diff --git a/cli/commands/inference.js b/cli/commands/inference.js
index 3c11244..07c12dc 100644
--- a/cli/commands/inference.js
+++ b/cli/commands/inference.js
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ const axios = require("axios");
 const fs = require("fs");
 
 const api = require("../../api.js");
-const { getApiKeyWorWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
+const { getApiKeyForWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
 
 async function infer(args, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     // console.log("infer", args, options);
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ async function infer(args, options) {
 
 async function detectObject(args, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     const modelUrl = options.model;
     const file = args;
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ async function detectObject(args, options) {
 
 async function classify(args, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     const modelUrl = options.model;
     const file = args;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ async function classify(args, options) {
 
 async function instanceSegmentation(args, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     const modelUrl = options.model;
     const file = args;
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ async function instanceSegmentation(args, options) {
 
 async function semanticSegmentation(args, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     const modelUrl = options.model;
     const file = args;
diff --git a/cli/commands/project.js b/cli/commands/project.js
index 7d3e900..e0ed27a 100644
--- a/cli/commands/project.js
+++ b/cli/commands/project.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const { link } = require("../utils");
 const config = require("../../config");
 
 const { getWorkspace, getProject } = require("../../api.js");
-const { getApiKeyWorWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
+const { hasApiKeyForWorkspace, getApiKeyForWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
 
 function printProject(p) {
     const app_url = config.get("RF_APP_URL");
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ function printProject(p) {
 
 async function listProjects(options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     const workspaceData = await getWorkspace(workspaceUrl, apiKey);
 
@@ -45,9 +45,14 @@ async function projectDetails(projectId, options) {
         [workspaceUrl, projectUrl] = projectId.split("/");
     }
 
-    console.log(workspaceUrl, projectUrl);
-
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    let apiKey;
+    if (hasApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl)) {
+        apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    } else {
+        //fallback to default workspace or the one sepcified via --workspace if the one in
+        // the project id is not one we have an api key for (e.g. for public projects on universe)
+        apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(options.workspace);
+    }
 
     const result = await getProject(workspaceUrl, projectUrl, apiKey);
     console.log(result);
diff --git a/cli/commands/upload.js b/cli/commands/upload.js
index 9203f67..48221fd 100644
--- a/cli/commands/upload.js
+++ b/cli/commands/upload.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const pLimit = require("p-limit");
 
 const annotation = require("@roboflow/annotation");
 
-const { selectProjectFromWorkspace, getApiKeyWorWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
+const { selectProjectFromWorkspace, getApiKeyForWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
 
 const { parseFolder } = require("../datasetParser");
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async function uploadSimple(f, projectUrl, apiKey, extraOption) {
 
 async function uploadImage(args, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
     let projectUrl = options.project;
 
     if (!projectUrl) {
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ async function uploadParsedDatasetImage(
 
 async function importDataset(datasetFolder, options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
     let projectUrl = options.project;
 
     if (!projectUrl) {
diff --git a/cli/commands/workspace.js b/cli/commands/workspace.js
index 27ee724..1dd4eca 100644
--- a/cli/commands/workspace.js
+++ b/cli/commands/workspace.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const chalk = require("chalk");
 const { link } = require("../utils");
 
 const { getWorkspace } = require("../../api.js");
-const { getApiKeyWorWorkspace, selectWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
+const { getApiKeyForWorkspace, selectWorkspace } = require("../core.js");
 
 require("util").inspect.defaultOptions.depth = null;
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ async function listWorkspaces() {
 
 async function workspaceDetails(options) {
     const workspaceUrl = options.workspace;
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
 
     const workspaceData = await getWorkspace(workspaceUrl, apiKey);
     console.log(workspaceData);
diff --git a/cli/core.js b/cli/core.js
index 3ee4fcb..a3466a7 100644
--- a/cli/core.js
+++ b/cli/core.js
@@ -4,7 +4,25 @@ const config = require("../config.js");
 
 const { getWorkspace } = require("../api.js");
 
-function getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceId) {
+function hasApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceId) {
+    const workspaces = config.get("workspaces");
+
+    if (!workspaces) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    const workspaceConf = Object.values(workspaces).find(
+        (ws) => ws.url == workspaceId || ws.id == workspaceId
+    );
+
+    if (workspaceConf && workspaceConf.apiKey) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
+function getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceId) {
     const workspaces = config.get("workspaces");
 
     if (!workspaces) {
@@ -41,7 +59,7 @@ async function selectWorkspace() {
 
     if (Object.keys(workspaces).length == 1) {
         console.log(
-            "nothign to select from, only 1 default workspace authorized:",
+            "Nothing to select from, only 1 default workspace authorized:",
             chalk.green(Object.values(workspaces)[0].url)
         );
         return Object.values(workspaces)[0].url;
@@ -69,7 +87,7 @@ async function selectWorkspace() {
 }
 
 async function selectProjectFromWorkspace(workspaceUrl) {
-    const apiKey = getApiKeyWorWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
+    const apiKey = getApiKeyForWorkspace(workspaceUrl);
     const workspaceData = await getWorkspace(workspaceUrl, apiKey);
     const projects = workspaceData.workspace?.projects;
 
@@ -109,7 +127,8 @@ async function selectProjectFromWorkspace(workspaceUrl) {
 }
 
 module.exports = {
-    getApiKeyWorWorkspace,
+    hasApiKeyForWorkspace,
+    getApiKeyForWorkspace,
     selectWorkspace,
     selectProjectFromWorkspace
 };