diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 58942535c..ffc11549c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ DebugConfig.txt
 Host/Multitenancy/demo.config
 *.log.txt
 *temp.txt
+*.Secrets.config
 
 # Folder
 bin[Rr]elease/
diff --git a/Host/Host.csproj b/Host/Host.csproj
index 01771c949..b4573617a 100644
--- a/Host/Host.csproj
+++ b/Host/Host.csproj
@@ -457,6 +457,8 @@
     <Content Include="Scripts\jquery-3.7.1.slim.min.map" />
     <Content Include="Scripts\jquery-3.7.1.min.map" />
     <Content Include="Scripts\jquery.mobile-1.4.5.min.map" />
+    <None Include="Web.Secrets.config.template" />
+    <None Include="Web.Secrets.config" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="Admin.aspx.cs">
diff --git a/Host/Web.Secrets.config.template b/Host/Web.Secrets.config.template
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7af9b3a0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Host/Web.Secrets.config.template
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Installation:
+// Einfach diese Datei kopieren und den Kommentar hier oben entfernen.
+// Ggf. um fehlende API Keys ergänzen
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+<appSettings>
+  <add key="OpenWebUIKey" value=""/>
+</appSettings>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Host/Web.config b/Host/Web.config
index dbec21fa4..4f8b31776 100644
--- a/Host/Web.config
+++ b/Host/Web.config
@@ -307,7 +307,6 @@
     <add key="SendMailModuleGkvReceiver" value="dakota.exchange@ownsoft.de" />
 
     <add key="OpenWebUIUrl" value="https://owui1.ownsoft.de/"/>
-    <add key="OpenWebUIKey" value="eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpZCI6IjMyNzJlZjc5LWRmZjEtNDdjYS05NWNlLWZhNjk1ZDdjZGQ4NCJ9.mhQZvSx_mY18J9nHUDTd36wWhDAOrzzlfG9FOS5MeSM"/>
   </appSettings>
   <!-- <> <> <>  Appsettings <> <> <> -->
   <devExpress>
diff --git a/Service/Core/MergedConfig.cs b/Service/Core/MergedConfig.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e4418e81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Service/Core/MergedConfig.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Configuration;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using System.Xml;
+
+namespace BeWo.Service.Core
+{
+	public static class MergedConfig
+	{
+		public static string GetSetting(string key)
+		{
+			// 1. Versuche, aus AppSettings.local.config zu lesen
+			var localConfigPath = Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Web.Secrets.config");
+			if (File.Exists(localConfigPath))
+			{
+				var xml = new XmlDocument();
+				xml.Load(localConfigPath);
+				var node = xml.SelectSingleNode($"/appSettings/add[@key='{key}']");
+				if (node is XmlElement element)
+					return element.GetAttribute("value");
+			}
+
+			// 2. Fallback: Standard-AppSettings
+			return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[key];
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Service/Service.csproj b/Service/Service.csproj
index b781566e7..380c4bbb7 100644
--- a/Service/Service.csproj
+++ b/Service/Service.csproj
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Core\DiamantExporter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Core\ExcelDownload.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Core\FileAttachmentUtils.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Core\MergedConfig.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Core\ServiceLogic.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Core\SettingsLogic.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Core\Utils.cs" />
diff --git a/Service/ServiceProxy/OpenWebUIFacade.cs b/Service/ServiceProxy/OpenWebUIFacade.cs
index 09cbcf332..001599778 100644
--- a/Service/ServiceProxy/OpenWebUIFacade.cs
+++ b/Service/ServiceProxy/OpenWebUIFacade.cs
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ namespace BeWo.Service.ServiceProxy
 
 		protected override string getKey()
 		{
-			var key = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["OpenWebUIKey"];
+			var key = Core.MergedConfig.GetSetting("OpenWebUIKey");
 
 			if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(key))
 				throw new InvalidOperationException("OpenWebUIKey is missing");