diff --git a/src/abstract-server.cmd.js b/src/abstract-server.cmd.js
index e2cebe1a7..adbfc7ad3 100644
--- a/src/abstract-server.cmd.js
+++ b/src/abstract-server.cmd.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export class AbstractServerCommand extends AbstractCommand {
     this.emit('stopped', this);
   }
 
-  async initSeverOptions() {
+  async initServerOptions() {
     if (this._cache) {
       await fse.ensureDir(this._cache);
       this._project.withCacheDirectory(this._cache);
diff --git a/src/import.cmd.js b/src/import.cmd.js
index ffe574746..0605eeea4 100644
--- a/src/import.cmd.js
+++ b/src/import.cmd.js
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export default class ImportCommand extends AbstractServerCommand {
     this.log.info(chalk`{yellow                                   /_/ v${pkgJson.version}}`);
     this.log.info('');
 
-    await this.initSeverOptions();
+    await this.initServerOptions();
 
     if (!this._skipUI) {
       await this.setupImporterUI();
diff --git a/src/up.cmd.js b/src/up.cmd.js
index f46988aef..a0e3a2178 100644
--- a/src/up.cmd.js
+++ b/src/up.cmd.js
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ export default class UpCommand extends AbstractServerCommand {
     return this;
   }
 
+  withAllowUnauthorized(value) {
+    this._allowUnauthorized = value;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   async doStop() {
     await super.doStop();
     if (this._watcher) {
@@ -79,7 +84,7 @@ export default class UpCommand extends AbstractServerCommand {
       await this.verifyUrl(this._gitUrl, ref);
     }
     this._project.withProxyUrl(this._url);
-    await this.initSeverOptions();
+    await this.initServerOptions();
 
     try {
       await this._project.init();
@@ -111,7 +116,7 @@ export default class UpCommand extends AbstractServerCommand {
     //             "testProperty": "header";
     // }
     const configUrl = `https://admin.hlx.page/sidekick/${gitUrl.owner}/${gitUrl.repo}/main/config.json`;
-    const configResp = await getFetch()(configUrl);
+    const configResp = await getFetch(this._allowUnauthorized)(configUrl);
     let previewHostBase = 'hlx.page';
     if (configResp.ok) {
       // this is best effort for now
diff --git a/src/up.js b/src/up.js
index fc443cde8..f68bf6c85 100644
--- a/src/up.js
+++ b/src/up.js
@@ -92,6 +92,12 @@ export default function up() {
           type: 'string',
         })
         .group(['url', 'livereload', 'no-livereload', 'open', 'no-open', 'print-index', 'cache'], 'AEM Options')
+        .option('allow-unauthorized', {
+          alias: 'allowUnauthorized',
+          describe: 'Whether to allow unauthorized access to server',
+          type: 'boolean',
+          default: false,
+        })
 
         .help();
     },
@@ -112,6 +118,7 @@ export default function up() {
         .withLiveReload(argv.livereload)
         .withUrl(argv.url)
         .withPrintIndex(argv.printIndex)
+        .withAllowUnauthorized(argv.allowUnauthorized)
         .withKill(argv.stopOther)
         .withCache(argv.alphaCache)
         .run();
diff --git a/test/up-cli.test.js b/test/up-cli.test.js
index 1e0d94a9d..2341fde90 100644
--- a/test/up-cli.test.js
+++ b/test/up-cli.test.js
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ describe('hlx up', () => {
     mockUp.withBindAddr.returnsThis();
     mockUp.withUrl.returnsThis();
     mockUp.withPrintIndex.returnsThis();
+    mockUp.withAllowUnauthorized.returnsThis();
     mockUp.withKill.returnsThis();
     mockUp.withCache.returnsThis();
     mockUp.run.returnsThis();
@@ -121,6 +122,12 @@ describe('hlx up', () => {
     sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockUp.run);
   });
 
+  it('hlx up can enable allow unauthorized', async () => {
+    await cli.run(['up', '--allow-unauthorized']);
+    sinon.assert.calledWith(mockUp.withAllowUnauthorized, true);
+    sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockUp.run);
+  });
+
   it('hlx up can enable cache', async () => {
     await cli.run(['up', '--alpha-cache', '.cache/']);
     sinon.assert.calledWith(mockUp.withCache, '.cache/');