diff --git a/config/packages/security.yaml b/config/packages/security.yaml
index a192b691..986d8ed2 100644
--- a/config/packages/security.yaml
+++ b/config/packages/security.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@ security:
             pattern: ^/(_(profiler|wdt)|css|images|js)/
             security: false
 
+        api:
+            request_matcher: App\Security\ApiRequestMatcher
+            user_checker: App\Security\UserChecker
+            anonymous: false
+            stateless: true
+            remember_me: false
+            provider: chain_provider
+            guard:
+                authenticators:
+                    - App\Security\TokenAuthenticator
+
         secured_area:
             kimai_saml: ~
             kimai_ldap: ~
@@ -26,7 +37,7 @@ security:
 
             guard:
                 authenticators:
-                    - App\Security\TokenAuthenticator
+                    - App\Security\ApiAuthenticator
 
             remember_me:
                 secret:   '%kernel.secret%'
diff --git a/src/Security/ApiAuthenticator.php b/src/Security/ApiAuthenticator.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..377a132f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Security/ApiAuthenticator.php
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Kimai time-tracking app.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace App\Security;
+
+use App\Entity\User;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\JsonResponse;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\Authentication\Token\TokenInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\Exception\AuthenticationException;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\UserInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\UserProviderInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Guard\AbstractGuardAuthenticator;
+
+class ApiAuthenticator extends AbstractGuardAuthenticator
+{
+    public const HEADER_JAVASCRIPT = 'X-AUTH-SESSION';
+
+    private $authenticator;
+
+    public function __construct(TokenAuthenticator $authenticator)
+    {
+        $this->authenticator = $authenticator;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Request $request
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function supports(Request $request)
+    {
+        // API docs can only be access, when the user is logged in
+        if (strpos($request->getRequestUri(), '/api/doc') !== false) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // only try to use this authenticator, when the URL contains the /api/ path
+        if (strpos($request->getRequestUri(), '/api/') !== false) {
+            // javascript requests can set a header to disable this authenticator and use the existing session
+            return !$request->headers->has(self::HEADER_JAVASCRIPT);
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Request $request
+     * @return array|bool
+     */
+    public function getCredentials(Request $request)
+    {
+        return $this->authenticator->getCredentials($request);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array $credentials
+     * @param UserProviderInterface $userProvider
+     * @return null|UserInterface
+     */
+    public function getUser($credentials, UserProviderInterface $userProvider)
+    {
+        return $this->authenticator->getUser($credentials, $userProvider);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array $credentials
+     * @param UserInterface $user
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function checkCredentials($credentials, UserInterface $user)
+    {
+        return $this->authenticator->checkCredentials($credentials, $user);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Request $request
+     * @param TokenInterface $token
+     * @param string $providerKey
+     * @return null|Response
+     */
+    public function onAuthenticationSuccess(Request $request, TokenInterface $token, $providerKey)
+    {
+        return $this->authenticator->onAuthenticationSuccess($request, $token, $providerKey);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Request $request
+     * @param AuthenticationException $exception
+     * @return null|JsonResponse|Response
+     */
+    public function onAuthenticationFailure(Request $request, AuthenticationException $exception)
+    {
+        return $this->authenticator->onAuthenticationFailure($request, $exception);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param Request $request
+     * @param AuthenticationException|null $authException
+     * @return JsonResponse|Response
+     */
+    public function start(Request $request, AuthenticationException $authException = null)
+    {
+        return $this->authenticator->start($request, $authException);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function supportsRememberMe()
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Security/ApiRequestMatcher.php b/src/Security/ApiRequestMatcher.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba685d99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Security/ApiRequestMatcher.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Kimai time-tracking app.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace App\Security;
+
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RequestMatcherInterface;
+
+class ApiRequestMatcher implements RequestMatcherInterface
+{
+    public function matches(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        if (strpos($request->getRequestUri(), '/api/doc') !== false) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (!preg_match('{^/api/}', rawurldecode($request->getPathInfo()))) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return $request->headers->has(TokenAuthenticator::HEADER_USERNAME) && $request->headers->has(TokenAuthenticator::HEADER_TOKEN);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Security/TokenAuthenticator.php b/src/Security/TokenAuthenticator.php
index 0854132d..be046bcc 100644
--- a/src/Security/TokenAuthenticator.php
+++ b/src/Security/TokenAuthenticator.php
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ class TokenAuthenticator extends AbstractGuardAuthenticator
 {
     public const HEADER_USERNAME = 'X-AUTH-USER';
     public const HEADER_TOKEN = 'X-AUTH-TOKEN';
-    public const HEADER_JAVASCRIPT = 'X-AUTH-SESSION';
 
