diff --git a/changelog.d/auth-fetch-exception.add b/changelog.d/auth-fetch-exception.add
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98efb903e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/auth-fetch-exception.add
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+HTTPSignaturePlug: Add :authorized_fetch_mode_exceptions configuration
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/description.exs b/config/description.exs
index e16abfc42..a9c285421 100644
--- a/config/description.exs
+++ b/config/description.exs
@@ -1816,6 +1816,12 @@
         type: :boolean,
         description: "Require HTTP signatures for AP fetches"
       },
+      %{
+        key: :authorized_fetch_mode_exceptions,
+        type: {:list, :string},
+        description:
+          "List of IPs (CIDR format accepted) to exempt from HTTP Signatures requirement (for example to allow debugging, you shouldn't otherwise need this)"
+      },
       %{
         key: :note_replies_output_limit,
         type: :integer,
diff --git a/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md b/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
index 78997c4db..8f6d6aeea 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ Notes:
 * `deny_follow_blocked`: Whether to disallow following an account that has blocked the user in question
 * `sign_object_fetches`: Sign object fetches with HTTP signatures
 * `authorized_fetch_mode`: Require HTTP signatures for AP fetches
+* `authorized_fetch_mode_exceptions`: List of IPs (CIDR format accepted) to exempt from HTTP Signatures requirement (for example to allow debugging, you shouldn't otherwise need this)
 
 ## Pleroma.User
 
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/helpers/inet_helper.ex b/lib/pleroma/helpers/inet_helper.ex
index 704d37f8a..00e18649e 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/helpers/inet_helper.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/helpers/inet_helper.ex
@@ -16,4 +16,15 @@ def parse_address(ip) when is_binary(ip) do
   def parse_address(ip) do
     :inet.parse_address(ip)
   end
+
+  def parse_cidr(proxy) when is_binary(proxy) do
+    proxy =
+      cond do
+        "/" in String.codepoints(proxy) -> proxy
+        InetCidr.v4?(InetCidr.parse_address!(proxy)) -> proxy <> "/32"
+        InetCidr.v6?(InetCidr.parse_address!(proxy)) -> proxy <> "/128"
+      end
+
+    InetCidr.parse_cidr!(proxy, true)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug.ex
index e814efc2c..7ec202662 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug.ex
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.Plugs.HTTPSignaturePlug do
+  alias Pleroma.Helpers.InetHelper
+
   import Plug.Conn
   import Phoenix.Controller, only: [get_format: 1, text: 2]
   require Logger
@@ -89,12 +91,20 @@ defp has_signature_header?(conn) do
 
   defp maybe_require_signature(%{assigns: %{valid_signature: true}} = conn), do: conn
 
-  defp maybe_require_signature(conn) do
+  defp maybe_require_signature(%{remote_ip: remote_ip} = conn) do
     if Pleroma.Config.get([:activitypub, :authorized_fetch_mode], false) do
-      conn
-      |> put_status(:unauthorized)
-      |> text("Request not signed")
-      |> halt()
+      exceptions =
+        Pleroma.Config.get([:activitypub, :authorized_fetch_mode_exceptions], [])
+        |> Enum.map(&InetHelper.parse_cidr/1)
+
+      if Enum.any?(exceptions, fn x -> InetCidr.contains?(x, remote_ip) end) do
+        conn
+      else
+        conn
+        |> put_status(:unauthorized)
+        |> text("Request not signed")
+        |> halt()
+      end
     else
       conn
     end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/remote_ip.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/remote_ip.ex
index 9f733a96f..3a4bffb50 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/remote_ip.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/plugs/remote_ip.ex
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.Plugs.RemoteIp do
   """
 
   alias Pleroma.Config
+  alias Pleroma.Helpers.InetHelper
   import Plug.Conn
 
   @behaviour Plug
@@ -30,19 +31,8 @@ defp remote_ip_opts do
     proxies =
       Config.get([__MODULE__, :proxies], [])
       |> Enum.concat(reserved)
-      |> Enum.map(&maybe_add_cidr/1)
+      |> Enum.map(&InetHelper.parse_cidr/1)
 
     {headers, proxies}
   end
-
-  defp maybe_add_cidr(proxy) when is_binary(proxy) do
-    proxy =
-      cond do
-        "/" in String.codepoints(proxy) -> proxy
-        InetCidr.v4?(InetCidr.parse_address!(proxy)) -> proxy <> "/32"
-        InetCidr.v6?(InetCidr.parse_address!(proxy)) -> proxy <> "/128"
-      end
-
-    InetCidr.parse_cidr!(proxy, true)
-  end
 end
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug_test.exs
index 2d8fba3cd..deb7e4a23 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/plugs/http_signature_plug_test.exs
@@ -81,5 +81,24 @@ test "halts the connection when `signature` header is not present", %{conn: conn
       assert conn.state == :sent
       assert conn.resp_body == "Request not signed"
     end
+
+    test "exempts specific IPs from `authorized_fetch_mode_exceptions`", %{conn: conn} do
+      clear_config([:activitypub, :authorized_fetch_mode_exceptions], ["192.168.0.0/24"])
+
+      with_mock HTTPSignatures, validate_conn: fn _ -> false end do
+        conn =
+          conn
+          |> Map.put(:remote_ip, {192, 168, 0, 1})
+          |> put_req_header(
+            "signature",
+            "keyId=\"http://mastodon.example.org/users/admin#main-key"
+          )
+          |> HTTPSignaturePlug.call(%{})
+
+        assert conn.remote_ip == {192, 168, 0, 1}
+        assert conn.halted == false
+        assert called(HTTPSignatures.validate_conn(:_))
+      end
+    end
   end
 end