diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index c1360f4..48f7843 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -205,3 +205,21 @@ Use this setting when using a managed proxy with a dynamic IP (like when
 behind an AWS Load Balancer, or other cloud equivalent). When this
 setting is ``True``, Django IP Restrict will always check the HTTP
 ``X-Forwarded-For`` header to determine the true client IP address.
+
+
+IPRESTRICT_USE_PROXY_IF_UNKNOWN
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Default: ``False``
+
+Some proxies can be configured to hide the client IP behind them by using
+the special value ``unknown`` in the ``X-Forwarded-For`` header.
+By default, these requests will be blocked.
+
+Set this setting to ``True`` if you would like to use the proxy's IP address
+instead when the proxy reports them as ``unknown``.
+This will allow you to set up rules against the IP address of the proxy instead
+of the client IP addresses it hides.
+
+Please note that in this special case the proxy is also checked against
+``IPRESTRICT_TRUSTED_PROXIES`` if you are using that setting.
diff --git a/iprestrict/middleware.py b/iprestrict/middleware.py
index 9447e48..8b50801 100644
--- a/iprestrict/middleware.py
+++ b/iprestrict/middleware.py
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+UNKNOWN = "unknown"
+
+
 class IPRestrictMiddleware:
     def __init__(self, get_response):
         self.get_response = get_response
@@ -25,6 +28,9 @@ def __init__(self, get_response):
         self.trust_all_proxies = bool(
             get_setting("IPRESTRICT_TRUST_ALL_PROXIES", "TRUST_ALL_PROXIES", False)
         )
+        self.use_proxy_if_unknown = bool(
+            getattr(settings, "IPRESTRICT_USE_PROXY_IF_UNKNOWN", False)
+        )
 
     def __call__(self, request):
         if self.reload_rules:
@@ -54,6 +60,13 @@ def extract_client_ip(self, request):
     def extract_client_ip_proxied_request(self, client_ip, forwarded_for):
         closest_proxy = client_ip
         client_ip = forwarded_for.pop(0)
+
+        if client_ip == UNKNOWN:
+            if self.use_proxy_if_unknown:
+                client_ip = closest_proxy
+            else:
+                raise exceptions.PermissionDenied
+
         if self.trust_all_proxies:
             return client_ip
 
diff --git a/tests/test_middleware.py b/tests/test_middleware.py
index bd6fe0d..1d8f6ae 100644
--- a/tests/test_middleware.py
+++ b/tests/test_middleware.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def test_middleware_restricts_other_ip(self):
         response = self.client.get("", REMOTE_ADDR="10.1.1.1")
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 403)
 
-    @override_settings(IPRESTRICT_TRUSTED_PROXIES=(PROXY,), ALLOW_PROXIES=False)
+    @override_settings(IPRESTRICT_TRUSTED_PROXIES=(PROXY,))
     def test_middleware_allows_if_proxy_is_trusted(self):
         response = self.client.get("", REMOTE_ADDR=PROXY, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR=LOCAL_IP)
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 404)
@@ -78,6 +78,31 @@ def test_middleware_restricts_if_proxy_is_not_trusted(self):
         response = self.client.get("", REMOTE_ADDR=PROXY, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR=LOCAL_IP)
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 403)
 
+    @override_settings(
+        IPRESTRICT_TRUSTED_PROXIES=(LOCAL_IP,), IPRESTRICT_USE_PROXY_IF_UNKNOWN=True
+    )
+    def test_middleware_allows_if_PROXY_is_used_and_allowed_when_IP_is_unknown(self):
+        response = self.client.get(
+            "", REMOTE_ADDR=LOCAL_IP, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR="unknown"
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 404)
+
+    @override_settings(IPRESTRICT_USE_PROXY_IF_UNKNOWN=True)
+    def test_middleware_restricts_if_PROXY_is_used_but_NOT_allowed_when_IP_is_unknown(
+        self,
+    ):
+        response = self.client.get(
+            "", REMOTE_ADDR=LOCAL_IP, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR="unknown"
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 403)
+
+    @override_settings(IPRESTRICT_TRUSTED_PROXIES=(PROXY,))
+    def test_middleware_restricts_if_IP_is_unknown(self):
+        response = self.client.get(
+            "", REMOTE_ADDR=PROXY, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR="unknown"
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 403)
+
 
 class ReloadRulesTest(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
@@ -149,9 +174,7 @@ def test_multiple_proxies_all_trusted(self):
         client_ip = self.middleware.extract_client_ip(request)
         self.assertEqual(client_ip, LOCAL_IP)
 
-    @override_settings(
-        IPRESTRICT_TRUSTED_PROXIES=(PROXY,), IPRESTRICT_TRUST_ALL_PROXIES=True
-    )
+    @override_settings(IPRESTRICT_TRUST_ALL_PROXIES=True)
     def test_trust_all_proxies_on(self):
         self.middleware = IPRestrictMiddleware(dummy_get_response)
         proxies = ["1.1.1.1", "2.2.2.2", "3.3.3.3", "4.4.4.4"]
@@ -161,3 +184,16 @@ def test_trust_all_proxies_on(self):
 
         client_ip = self.middleware.extract_client_ip(request)
         self.assertEqual(client_ip, LOCAL_IP)
+
+    @override_settings(
+        IPRESTRICT_TRUST_ALL_PROXIES=True, IPRESTRICT_USE_PROXY_IF_UNKNOWN=True
+    )
+    def test_use_proxy_if_unknown(self):
+        self.middleware = IPRestrictMiddleware(dummy_get_response)
+        proxies = ["1.1.1.1", "2.2.2.2", "3.3.3.3", "4.4.4.4"]
+        request = self.factory.get(
+            "", REMOTE_ADDR=PROXY, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR=", ".join(["unknown"] + proxies)
+        )
+
+        client_ip = self.middleware.extract_client_ip(request)
+        self.assertEqual(client_ip, PROXY)