diff --git a/docs/usage/routes.md b/docs/usage/routes.md
index f30a390a..6f4c8f51 100644
--- a/docs/usage/routes.md
+++ b/docs/usage/routes.md
@@ -229,9 +229,7 @@ Return the authorization URL for the OAuth service where you should redirect you
     ```
 
 !!! fail "`422 Validation Error`"
-
-!!! fail "`400 Bad Request`"
-    Unknown authentication backend.
+    Invalid parameters - e.g. unknown authentication backend.
 
 ### `GET /callback`
 
diff --git a/fastapi_users/models.py b/fastapi_users/models.py
index 6529a3f5..b9c8330d 100644
--- a/fastapi_users/models.py
+++ b/fastapi_users/models.py
@@ -79,3 +79,7 @@ class BaseOAuthAccountMixin(BaseModel):
     """Adds OAuth accounts list to a User model."""
 
     oauth_accounts: List[BaseOAuthAccount] = []
+
+
+class OAuth2AuthorizeResponse(BaseModel):
+    authorization_url: str
diff --git a/fastapi_users/router/oauth.py b/fastapi_users/router/oauth.py
index 1bbdbf05..1553635d 100644
--- a/fastapi_users/router/oauth.py
+++ b/fastapi_users/router/oauth.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import enum
 from typing import Dict, List
 
 import jwt
@@ -43,27 +44,28 @@ def get_oauth_router(
             route_name=callback_route_name,
         )
 
-    @router.get("/authorize", name="oauth:authorize")
+    AuthenticationBackendName: enum.EnumMeta = enum.Enum(
+        "AuthenticationBackendName",
+        {backend.name: backend.name for backend in authenticator.backends},
+    )
+
+    @router.get(
+        "/authorize",
+        name="oauth:authorize",
+        response_model=models.OAuth2AuthorizeResponse,
+    )
     async def authorize(
         request: Request,
-        authentication_backend: str,
+        authentication_backend: AuthenticationBackendName,
         scopes: List[str] = Query(None),
     ):
-        # Check that authentication_backend exists
-        backend_exists = any(
-            backend.name == authentication_backend for backend in authenticator.backends
-        )
-
-        if not backend_exists:
-            raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
-
         if redirect_url is not None:
             authorize_redirect_url = redirect_url
         else:
             authorize_redirect_url = request.url_for(callback_route_name)
 
         state_data = {
-            "authentication_backend": authentication_backend,
+            "authentication_backend": str(authentication_backend),
         }
         state = generate_state_token(state_data, state_secret)
         authorization_url = await oauth_client.get_authorization_url(
diff --git a/tests/test_router_oauth.py b/tests/test_router_oauth.py
index 53b4e2b1..d4c87450 100644
--- a/tests/test_router_oauth.py
+++ b/tests/test_router_oauth.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class TestAuthorize:
             },
         )
 
-        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST
+        assert response.status_code == status.HTTP_422_UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY
 
     async def test_success(
         self,