diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java
index 4332a6115..7ed89cc9f 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ public EntityDescriptorRepresentation createNew(EntityDescriptorRepresentation e
 
         EntityDescriptor ed = (EntityDescriptor) createDescriptorFromRepresentation(edRep);
         ed.setIdOfOwner(userService.getCurrentUserGroup().getOwnerId());
+        if (userService.currentUserIsAdmin()) {
+            ed.setApproved(true);
+        }
 
         ownershipRepository.deleteEntriesForOwnedObject(ed);
         ownershipRepository.save(new Ownership(userService.getCurrentUserGroup(), ed));
@@ -245,6 +248,9 @@ public EntityDescriptorRepresentation createNewEntityDescriptorFromXMLOrigin(Ent
         if (ed.getProtocol() == EntityDescriptorProtocol.OIDC) {
             ed.getSPSSODescriptor("").addSupportedProtocol("http://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-core-1_0.html");
         }
+        if (userService.currentUserIsAdmin()) {
+            ed.setApproved(true);
+        }
         EntityDescriptor savedEntity = entityDescriptorRepository.save(ed);
         return createRepresentationFromDescriptor(savedEntity);
     }