diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/8917-proxmox-clean-auth.yml b/changelogs/fragments/8917-proxmox-clean-auth.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0681f326a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/8917-proxmox-clean-auth.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - proxmox inventory plugin - clean up authentication code (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/8917).
diff --git a/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py b/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
index edfadfd8ad..d7e2107719 100644
--- a/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
+++ b/plugins/inventory/proxmox.py
@@ -275,11 +275,10 @@ class InventoryModule(BaseInventoryPlugin, Constructable, Cacheable):
         return self.session
 
     def _get_auth(self):
-        credentials = urlencode({'username': self.proxmox_user, 'password': self.proxmox_password, })
 
         if self.proxmox_password:
 
-            credentials = urlencode({'username': self.proxmox_user, 'password': self.proxmox_password, })
+            credentials = urlencode({'username': self.proxmox_user, 'password': self.proxmox_password})
 
             a = self._get_session()