diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/security/acl/OzoneObjInfo.java b/hadoop-ozone/common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/security/acl/OzoneObjInfo.java
index a45a156eff..cbae18cb78 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/security/acl/OzoneObjInfo.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/security/acl/OzoneObjInfo.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.apache.hadoop.ozone.security.acl;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.om.helpers.OmKeyArgs;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.protocol.proto.OzoneManagerProtocolProtos;
 
 import static org.apache.hadoop.ozone.OzoneConsts.OZONE_URI_DELIMITER;
@@ -158,6 +159,14 @@ public static Builder newBuilder() {
       return new Builder();
     }
 
+    public static Builder fromKeyArgs(OmKeyArgs args) {
+      return new Builder()
+          .setVolumeName(args.getVolumeName())
+          .setBucketName(args.getBucketName())
+          .setKeyName(args.getKeyName())
+          .setResType(ResourceType.KEY);
+    }
+
     public Builder setResType(OzoneObj.ResourceType res) {
       this.resType = res;
       return this;
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestKeyManagerImpl.java b/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestKeyManagerImpl.java
index 83eb78f3b1..4c3dce9fdf 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestKeyManagerImpl.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/integration-test/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/TestKeyManagerImpl.java
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdds.scm.server.SCMConfigurator;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hdds.scm.server.StorageContainerManager;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.OzoneAcl;
+import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.OzoneTestUtils;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.om.exceptions.OMException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.om.helpers.OmBucketInfo;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.om.helpers.OmKeyArgs;
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.security.acl.IAccessAuthorizer.ACLType;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.security.acl.OzoneObj;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.security.acl.OzoneObjInfo;
+import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.security.acl.RequestContext;
 import org.apache.hadoop.ozone.web.utils.OzoneUtils;
 import org.apache.hadoop.security.UserGroupInformation;
 import org.apache.hadoop.test.GenericTestUtils;
@@ -395,6 +397,53 @@ public void testOpenFile() throws IOException {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckAccessForFileKey() throws Exception {
+    OmKeyArgs keyArgs = createBuilder()
+        .setKeyName("testdir/deep/NOTICE.txt")
+        .build();
+    OpenKeySession keySession = keyManager.createFile(keyArgs, false, true);
+    keyArgs.setLocationInfoList(
+        keySession.getKeyInfo().getLatestVersionLocations().getLocationList());
+    keyManager.commitKey(keyArgs, keySession.getId());
+
+    OzoneObj fileKey = OzoneObjInfo.Builder.fromKeyArgs(keyArgs)
+        .setStoreType(OzoneObj.StoreType.OZONE)
+        .build();
+    RequestContext context = currentUserReads();
+    Assert.assertTrue(keyManager.checkAccess(fileKey, context));
+
+    OzoneObj parentDirKey = OzoneObjInfo.Builder.fromKeyArgs(keyArgs)
+        .setStoreType(OzoneObj.StoreType.OZONE)
+        .setKeyName("testdir")
+        .build();
+    Assert.assertTrue(keyManager.checkAccess(parentDirKey, context));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckAccessForNonExistentKey() throws Exception {
+    OmKeyArgs keyArgs = createBuilder()
+        .setKeyName("testdir/deep/NO_SUCH_FILE.txt")
+        .build();
+    OzoneObj nonExistentKey = OzoneObjInfo.Builder.fromKeyArgs(keyArgs)
+        .setStoreType(OzoneObj.StoreType.OZONE)
+        .build();
+    OzoneTestUtils.expectOmException(OMException.ResultCodes.KEY_NOT_FOUND,
+        () -> keyManager.checkAccess(nonExistentKey, currentUserReads()));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckAccessForDirectoryKey() throws Exception {
+    OmKeyArgs keyArgs = createBuilder()
+        .setKeyName("some/dir")
+        .build();
+    keyManager.createDirectory(keyArgs);
+
+    OzoneObj dirKey = OzoneObjInfo.Builder.fromKeyArgs(keyArgs)
+        .setStoreType(OzoneObj.StoreType.OZONE)
+        .build();
+    Assert.assertTrue(keyManager.checkAccess(dirKey, currentUserReads()));
+  }
 
   @Test
   public void testPrefixAclOps() throws IOException {
@@ -914,4 +963,12 @@ private OmKeyArgs.Builder createBuilder() throws IOException {
             ALL, ALL))
         .setVolumeName(VOLUME_NAME);
   }
+
+  private RequestContext currentUserReads() throws IOException {
+    return RequestContext.newBuilder()
+        .setClientUgi(UserGroupInformation.getCurrentUser())
+        .setAclRights(ACLType.READ_ACL)
+        .setAclType(ACLIdentityType.USER)
+        .build();
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/KeyManagerImpl.java b/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/KeyManagerImpl.java
index bf501084b7..557904a02f 100644
--- a/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/KeyManagerImpl.java
+++ b/hadoop-ozone/ozone-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/om/KeyManagerImpl.java
@@ -1638,24 +1638,38 @@ public boolean checkAccess(OzoneObj ozObject, RequestContext context)
     String volume = ozObject.getVolumeName();
     String bucket = ozObject.getBucketName();
     String keyName = ozObject.getKeyName();
+    String objectKey = metadataManager.getOzoneKey(volume, bucket, keyName);
+    OmKeyArgs args = new OmKeyArgs.Builder()
+        .setVolumeName(volume)
+        .setBucketName(bucket)
+        .setKeyName(keyName)
+        .build();
 
     metadataManager.getLock().acquireLock(BUCKET_LOCK, volume, bucket);
     try {
       validateBucket(volume, bucket);
-      String objectKey = metadataManager.getOzoneKey(volume, bucket, keyName);
-      OmKeyInfo keyInfo = metadataManager.getKeyTable().get(objectKey);
-      if (keyInfo == null) {
-        objectKey = OzoneFSUtils.addTrailingSlashIfNeeded(objectKey);
-        keyInfo = metadataManager.getKeyTable().get(objectKey);
-        
-        if(keyInfo == null) {
+      OmKeyInfo keyInfo = null;
+      try {
+        OzoneFileStatus fileStatus = getFileStatus(args);
+        keyInfo = fileStatus.getKeyInfo();
+        if (keyInfo == null) {
+          // the key does not exist, but it is a parent "dir" of some key
+          // let access be determined based on volume/bucket/prefix ACL
+          LOG.debug("key:{} is non-existent parent, permit access to user:{}",
+              keyName, context.getClientUgi());
+          return true;
+        }
+      } catch (OMException e) {
+        if (e.getResult() == FILE_NOT_FOUND) {
           keyInfo = metadataManager.getOpenKeyTable().get(objectKey);
-          if (keyInfo == null) {
-            throw new OMException("Key not found, checkAccess failed. Key:" +
-                objectKey, KEY_NOT_FOUND);
-          }
         }
       }
+
+      if (keyInfo == null) {
+        throw new OMException("Key not found, checkAccess failed. Key:" +
+            objectKey, KEY_NOT_FOUND);
+      }
+
       boolean hasAccess = OzoneUtils.checkAclRight(keyInfo.getAcls(), context);
       LOG.debug("user:{} has access rights for key:{} :{} ",
           context.getClientUgi(), ozObject.getKeyName(), hasAccess);