diff --git a/packages/payload/src/auth/baseFields/email.ts b/packages/payload/src/auth/baseFields/email.ts
index 8cf4caf02a0..5e0f29dd22e 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/auth/baseFields/email.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/auth/baseFields/email.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ export const emailFieldConfig: EmailField = {
   },
   hooks: {
     beforeChange: [
-      ({ value }) => {
-        if (value) {
+      ({ value, field }) => {
+        if (value && 'sterilize' in field && field.sterilize) {
           return value.toLowerCase().trim()
         }
       },
@@ -23,4 +23,5 @@ export const emailFieldConfig: EmailField = {
   required: true,
   unique: true,
   validate: email,
+  sterilize: true,
 }
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts
index c7ced43e774..7fdf4baa9a7 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts
@@ -674,7 +674,8 @@ export type EmailField = {
     placeholder?: Record<string, string> | string
   } & FieldAdmin
   type: 'email'
-  validate?: EmailFieldValidation
+  validate?: EmailFieldValidation,
+  sterilize?: boolean
 } & Omit<FieldBase, 'validate'>
 
 export type EmailFieldClient = {