diff --git a/pulsar-broker-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/ServiceConfiguration.java b/pulsar-broker-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/ServiceConfiguration.java
index 8b5a4ef270b0e..0f7ae00713dce 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/ServiceConfiguration.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/ServiceConfiguration.java
@@ -3535,6 +3535,12 @@ public double getLoadBalancerBandwidthOutResourceWeight() {
     )
     private String compactionServiceFactoryClassName = "org.apache.pulsar.compaction.PulsarCompactionServiceFactory";
 
+    @FieldContext(
+            category = CATEGORY_SERVER,
+            doc = "Opt-out of topic-existence check when setting permissions"
+    )
+    private boolean allowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics = false;
+
     /**** --- KeyStore TLS config variables. --- ****/
     @FieldContext(
             category = CATEGORY_KEYSTORE_TLS,
diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/impl/PersistentTopicsBase.java b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/impl/PersistentTopicsBase.java
index 6070093cc3585..9a306f6b4fff7 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/impl/PersistentTopicsBase.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/impl/PersistentTopicsBase.java
@@ -206,8 +206,16 @@ protected CompletableFuture<List<String>> internalGetPartitionedTopicListAsync()
 
     protected CompletableFuture<Map<String, Set<AuthAction>>> internalGetPermissionsOnTopic() {
         // This operation should be reading from zookeeper and it should be allowed without having admin privileges
-        return validateAdminAccessForTenantAsync(namespaceName.getTenant())
-                .thenCompose(__ -> internalCheckTopicExists(topicName))
+        CompletableFuture<Void> validateAccessForTenantCf =
+                validateAdminAccessForTenantAsync(namespaceName.getTenant());
+
+        var checkIfTopicExists = !pulsar().getConfiguration().isAllowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics();
+        if (checkIfTopicExists) {
+            validateAccessForTenantCf = validateAccessForTenantCf
+                    .thenCompose(__ -> internalCheckTopicExists(topicName));
+        }
+
+        return validateAccessForTenantCf
                 .thenCompose(__ -> getAuthorizationService().getPermissionsAsync(topicName));
     }
 
@@ -258,9 +266,16 @@ private CompletableFuture<Void> grantPermissionsAsync(TopicName topicUri, String
     protected void internalGrantPermissionsOnTopic(final AsyncResponse asyncResponse, String role,
                                                    Set<AuthAction> actions) {
         // This operation should be reading from zookeeper and it should be allowed without having admin privileges
-        validateAdminAccessForTenantAsync(namespaceName.getTenant())
-                .thenCompose(__ -> validatePoliciesReadOnlyAccessAsync())
-                .thenCompose(__ -> internalCheckTopicExists(topicName))
+        CompletableFuture<Void> validateAccessForTenantCf = validateAdminAccessForTenantAsync(namespaceName.getTenant())
+                .thenCompose(__ -> validatePoliciesReadOnlyAccessAsync());
+
+        var checkIfTopicExists = !pulsar().getConfiguration().isAllowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics();
+        if (checkIfTopicExists) {
+            validateAccessForTenantCf = validateAccessForTenantCf
+                    .thenCompose(__ -> internalCheckTopicExists(topicName));
+        }
+
+        validateAccessForTenantCf
                 .thenCompose(unused1 -> grantPermissionsAsync(topicName, role, actions))
                 .thenAccept(unused -> asyncResponse.resume(Response.noContent().build()))
                 .exceptionally(ex -> {
@@ -273,8 +288,16 @@ protected void internalGrantPermissionsOnTopic(final AsyncResponse asyncResponse
 
     protected void internalRevokePermissionsOnTopic(AsyncResponse asyncResponse, String role) {
         // This operation should be reading from zookeeper and it should be allowed without having admin privileges
-        validateAdminAccessForTenantAsync(namespaceName.getTenant())
-                .thenCompose(__ -> internalCheckTopicExists(topicName))
+        CompletableFuture<Void> validateAccessForTenantCf =
+                validateAdminAccessForTenantAsync(namespaceName.getTenant());
+
+        var checkIfTopicExists = !pulsar().getConfiguration().isAllowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics();
+        if (checkIfTopicExists) {
+            validateAccessForTenantCf = validateAccessForTenantCf
+                    .thenCompose(__ -> internalCheckTopicExists(topicName));
+        }
+
+        validateAccessForTenantCf
                 .thenCompose(__ -> getPartitionedTopicMetadataAsync(topicName, true, false)
                 .thenCompose(metadata -> {
                     int numPartitions = metadata.partitions;
diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/AdminApiTest.java b/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/AdminApiTest.java
index 70c2b343ec584..cea43cc9345d8 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/AdminApiTest.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/admin/AdminApiTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 package org.apache.pulsar.broker.admin;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doReturn;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
@@ -3668,4 +3669,23 @@ public void testPermissions() {
         assertThrows(NotFoundException.class, () -> admin.topics().grantPermission(topic, subject, Set.of(AuthAction.produce)));
         assertThrows(NotFoundException.class, () -> admin.topics().revokePermissions(topic, subject));
     }
+
+    @Test
+    @SneakyThrows
+    public void testPermissionsAllowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics() {
+        pulsar.getConfiguration().setAllowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics(true);
+        try {
+            String namespace = "prop-xyz/ns1/";
+            final String random = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
+            final String topic = "persistent://" + namespace + random;
+            final String subject = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
+            admin.topics().grantPermission(topic, subject, Set.of(AuthAction.produce));
+            assertThat(admin.topics().getPermissions(topic).get(subject)).containsExactly(AuthAction.produce);
+            admin.topics().revokePermissions(topic, subject);
+            assertThat(admin.topics().getPermissions(topic).get(subject)).isNullOrEmpty();
+        } finally {
+            // reset config
+            pulsar.getConfiguration().setAllowAclChangesOnNonExistentTopics(false);
+        }
+    }
 }