diff --git a/extensions/frontend/pkg/command/command.go b/extensions/frontend/pkg/command/command.go
index f3fc88c2c..7f13a1915 100644
--- a/extensions/frontend/pkg/command/command.go
+++ b/extensions/frontend/pkg/command/command.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func frontendConfigFromStruct(c *cli.Context, cfg *config.Config, filesCfg map[s
 					"resource_info_cache_ttl":   cfg.OCS.ResourceInfoCacheTTL,
 					"prefix":                    cfg.OCS.Prefix,
 					"additional_info_attribute": cfg.OCS.AdditionalInfoAttribute,
-					"machine_auth_apikey":       cfg.AuthMachine.APIKey,
+					"machine_auth_apikey":       cfg.MachineAuthAPIKey,
 					"cache_warmup_driver":       cfg.OCS.CacheWarmupDriver,
 					"cache_warmup_drivers": map[string]interface{}{
 						"cbox": map[string]interface{}{
diff --git a/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/config.go b/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/config.go
index c358cbd78..7006febe7 100644
--- a/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	TransferSecret string `yaml:"transfer_secret" env:"STORAGE_TRANSFER_SECRET"`
 
-	TokenManager *TokenManager `yaml:"token_manager"`
-	Reva         *Reva         `yaml:"reva"`
+	TokenManager      *TokenManager `yaml:"token_manager"`
+	Reva              *Reva         `yaml:"reva"`
+	MachineAuthAPIKey string        `yaml:"machine_auth_api_key" env:"OCIS_MACHINE_AUTH_API_KEY;FRONTEND_MACHINE_AUTH_API_KEY"`
 
 	SkipUserGroupsInToken bool `yaml:"skip_users_groups_in_token"`
 
@@ -33,7 +34,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	AppProvider AppProvider `yaml:"app_provider"`
 	DataGateway DataGateway `yaml:"data_gateway"`
 	OCS         OCS         `yaml:"ocs"`
-	AuthMachine AuthMachine `yaml:"auth_machine"`
 	Checksums   Checksums   `yaml:"checksums"`
 
 	Middleware Middleware `yaml:"middleware"`
@@ -124,10 +124,6 @@ type CBOXDriver struct {
 	Namespace  string
 }
 
-type AuthMachine struct {
-	APIKey string `env:"OCIS_MACHINE_AUTH_API_KEY"`
-}
-
 type Checksums struct {
 	SupportedTypes      []string `yaml:"supported_types"`
 	PreferredUploadType string   `yaml:"preferred_upload_type"`
diff --git a/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/defaults/defaultconfig.go b/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/defaults/defaultconfig.go
index 95256201f..11f7958f1 100644
--- a/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/defaults/defaultconfig.go
+++ b/extensions/frontend/pkg/config/defaults/defaultconfig.go
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@ func EnsureDefaults(cfg *config.Config) {
 	if cfg.TransferSecret == "" && cfg.Commons != nil && cfg.Commons.TransferSecret != "" {
 		cfg.TransferSecret = cfg.Commons.TransferSecret
 	}
+
+	if cfg.MachineAuthAPIKey == "" && cfg.Commons != nil && cfg.Commons.MachineAuthAPIKey != "" {
+		cfg.MachineAuthAPIKey = cfg.Commons.MachineAuthAPIKey
+	}
+
 }
 
 func Sanitize(cfg *config.Config) {