diff --git a/api/src/api/authentication.py b/api/src/api/authentication.py
index 0d880cf1a1ceb31d0246ff46401981fddfd2dc28..944dd4ecbe95448b4c11cb87d821b28fe7cb4a33 100644
--- a/api/src/api/authentication.py
+++ b/api/src/api/authentication.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from api.database import *
 import api
 
 _BASE_URL = api.config["API_BASE_URL"]
-_ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME = api.config["ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME"]
+_ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME = api.config.get("ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME")
 
 
 def api_moderator_route(require_csrf_token: bool = False):
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def are_view_permissions_fulfilled(perm: ViewPermissions):
     if isinstance(perm, ViewPermissionsAuthentication):
         if perm.rwth_authentication and (
                 api_session.is_rwth_authenticated
-                or (_ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME in request.headers and is_rwth_ip(request.headers[_ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME]))
+                or (_ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME is not None and _ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME in request.headers and is_rwth_ip(request.headers[_ORIGINAL_IP_HEADER_NAME]))
         ):
             return True