diff --git a/backend/open_webui/routers/auths.py b/backend/open_webui/routers/auths.py
index d9f6b022ba61..6f5f02ba6a7a 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/routers/auths.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/routers/auths.py
@@ -1462,10 +1462,13 @@ async def _check_api_key_permission(request: Request, user, db: AsyncSession):
         )
 
 
+# PATCH (AarhusAI/open-webui#41, ticket 5511): API keys are admin-only in this fork — admins mint
+# them for users via /users/{user_id}/api_key. Only the get_admin_user dependency differs from
+# upstream; _check_api_key_permission still enforces the global auth.enable_api_keys toggle.
 # create api key
 @router.post('/api_key', response_model=ApiKey)
 async def generate_api_key(
-    request: Request, user=Depends(get_current_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)
+    request: Request, user=Depends(get_admin_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)
 ):
     await _check_api_key_permission(request, user, db)
 
@@ -1490,7 +1493,7 @@ async def generate_api_key(
 # delete api key
 @router.delete('/api_key', response_model=bool)
 async def delete_api_key(
-    request: Request, user=Depends(get_current_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)
+    request: Request, user=Depends(get_admin_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)
 ):
     await _check_api_key_permission(request, user, db)
     success = await Users.delete_user_api_key_by_id(user.id, db=db)
@@ -1507,7 +1510,7 @@ async def delete_api_key(
 
 # get api key
 @router.get('/api_key', response_model=ApiKey)
-async def get_api_key(request: Request, user=Depends(get_current_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)):
+async def get_api_key(request: Request, user=Depends(get_admin_user), db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session)):
     await _check_api_key_permission(request, user, db)
     api_key = await Users.get_user_api_key_by_id(user.id, db=db)
     if api_key:
diff --git a/backend/open_webui/routers/users.py b/backend/open_webui/routers/users.py
index 01ea3aa5e47c..ac4a0bf52912 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/routers/users.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/routers/users.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from open_webui.events import EVENTS, publish_event
 from open_webui.env import ENABLE_PROFILE_IMAGE_URL_FORWARDING, PROFILE_IMAGE_ALLOWED_MIME_TYPES, STATIC_DIR
 from open_webui.internal.db import get_async_session
-from open_webui.models.auths import Auths
+from open_webui.models.auths import ApiKey, Auths
 from open_webui.models.config import Config
 from open_webui.models.chat_messages import ChatMessages
 from open_webui.models.chats import Chats
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 from open_webui.socket.main import disconnect_user_sessions
 from open_webui.utils.access_control import get_permissions, has_permission
 from open_webui.utils.auth import (
+    create_api_key,
     get_admin_user,
     get_password_hash,
     get_verified_user,
@@ -1121,3 +1122,60 @@ async def get_user_preview(
             'total': len(all_tools),
         },
     }
+
+
+############################
+# Admin: User API Key Management
+# PATCH (AarhusAI/open-webui#41, ticket 5511): let admins mint/read/revoke API keys on behalf of
+# users, since users can no longer create their own (see auths.py /api_key).
+############################
+
+
+@router.post('/{user_id}/api_key', response_model=ApiKey)
+async def generate_api_key_for_user(
+    user_id: str,
+    user=Depends(get_admin_user),
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session),
+):
+    target_user = await Users.get_user_by_id(user_id, db=db)
+    if not target_user:
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
+            detail=ERROR_MESSAGES.USER_NOT_FOUND,
+        )
+
+    api_key = create_api_key()
+    success = await Users.update_user_api_key_by_id(user_id, api_key, db=db)
+
+    if success:
+        return {'api_key': api_key}
+    else:
+        raise HTTPException(500, detail=ERROR_MESSAGES.CREATE_API_KEY_ERROR)
+
+
+@router.get('/{user_id}/api_key', response_model=ApiKey)
+async def get_api_key_for_user(
+    user_id: str,
+    user=Depends(get_admin_user),
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session),
+):
+    api_key = await Users.get_user_api_key_by_id(user_id, db=db)
+    if api_key:
+        return {'api_key': api_key}
+    else:
+        raise HTTPException(404, detail=ERROR_MESSAGES.API_KEY_NOT_FOUND)
+
+
+@router.delete('/{user_id}/api_key', response_model=bool)
+async def delete_api_key_for_user(
+    user_id: str,
+    user=Depends(get_admin_user),
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_async_session),
+):
+    target_user = await Users.get_user_by_id(user_id, db=db)
+    if not target_user:
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
+            detail=ERROR_MESSAGES.USER_NOT_FOUND,
+        )
+    return await Users.delete_user_api_key_by_id(user_id, db=db)
diff --git a/backend/open_webui/utils/auth.py b/backend/open_webui/utils/auth.py
index 0384d6fcb9be..0b0be120e882 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/utils/auth.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/utils/auth.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 from open_webui.models.auths import Auths
 from open_webui.models.config import Config
 from open_webui.models.users import Users
-from open_webui.utils.access_control import has_permission
 from pytz import UTC
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -450,14 +449,9 @@ async def get_current_user_by_api_key(request, api_key: str):
     if not config_values.get('auth.enable_api_keys'):
         raise HTTPException(status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN, detail=ERROR_MESSAGES.API_KEY_NOT_ALLOWED)
 
-    if user.role != 'admin':
-        user_permissions = config_values.get('user.permissions')
-        if not await has_permission(
-            user.id,
-            'features.api_keys',
-            user_permissions,
-        ):
-            raise HTTPException(status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN, detail=ERROR_MESSAGES.API_KEY_NOT_ALLOWED)
+    # PATCH (AarhusAI/open-webui#41, ticket 5511): upstream also requires the per-user
+    # 'features.api_keys' permission here. Removed — keys are admin-issued on the user's behalf,
+    # so the user need not hold the permission. The global toggle above still gates usage.
 
     # Enforce endpoint restrictions — checked here (not in middleware)
     # so it applies regardless of how the API key was transported