diff --git a/CONFIGURING.md b/CONFIGURING.md
index fee7876a..45f311cf 100644
--- a/CONFIGURING.md
+++ b/CONFIGURING.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ libalpm and AUR related configuration.
 Base authorization settings.
 
 * `target` - specifies authorization provider, string, optional, default `disabled`. Allowed values are `disabled`, `configuration`.
+* `allow_read_only` - allow to request read only pages without authorization, boolean, required.
 * `allowed_paths` - URI paths (exact match) which can be accessed without authorization, space separated list of strings, optional.
 * `allowed_paths_groups` - URI paths prefixes which can be accessed without authorization, space separated list of strings, optional.
 * `salt` - password hash salt, string, required in case if authorization enabled (automatically generated by `create-user` subcommand).
diff --git a/package/etc/ahriman.ini b/package/etc/ahriman.ini
index 767bcbe1..70adc524 100644
--- a/package/etc/ahriman.ini
+++ b/package/etc/ahriman.ini
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ root = /
 
 [auth]
 target = disabled
+allow_read_only = yes
 
 [build]
 archbuild_flags =
diff --git a/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py b/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py
index 9ec1a1d8..6ff0a8b8 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/core/auth/auth.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class Auth:
         :param configuration: configuration instance
         :param provider: authorization type definition
         """
+        self.allow_read_only = configuration.getboolean("auth", "allow_read_only")
         self.allowed_paths = set(configuration.getlist("auth", "allowed_paths"))
         self.allowed_paths.update(self.ALLOWED_PATHS)
         self.allowed_paths_groups = set(configuration.getlist("auth", "allowed_paths_groups"))
@@ -74,14 +75,17 @@ class Auth:
         del username, password
         return True
 
-    def is_safe_request(self, uri: Optional[str]) -> bool:
+    def is_safe_request(self, uri: Optional[str], required: UserAccess) -> bool:
         """
         check if requested path are allowed without authorization
         :param uri: request uri
+        :param required: required access level
         :return: True in case if this URI can be requested without authorization and False otherwise
         """
         if not uri:
             return False  # request without context is not allowed
+        if required == UserAccess.Read and self.allow_read_only:
+            return True  # in case if read right requested and allowed in options
         return uri in self.allowed_paths or any(uri.startswith(path) for path in self.allowed_paths_groups)
 
     def known_username(self, username: str) -> bool:  # pylint: disable=no-self-use
diff --git a/src/ahriman/web/middlewares/auth_handler.py b/src/ahriman/web/middlewares/auth_handler.py
index e2b8f860..56a324a3 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/web/middlewares/auth_handler.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/web/middlewares/auth_handler.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def auth_handler(validator: Auth) -> MiddlewareType:
         else:
             permission = UserAccess.Write
 
-        if not validator.is_safe_request(request.path):
+        if not validator.is_safe_request(request.path, permission):
             await aiohttp_security.check_permission(request, permission, request.path)
 
         return await handler(request)
diff --git a/src/ahriman/web/views/index.py b/src/ahriman/web/views/index.py
index 165e0614..341ab8bf 100644
--- a/src/ahriman/web/views/index.py
+++ b/src/ahriman/web/views/index.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class IndexView(BaseView):
 
         # auth block
         auth_username = await authorized_userid(self.request)
-        authorized = not self.validator.enabled or auth_username is not None
+        authorized = not self.validator.enabled or self.validator.allow_read_only or auth_username is not None
 
         return {
             "architecture": self.service.architecture,
diff --git a/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py b/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py
index fe42b1d4..20d99218 100644
--- a/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/ahriman/core/auth/test_auth.py
@@ -46,24 +46,33 @@ def test_is_safe_request(auth: Auth) -> None:
     must validate safe request
     """
     # login and logout are always safe
-    assert auth.is_safe_request("/login")
-    assert auth.is_safe_request("/logout")
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/login", UserAccess.Write)
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/logout", UserAccess.Write)
 
     auth.allowed_paths.add("/safe")
     auth.allowed_paths_groups.add("/unsafe/safe")
 
-    assert auth.is_safe_request("/safe")
-    assert not auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe")
-    assert auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe/safe")
-    assert auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe/safe/suffix")
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/safe", UserAccess.Write)
+    assert not auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe", UserAccess.Write)
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe/safe", UserAccess.Write)
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe/safe/suffix", UserAccess.Write)
 
 
 def test_is_safe_request_empty(auth: Auth) -> None:
     """
     must not allow requests without path
     """
-    assert not auth.is_safe_request(None)
-    assert not auth.is_safe_request("")
+    assert not auth.is_safe_request(None, UserAccess.Read)
+    assert not auth.is_safe_request("", UserAccess.Read)
+
+
+def test_is_safe_request_read_only(auth: Auth) -> None:
+    """
+    must allow read-only requests if it is set in settings
+    """
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/", UserAccess.Read)
+    auth.allow_read_only = True
+    assert auth.is_safe_request("/unsafe", UserAccess.Read)
 
 
 def test_known_username(auth: Auth, user: User) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/testresources/core/ahriman.ini b/tests/testresources/core/ahriman.ini
index d28582ea..0c568715 100644
--- a/tests/testresources/core/ahriman.ini
+++ b/tests/testresources/core/ahriman.ini
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ repositories = core extra community multilib
 root = /
 
 [auth]
+allow_read_only = no
 salt = salt
 
 [build]