diff --git a/changelog/67746.added.md b/changelog/67746.added.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7f117aa6ddac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/67746.added.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add `_auth` calls to the master stats
diff --git a/salt/channel/server.py b/salt/channel/server.py
index 4c43f7a29641..bb35c45a67c5 100644
--- a/salt/channel/server.py
+++ b/salt/channel/server.py
@@ -268,7 +268,13 @@ async def handle_message(self, payload):
                 payload["enc"] == "clear"
                 and payload.get("load", {}).get("cmd") == "_auth"
             ):
-                return self._auth(payload["load"], sign_messages, version)
+                # Store time at the beginning of serving _auth call
+                # to calculate duration of the call with master_stats
+                start = time.time()
+                ret = self._auth(payload["load"], sign_messages, version)
+                if self.opts.get("master_stats", False):
+                    await self.payload_handler({"cmd": "_auth", "_start": start})
+                return ret
 
             # Take the payload_handler function that was registered when we created the channel
             # and call it, returning control to the caller until it completes
diff --git a/salt/master.py b/salt/master.py
index c49b34e0f3a9..8e10152dc7ce 100644
--- a/salt/master.py
+++ b/salt/master.py
@@ -1203,6 +1203,11 @@ async def _handle_payload(self, payload):
 
         :param dict payload: The payload route to the appropriate handler
         """
+        if payload.get("cmd") == "_auth":
+            if self.opts["master_stats"]:
+                self.stats["_auth"]["runs"] += 1
+                self._post_stats(payload["_start"], "_auth")
+            return
         key = payload["enc"]
         load = payload["load"]
         if key == "clear":
diff --git a/tests/pytests/unit/channel/test_server.py b/tests/pytests/unit/channel/test_server.py
index 8f6852deb519..152d49bf5898 100644
--- a/tests/pytests/unit/channel/test_server.py
+++ b/tests/pytests/unit/channel/test_server.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import ctypes
 import multiprocessing
+import time
 import uuid
 
 import pytest
@@ -553,3 +554,41 @@ async def test_handle_message_exceptions(temp_salt_master):
                     {"version": 3, "enc": "clear", "load": {}}
                 )
                 assert ret == "Server-side exception handling payload"
+
+
+async def test__auth_cmd_stats_passing(auth_master_opts):
+    opts = auth_master_opts.copy()
+    opts.update(
+        {
+            "master_stats": True,
+        }
+    )
+    req = server.ReqServerChannel(opts, None)
+
+    fake_ret = {"enc": "clear", "load": b"FAKELOAD"}
+
+    def _auth_mock(*_, **__):
+        time.sleep(0.03)
+        return fake_ret
+
+    with patch.object(req, "_auth", _auth_mock), patch(
+        "salt.channel.server.ReqServerChannel.payload_handler",
+        AsyncMock(return_value=(None, {"fun": "send"})),
+        create=True,
+    ) as payload_handler:
+        ret = await req.handle_message(
+            {
+                "enc": "clear",
+                "version": 3,
+                "load": {
+                    "cmd": "_auth",
+                    "id": "minion",
+                },
+            }
+        )
+        cur_time = time.time()
+        payload_handler.assert_called_once()
+        assert payload_handler.call_args[0][0]["cmd"] == "_auth"
+        auth_call_duration = cur_time - payload_handler.call_args[0][0]["_start"]
+        assert auth_call_duration >= 0.03
+        assert auth_call_duration < 0.05
diff --git a/tests/pytests/unit/test_master.py b/tests/pytests/unit/test_master.py
index 768f78b65e2f..8732c3c90d98 100644
--- a/tests/pytests/unit/test_master.py
+++ b/tests/pytests/unit/test_master.py
@@ -1259,3 +1259,28 @@ def test_on_demand_not_allowed(not_allowed_funcs, tmp_path, caplog):
         "The following ext_pillar modules are not allowed for on-demand pillar data: git."
         in caplog.text
     )
+
+
+async def test_collect__auth_to_master_stats():
+    """
+    Check if master stats is collecting _auth calls while not calling neither _handle_aes nor _handle_clear
+    """
+    opts = {
+        "master_stats": True,
+        "master_stats_event_iter": 10,
+    }
+    req_channel_mock = MagicMock()
+    mworker = salt.master.MWorker(opts, {}, {}, [req_channel_mock])
+    with patch.object(mworker, "_handle_aes") as handle_aes_mock, patch.object(
+        mworker, "_handle_clear"
+    ) as handle_clear_mock:
+        await mworker._handle_payload({"cmd": "_auth", "_start": time.time() - 0.02})
+        assert mworker.stats["_auth"]["runs"] == 1
+        assert mworker.stats["_auth"]["mean"] >= 0.02
+        assert mworker.stats["_auth"]["mean"] < 0.04
+        await mworker._handle_payload({"cmd": "_auth", "_start": time.time() - 0.02})
+        assert mworker.stats["_auth"]["runs"] == 2
+        assert mworker.stats["_auth"]["mean"] >= 0.02
+        assert mworker.stats["_auth"]["mean"] < 0.04
+        handle_aes_mock.assert_not_called()
+        handle_clear_mock.assert_not_called()