     private $encoderFactory;
 
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ class TokenAuthenticator extends AbstractGuardAuthenticator
         // only try to use this authenticator, when the URL contains the /api/ path
         if (strpos($request->getRequestUri(), '/api/') !== false) {
             // javascript requests can set a header to disable this authenticator and use the existing session
-            return !$request->headers->has(self::HEADER_JAVASCRIPT);
+            return $request->headers->has(self::HEADER_USERNAME) && $request->headers->has(self::HEADER_TOKEN);
         }
 
         return false;
diff --git a/tests/Security/ApiAuthenticatorTest.php b/tests/Security/ApiAuthenticatorTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1564af12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Security/ApiAuthenticatorTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Kimai time-tracking app.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace App\Tests\Security;
+
+use App\Security\TokenAuthenticator;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\Encoder\EncoderFactoryInterface;
+
+/**
+ * @covers \App\Security\ApiAuthenticator
+ */
+class ApiAuthenticatorTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testRememberMe()
+    {
+        $factory = $this->createMock(EncoderFactoryInterface::class);
+        $sut = new TokenAuthenticator($factory);
+
+        self::assertFalse($sut->supportsRememberMe());
+    }
+
+    public function testSupports()
+    {
+        $factory = $this->createMock(EncoderFactoryInterface::class);
+        $sut = new TokenAuthenticator($factory);
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => 'dfghj/api/doc/dfghj']);
+        self::assertFalse($sut->supports($request));
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo']);
+        self::assertFalse($sut->supports($request));
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-SESSION' => true]);
+        self::assertFalse($sut->supports($request));
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-USER' => 'foo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-TOKEN' => 'bar']);
+        self::assertTrue($sut->supports($request));
+    }
+
+    public function testGetCredentials()
+    {
+        $factory = $this->createMock(EncoderFactoryInterface::class);
+        $sut = new TokenAuthenticator($factory);
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-SESSION' => true]);
+        self::assertEquals(['user' => null, 'token' => null], $sut->getCredentials($request));
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-USER' => 'foo']);
+        self::assertEquals(['user' => 'foo', 'token' => null], $sut->getCredentials($request));
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-USER' => 'foo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-TOKEN' => 'bar']);
+        self::assertEquals(['user' => 'foo', 'token' => 'bar'], $sut->getCredentials($request));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/Security/TokenAuthenticatorTest.php b/tests/Security/TokenAuthenticatorTest.php
index e4bd452f..43829094 100644
--- a/tests/Security/TokenAuthenticatorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Security/TokenAuthenticatorTest.php
@@ -36,10 +36,13 @@ class TokenAuthenticatorTest extends TestCase
         self::assertFalse($sut->supports($request));
 
         $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo']);
-        self::assertTrue($sut->supports($request));
+        self::assertFalse($sut->supports($request));
 
         $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-SESSION' => true]);
         self::assertFalse($sut->supports($request));
+
+        $request = new Request([], [], [], [], [], ['REQUEST_URI' => '/api/fooo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-USER' => 'foo', 'HTTP_X-AUTH-TOKEN' => 'bar']);
+        self::assertTrue($sut->supports($request));
     }
 
     public function testGetCredentials()