diff --git a/.changelog/13608.txt b/.changelog/13608.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..431009715170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/13608.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+api: refactor ACL check when using the all namespaces wildcard in the job and alloc list endpoints
+```
diff --git a/nomad/alloc_endpoint.go b/nomad/alloc_endpoint.go
index cf678bbd153c..30957db09461 100644
--- a/nomad/alloc_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/alloc_endpoint.go
@@ -35,29 +35,16 @@ func (a *Alloc) List(args *structs.AllocListRequest, reply *structs.AllocListRes
 	defer metrics.MeasureSince([]string{"nomad", "alloc", "list"}, time.Now())
 
 	namespace := args.RequestNamespace()
-	var allow func(string) bool
 
 	// Check namespace read-job permissions
 	aclObj, err := a.srv.ResolveToken(args.AuthToken)
-
-	switch {
-	case err != nil:
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	case aclObj == nil:
-		allow = func(string) bool {
-			return true
-		}
-	case namespace == structs.AllNamespacesSentinel:
-		allow = func(ns string) bool {
-			return aclObj.AllowNsOp(ns, acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob)
-		}
-	case !aclObj.AllowNsOp(namespace, acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob):
+	}
+	if !aclObj.AllowNsOp(namespace, acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob) {
 		return structs.ErrPermissionDenied
-	default:
-		allow = func(string) bool {
-			return true
-		}
 	}
+	allow := aclObj.AllowNsOpFunc(acl.NamespaceCapabilityReadJob)
 
 	// Setup the blocking query
 	sort := state.SortOption(args.Reverse)
diff --git a/nomad/alloc_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/alloc_endpoint_test.go
index b15fae6e30da..63a43774d120 100644
--- a/nomad/alloc_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/alloc_endpoint_test.go
@@ -1284,8 +1284,9 @@ func TestAllocEndpoint_List_AllNamespaces_ACL_OSS(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Label:     "all namespaces with insufficient token",
 			Namespace: "*",
-			Allocs:    []*structs.Allocation{},
 			Token:     ns1tokenInsufficient.SecretID,
+			Error:     true,
+			Message:   structs.ErrPermissionDenied.Error(),
 		},
 		{
 			Label:     "ns1 with ns1 token",
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint.go b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
index f9a4b2497443..5c1e62a624f8 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
@@ -1297,29 +1297,16 @@ func (j *Job) List(args *structs.JobListRequest, reply *structs.JobListResponse)
 	defer metrics.MeasureSince([]string{"nomad", "job", "list"}, time.Now())
 
 	namespace := args.RequestNamespace()
-	var allow func(string) bool
 
 	// Check for list-job permissions
 	aclObj, err := j.srv.ResolveToken(args.AuthToken)
-
-	switch {
-	case err != nil:
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	case aclObj == nil:
-		allow = func(string) bool {
-			return true
-		}
-	case namespace == structs.AllNamespacesSentinel:
-		allow = func(ns string) bool {
-			return aclObj.AllowNsOp(ns, acl.NamespaceCapabilityListJobs)
-		}
-	case !aclObj.AllowNsOp(namespace, acl.NamespaceCapabilityListJobs):
+	}
+	if !aclObj.AllowNsOp(namespace, acl.NamespaceCapabilityListJobs) {
 		return structs.ErrPermissionDenied
-	default:
-		allow = func(string) bool {
-			return true
-		}
 	}
+	allow := aclObj.AllowNsOpFunc(acl.NamespaceCapabilityListJobs)
 
 	// Setup the blocking query
 	opts := blockingOptions{
@@ -1330,7 +1317,7 @@ func (j *Job) List(args *structs.JobListRequest, reply *structs.JobListResponse)
 			var err error
 			var iter memdb.ResultIterator
 
-			// check if user has permission to all namespaces
+			// Get the namespaces the user is allowed to access.
 			allowableNamespaces, err := allowedNSes(aclObj, state, allow)
 			if err == structs.ErrPermissionDenied {
 				// return empty jobs if token isn't authorized for any