diff --git a/src/console_cmds.cpp b/src/console_cmds.cpp
index cc09e90c26..bfe89ba3cb 100644
--- a/src/console_cmds.cpp
+++ b/src/console_cmds.cpp
@@ -954,6 +954,7 @@ DEF_CONSOLE_CMD(ConSettingsAccess)
 	if (argc == 0) {
 		IConsolePrint(CC_HELP, "Enable changing game settings from this client. Usage: 'settings_access <password>'");
 		IConsolePrint(CC_HELP, "Send an empty password \"\" to drop access");
+		IConsolePrint(CC_HELP, "When your client's public key is in the 'authorized keys' for 'settings', the password is not checked and may be '*'.");
 		return true;
 	}
 
@@ -2144,6 +2145,7 @@ DEF_CONSOLE_CMD(ConCompanyPassword)
 static std::vector<std::pair<std::string_view, std::vector<std::string> *>> _console_cmd_authorized_keys{
 	{ "rcon", &_settings_client.network.rcon_authorized_keys },
 	{ "server", &_settings_client.network.server_authorized_keys },
+	{ "settings", &_settings_client.network.settings_authorized_keys },
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/network/network_server.cpp b/src/network/network_server.cpp
index e7470a7180..46409451c8 100644
--- a/src/network/network_server.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_server.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ template SocketList TCPListenHandler<ServerNetworkGameSocketHandler, PACKET_SERV
 static NetworkAuthenticationDefaultPasswordProvider _password_provider(_settings_client.network.server_password); ///< Provides the password validation for the game's password.
 static NetworkAuthenticationDefaultAuthorizedKeyHandler _authorized_key_handler(_settings_client.network.server_authorized_keys); ///< Provides the authorized key handling for the game authentication.
 static NetworkAuthenticationDefaultAuthorizedKeyHandler _rcon_authorized_key_handler(_settings_client.network.rcon_authorized_keys); ///< Provides the authorized key validation for rcon.
+static NetworkAuthenticationDefaultAuthorizedKeyHandler _settings_authorized_key_handler(_settings_client.network.settings_authorized_keys); ///< Provides the authorized key validation for settings access.
 
 
 /** Writing a savegame directly to a number of packets. */
@@ -1124,6 +1125,11 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkGameSocketHandler::Receive_CLIENT_SETTINGS_PASSWO
 	if (!p.CanReadFromPacket(1)) {
 		if (this->settings_authed) DEBUG(net, 0, "[settings-ctrl] client-id %d deauthed", this->client_id);
 		this->settings_authed = false;
+	} else if (_settings_authorized_key_handler.IsAllowed(this->peer_public_key)) {
+		/* Public key in allow list */
+		DEBUG(net, 0, "[settings-ctrl] client-id %d (pubkey)", this->client_id);
+		this->settings_authed = true;
+		this->settings_auth_failures = 0;
 	} else if (_settings_client.network.settings_password.empty() ||
 			!this->ParseKeyPasswordPacket(p, ss, _settings_client.network.settings_password, nullptr, 0)) {
 		DEBUG(net, 0, "[settings-ctrl] wrong password from client-id %d", this->client_id);
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 2bfac0bd9e..249bf27bb1 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ private:
 		"server_bind_addresses",
 		"server_authorized_keys",
 		"rcon_authorized_keys",
+		"settings_authorized_keys",
 	};
 
 public:
@@ -2782,6 +2783,7 @@ static void HandlePrivateSettingDescs(IniFile &private_ini, SettingDescProc *pro
 		proc_list(private_ini, "bans", _network_ban_list);
 		proc_list(private_ini, "server_authorized_keys", _settings_client.network.server_authorized_keys);
 		proc_list(private_ini, "rcon_authorized_keys", _settings_client.network.rcon_authorized_keys);
+		proc_list(private_ini, "settings_authorized_keys", _settings_client.network.settings_authorized_keys);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/settings_type.h b/src/settings_type.h
index 44b4750f6a..ab84ff4769 100644
--- a/src/settings_type.h
+++ b/src/settings_type.h
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ struct NetworkSettings {
 	std::vector<std::string> rcon_authorized_keys;        ///< Public keys of clients that are authorized to use the rconsole (server side).
 	std::string admin_password;                           ///< password for the admin network
 	std::string settings_password;                        ///< password for game settings (server side)
+	std::vector<std::string> settings_authorized_keys;    ///< Public keys of clients that are authorized to use settings access (server side).
 	std::string client_name;                              ///< name of the player (as client)
 	std::string client_secret_key;                        ///< The secret key of the client for authorized key logins.
 	std::string client_public_key;                        ///< The public key of the client for authorized key logins.