diff --git a/changes/2614.feature.md b/changes/2614.feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c78bff0ac4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/2614.feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Allow regular users to assign agent manually if `hide-agent` configuration is disabled
diff --git a/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/execute.py b/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/execute.py
index a708e2f28b..26c1415619 100644
--- a/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/execute.py
+++ b/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/execute.py
@@ -384,7 +384,6 @@ def prepare_mount_arg(
     type=list_expr,
     help=(
         "Show mapping list of tuple which mapped containers with agent. "
-        "When user role is Super Admin. "
         "(e.g., --assign-agent agent_id_1,agent_id_2,...)"
     ),
 )
diff --git a/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/lifecycle.py b/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/lifecycle.py
index 7cd192bdd9..4b4e819ab5 100644
--- a/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/lifecycle.py
+++ b/src/ai/backend/client/cli/session/lifecycle.py
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ def _create_cmd(docs: Optional[str] = None):
         type=list_expr,
         help=(
             "Assign the session to specific agents. "
-            "This option is only applicable when the user role is Super Admin. "
             "(e.g., --assign-agent agent_id_1,agent_id_2,...)"
         ),
     )
diff --git a/src/ai/backend/manager/api/session.py b/src/ai/backend/manager/api/session.py
index 915837356f..ef3b2b365b 100644
--- a/src/ai/backend/manager/api/session.py
+++ b/src/ai/backend/manager/api/session.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     List,
     Mapping,
     MutableMapping,
+    Optional,
     Set,
     Tuple,
     Union,
@@ -654,30 +655,32 @@ async def create_from_params(request: web.Request, params: dict[str, Any]) -> we
     else:
         raise InvalidAPIParameters("API version not supported")
     params["config"] = creation_config
-    if params["config"]["agent_list"] is not None and request["user"]["role"] != (
-        UserRole.SUPERADMIN
-    ):
-        raise InsufficientPrivilege(
-            "You are not allowed to manually assign agents for your session."
-        )
-    if request["user"]["role"] == (UserRole.SUPERADMIN):
-        if not params["config"]["agent_list"]:
-            pass
+
+    root_ctx: RootContext = request.app["_root.context"]
+
+    agent_list = cast(Optional[list[str]], params["config"]["agent_list"])
+    if agent_list is not None:
+        if (
+            request["user"]["role"] != UserRole.SUPERADMIN
+            and root_ctx.local_config["manager"]["hide-agents"]
+        ):
+            raise InsufficientPrivilege(
+                "You are not allowed to manually assign agents for your session."
+            )
+        agent_count = len(agent_list)
+        if params["cluster_mode"] == "multi-node":
+            if agent_count != params["cluster_size"]:
+                raise InvalidAPIParameters(
+                    "For multi-node cluster sessions, the number of manually assigned"
+                    " agents must be same to the cluster size. Note that you may specify"
+                    " duplicate agents in the list.",
+                )
         else:
-            agent_count = len(params["config"]["agent_list"])
-            if params["cluster_mode"] == "multi-node":
-                if agent_count != params["cluster_size"]:
-                    raise InvalidAPIParameters(
-                        "For multi-node cluster sessions, the number of manually assigned"
-                        " agents must be same to the cluster size. Note that you may specify"
-                        " duplicate agents in the list.",
-                    )
-            else:
-                if agent_count != 1:
-                    raise InvalidAPIParameters(
-                        "For non-cluster sessions and single-node cluster sessions, "
-                        "you may specify only one manually assigned agent.",
-                    )
+            if agent_count != 1:
+                raise InvalidAPIParameters(
+                    "For non-cluster sessions and single-node cluster sessions, "
+                    "you may specify only one manually assigned agent.",
+                )
     return await _create(request, params)