diff --git a/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.test.ts b/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.test.ts
index 24ea0076f7..dd2b58b72a 100644
--- a/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.test.ts
+++ b/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.test.ts
@@ -6,37 +6,42 @@ import { createAccessControl } from "../access";
 import { createAuthClient } from "../../client";
 
 describe("Admin plugin", async () => {
-	const { signInWithTestUser, signInWithUser, cookieSetter, customFetchImpl } =
-		await getTestInstance(
-			{
-				plugins: [
-					admin({
-						bannedUserMessage: "Custom banned user message",
-					}),
-				],
-				databaseHooks: {
-					user: {
-						create: {
-							before: async (user) => {
-								if (user.name === "Admin") {
-									return {
-										data: {
-											...user,
-											role: "admin",
-										},
-									};
-								}
-							},
+	const {
+		auth,
+		signInWithTestUser,
+		signInWithUser,
+		cookieSetter,
+		customFetchImpl,
+	} = await getTestInstance(
+		{
+			plugins: [
+				admin({
+					bannedUserMessage: "Custom banned user message",
+				}),
+			],
+			databaseHooks: {
+				user: {
+					create: {
+						before: async (user) => {
+							if (user.name === "Admin") {
+								return {
+									data: {
+										...user,
+										role: "admin",
+									},
+								};
+							}
 						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			{
-				testUser: {
-					name: "Admin",
-				},
+		},
+		{
+			testUser: {
+				name: "Admin",
 			},
-		);
+		},
+	);
 	const client = createAuthClient({
 		fetchOptions: {
 			customFetchImpl,
@@ -530,6 +535,21 @@ describe("Admin plugin", async () => {
 		);
 		expect(res.error?.status).toBe(403);
 	});
+
+	it("should allow creating users from server", async () => {
+		const res = await auth.api.createUser({
+			body: {
+				email: "test2@test.com",
+				password: "password",
+				name: "Test User",
+			},
+		});
+		expect(res.user).toMatchObject({
+			email: "test2@test.com",
+			name: "Test User",
+			role: "user",
+		});
+	});
 });
 
 describe("access control", async (it) => {
diff --git a/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.ts b/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.ts
index c95777499b..7d82c545d0 100644
--- a/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.ts
+++ b/packages/better-auth/src/plugins/admin/admin.ts
@@ -277,9 +277,11 @@ export const admin = <O extends AdminOptions>(options?: O) => {
 						name: z.string({
 							description: "The name of the user",
 						}),
-						role: z.string({
-							description: "The role of the user",
-						}),
+						role: z
+							.string({
+								description: "The role of the user",
+							})
+							.optional(),
 						/**
 						 * extra fields for user
 						 */
@@ -290,7 +292,6 @@ export const admin = <O extends AdminOptions>(options?: O) => {
 							}),
 						),
 					}),
-					use: [adminMiddleware],
 					metadata: {
 						openapi: {
 							operationId: "createUser",
@@ -317,19 +318,24 @@ export const admin = <O extends AdminOptions>(options?: O) => {
 					},
 				},
 				async (ctx) => {
-					const session = ctx.context.session;
-					const canCreateUser = hasPermission({
-						userId: ctx.context.session.user.id,
-						role: session.user.role,
-						options: opts,
-						permission: {
-							user: ["create"],
-						},
-					});
-					if (!canCreateUser) {
-						throw new APIError("FORBIDDEN", {
-							message: ADMIN_ERROR_CODES.YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_USERS,
+					const session = await getSessionFromCtx<{ role: string }>(ctx);
+					if (!session && (ctx.request || ctx.headers)) {
+						throw ctx.error("UNAUTHORIZED");
+					}
+					if (session) {
+						const canCreateUser = hasPermission({
+							userId: session.user.id,
+							role: session.user.role,
+							options: opts,
+							permission: {
+								user: ["create"],
+							},
 						});
+						if (!canCreateUser) {
+							throw new APIError("FORBIDDEN", {
+								message: ADMIN_ERROR_CODES.YOU_ARE_NOT_ALLOWED_TO_CREATE_USERS,
+							});
+						}
 					}
 					const existUser = await ctx.context.internalAdapter.findUserByEmail(
 						ctx.body.email,
@@ -343,7 +349,7 @@ export const admin = <O extends AdminOptions>(options?: O) => {
 						await ctx.context.internalAdapter.createUser<UserWithRole>({
 							email: ctx.body.email,
 							name: ctx.body.name,
-							role: ctx.body.role,
+							role: ctx.body.role ?? options?.defaultRole ?? "user",
 							...ctx.body.data,
 						});