diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
index b736f788a2..9cc623d0ee 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ public class Functions {
     }
 
     public static List<Descriptor<SecurityRealm>> getSecurityRealmDescriptors() {
-        return SecurityRealm.LIST;
+        return SecurityRealm.all();
     }
 
     public static List<Descriptor<AuthorizationStrategy>> getAuthorizationStrategyDescriptors() {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java
index 418e9d53df..bfd3faf2dd 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/model/Hudson.java
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ import hudson.ExtensionPoint;
 import hudson.DescriptorExtensionList;
 import hudson.ExtensionListView;
 import hudson.logging.LogRecorderManager;
-import hudson.lifecycle.WindowsInstallerLink;
 import hudson.lifecycle.Lifecycle;
 import hudson.model.Descriptor.FormException;
 import hudson.model.listeners.ItemListener;
@@ -720,7 +719,7 @@ public final class Hudson extends Node implements ItemGroup<TopLevelItem>, Stapl
      * Gets the {@link SecurityRealm} descriptors by name. Primarily used for making them web-visible.
      */
     public Descriptor<SecurityRealm> getSecurityRealms(String shortClassName) {
-        return findDescriptor(shortClassName,SecurityRealm.LIST);
+        return findDescriptor(shortClassName,SecurityRealm.all());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1960,7 +1959,7 @@ public final class Hudson extends Node implements ItemGroup<TopLevelItem>, Stapl
             if (json.has("use_security")) {
                 useSecurity = true;
                 JSONObject security = json.getJSONObject("use_security");
-                setSecurityRealm(SecurityRealm.LIST.newInstanceFromRadioList(security,"realm"));
+                setSecurityRealm(SecurityRealm.all().newInstanceFromRadioList(security,"realm"));
                 setAuthorizationStrategy(AuthorizationStrategy.all().newInstanceFromRadioList(security, "authorization"));
             } else {
                 useSecurity = null;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/SecurityRealm.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/SecurityRealm.java
index 0903fe7d6e..0eec99349c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/SecurityRealm.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/SecurityRealm.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import com.octo.captcha.service.CaptchaServiceException;
 import com.octo.captcha.service.image.DefaultManageableImageCaptchaService;
 import groovy.lang.Binding;
 import hudson.ExtensionPoint;
+import hudson.DescriptorExtensionList;
+import hudson.Extension;
 import hudson.model.Describable;
 import hudson.model.Descriptor;
 import hudson.model.Hudson;
@@ -396,8 +398,19 @@ public abstract class SecurityRealm implements Describable<SecurityRealm>, Exten
 
     /**
      * All registered {@link SecurityRealm} implementations.
+     *
+     * @deprecated as of 1.286
+     *      Use {@link #all()} for read access, and use {@link Extension} for registration.
      */
     public static final DescriptorList<SecurityRealm> LIST = new DescriptorList<SecurityRealm>(SecurityRealm.class);
 
+    /**
+     * Returns all the registered {@link SecurityRealm} descriptors.
+     */
+    public static DescriptorExtensionList<SecurityRealm,Descriptor<SecurityRealm>> all() {
+        return Hudson.getInstance().getDescriptorList(SecurityRealm.class);
+    }
+
+
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(SecurityRealm.class.getName());
 }