diff --git a/falcon/middleware.py b/falcon/middleware.py
index d457a44b8..c8767fa2a 100644
--- a/falcon/middleware.py
+++ b/falcon/middleware.py
@@ -17,15 +17,6 @@ class CORSMiddleware(object):
     * https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/CORS
     * https://www.w3.org/TR/cors/#resource-processing-model
 
-    Note:
-        Falcon will automatically add OPTIONS responders if they are missing from the
-        responder instances added to the routes. When providing a custom ``on_options``
-        method, the ``Allow`` headers in the response should be set to the allowed
-        method values. If the ``Allow`` header is missing from the response,
-        this middleware will deny the preflight request.
-
-        This is also valid when using a sink function.
-
     Keyword Arguments:
         allow_origins (Union[str, Iterable[str]]): List of origins to allow (case
             sensitive). The string ``'*'`` acts as a wildcard, matching every origin.
@@ -54,7 +45,9 @@ def __init__(
         allow_origins: Union[str, Iterable[str]] = '*',
         expose_headers: Optional[Union[str, Iterable[str]]] = None,
         allow_credentials: Optional[Union[str, Iterable[str]]] = None,
+        allow_private_network: bool = False,
     ):
+
         if allow_origins == '*':
             self.allow_origins = allow_origins
         else:
@@ -84,6 +77,8 @@ def __init__(
                 )
         self.allow_credentials = allow_credentials
 
+        self.allow_private_network = allow_private_network
+
     def process_response(
         self, req: Request, resp: Response, resource: object, req_succeeded: bool
     ) -> None:
@@ -129,17 +124,13 @@ def process_response(
                 'Access-Control-Request-Headers', default='*'
             )
 
-            if allow is None:
-                # there is no allow set, remove all access control headers
-                resp.delete_header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods')
-                resp.delete_header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers')
-                resp.delete_header('Access-Control-Max-Age')
-                resp.delete_header('Access-Control-Expose-Headers')
-                resp.delete_header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin')
-            else:
-                resp.set_header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', allow)
-                resp.set_header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', allow_headers)
-                resp.set_header('Access-Control-Max-Age', '86400')  # 24 hours
+            resp.set_header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', allow)
+            resp.set_header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', allow_headers)
+            resp.set_header('Access-Control-Max-Age', '86400')  # 24 hours
+
+            if self.allow_private_network and req.get_header('Access-Control-Request-Private-Network') == 'true':
+                resp.set_header('Access-Control-Allow-Private-Network', 'true')
+
 
     async def process_response_async(self, *args: Any) -> None:
         self.process_response(*args)
diff --git a/tests/test_cors_middleware.py b/tests/test_cors_middleware.py
index 9aff6abf6..70f5e6863 100644
--- a/tests/test_cors_middleware.py
+++ b/tests/test_cors_middleware.py
@@ -293,3 +293,68 @@ def test_expose_headers(self, make_cors_client, attr, exp):
         assert res.headers['Access-Control-Expose-Headers'] == exp
         h = dict(res.headers.lower_items()).keys()
         assert 'Access-Control-Allow-Credentials'.lower() not in h
+        
+    def test_allow_private_network(self, make_cors_client):
+        # Create a client with allow_private_network=True
+        client = make_cors_client(falcon.CORSMiddleware(allow_private_network=True))
+        client.app.add_route('/', CORSHeaderResource())
+
+        # Preflight request with Access-Control-Request-Private-Network: true
+        result = client.simulate_options(
+            '/',
+            headers={
+                'Origin': 'localhost',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Method': 'GET',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Headers': 'X-PINGOTHER, Content-Type',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Private-Network': 'true',
+            }
+        )
+        assert result.headers['Access-Control-Allow-Private-Network'] == 'true'
+
+        # Preflight request without Access-Control-Request-Private-Network
+        result = client.simulate_options(
+            '/',
+            headers={
+                'Origin': 'localhost',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Method': 'GET',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Headers': 'X-PINGOTHER, Content-Type',
+            }
+        )
+        assert 'Access-Control-Allow-Private-Network' not in result.headers
+
+        # Preflight request with Access-Control-Request-Private-Network: 'false'
+        result = client.simulate_options(
+            '/',
+            headers={
+                'Origin': 'localhost',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Method': 'GET',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Headers': 'X-PINGOTHER, Content-Type',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Private-Network': 'false',
+            }
+        )
+        assert 'Access-Control-Allow-Private-Network' not in result.headers
+
+        # Non-preflight request
+        result = client.simulate_get(
+            '/',
+            headers={
+                'Origin': 'localhost',
+            }
+        )
+        assert 'Access-Control-Allow-Private-Network' not in result.headers
+
+        # Create a client with allow_private_network=False
+        client = make_cors_client(falcon.CORSMiddleware(allow_private_network=False))
+        client.app.add_route('/', CORSHeaderResource())
+
+        # Preflight request with Access-Control-Request-Private-Network: true
+        result = client.simulate_options(
+            '/',
+            headers={
+                'Origin': 'localhost',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Method': 'GET',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Headers': 'X-PINGOTHER, Content-Type',
+                'Access-Control-Request-Private-Network': 'true',
+            }
+        )
+        assert 'Access-Control-Allow-Private-Network' not in result.headers