diff --git a/.changeset/id-token-claim-authority.md b/.changeset/id-token-claim-authority.md
index 5dc0024516..76769950ab 100644
--- a/.changeset/id-token-claim-authority.md
+++ b/.changeset/id-token-claim-authority.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 ID tokens now use `acr: "0"`, indicating that authentication did not meet
 ISO/IEC 29115 level 1, and OpenID discovery advertises only `"0"`. Because
 `acr_values` is voluntary, requests for other classes continue instead of
-failing. Essential `claims.id_token.acr` requests still fail when their
-required `value` or `values` cannot be met.
+failing. Essential `claims.id_token.acr` requests in OpenID Connect flows still
+fail when their required `value` or `values` cannot be met.
 
 `customIdTokenClaims`, extension ID-token claims, and per-issuance `idTokenClaims` can no longer set OIDC/JWT protocol claims such as issuer, subject, audience, token lifetime, nonce, session or hash binding, `auth_time`, `acr`, `amr`, or `azp`. Namespaced custom claims still appear in ID tokens.
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/plugins/oauth-provider.mdx b/docs/content/docs/plugins/oauth-provider.mdx
index f46fb2a300..c61febabc2 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/plugins/oauth-provider.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/plugins/oauth-provider.mdx
@@ -1721,7 +1721,7 @@ The metadata endpoint can be customized so that the publicized scopes and claims
 
 All scopes inside the advertisedMetadata section MUST be listed in `scopes` otherwise initialization will fail.
 
-Better Auth advertises `acr_values_supported: ["0"]`. In OIDC Core, `"0"` means the authentication did not meet ISO/IEC 29115 level 1. Custom ACR policies are not currently supported. Because `acr_values` is voluntary, requests for other classes continue and the ID token reports `acr: "0"`. An essential `claims.id_token.acr` request fails when its `value` or `values` does not include `"0"`.
+Better Auth advertises `acr_values_supported: ["0"]`. In OIDC Core, `"0"` means the authentication did not meet ISO/IEC 29115 level 1. Custom ACR policies are not currently supported. Because `acr_values` is voluntary, requests for other classes continue and the ID token reports `acr: "0"`. In an OpenID Connect request, an essential `claims.id_token.acr` request fails when its `value` or `values` does not include `"0"`.
 
 #### Scopes
 
diff --git a/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.test.ts b/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.test.ts
index ed2bbd6681..40cf755a1c 100644
--- a/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.test.ts
+++ b/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.test.ts
@@ -538,13 +538,17 @@ describe("oauth authorize - acr_values (OIDC Core 1.0 §3.1.2.1)", async () => {
 		});
 	});
 
-	function authorizeUrl(acrValues: string, acrClaim?: AcrClaimRequest) {
+	function authorizeUrl(
+		acrValues: string,
+		acrClaim?: AcrClaimRequest,
+		scope = "openid",
+	) {
 		if (!oauthClient?.client_id) throw new Error("beforeAll not run properly");
 		const url = new URL(`${authServerBaseUrl}/api/auth/oauth2/authorize`);
 		url.searchParams.set("client_id", oauthClient.client_id);
 		url.searchParams.set("redirect_uri", redirectUri);
 		url.searchParams.set("response_type", "code");
-		url.searchParams.set("scope", "openid");
+		url.searchParams.set("scope", scope);
 		url.searchParams.set("state", "acr-state");
 		url.searchParams.set("code_challenge", generateRandomString(43));
 		url.searchParams.set("code_challenge_method", "S256");
@@ -558,9 +562,13 @@ describe("oauth authorize - acr_values (OIDC Core 1.0 §3.1.2.1)", async () => {
 		return url.toString();
 	}
 
-	async function redirectFor(acrValues: string, acrClaim?: AcrClaimRequest) {
+	async function redirectFor(
+		acrValues: string,
+		acrClaim?: AcrClaimRequest,
+		scope?: string,
+	) {
 		let location = "";
-		await authenticatedClient.$fetch(authorizeUrl(acrValues, acrClaim), {
+		await authenticatedClient.$fetch(authorizeUrl(acrValues, acrClaim, scope), {
 			onError(context) {
 				location = context.response.headers.get("Location") || "";
 			},
@@ -594,6 +602,20 @@ describe("oauth authorize - acr_values (OIDC Core 1.0 §3.1.2.1)", async () => {
 		expect(callbackRedirect.searchParams.get("code")).toBeNull();
 	});
 
+	it("ignores essential ID Token ACR claims in OAuth-only requests", async () => {
+		const location = await redirectFor(
+			"1",
+			{ essential: true, value: "1" },
+			"profile",
+		);
+		const callbackRedirect = new URL(location);
+
+		expect(callbackRedirect.searchParams.get("error")).toBeNull();
+		expect(callbackRedirect.searchParams.get("code")).toEqual(
+			expect.any(String),
+		);
+	});
+
 	it("accepts the current ACR in an essential values request", async () => {
 		const location = await redirectFor("1", {
 			essential: true,
diff --git a/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.ts b/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.ts
index aecefd9a3e..fc3cf34944 100644
--- a/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.ts
+++ b/packages/oauth-provider/src/authorize.ts
@@ -515,19 +515,6 @@ export async function authorizeEndpoint(
 			getErrorURL(ctx, "invalid_redirect", "invalid redirect uri"),
 		);
 	}
-	if (!canSatisfyEssentialAcrRequest(query.claims, LEVEL_0_ACR)) {
-		return handleRedirect(
-			ctx,
-			formatErrorURL(
-				query.redirect_uri,
-				"access_denied",
-				"essential acr requirement cannot be met",
-				query.state,
-				getIssuer(ctx, opts),
-			),
-		);
-	}
-
 	// Check for invalid scopes if requested from query
 	let requestedScopes = query.scope?.split(" ").filter((s) => s);
 	if (requestedScopes) {
@@ -553,6 +540,21 @@ export async function authorizeEndpoint(
 		requestedScopes = client.scopes ?? opts.scopes ?? [];
 		query.scope = requestedScopes.join(" ");
 	}
+	if (
+		requestedScopes.includes("openid") &&
+		!canSatisfyEssentialAcrRequest(query.claims, LEVEL_0_ACR)
+	) {
+		return handleRedirect(
+			ctx,
+			formatErrorURL(
+				query.redirect_uri,
+				"access_denied",
+				"essential acr requirement cannot be met",
+				query.state,
+				getIssuer(ctx, opts),
+			),
+		);
+	}
 	const requestedUserInfoClaims = getRequestedUserInfoClaims(
 		query.claims,
 		getSupportedClaims(opts),