diff --git a/src/controllers/client/client.controller.spec.ts b/src/controllers/client/client.controller.spec.ts
index 27b3c62..9ffcce4 100644
--- a/src/controllers/client/client.controller.spec.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/client/client.controller.spec.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,34 @@ describe('ClientController', () => {
     }));
   });
 
+  it('should read address best difficulty in API-only mode', async () => {
+    const originalApiOnly = process.env.API_ONLY;
+    process.env.API_ONLY = 'true';
+    try {
+      addressSettingsService.getSettings.mockResolvedValue({ bestDifficulty: 8192 });
+      shareAccountingService.getSessionSummaries.mockResolvedValue(new Map());
+      shareAccountingService.getAddressSummary.mockResolvedValue({
+        totalAcceptedShares: 10,
+        totalCreditedDifficulty: 100,
+        bestSubmissionDifficulty: 0,
+      });
+
+      await expect(controller.getClientInfo('bc1qtest')).resolves.toEqual(expect.objectContaining({
+        bestDifficulty: 8192,
+        accounting: expect.objectContaining({
+          bestSubmissionDifficulty: 8192,
+        }),
+      }));
+      expect(addressSettingsService.getSettings).toHaveBeenCalledWith('bc1qtest', false);
+    } finally {
+      if (originalApiOnly == null) {
+        delete process.env.API_ONLY;
+      } else {
+        process.env.API_ONLY = originalApiOnly;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
   it('should expose the latest current PPLNS expected payout for an address', async () => {
     addressSettingsService.getSettings.mockResolvedValue(null);
     shareAccountingService.getAddressSummary.mockResolvedValue({
diff --git a/src/controllers/client/client.controller.ts b/src/controllers/client/client.controller.ts
index dfeceda..695efa4 100644
--- a/src/controllers/client/client.controller.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/client/client.controller.ts
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ export class ClientController {
         const workers = await this.getActiveAddressWorkers(address, mode);
         const sessionSummaries = await this.shareAccountingService.getSessionSummaries(workers.map(worker => worker.clientId));
 
-        const addressSettings = process.env.API_ONLY === 'true'
-            ? null
-            : await this.addressSettingsService.getSettings(address, false);
+        const addressSettings = await this.addressSettingsService.getSettings(address, false);
         const bestDifficulty = addressSettings?.bestDifficulty ?? workers.reduce((best, worker) => {
             return Math.max(best, Number(worker.bestDifficulty ?? 0));
         }, 0);