diff --git a/kong/plugins/keyauth/daos.lua b/kong/plugins/keyauth/daos.lua
index 2b5f12dd7407..91aa4065e3e3 100644
--- a/kong/plugins/keyauth/daos.lua
+++ b/kong/plugins/keyauth/daos.lua
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
+local utils = require "kong.tools.utils"
+local stringy = require "stringy"
 local BaseDao = require "kong.dao.cassandra.base_dao"
 
+local function generate_if_missing(v, t, column)
+  if not v or stringy.strip(v) == "" then
+    return true, nil, { [column] = utils.random_string()}
+  end
+  return true
+end
+
 local SCHEMA = {
   primary_key = {"id"},
   fields = {
     id = { type = "id", dao_insert_value = true },
     created_at = { type = "timestamp", dao_insert_value = true },
     consumer_id = { type = "id", required = true, foreign = "consumers:id" },
-    key = { type = "string", required = true, unique = true, queryable = true }
+    key = { type = "string", required = false, unique = true, queryable = true, func = generate_if_missing }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/spec/plugins/keyauth/daos_spec.lua b/spec/plugins/keyauth/daos_spec.lua
index f0d0d70f952f..00f9ed5a6212 100644
--- a/spec/plugins/keyauth/daos_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/plugins/keyauth/daos_spec.lua
@@ -37,6 +37,21 @@ describe("DAO keyauth Credentials", function()
     local cred_t = {key = "apikey123", consumer_id = consumer.id}
     local app, err = dao_factory.keyauth_credentials:insert(cred_t)
     assert.falsy(err)
+    assert.truthy(app.key)
+    assert.are.same("apikey123", app.key)
+    assert.truthy(app.id)
+    assert.truthy(app.created_at)
+  end)
+
+  it("should insert an autogenerated key", function()
+    local consumer_t = faker:fake_entity("consumer")
+    local consumer, err = dao_factory.consumers:insert(consumer_t)
+    assert.falsy(err)
+
+    local cred_t = {consumer_id = consumer.id}
+    local app, err = dao_factory.keyauth_credentials:insert(cred_t)
+    assert.falsy(err)
+    assert.truthy(app.key)
     assert.truthy(app.id)
     assert.truthy(app.created_at)
   end)