diff --git a/xcache.c b/xcache.c
index f37aa29..8af66e1 100644
--- a/xcache.c
+++ b/xcache.c
@@ -2530,6 +2530,11 @@ static int xcache_admin_auth_check(TSRMLS_D) /* {{{ */
 	char *admin_pass = NULL;
 	HashTable *ht;
 
+	/* auth disabled, nothing to do.. */
+	if (!XG(auth_enabled)) {
+		return 1;
+	}
+
 	if (cfg_get_string("xcache.admin.user", &admin_user) == FAILURE || !admin_user[0]) {
 		admin_user = NULL;
 	}
@@ -3435,6 +3440,7 @@ PHP_INI_BEGIN()
 
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("xcache.cacher",                 "1", PHP_INI_ALL,    OnUpdateBool,        cacher,            zend_xcache_globals, xcache_globals)
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("xcache.stat",                   "1", PHP_INI_ALL,    OnUpdateBool,        stat,              zend_xcache_globals, xcache_globals)
+	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("xcache.admin.enable_auth",      "1", PHP_INI_SYSTEM, OnUpdateBool,        auth_enabled,      zend_xcache_globals, xcache_globals)
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("xcache.experimental",           "0", PHP_INI_ALL,    OnUpdateBool,        experimental,      zend_xcache_globals, xcache_globals)
 #ifdef HAVE_XCACHE_OPTIMIZER
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("xcache.optimizer",              "0", PHP_INI_ALL,    OnUpdateBool,        optimizer,         zend_xcache_globals, xcache_globals)
diff --git a/xcache_globals.h b/xcache_globals.h
index b4d5043..312a9ea 100644
--- a/xcache_globals.h
+++ b/xcache_globals.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ ZEND_BEGIN_MODULE_GLOBALS(xcache)
 	xc_stack_t *var_holds;
 	time_t request_time;
 	long   var_ttl;
+	zend_bool auth_enabled;
 
 	zend_llist gc_op_arrays;