diff --git a/lib/socket.cpp b/lib/socket.cpp
index ad70cb93..61ba79e4 100644
--- a/lib/socket.cpp
+++ b/lib/socket.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <ifaddrs.h>
 
 #define BUFFER_BLOCKSIZE 4096 // set buffer blocksize to 4KiB
 
@@ -656,17 +657,17 @@ bool Socket::Connection::isAddress(std::string addr){
   int s = getaddrinfo(addr.c_str(), 0, &hints, &result);
   if (s != 0){return false;}
 
-  char newaddr[INET_ADDRSTRLEN];
+  char newaddr[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
   newaddr[0] = 0;
   for (rp = result; rp != NULL; rp = rp->ai_next){
-    if (rp->ai_family == AF_INET && inet_ntop(rp->ai_family, &(((sockaddr_in *)rp->ai_addr)->sin_addr), newaddr, INET_ADDRSTRLEN)){
-      DEBUG_MSG(DLVL_DEVEL, "Comparing: '%s'  to '%s'", remotehost.c_str(), newaddr);
+    if (rp->ai_family == AF_INET && inet_ntop(rp->ai_family, &(((sockaddr_in *)rp->ai_addr)->sin_addr), newaddr, INET6_ADDRSTRLEN)){
+      INFO_MSG("Comparing '%s'  to '%s'", remotehost.c_str(), newaddr);
       if (remotehost == newaddr){return true;}
-      DEBUG_MSG(DLVL_DEVEL, "Comparing: '%s'  to '::ffff:%s'", remotehost.c_str(), newaddr);
+      INFO_MSG("Comparing '%s'  to '::ffff:%s'", remotehost.c_str(), newaddr);
       if (remotehost == std::string("::ffff:") + newaddr){return true;}
     }
-    if (rp->ai_family == AF_INET6 && inet_ntop(rp->ai_family, &(((sockaddr_in6 *)rp->ai_addr)->sin6_addr), newaddr, INET_ADDRSTRLEN)){
-      DEBUG_MSG(DLVL_DEVEL, "Comparing: '%s'  to '%s'", remotehost.c_str(), newaddr);
+    if (rp->ai_family == AF_INET6 && inet_ntop(rp->ai_family, &(((sockaddr_in6 *)rp->ai_addr)->sin6_addr), newaddr, INET6_ADDRSTRLEN)){
+      INFO_MSG("Comparing '%s'  to '%s'", remotehost.c_str(), newaddr);
       if (remotehost == newaddr){return true;}
     }
   }
@@ -674,6 +675,36 @@ bool Socket::Connection::isAddress(std::string addr){
   return false;
 }
 
+bool Socket::Connection::isLocal(){
+  struct ifaddrs * ifAddrStruct=NULL;
+  struct ifaddrs * ifa=NULL;
+  void * tmpAddrPtr=NULL;
+  char addressBuffer[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];
+
+  getifaddrs(&ifAddrStruct);
+
+  for (ifa = ifAddrStruct; ifa != NULL; ifa = ifa->ifa_next) {
+    if (!ifa->ifa_addr) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family == AF_INET) { // check it is IP4
+      tmpAddrPtr=&((struct sockaddr_in *)ifa->ifa_addr)->sin_addr;
+      inet_ntop(AF_INET, tmpAddrPtr, addressBuffer, INET_ADDRSTRLEN);
+      INFO_MSG("Comparing '%s'  to '%s'", remotehost.c_str(), addressBuffer);
+      if (remotehost == addressBuffer){return true;}
+      INFO_MSG("Comparing '%s'  to '::ffff:%s'", remotehost.c_str(), addressBuffer);
+      if (remotehost == std::string("::ffff:") + addressBuffer){return true;}
+    } else if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family == AF_INET6) { // check it is IP6
+      tmpAddrPtr=&((struct sockaddr_in6 *)ifa->ifa_addr)->sin6_addr;
+      inet_ntop(AF_INET6, tmpAddrPtr, addressBuffer, INET6_ADDRSTRLEN);
+      INFO_MSG("Comparing '%s'  to '%s'", remotehost.c_str(), addressBuffer);
+      if (remotehost == addressBuffer){return true;}
+    } 
+  }
+  if (ifAddrStruct!=NULL) freeifaddrs(ifAddrStruct);
+  return false;
+}
+
 /// Create a new base Server. The socket is never connected, and a placeholder for later connections.
 Socket::Server::Server(){
   sock = -1;
diff --git a/lib/socket.h b/lib/socket.h
index 0ebe0eb8..7704143d 100644
--- a/lib/socket.h
+++ b/lib/socket.h
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ namespace Socket{
     std::string getError();         ///< Returns a string describing the last error that occured.
     bool connected() const;         ///< Returns the connected-state for this socket.
     bool isAddress(std::string addr);
+    bool isLocal(); ///< Returns true if remote address is a local address.
     // buffered i/o methods
     bool spool();                               ///< Updates the downbufferinternal variables.
     bool peek();                                ///< Clears the downbuffer and fills it with peek
diff --git a/src/controller/controller_api.cpp b/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
index aef78505..e022f624 100644
--- a/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
+++ b/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
@@ -174,6 +174,11 @@ int Controller::handleAPIConnection(Socket::Connection & conn){
       }
       {//lock the config mutex here - do not unlock until done processing
         tthread::lock_guard<tthread::mutex> guard(configMutex);
+        //Are we local and not forwarded? Instant-authorized.
+        if (!authorized && !H.hasHeader("X-Real-IP") && conn.isLocal()){
+          INFO_MSG("Local API access automatically authorized");
+          authorized = true;
+        }
         //if already authorized, do not re-check for authorization
         if (authorized){
           Response["authorize"]["status"] = "OK";