diff --git a/scripts/api/setup-optional-harvard.sh b/scripts/api/setup-optional-harvard.sh
index fedba6ba0ca..04c706b5d44 100755
--- a/scripts/api/setup-optional-harvard.sh
+++ b/scripts/api/setup-optional-harvard.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ echo  "- Google Analytics setting"
 curl -X PUT -d true "$SERVER/admin/settings/:ScrubMigrationData"
 echo  "- Enabling Shibboleth"
 curl -X PUT -d true http://localhost:8080/api/admin/settings/:ShibEnabled
+echo  "- Enabling tokenless Search API"
+curl -X PUT -d true http://localhost:8080/api/admin/settings/:SearchApiTokenlessGuestAllowed
 echo  "- Setting system email"
 curl -X PUT -d "Dataverse Support <support@dataverse.org>" http://localhost:8080/api/admin/settings/:SystemEmail
 echo "- Setting up the Harvard Shibboleth institutional group"
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Search.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Search.java
index 46f94e1208c..49306bc48df 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Search.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/Search.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import javax.ejb.EJB;
 import javax.json.Json;
@@ -189,22 +190,46 @@ public Response search(
     }
 
     private User getUser() throws WrappedResponse {
-        /**
-         * @todo support searching as non-guest:
-         * https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1299
-         *
-         * Note that superusers can't currently use the Search API because they
-         * see permission documents (all Solr documents, really) and we get a
-         * NPE when trying to determine the DvObject type if their query matches
-         * a permission document.
-         *
-         * @todo Check back on https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1838 for
-         * when/if the Search API is opened up to not require a key.
-         */
-        AuthenticatedUser authenticatedUser = findAuthenticatedUserOrDie();
         if (nonPublicSearchAllowed()) {
+            return getUserUsingExperimentalNonPublicSearch();
+        } else {
+            return getGuestIfAllowed();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @todo support searching as non-guest:
+     * https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1299
+     *
+     * Note that superusers can't currently use the Search API because they see
+     * permission documents (all Solr documents, really) and we get a NPE when
+     * trying to determine the DvObject type if their query matches a permission
+     * document.
+     *
+     * @todo Support tokenless guests while this feature is enabled?
+     */
+    private User getUserUsingExperimentalNonPublicSearch() throws WrappedResponse {
+        AuthenticatedUser authenticatedUser;
+        try {
+            authenticatedUser = findAuthenticatedUserOrDie();
             return authenticatedUser;
+        } catch (WrappedResponse ex) {
+            return getGuestIfAllowed();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private User getGuestIfAllowed() throws WrappedResponse {
+        if (tokenlessGuestAllowed()) {
+            return GuestUser.get();
         } else {
+            /**
+             * @todo What if you've configured the system to allow tokenless
+             * guests *and* the experimental non-public search feature? For now
+             * we're rejecting bad API tokens (even if you allow tokenless
+             * guests) to provide feedback to the user and always returning the
+             * guest user.
+             */
+            AuthenticatedUser authenticatedUser = findAuthenticatedUserOrDie();
             return GuestUser.get();
         }
     }
@@ -214,6 +239,15 @@ public boolean nonPublicSearchAllowed() {
         return settingsSvc.isTrueForKey(SettingsServiceBean.Key.SearchApiNonPublicAllowed, safeDefaultIfKeyNotFound);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * In https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1838 desire is expressed for
+     * using the Search API without an API token.
+     */
+    private boolean tokenlessGuestAllowed() {
+        boolean safeDefaultIfKeyNotFound = false;
+        return settingsSvc.isTrueForKey(SettingsServiceBean.Key.SearchApiTokenlessGuestAllowed, safeDefaultIfKeyNotFound);
+    }
+
     private boolean getDataRelatedToMe() {
         /**
          * @todo support Data Related To Me:
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java
index 5c46e76f8eb..4b0ae225ea8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/settings/SettingsServiceBean.java
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ public class SettingsServiceBean {
      */
     public enum Key {
         /**
+         * Override Solr highlighting "fragsize"
+         * https://wiki.apache.org/solr/HighlightingParameters#hl.fragsize
+         *//**
          * Override Solr highlighting "fragsize"
          * https://wiki.apache.org/solr/HighlightingParameters#hl.fragsize
          */
@@ -45,6 +48,13 @@ public enum Key {
         */
         GoogleAnalyticsCode,
         
+        /**
+         * Allow Search API to be used without API tokens. Searches will be
+         * executed as the Guest user. See also
+         * https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1838
+         */
+        SearchApiTokenlessGuestAllowed,
+
         /**
          * Experimental: Allow non-public search with a key/token using the
          * Search API. See also https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse/issues/1299
diff --git a/src/test/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/SearchIT.java b/src/test/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/SearchIT.java
index 53d11477b6f..f7b926964df 100644
--- a/src/test/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/SearchIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/api/SearchIT.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 import org.junit.AfterClass;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import static java.lang.Thread.sleep;
 
 public class SearchIT {