diff --git a/common/src/api/schema.ts b/common/src/api/schema.ts
index 455a539cd5..3c05b6cbc7 100644
--- a/common/src/api/schema.ts
+++ b/common/src/api/schema.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ type APIGenericSchema = {
   returns?: Record<string, any>
   // Cache-Control header. like, 'max-age=60'
   cache?: string
+  // whether the endpoint should prefer authentication even if not required
+  preferAuth?: boolean
 }
 
 let _apiTypeCheck: { [x: string]: APIGenericSchema }
@@ -756,6 +758,7 @@ export const API = (_apiTypeCheck = {
     method: 'GET',
     visibility: 'undocumented',
     authed: false,
+    preferAuth: true,
     cache: DEFAULT_CACHE_STRATEGY,
     returns: [] as Contract[],
     props: searchProps,
diff --git a/web/lib/api/api.ts b/web/lib/api/api.ts
index bfa4c09f8d..6818001cc9 100644
--- a/web/lib/api/api.ts
+++ b/web/lib/api/api.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ export async function api<P extends APIPath>(
   path: P,
   params: APIParams<P> = {}
 ) {
+  const pathProps = API[path]
+  const preferAuth = 'preferAuth' in pathProps && pathProps.preferAuth
   // If the api is authed and the user is not loaded, wait for the user to load.
-  if (API[path].authed && !auth.currentUser) {
+  if ((pathProps.authed || preferAuth) && !auth.currentUser) {
     let i = 0
     while (!auth.currentUser) {
       i++
@@ -41,7 +43,7 @@ export async function api<P extends APIPath>(
 
   return (await call(
     formatApiUrlWithParams(path, params),
-    API[path].method,
+    pathProps.method,
     params
   )) as Promise<APIResponse<P>>
 }