diff --git a/extension/oidcauthextension/config.go b/extension/oidcauthextension/config.go
index 327baea5365f..5df328e4f51d 100644
--- a/extension/oidcauthextension/config.go
+++ b/extension/oidcauthextension/config.go
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	// Audience of the token, used during the verification.
 	// For example: "https://accounts.google.com" or "https://login.salesforce.com".
-	// Required.
+	// Required unless IgnoreAudience is true.
 	Audience string `mapstructure:"audience"`
 
+	// When true, this skips validating the audience field.
+	// Optional.
+	IgnoreAudience bool `mapstructure:"ignore_audience"`
+
 	// The local path for the issuer CA's TLS server cert.
 	// Optional.
 	IssuerCAPath string `mapstructure:"issuer_ca_path"`
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ type Config struct {
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Validate() error {
-	if c.Audience == "" {
+	if c.Audience == "" && !c.IgnoreAudience {
 		return errNoAudienceProvided
 	}
 	if c.IssuerURL == "" {
diff --git a/extension/oidcauthextension/extension.go b/extension/oidcauthextension/extension.go
index c79e3231ef3a..db6c8b1ba3f1 100644
--- a/extension/oidcauthextension/extension.go
+++ b/extension/oidcauthextension/extension.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ func (e *oidcExtension) start(ctx context.Context, _ component.Host) error {
 	}
 	e.verifier = e.provider.Verifier(&oidc.Config{
 		ClientID: e.cfg.Audience,
+		SkipClientIDCheck: e.cfg.IgnoreAudience,
 	})
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/extension/oidcauthextension/extension_test.go b/extension/oidcauthextension/extension_test.go
index 92b72d15fa14..7ba868ed7b79 100644
--- a/extension/oidcauthextension/extension_test.go
+++ b/extension/oidcauthextension/extension_test.go
@@ -69,6 +69,52 @@ func TestOIDCAuthenticationSucceeded(t *testing.T) {
 	// TODO(jpkroehling): assert that the authentication routine set the subject/membership to the resource
 }
 
+func TestOIDCAuthenticationSucceededIgnoreAudience(t *testing.T) {
+	// prepare
+	oidcServer, err := newOIDCServer()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	oidcServer.Start()
+	defer oidcServer.Close()
+
+	config := &Config{
+		IssuerURL:   oidcServer.URL,
+		Audience:    "unit-test",
+		IgnoreAudience: true,
+		GroupsClaim: "memberships",
+	}
+	p := newExtension(config, zap.NewNop())
+
+	err = p.Start(context.Background(), componenttest.NewNopHost())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	payload, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
+		"sub":         "jdoe@example.com",
+		"name":        "jdoe",
+		"iss":         oidcServer.URL,
+		"aud":         "not-unit-test",
+		"exp":         time.Now().Add(time.Minute).Unix(),
+		"memberships": []string{"department-1", "department-2"},
+	})
+	token, err := oidcServer.token(payload)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// test
+	ctx, err := p.Authenticate(context.Background(), map[string][]string{"authorization": {fmt.Sprintf("Bearer %s", token)}})
+
+	// verify
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, ctx)
+
+	// test, upper-case header
+	ctx, err = p.Authenticate(context.Background(), map[string][]string{"Authorization": {fmt.Sprintf("Bearer %s", token)}})
+
+	// verify
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, ctx)
+
+	// TODO(jpkroehling): assert that the authentication routine set the subject/membership to the resource
+}
+
 func TestOIDCProviderForConfigWithTLS(t *testing.T) {
 	// prepare the CA cert for the TLS handler
 	cert := x509.Certificate{
@@ -423,6 +469,20 @@ func TestMissingClient(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, errNoAudienceProvided, err)
 }
 
+func TestIgnoreMissingClient(t *testing.T) {
+	// prepare
+	config := &Config{
+		IssuerURL: "http://example.com/",
+		IgnoreAudience: true,
+	}
+
+	// test
+	err := config.Validate()
+
+	// verify
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestMissingIssuerURL(t *testing.T) {
 	// prepare
 	config := &Config{