diff --git a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp
index 5b79310c6..8905688b0 100644
--- a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
     command_line::add_arg(desc, arg_rpc_payment_address);
     command_line::add_arg(desc, arg_rpc_payment_difficulty);
     command_line::add_arg(desc, arg_rpc_payment_credits);
+    command_line::add_arg(desc, arg_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback);
   }
   //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   core_rpc_server::core_rpc_server(
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
     , m_p2p(p2p)
     , m_was_bootstrap_ever_used(false)
     , disable_rpc_ban(false)
+    , m_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback(false)
   {}
   //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   bool core_rpc_server::set_bootstrap_daemon(const std::string &address, const std::string &username_password)
@@ -280,6 +282,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
         MERROR("Payments difficulty and/or payments credits are 0, but a payment address was given");
         return false;
       }
+      m_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback = command_line::get_arg(vm, arg_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback);
       m_rpc_payment.reset(new rpc_payment(info.address, diff, credits));
       m_rpc_payment->load(command_line::get_arg(vm, cryptonote::arg_data_dir));
       m_p2p.set_rpc_credits_per_hash(RPC_CREDITS_PER_HASH_SCALE * (credits / (float)diff));
@@ -353,7 +356,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
 #define CHECK_PAYMENT_BASE(req, res, payment, same_ts) do { if (!ctx) break; uint64_t P = (uint64_t)payment; if (P > 0 && !check_payment(req.client, P, tracker.rpc_name(), same_ts, res.status, res.credits, res.top_hash)){return true;} tracker.pay(P); } while(0)
 #define CHECK_PAYMENT(req, res, payment) CHECK_PAYMENT_BASE(req, res, payment, false)
 #define CHECK_PAYMENT_SAME_TS(req, res, payment) CHECK_PAYMENT_BASE(req, res, payment, true)
-#define CHECK_PAYMENT_MIN1(req, res, payment, same_ts) do { if (!ctx) break; uint64_t P = (uint64_t)payment; if (P == 0) P = 1; if(!check_payment(req.client, P, tracker.rpc_name(), same_ts, res.status, res.credits, res.top_hash)){return true;} tracker.pay(P); } while(0)
+#define CHECK_PAYMENT_MIN1(req, res, payment, same_ts) do { if (!ctx || (m_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback && ctx->m_remote_address.is_loopback())) break; uint64_t P = (uint64_t)payment; if (P == 0) P = 1; if(!check_payment(req.client, P, tracker.rpc_name(), same_ts, res.status, res.credits, res.top_hash)){return true;} tracker.pay(P); } while(0)
   //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   bool core_rpc_server::check_core_ready()
   {
@@ -3255,4 +3258,10 @@ namespace cryptonote
     , "Restrict RPC to clients sending micropayment, yields that many credits per payment"
     , DEFAULT_PAYMENT_CREDITS_PER_HASH
     };
+
+  const command_line::arg_descriptor<bool> core_rpc_server::arg_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback = {
+      "rpc-payment-allow-free-loopback"
+    , "Allow free access from the loopback address (ie, the local host)"
+    , false
+    };
 }  // namespace cryptonote
diff --git a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.h b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.h
index 3b8e9c20a..d82ab6af4 100644
--- a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.h
+++ b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.h
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
     static const command_line::arg_descriptor<std::string> arg_rpc_payment_address;
     static const command_line::arg_descriptor<uint64_t> arg_rpc_payment_difficulty;
     static const command_line::arg_descriptor<uint64_t> arg_rpc_payment_credits;
+    static const command_line::arg_descriptor<bool> arg_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback;
 
     typedef epee::net_utils::connection_context_base connection_context;
 
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ private:
     std::map<std::string, uint64_t> m_host_fails_score;
     std::unique_ptr<rpc_payment> m_rpc_payment;
     bool disable_rpc_ban;
+    bool m_rpc_payment_allow_free_loopback;
   };
 }