diff --git a/backend/open_webui/routers/openai.py b/backend/open_webui/routers/openai.py
index 7e25b30f70..925e6d41ec 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/routers/openai.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/routers/openai.py
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ async def get_headers_and_cookies(
     metadata: dict | None = None,
     user: UserModel = None,
 ):
-    cookies = {}
+    cookies = getattr(request, 'cookies', {}) if config.get('forward_cookies', False) else {}
     headers = {
         'Content-Type': 'application/json',
         **(
@@ -189,11 +189,8 @@ async def get_headers_and_cookies(
     elif auth_type == 'none':
         token = None
     elif auth_type == 'session':
-        cookies = request.cookies
         token = request.state.token.credentials
     elif auth_type == 'system_oauth':
-        cookies = request.cookies
-
         oauth_token = None
         try:
             if request.cookies.get('oauth_session_id', None):
diff --git a/src/lib/components/AddConnectionModal.svelte b/src/lib/components/AddConnectionModal.svelte
index 55cda09968..6d74d5e49a 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/AddConnectionModal.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/AddConnectionModal.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import { toast } from 'svelte-sonner';
 	import { getContext, onMount } from 'svelte';
-	const i18n = getContext('i18n');
+	const i18n = getContext<any>('i18n');
 
 	import { verifyOpenAIConnection } from '$lib/apis/openai';
 	import { verifyOllamaConnection } from '$lib/apis/ollama';
@@ -29,11 +29,12 @@
 	export let ollama = false;
 	export let direct = false;
 
-	export let connection = null;
+	export let connection: any = null;
 
 	let url = '';
 	let key = '';
 	let auth_type = 'bearer';
+	let forwardCookies = false;
 
 	let connectionType = 'external';
 	let provider = '';
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@
 				key,
 				config: {
 					auth_type,
+					...(!direct && !ollama ? { forward_cookies: forwardCookies } : {}),
 					...(provider ? { provider } : {}),
 					...(azure ? { azure: true } : {}),
 					api_version: apiVersion,
@@ -215,6 +217,7 @@
 				model_ids: modelIds,
 				connection_type: connectionType,
 				auth_type,
+				...(!direct && !ollama ? { forward_cookies: forwardCookies } : {}),
 				headers: headers ? JSON.parse(headers) : undefined,
 				passthrough_params: parsePassthroughParams(passthroughParams),
 				...(provider ? { provider } : {}),
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@
 		url = '';
 		key = '';
 		auth_type = 'bearer';
+		forwardCookies = false;
 		prefixId = '';
 		passthroughParams = '';
 		showAdvanced = false;
@@ -240,6 +244,7 @@
 	};
 
 	const init = () => {
+		forwardCookies = connection?.config?.forward_cookies ?? false;
 		if (connection) {
 			url = connection.url;
 			key = connection.key;
@@ -506,6 +511,24 @@
 						</div>
 
 						{#if showAdvanced}
+							{#if !direct && !ollama}
+								<div class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 mt-2">
+									<div>
+										<label for="forward-cookies" class="text-xs text-gray-500">
+											{$i18n.t('Forward cookies')}
+										</label>
+										<p class="text-xs text-gray-500">
+											{$i18n.t('Forward cookies from your Open WebUI request to this server.')}
+										</p>
+									</div>
+									<Switch
+										id="forward-cookies"
+										ariaLabel={$i18n.t('Forward cookies')}
+										bind:state={forwardCookies}
+									/>
+								</div>
+							{/if}
+
 							{#if !direct}
 								<div class="flex gap-2 mt-2">
 									<div class="flex flex-col w-full">