diff --git a/site-modules/profile/templates/varnish/vhost.vcl.erb b/site-modules/profile/templates/varnish/vhost.vcl.erb
--- a/site-modules/profile/templates/varnish/vhost.vcl.erb
+++ b/site-modules/profile/templates/varnish/vhost.vcl.erb
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
             set req.http.x-redir = "https://" + req.http.host + req.url;
             return(synth(850, "Moved permanently"));
         } else {
+            set req.backend_hint = <%= @backend_name %>;
+
 <%- if @basic_auth -%>
             if ( 1 == 1  # noop expression to be syntactically correct with the following &&
     <%- @basic_auth_strings.each do | basic_auth_string | -%>
@@ -31,7 +33,6 @@
             }
 <% end -%>
             set req.http.X-Forwarded-Proto = "https";
-            set req.backend_hint = <%= @backend_name %>;
         }
 <% if @vcl_recv_extra -%>
         <%= @vcl_recv_extra %>