diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrent.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrent.cs
index 3d1863784..f239a8bc8 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrent.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrent.cs
@@ -232,7 +232,8 @@ private ValidationFailure TestConnection()
             catch (DownloadClientAuthenticationException ex)
             {
                 _logger.Error(ex, ex.Message);
-                return new NzbDroneValidationFailure("Username", "Authentication failure")
+
+                return new NzbDroneValidationFailure(Settings.ApiKey.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace() ? "ApiKey" : "Username", "Authentication failure")
                 {
                     DetailedDescription = "Please verify your username and password."
                 };
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentProxyV2.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentProxyV2.cs
index c15a2447f..91585440d 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentProxyV2.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentProxyV2.cs
@@ -337,13 +337,19 @@ public void SetForceStart(string hash, bool enabled, QBittorrentSettings setting
             ProcessRequest(request, settings);
         }
 
-        private HttpRequestBuilder BuildRequest(QBittorrentSettings settings)
+        private static HttpRequestBuilder BuildRequest(QBittorrentSettings settings)
         {
             var requestBuilder = new HttpRequestBuilder(settings.UseSsl, settings.Host, settings.Port, settings.UrlBase)
             {
                 LogResponseContent = true,
                 StoreRequestCookie = false
             };
+
+            if (settings.ApiKey.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace())
+            {
+                requestBuilder.Headers["Authorization"] = $"Bearer {settings.ApiKey}";
+            }
+
             return requestBuilder;
         }
 
@@ -357,16 +363,39 @@ private TResult ProcessRequest<TResult>(HttpRequestBuilder requestBuilder, QBitt
 
         private string ProcessRequest(HttpRequestBuilder requestBuilder, QBittorrentSettings settings)
         {
-            AuthenticateClient(requestBuilder, settings);
-
             var request = requestBuilder.Build();
             request.LogResponseContent = true;
+
+            if (settings.ApiKey.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace())
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    return _httpClient.Execute(request).Content;
+                }
+                catch (HttpException ex)
+                {
+                    if (ex.Response.StatusCode is HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized or HttpStatusCode.Forbidden)
+                    {
+                        _logger.Debug(ex, "qbitTorrent authentication failed.");
+
+                        throw new DownloadClientAuthenticationException("Failed to authenticate with qBittorrent.", ex);
+                    }
+
+                    throw new DownloadClientException("Failed to connect to qBittorrent, check your settings.", ex);
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    throw new DownloadClientException("Failed to connect to qBittorrent, please check your settings.", ex);
+                }
+            }
+
+            AuthenticateClient(requestBuilder, settings);
+
             request.SuppressHttpErrorStatusCodes = new[] { HttpStatusCode.Forbidden };
 
-            HttpResponse response;
             try
             {
-                response = _httpClient.Execute(request);
+                var response = _httpClient.Execute(request);
 
                 if (response.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.Forbidden)
                 {
@@ -378,17 +407,17 @@ private string ProcessRequest(HttpRequestBuilder requestBuilder, QBittorrentSett
 
                     response = _httpClient.Execute(request);
                 }
+
+                return response.Content;
             }
             catch (HttpException ex)
             {
                 throw new DownloadClientException("Failed to connect to qBittorrent, check your settings.", ex);
             }
-            catch (WebException ex)
+            catch (Exception ex)
             {
                 throw new DownloadClientException("Failed to connect to qBittorrent, please check your settings.", ex);
             }
-
-            return response.Content;
         }
 
         private void AuthenticateClient(HttpRequestBuilder requestBuilder, QBittorrentSettings settings, bool reauthenticate = false)
diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentSettings.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentSettings.cs
index 8d157dc30..2a74d2c9b 100644
--- a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentSettings.cs
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Download/Clients/QBittorrent/QBittorrentSettings.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ public QBittorrentSettingsValidator()
             RuleFor(c => c.Port).InclusiveBetween(1, 65535);
             RuleFor(c => c.UrlBase).ValidUrlBase().When(c => c.UrlBase.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace());
 
