diff --git a/fastapi_users/authentication/__init__.py b/fastapi_users/authentication/__init__.py
index c7874ccd..eba64491 100644
--- a/fastapi_users/authentication/__init__.py
+++ b/fastapi_users/authentication/__init__.py
@@ -47,6 +47,38 @@ class Authenticator:
         self.backends = backends
         self.user_db = user_db
 
+        self.get_current_user = self.get_auth_dependency(required=True)
+        self.get_current_active_user = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            required=True, active=True
+        )
+        self.get_current_verified_user = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            required=True, active=True, verified=True
+        )
+        self.get_current_superuser = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            required=True, active=True, superuser=True
+        )
+        self.get_current_verified_superuser = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            required=True, active=True, verified=True, superuser=True
+        )
+        self.get_optional_current_user = self.get_auth_dependency()
+        self.get_optional_current_active_user = self.get_auth_dependency(active=True)
+        self.get_optional_current_verified_user = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            active=True, verified=True
+        )
+        self.get_optional_current_superuser = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            active=True, superuser=True
+        )
+        self.get_optional_current_verified_superuser = self.get_auth_dependency(
+            active=True, verified=True, superuser=True
+        )
+
+    def get_auth_dependency(
+        self,
+        required: bool = False,
+        active: bool = False,
+        verified: bool = False,
+        superuser: bool = False,
+    ):
         # Here comes some blood magic 🧙‍♂️
         # Thank to "makefun", we are able to generate callable
         # with a dynamic number of dependencies at runtime.
@@ -64,100 +96,46 @@ class Authenticator:
         except ValueError:
             raise DuplicateBackendNamesError()
 
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_optional_current_user")
-        async def get_optional_current_user(*args, **kwargs):
-            return await self._authenticate(*args, **kwargs)
+        @with_signature(signature)
+        async def auth_dependency(*args, **kwargs):
+            return await self._authenticate(
+                *args,
+                required=required,
+                active=active,
+                verified=verified,
+                superuser=superuser,
+                **kwargs
+            )
 
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_optional_current_active_user")
-        async def get_optional_current_active_user(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if not user or not user.is_active:
-                return None
-            return user
+        return auth_dependency
 
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_optional_current_verified_user")
-        async def get_optional_current_verified_user(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_active_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if not user or not user.is_verified:
-                return None
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_optional_current_superuser")
-        async def get_optional_current_superuser(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_active_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if not user or not user.is_superuser:
-                return None
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_optional_current_verified_superuser")
-        async def get_optional_current_verified_superuser(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_verified_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if not user or not user.is_superuser:
-                return None
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_current_user")
-        async def get_current_user(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if user is None:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception()
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_current_active_user")
-        async def get_current_active_user(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_active_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if user is None:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception()
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_current_verified_user")
-        async def get_current_verified_user(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_verified_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if user is None:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception()
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_current_superuser")
-        async def get_current_superuser(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_active_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if user is None:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception()
-            if not user.is_superuser:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception(status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN)
-            return user
-
-        @with_signature(signature, func_name="get_current_verified_superuser")
-        async def get_current_verified_superuser(*args, **kwargs):
-            user = await get_optional_current_verified_user(*args, **kwargs)
-            if user is None:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception()
-            if not user.is_superuser:
-                raise self._get_credentials_exception(status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN)
-            return user
-
-        self.get_current_user = get_current_user
-        self.get_current_active_user = get_current_active_user
-        self.get_current_verified_user = get_current_verified_user
-        self.get_current_superuser = get_current_superuser
-        self.get_current_verified_superuser = get_current_verified_superuser
-        self.get_optional_current_user = get_optional_current_user
-        self.get_optional_current_active_user = get_optional_current_active_user
-        self.get_optional_current_verified_user = get_optional_current_verified_user
-        self.get_optional_current_superuser = get_optional_current_superuser
-        self.get_optional_current_verified_superuser = (
-            get_optional_current_verified_superuser
-        )
-
-    async def _authenticate(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Optional[BaseUserDB]:
+    async def _authenticate(
+        self,
+        *args,
+        required: bool = False,
+        active: bool = False,
+        verified: bool = False,
+        superuser: bool = False,
+        **kwargs
+    ) -> Optional[BaseUserDB]:
+        user: Optional[BaseUserDB] = None
         for backend in self.backends:
             token: str = kwargs[name_to_variable_name(backend.name)]
             if token:
                 user = await backend(token, self.user_db)
-                if user is not None:
-                    return user
-        return None
+                if user:
+                    break
 
-    def _get_credentials_exception(
-        self, status_code: int = status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED
-    ) -> HTTPException:
-        return HTTPException(status_code=status_code)
+        status_code = status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED
+        if user:
+            if active and not user.is_active:
+                user = None
+            elif verified and not user.is_verified:
+                user = None
+            elif superuser and not user.is_superuser:
+                status_code = status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN
+                user = None
+
+        if not user and required:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=status_code)
+        return user