diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/admin/server.py b/aries_cloudagent/admin/server.py
index 4e35200cc5..01b3b2196f 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/admin/server.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/admin/server.py
@@ -289,7 +289,15 @@ async def check_token(request: web.Request, handler):
                 header_admin_api_key = request.headers.get("x-api-key")
                 valid_key = const_compare(self.admin_api_key, header_admin_api_key)
 
-                if valid_key or is_unprotected_path(request.path):
+                # We have to allow OPTIONS method access to paths without a key since
+                # browsers performing CORS requests will never include the original
+                # x-api-key header from the method that triggered the preflight
+                # OPTIONS check.
+                if (
+                    valid_key
+                    or is_unprotected_path(request.path)
+                    or (request.method == "OPTIONS")
+                ):
                     return await handler(request)
                 else:
                     raise web.HTTPUnauthorized()
diff --git a/aries_cloudagent/admin/tests/test_admin_server.py b/aries_cloudagent/admin/tests/test_admin_server.py
index fff43f97d4..7707315e12 100644
--- a/aries_cloudagent/admin/tests/test_admin_server.py
+++ b/aries_cloudagent/admin/tests/test_admin_server.py
@@ -340,6 +340,31 @@ async def test_visit_secure_mode(self):
         ) as response:
             assert response.status == 200
 
+        # Make sure that OPTIONS requests used by browsers for CORS
+        # are allowed without a x-api-key even when x-api-key security is enabled
+        async with self.client_session.options(
+            f"http://127.0.0.1:{self.port}/status",
+            headers={
+                "Access-Control-Request-Headers": "x-api-key",
+                "Access-Control-Request-Method": "GET",
+                "Connection": "keep-alive",
+                "Host": f"http://127.0.0.1:{self.port}/status",
+                "Origin": "http://localhost:3000",
+                "Referer": "http://localhost:3000/",
+                "Sec-Fetch-Dest": "empty",
+                "Sec-Fetch-Mode": "cors",
+                "Sec-Fetch-Site": "same-site",
+            },
+        ) as response:
+            assert response.status == 200
+            assert response.headers["Access-Control-Allow-Credentials"] == "true"
+            assert response.headers["Access-Control-Allow-Headers"] == "X-API-KEY"
+            assert response.headers["Access-Control-Allow-Methods"] == "GET"
+            assert (
+                response.headers["Access-Control-Allow-Origin"]
+                == "http://localhost:3000"
+            )
+
         async with self.client_session.ws_connect(
             f"http://127.0.0.1:{self.port}/ws", headers={"x-api-key": "test-api-key"}
         ) as ws: