diff --git a/acme/account.go b/acme/account.go
index 51225b49..18c0d646 100644
--- a/acme/account.go
+++ b/acme/account.go
@@ -81,6 +81,20 @@ func (p *Policy) GetDeniedNameOptions() *policy.X509NameOptions {
 	}
 }
 
+// IsWildcardLiteralAllowed returns true by default for
+// ACME account policies, as authorization is performed on DNS
+// level.
+func (p *Policy) IsWildcardLiteralAllowed() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
+// ShouldVerifySubjectCommonName returns true by default
+// for ACME account policies, as this is embedded in the
+// protocol.
+func (p *Policy) ShouldVerifySubjectCommonName() bool {
+	return true
+}
+
 // ExternalAccountKey is an ACME External Account Binding key.
 type ExternalAccountKey struct {
 	ID            string    `json:"id"`
diff --git a/authority/admin/api/policy.go b/authority/admin/api/policy.go
index b7c7855f..d294060c 100644
--- a/authority/admin/api/policy.go
+++ b/authority/admin/api/policy.go
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package api
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"go.step.sm/linkedca"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/wrapperspb"
 
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/acme"
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/api/read"
@@ -85,6 +87,10 @@ func (par *PolicyAdminResponder) CreateAuthorityPolicy(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 		return
 	}
 
+	fmt.Println("before: ", newPolicy)
+	applyDefaults(newPolicy)
+	fmt.Println("after: ", newPolicy)
+
 	adm := linkedca.AdminFromContext(ctx)
 
 	var createdPolicy *linkedca.Policy
@@ -202,6 +208,8 @@ func (par *PolicyAdminResponder) CreateProvisionerPolicy(w http.ResponseWriter,
 		return
 	}
 
+	applyDefaults(newPolicy)
+
 	prov.Policy = newPolicy
 
 	if err := par.auth.UpdateProvisioner(ctx, prov); err != nil {
@@ -366,3 +374,13 @@ func (par *PolicyAdminResponder) DeleteACMEAccountPolicy(w http.ResponseWriter,
 
 	render.JSONStatus(w, DeleteResponse{Status: "ok"}, http.StatusOK)
 }
+
+func applyDefaults(p *linkedca.Policy) {
+	if p.GetX509() == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if p.GetX509().VerifySubjectCommonName == nil {
+		p.X509.VerifySubjectCommonName = &wrapperspb.BoolValue{Value: true}
+	}
+	return
+}
diff --git a/authority/policy/options.go b/authority/policy/options.go
index e1c33104..c3b30c0a 100644
--- a/authority/policy/options.go
+++ b/authority/policy/options.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ func (o *Options) GetSSHOptions() *SSHPolicyOptions {
 type X509PolicyOptionsInterface interface {
 	GetAllowedNameOptions() *X509NameOptions
 	GetDeniedNameOptions() *X509NameOptions
+	IsWildcardLiteralAllowed() bool
+	ShouldVerifySubjectCommonName() bool
 }
 
 // X509PolicyOptions is a container for x509 allowed and denied
@@ -39,6 +41,13 @@ type X509PolicyOptions struct {
 	AllowedNames *X509NameOptions `json:"allow,omitempty"`
 	// DeniedNames contains the x509 denied names
 	DeniedNames *X509NameOptions `json:"deny,omitempty"`
+	// AllowWildcardLiteral indicates if literal wildcard names
+	// such as *.example.com and @example.com are allowed. Defaults
+	// to false.
+	AllowWildcardLiteral *bool `json:"allow_wildcard_literal,omitempty"`
+	// VerifySubjectCommonName indicates if the Subject Common Name
+	// is verified in addition to the SANs. Defaults to true.
+	VerifySubjectCommonName *bool `json:"verify_subject_common_name,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // X509NameOptions models the X509 name policy configuration.
@@ -58,6 +67,43 @@ func (o *X509NameOptions) HasNames() bool {
 		len(o.URIDomains) > 0
 }
 
+// GetDeniedNameOptions returns the x509 denied name policy configuration
+func (o *X509PolicyOptions) GetDeniedNameOptions() *X509NameOptions {
+	if o == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return o.DeniedNames
+}
+
+// GetAllowedUserNameOptions returns the SSH allowed user name policy
+// configuration.
+func (o *SSHPolicyOptions) GetAllowedUserNameOptions() *SSHNameOptions {
+	if o == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if o.User == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return o.User.AllowedNames
+}
+
+func (o *X509PolicyOptions) IsWildcardLiteralAllowed() bool {
+	if o == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return o.AllowWildcardLiteral != nil && *o.AllowWildcardLiteral
+}
+
+func (o *X509PolicyOptions) ShouldVerifySubjectCommonName() bool {
+	if o == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	if o.VerifySubjectCommonName == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return *o.VerifySubjectCommonName
+}
+
 // SSHPolicyOptionsInterface is an interface for providers of
 // SSH user and host name policy configuration.
 type SSHPolicyOptionsInterface interface {
@@ -84,26 +130,6 @@ func (o *X509PolicyOptions) GetAllowedNameOptions() *X509NameOptions {
 	return o.AllowedNames
 }
 
-// GetDeniedNameOptions returns the x509 denied name policy configuration
-func (o *X509PolicyOptions) GetDeniedNameOptions() *X509NameOptions {
-	if o == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return o.DeniedNames
-}
-
-// GetAllowedUserNameOptions returns the SSH allowed user name policy
-// configuration.
-func (o *SSHPolicyOptions) GetAllowedUserNameOptions() *SSHNameOptions {
-	if o == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	if o.User == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return o.User.AllowedNames
-}
-
 // GetDeniedUserNameOptions returns the SSH denied user name policy
 // configuration.
 func (o *SSHPolicyOptions) GetDeniedUserNameOptions() *SSHNameOptions {
diff --git a/authority/policy/policy.go b/authority/policy/policy.go
index 403ac0b7..f1142ea7 100644
--- a/authority/policy/policy.go
+++ b/authority/policy/policy.go
@@ -50,8 +50,13 @@ func NewX509PolicyEngine(policyOptions X509PolicyOptionsInterface) (X509Policy,
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	// enable x509 Subject Common Name validation by default
-	options = append(options, policy.WithSubjectCommonNameVerification())
+	if policyOptions.ShouldVerifySubjectCommonName() {
+		options = append(options, policy.WithSubjectCommonNameVerification())
+	}
+
+	if policyOptions.IsWildcardLiteralAllowed() {
+		options = append(options, policy.WithAllowLiteralWildcardNames())
+	}
 
 	return policy.New(options...)
 }
diff --git a/authority/provisioner/options.go b/authority/provisioner/options.go
index 0975a4c2..12e371a6 100644
--- a/authority/provisioner/options.go
+++ b/authority/provisioner/options.go
@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ type X509Options struct {
 
 	// DeniedNames contains the SANs the provisioner is not authorized to sign
 	DeniedNames *policy.X509NameOptions `json:"-"`
+
+	// AllowWildcardLiteral indicates if literal wildcard names
+	// such as *.example.com and @example.com are allowed. Defaults
+	// to false.
+	AllowWildcardLiteral *bool `json:"-"`
+	// VerifySubjectCommonName indicates if the Subject Common Name
+	// is verified in addition to the SANs. Defaults to true.
+	VerifySubjectCommonName *bool `json:"-"`
 }
 
 // HasTemplate returns true if a template is defined in the provisioner options.
@@ -90,6 +98,23 @@ func (o *X509Options) GetDeniedNameOptions() *policy.X509NameOptions {
 	return o.DeniedNames
 }
 
+func (o *X509Options) IsWildcardLiteralAllowed() bool {
+	if o == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return o.AllowWildcardLiteral != nil && *o.AllowWildcardLiteral
+}
+
+func (o *X509Options) ShouldVerifySubjectCommonName() bool {
+	if o == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	if o.VerifySubjectCommonName == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return *o.VerifySubjectCommonName
+}
+
 // TemplateOptions generates a CertificateOptions with the template and data
 // defined in the ProvisionerOptions, the provisioner generated data, and the
 // user data provided in the request. If no template has been provided,
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index c8b8c66c..68e384ca 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-kit/kit v0.10.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-piv/piv-go v1.7.0
 	github.com/golang/mock v1.6.0
+	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.5.2
 	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.7
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0
 	github.com/googleapis/gax-go/v2 v2.1.1
@@ -52,4 +53,4 @@ require (
 // replace github.com/smallstep/nosql => ../nosql
 // replace go.step.sm/crypto => ../crypto
 // replace go.step.sm/cli-utils => ../cli-utils
-// replace go.step.sm/linkedca => ../linkedca
+replace go.step.sm/linkedca => ../linkedca