_module(),
                          TrackedFuns :: [function_name()]) -> ok.
 init_per_host_type(HostType, MainModule, TrackedFuns) ->
+    init_per_host_type(HostType, MainModule, TrackedFuns, mnesia).
+
+-spec init_per_host_type(HostType :: mongooseim:host_type(),
+                         MainModule :: main_module(),
+                         TrackedFuns :: [function_name()],
+                         DefaultBackend :: atom()) -> ok.
+init_per_host_type(HostType, MainModule, TrackedFuns, DefaultBackend) ->
     ensure_backend_metrics(MainModule, TrackedFuns),
-    Backend = gen_mod:get_backend_module(HostType, MainModule),
+    Backend = gen_mod:get_backend_module(HostType, MainModule, DefaultBackend),
     persist_backend_name(HostType, MainModule, Backend),
     ok.
 
diff --git a/test/auth_tokens_SUITE.erl b/test/auth_tokens_SUITE.erl
index 46a5c40140..8a1c33139a 100644
--- a/test/auth_tokens_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/auth_tokens_SUITE.erl
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ end_per_testcase(Test, C)
              Test =:= validation_property;
              Test =:= choose_key_by_token_type ->
     meck:unload(mongoose_metrics),
-    meck:unload(mod_auth_token_rdbms),
+    meck:unload(mod_auth_token_backend),
     async_helper:stop_all(C),
     C;
 
 end_per_testcase(validity_period_test, C) ->
-    meck:unload(mod_auth_token_rdbms),
+    meck:unload(mod_auth_token_backend),
     meck:unload(mongoose_metrics),
     meck:unload(gen_iq_handler),
     meck:unload(ejabberd_commands),
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ end_per_testcase(validity_period_test, C) ->
 
 end_per_testcase(revoked_token_is_not_valid, C) ->
     meck:unload(mongoose_metrics),
-    meck:unload(mod_auth_token_rdbms),
+    meck:unload(mod_auth_token_backend),
     async_helper:stop_all(C),
     C;
 
@@ -240,11 +240,10 @@ mock_mongoose_metrics() ->
     ok.
 
 mock_rdbms_backend() ->
-    meck:new(mod_auth_token_rdbms, []),
-    meck:expect(mod_auth_token_rdbms, start, fun(_) -> ok end),
-    meck:expect(mod_auth_token_rdbms, get_valid_sequence_number,
+    meck:new(mod_auth_token_backend, []),
+    meck:expect(mod_auth_token_backend, start, fun(_) -> ok end),
+    meck:expect(mod_auth_token_backend, get_valid_sequence_number,
                 fun (_, _) -> valid_seq_no_threshold() end),
-    gen_mod:start_backend_module(?TESTED, [{backend, rdbms}]),
     ok.
 
 mock_keystore() ->
@@ -261,8 +260,8 @@ mod_keystore_get_key(_, {KeyName, _} = KeyID) ->
     end.
 
 mock_tested_backend() ->
-    meck:new(mod_auth_token_rdbms, []),
-    meck:expect(mod_auth_token_rdbms, get_valid_sequence_number,
+    meck:new(mod_auth_token_backend, []),
+    meck:expect(mod_auth_token_backend, get_valid_sequence_number,
                 fun (_, _) ->
                         receive {valid_seq_no, SeqNo} -> SeqNo end
                 end).