diff --git a/custom/conf/app.example.ini b/custom/conf/app.example.ini
index a2fab2fd509..fbaea9dc273 100644
--- a/custom/conf/app.example.ini
+++ b/custom/conf/app.example.ini
@@ -759,6 +759,8 @@ LEVEL = Info
 ;;
 ;; More detail: https://github.com/gogits/gogs/issues/165
 ;ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION = false
+; Enable this to allow reverse proxy authentication for API requests, the reverse proxy is responsible for ensuring that no CSRF is possible.
+;ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION_API = false
 ;ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTO_REGISTRATION = false
 ;ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_EMAIL = false
 ;ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_FULL_NAME = false
diff --git a/docs/content/administration/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md b/docs/content/administration/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md
index 7e8befb8b7e..f11825aaf21 100644
--- a/docs/content/administration/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md
+++ b/docs/content/administration/config-cheat-sheet.en-us.md
@@ -621,7 +621,8 @@ And the following unique queues:
    BASIC and the user's password. Please note if you disable this you will not be able to access the
    tokens API endpoints using a password. Further, this only disables BASIC authentication using the
    password - not tokens or OAuth Basic.
-- `ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION`: **false**: Enable this to allow reverse proxy authentication.
+- `ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION`: **false**: Enable this to allow reverse proxy authentication for web requests
+- `ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION_API`: **false**: Enable this to allow reverse proxy authentication for API requests, the reverse proxy is responsible for ensuring that no CSRF is possible.
 - `ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTO_REGISTRATION`: **false**: Enable this to allow auto-registration
    for reverse authentication.
 - `ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_EMAIL`: **false**: Enable this to allow to auto-registration with a
diff --git a/modules/setting/service.go b/modules/setting/service.go
index 74a7e90f7c8..3ea1501236d 100644
--- a/modules/setting/service.go
+++ b/modules/setting/service.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ var Service = struct {
 	EnableNotifyMail                        bool
 	EnableBasicAuth                         bool
 	EnableReverseProxyAuth                  bool
+	EnableReverseProxyAuthAPI               bool
 	EnableReverseProxyAutoRegister          bool
 	EnableReverseProxyEmail                 bool
 	EnableReverseProxyFullName              bool
@@ -157,6 +158,7 @@ func loadServiceFrom(rootCfg ConfigProvider) {
 	Service.RequireSignInView = sec.Key("REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW").MustBool()
 	Service.EnableBasicAuth = sec.Key("ENABLE_BASIC_AUTHENTICATION").MustBool(true)
 	Service.EnableReverseProxyAuth = sec.Key("ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION").MustBool()
+	Service.EnableReverseProxyAuthAPI = sec.Key("ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTHENTICATION_API").MustBool()
 	Service.EnableReverseProxyAutoRegister = sec.Key("ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_AUTO_REGISTRATION").MustBool()
 	Service.EnableReverseProxyEmail = sec.Key("ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_EMAIL").MustBool()
 	Service.EnableReverseProxyFullName = sec.Key("ENABLE_REVERSE_PROXY_FULL_NAME").MustBool()
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/api.go b/routers/api/v1/api.go
index 74e68e9ee21..757b4067996 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/api.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/api.go
@@ -333,8 +333,11 @@ func reqExploreSignIn() func(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	}
 }
 
-func reqBasicAuth() func(ctx *context.APIContext) {
+func reqBasicOrRevProxyAuth() func(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	return func(ctx *context.APIContext) {
+		if ctx.IsSigned && setting.Service.EnableReverseProxyAuthAPI && ctx.Data["AuthedMethod"].(string) == auth.ReverseProxyMethodName {
+			return
+		}
 		if !ctx.IsBasicAuth {
 			ctx.Error(http.StatusUnauthorized, "reqBasicAuth", "auth required")
 			return
@@ -698,6 +701,9 @@ func buildAuthGroup() *auth.Group {
 		&auth.HTTPSign{},
 		&auth.Basic{}, // FIXME: this should be removed once we don't allow basic auth in API
 	)
+	if setting.Service.EnableReverseProxyAuthAPI {
+		group.Add(&auth.ReverseProxy{})
+	}
 	specialAdd(group)
 
 	return group
@@ -800,7 +806,7 @@ func Routes() *web.Route {
 					m.Combo("").Get(user.ListAccessTokens).
 						Post(bind(api.CreateAccessTokenOption{}), reqToken(), user.CreateAccessToken)
 					m.Combo("/{id}").Delete(reqToken(), user.DeleteAccessToken)
-				}, reqBasicAuth())
+				}, reqBasicOrRevProxyAuth())
 
 				m.Get("/activities/feeds", user.ListUserActivityFeeds)
 			}, context_service.UserAssignmentAPI())