+            RuleFor(c => c.Username).Empty()
+                .WithMessage("Username must be empty when using API Key.")
+                .When(c => c.ApiKey.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace());
+            RuleFor(c => c.Password).Empty()
+                .WithMessage("Password must be empty when using API Key.")
+                .When(c => c.ApiKey.IsNotNullOrWhiteSpace());
+
             RuleFor(c => c.Category).Matches(@"^([^\\\/](\/?[^\\\/])*)?$").WithMessage(@"Can not contain '\', '//', or start/end with '/'");
         }
     }
@@ -43,28 +50,31 @@ public QBittorrentSettings()
         [FieldToken(TokenField.HelpText, "UrlBase", "url", "http://[host]:[port]/[urlBase]/api")]
         public string UrlBase { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(4, Label = "Username", Type = FieldType.Textbox, Privacy = PrivacyLevel.UserName)]
+        [FieldDefinition(4, Label = "ApiKey", Type = FieldType.Textbox, Privacy = PrivacyLevel.ApiKey)]
+        public string ApiKey { get; set; }
+
+        [FieldDefinition(5, Label = "Username", Type = FieldType.Textbox, Privacy = PrivacyLevel.UserName)]
         public string Username { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(5, Label = "Password", Type = FieldType.Password, Privacy = PrivacyLevel.Password)]
+        [FieldDefinition(6, Label = "Password", Type = FieldType.Password, Privacy = PrivacyLevel.Password)]
         public string Password { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(6, Label = "DefaultCategory", Type = FieldType.Textbox, HelpText = "DownloadClientSettingsDefaultCategoryHelpText")]
+        [FieldDefinition(7, Label = "DefaultCategory", Type = FieldType.Textbox, HelpText = "DownloadClientSettingsDefaultCategoryHelpText")]
         public string Category { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(7, Label = "Priority", Type = FieldType.Select, SelectOptions = typeof(QBittorrentPriority), HelpText = "DownloadClientSettingsPriorityItemHelpText")]
+        [FieldDefinition(8, Label = "Priority", Type = FieldType.Select, SelectOptions = typeof(QBittorrentPriority), HelpText = "DownloadClientSettingsPriorityItemHelpText")]
         public int Priority { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(8, Label = "DownloadClientSettingsInitialState", Type = FieldType.Select, SelectOptions = typeof(QBittorrentState), HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsInitialStateHelpText")]
+        [FieldDefinition(9, Label = "DownloadClientSettingsInitialState", Type = FieldType.Select, SelectOptions = typeof(QBittorrentState), HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsInitialStateHelpText")]
         public int InitialState { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(9, Label = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsSequentialOrder", Type = FieldType.Checkbox, HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsSequentialOrderHelpText")]
+        [FieldDefinition(10, Label = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsSequentialOrder", Type = FieldType.Checkbox, HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsSequentialOrderHelpText")]
         public bool SequentialOrder { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(10, Label = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsFirstAndLastFirst", Type = FieldType.Checkbox, HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsFirstAndLastFirstHelpText")]
+        [FieldDefinition(11, Label = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsFirstAndLastFirst", Type = FieldType.Checkbox, HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsFirstAndLastFirstHelpText")]
         public bool FirstAndLast { get; set; }
 
-        [FieldDefinition(11, Label = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsContentLayout", Type = FieldType.Select, SelectOptions = typeof(QBittorrentContentLayout), HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsContentLayoutHelpText")]
+        [FieldDefinition(12, Label = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsContentLayout", Type = FieldType.Select, SelectOptions = typeof(QBittorrentContentLayout), HelpText = "DownloadClientQbittorrentSettingsContentLayoutHelpText")]
         public int ContentLayout { get; set; }
 
         public NzbDroneValidationResult Validate()