diff --git a/src/cmd/src/frontend.rs b/src/cmd/src/frontend.rs
index b000f7e1f02..83c16ffc2dc 100644
--- a/src/cmd/src/frontend.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/src/frontend.rs
@@ -212,6 +212,10 @@ pub struct StartCommand {
     internal_grpc_server_addr: Option<String>,
     #[clap(long)]
     http_addr: Option<String>,
+    /// The address to bind the dedicated public HTTP API server. Setting this
+    /// flag also enables the API server.
+    #[clap(long)]
+    http_api_server_addr: Option<String>,
     #[clap(long)]
     http_timeout: Option<u64>,
     #[clap(long)]
@@ -301,6 +305,11 @@ impl StartCommand {
             opts.http.disable_dashboard = disable_dashboard;
         }
 
+        if let Some(addr) = &self.http_api_server_addr {
+            opts.http.api_server_addr.clone_from(addr);
+            opts.http.enable_api_server = true;
+        }
+
         if let Some(addr) = &self.grpc_bind_addr {
             opts.grpc.bind_addr.clone_from(addr);
             opts.grpc.tls = merge_tls_option(&opts.grpc.tls, tls_opts.clone());
diff --git a/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs b/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs
index 76c95c26d32..ca0f3b74057 100644
--- a/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs
@@ -328,6 +328,10 @@ impl App for Instance {
 pub struct StartCommand {
     #[clap(long)]
     http_addr: Option<String>,
+    /// The address to bind the dedicated public HTTP API server. Setting this
+    /// flag also enables the API server.
+    #[clap(long)]
+    http_api_server_addr: Option<String>,
     #[clap(long = "grpc-bind-addr", alias = "rpc-bind-addr", alias = "rpc-addr")]
     grpc_bind_addr: Option<String>,
     #[clap(long)]
@@ -418,6 +422,11 @@ impl StartCommand {
             opts.http.addr.clone_from(addr);
         }
 
+        if let Some(addr) = &self.http_api_server_addr {
+            opts.http.api_server_addr.clone_from(addr);
+            opts.http.enable_api_server = true;
+        }
+
         if let Some(data_home) = &self.data_home {
             opts.storage.data_home.clone_from(data_home);
         }