diff --git a/registry/auth/basic/access.go b/registry/auth/basic/access.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1833296ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/registry/auth/basic/access.go
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+// Package basic provides a simple authentication scheme that checks for the
+// user credential hash in an htpasswd formatted file in a configuration-determined
+// location.
+//
+// The use of SHA hashes (htpasswd -s) is enforced since MD5 is insecure and simple
+// system crypt() may be as well.
+//
+// This authentication method MUST be used under TLS, as simple token-replay attack is possible.
+
+package basic
+
+import (
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+
+	ctxu "github.com/docker/distribution/context"
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/auth"
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+)
+
+type accessController struct {
+	realm    string
+	htpasswd *HTPasswd
+}
+
+type challenge struct {
+	realm string
+	err   error
+}
+
+var _ auth.AccessController = &accessController{}
+var (
+	ErrPasswordRequired  = errors.New("authorization credential required")
+	ErrInvalidCredential = errors.New("invalid authorization credential")
+)
+
+func newAccessController(options map[string]interface{}) (auth.AccessController, error) {
+	realm, present := options["realm"]
+	if _, ok := realm.(string); !present || !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(`"realm" must be set for basic access controller`)
+	}
+
+	path, present := options["path"]
+	if _, ok := path.(string); !present || !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(`"path" must be set for basic access controller`)
+	}
+
+	return &accessController{realm: realm.(string), htpasswd: NewHTPasswd(path.(string))}, nil
+}
+
+func (ac *accessController) Authorized(ctx context.Context, accessRecords ...auth.Access) (context.Context, error) {
+	req, err := ctxu.GetRequest(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	authHeader := req.Header.Get("Authorization")
+
+	if authHeader == "" {
+		challenge := challenge{
+			realm: ac.realm,
+		}
+		return nil, &challenge
+	}
+
+	parts := strings.Split(req.Header.Get("Authorization"), " ")
+
+	challenge := challenge{
+		realm: ac.realm,
+	}
+
+	if len(parts) != 2 || strings.ToLower(parts[0]) != "basic" {
+		challenge.err = ErrPasswordRequired
+		return nil, &challenge
+	}
+
+	text, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(parts[1])
+	if err != nil {
+		challenge.err = ErrInvalidCredential
+		return nil, &challenge
+	}
+
+	credential := strings.Split(string(text), ":")
+	if len(credential) != 2 {
+		challenge.err = ErrInvalidCredential
+		return nil, &challenge
+	}
+
+	if res, _ := ac.htpasswd.AuthenticateUser(credential[0], credential[1]); !res {
+		challenge.err = ErrInvalidCredential
+		return nil, &challenge
+	}
+
+	return auth.WithUser(ctx, auth.UserInfo{Name: credential[0]}), nil
+}
+
+func (ch *challenge) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	header := fmt.Sprintf("Realm realm=%q", ch.realm)
+	w.Header().Set("WWW-Authenticate", header)
+	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+}
+
+func (ch *challenge) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("basic authentication challenge: %#v", ch)
+}
+
+func init() {
+	auth.Register("basic", auth.InitFunc(newAccessController))
+}
diff --git a/registry/auth/basic/access_test.go b/registry/auth/basic/access_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d82573b9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/registry/auth/basic/access_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package basic
+
+import (
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/auth"
+	"golang.org/x/net/context"
+)
+
+func TestBasicAccessController(t *testing.T) {
+
+	testRealm := "The-Shire"
+	testUser := "bilbo"
+	testHtpasswdContent := "bilbo:{SHA}5siv5c0SHx681xU6GiSx9ZQryqs="
+
+	tempFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "htpasswd-test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("could not create temporary htpasswd file")
+	}
+	if _, err = tempFile.WriteString(testHtpasswdContent); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("could not write temporary htpasswd file")
+	}
+
+	options := map[string]interface{}{
+		"realm": testRealm,
+		"path":  tempFile.Name(),
+	}
+
+	accessController, err := newAccessController(options)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("error creating access controller")
+	}
+
+	tempFile.Close()
+
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		ctx := context.WithValue(nil, "http.request", r)
+		authCtx, err := accessController.Authorized(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			switch err := err.(type) {
+			case auth.Challenge:
+				err.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+				return
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error authorizing request: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		userInfo, ok := authCtx.Value("auth.user").(auth.UserInfo)
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("basic accessController did not set auth.user context")
+		}
+
+		if userInfo.Name != testUser {
+			t.Fatalf("expected user name %q, got %q", testUser, userInfo.Name)
+		}
+
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+	}))
+
+	client := &http.Client{
+		CheckRedirect: nil,
+	}
+
+	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", server.URL, nil)
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error during GET: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	// Request should not be authorized
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusUnauthorized {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected non-fail response status: %v != %v", resp.StatusCode, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}
+
+	req, _ = http.NewRequest("GET", server.URL, nil)
+
+	sekrit := "bilbo:baggins"
+	credential := "Basic " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(sekrit))
+
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", credential)
+	resp, err = client.Do(req)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error during GET: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	// Request should be authorized
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusNoContent {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected non-success response status: %v != %v", resp.StatusCode, http.StatusNoContent)
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/registry/auth/basic/htpasswd.go b/registry/auth/basic/htpasswd.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6833bc5cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/registry/auth/basic/htpasswd.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package basic
+
+import (
+	"crypto/sha1"
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/csv"
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+)
+
+var ErrSHARequired = errors.New("htpasswd file must use SHA (htpasswd -s)")
+
+type HTPasswd struct {
+	path   string
+	reader *csv.Reader
+}
+
+func NewHTPasswd(htpath string) *HTPasswd {
+	return &HTPasswd{path: htpath}
+}
+
+func (htpasswd *HTPasswd) AuthenticateUser(user string, pwd string) (bool, error) {
+
+	// Hash the credential.
+	sha := sha1.New()
+	sha.Write([]byte(pwd))
+	hash := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(sha.Sum(nil))
+
+	// Open the file.
+	in, err := os.Open(htpasswd.path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	// Parse the contents of the standard .htpasswd until we hit the end or find a match.
+	reader := csv.NewReader(in)
+	reader.Comma = ':'
+	reader.Comment = '#'
+	reader.TrimLeadingSpace = true
+	for entry, readerr := reader.Read(); entry != nil || readerr != nil; entry, readerr = reader.Read() {
+		if entry[0] == user {
+			if len(entry[1]) < 6 || entry[1][0:5] != "{SHA}" {
+				return false, ErrSHARequired
+			}
+			return entry[1][5:] == hash, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}