diff --git a/group_vars/mdss.sample b/group_vars/mdss.sample
index fae7bc279..5039b3b9f 100644
--- a/group_vars/mdss.sample
+++ b/group_vars/mdss.sample
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ dummy:
 
 #fetch_directory: fetch/
 
+# Even though MDS nodes should not have the admin key
+# at their disposal, some people might want to have it
+# distributed on MDS nodes. Setting 'copy_admin_key' to 'true'
+# will copy the admin key to the /etc/ceph/ directory
+# copy_admin_key: false
 
 ##########
 # DOCKER #
diff --git a/group_vars/osds.sample b/group_vars/osds.sample
index 1af7191e8..66904a7b1 100644
--- a/group_vars/osds.sample
+++ b/group_vars/osds.sample
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ dummy:
 
 #fetch_directory: fetch/
 
+# Even though OSD nodes should not have the admin key
+# at their disposal, some people might want to have it
+# distributed on OSD nodes. Setting 'copy_admin_key' to 'true'
+# will copy the admin key to the /etc/ceph/ directory
+#copy_admin_key: false
+
 ####################
 # OSD CRUSH LOCATION
 ####################
diff --git a/group_vars/rgws.sample b/group_vars/rgws.sample
index 707c36116..8ec233ca8 100644
--- a/group_vars/rgws.sample
+++ b/group_vars/rgws.sample
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ dummy:
 #
 #cephx: true
 
+# Even though RGW nodes should not have the admin key
+# at their disposal, some people might want to have it
+# distributed on RGW nodes. Setting 'copy_admin_key' to 'true'
+# will copy the admin key to the /etc/ceph/ directory
+# copy_admin_key: false
+
 # Used for the sudo exception while starting the radosgw process
 # a new entry /etc/sudoers.d/ceph will be created
 # allowing root to not require tty
diff --git a/roles/ceph-mds/defaults/main.yml b/roles/ceph-mds/defaults/main.yml
index 1bedb16e0..59689c171 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-mds/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-mds/defaults/main.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@
 
 fetch_directory: fetch/
 
+# Even though MDS nodes should not have the admin key
+# at their disposal, some people might want to have it
+# distributed on MDS nodes. Setting 'copy_admin_key' to 'true'
+# will copy the admin key to the /etc/ceph/ directory
+copy_admin_key: false
+
 cephx: true
 
 
diff --git a/roles/ceph-mds/tasks/pre_requisite.yml b/roles/ceph-mds/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
index 9481bbb55..ede48415a 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-mds/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-mds/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
@@ -9,11 +9,17 @@
 
 - name: copy mds bootstrap key
   copy:
-    src: "{{ fetch_directory }}/{{ fsid }}/var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-mds/ceph.keyring"
-    dest: /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-mds/ceph.keyring
+    src: "{{ fetch_directory }}/{{ fsid }}{{ item.name }}"
+    dest: "{{ item.name }}"
     owner: "{{ key_owner }}"
     group: "{{ key_group }}"
     mode: "{{ key_mode }}"
+  with_items:
+    - { name: /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-mds/ceph.keyring, copy_key: true }
+    - { name: /etc/ceph/ceph.client.admin.keyring, copy_key: "{{ copy_admin_key }}" }
+  when:
+    cephx and
+    item.copy_key|bool
 
 - name: create mds directory
   file:
diff --git a/roles/ceph-osd/defaults/main.yml b/roles/ceph-osd/defaults/main.yml
index 7fbcece14..a609e7c9c 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-osd/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-osd/defaults/main.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
 
 fetch_directory: fetch/
 
+# Even though OSD nodes should not have the admin key
+# at their disposal, some people might want to have it
+# distributed on OSD nodes. Setting 'copy_admin_key' to 'true'
+# will copy the admin key to the /etc/ceph/ directory
+copy_admin_key: false
+
 ####################
 # OSD CRUSH LOCATION
 ####################
diff --git a/roles/ceph-osd/tasks/pre_requisite.yml b/roles/ceph-osd/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
index cd0fd7424..61b9395a8 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-osd/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-osd/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
@@ -23,10 +23,14 @@
 
 - name: copy osd bootstrap key
   copy:
-    src: "{{ fetch_directory }}/{{ fsid }}/var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-osd/ceph.keyring"
-    dest: /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-osd/ceph.keyring
+    src: "{{ fetch_directory }}/{{ fsid }}{{ item.name }}"
+    dest: "{{ item.name }}"
     owner: "{{ key_owner }}"
     group: "{{ key_group }}"
     mode: "{{ key_mode }}"
+  with_items:
+    - { name: /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-osd/ceph.keyring, copy_key: true }
+    - { name: /etc/ceph/ceph.client.admin.keyring, copy_key: "{{ copy_admin_key }}" }
   when:
-    cephx
+    cephx and
+    item.copy_key|bool
diff --git a/roles/ceph-rgw/defaults/main.yml b/roles/ceph-rgw/defaults/main.yml
index cee4bf9b6..e5b8350f3 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-rgw/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-rgw/defaults/main.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@
 
 fetch_directory: fetch/
 
+# Even though RGW nodes should not have the admin key
+# at their disposal, some people might want to have it
+# distributed on RGW nodes. Setting 'copy_admin_key' to 'true'
+# will copy the admin key to the /etc/ceph/ directory
+copy_admin_key: false
+
 ## Ceph options
 #
 cephx: true
diff --git a/roles/ceph-rgw/tasks/pre_requisite.yml b/roles/ceph-rgw/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
index 2e9dda9db..8b24a271e 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-rgw/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-rgw/tasks/pre_requisite.yml
@@ -12,12 +12,17 @@
 
 - name: copy rados gateway bootstrap key
   copy:
-    src: "{{ fetch_directory }}/{{ fsid }}/var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-rgw/ceph.keyring"
-    dest: /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-rgw/ceph.keyring
+    src: "{{ fetch_directory }}/{{ fsid }}{{ item.name }}"
+    dest: "{{ item.name }}"
     owner: "{{ key_owner }}"
     group: "{{ key_group }}"
     mode: "{{ key_mode }}"
-  when: cephx
+  with_items:
+    - { name: /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-rgw/ceph.keyring, copy_key: true }
+    - { name: /etc/ceph/ceph.client.admin.keyring, copy_key: "{{ copy_admin_key }}" }
+  when:
+    cephx and
+    item.copy_key|bool
 
 - name: create rados gateway keyring
   command: ceph --cluster ceph --name client.bootstrap-rgw --keyring /var/lib/ceph/bootstrap-rgw/ceph.keyring auth get-or-create client.rgw.{{ ansible_hostname }} osd 'allow rwx' mon 'allow rw' -o /var/lib/ceph/radosgw/ceph-rgw.{{ ansible_hostname }}/keyring