diff --git a/Pipfile b/Pipfile
index 03e83ad..7f93ee7 100644
--- a/Pipfile
+++ b/Pipfile
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ httptools = "*"
 youtube-dl = "*"
 django-background-tasks = "*"
 requests = "*"
+django-basicauth = "*"
 
 [requires]
 python_version = "3"
diff --git a/Pipfile.lock b/Pipfile.lock
index f3c0553..6b2df6a 100644
--- a/Pipfile.lock
+++ b/Pipfile.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
     "_meta": {
         "hash": {
-            "sha256": "a4bb556fc61ee4583f9588980450b071814298ee4d1a1023fad149c14d14aaba"
+            "sha256": "f698e2853dec2d325d2d7e752620fc81d911022d394a57f2f8a9349ac2682752"
         },
         "pipfile-spec": 6,
         "requires": {
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@
             "index": "pypi",
             "version": "==1.2.5"
         },
+        "django-basicauth": {
+            "hashes": [
+                "sha256:15e9e366f698f53c71b1e794dafea060f990a2ac556bae6b7330dd25324a091c",
+                "sha256:e5e47d1acdc1943bedcc1bf673059d6c15e257dfe9eef67a22fb824f79546c0d"
+            ],
+            "index": "pypi",
+            "version": "==0.5.3"
+        },
         "django-compat": {
             "hashes": [
                 "sha256:3ac9a3bedc56b9365d9eb241bc5157d0c193769bf995f9a78dc1bc24e7c2331b"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8c7ea29..146e234 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -139,6 +139,40 @@ Alternatively, for Docker Compose, you can use something like:
       - PGID=1000
 ```
 
+
+## Optional authentication
+
+If you want to enable a basic username and password to be required to access the
+TubeSync dashboard you can set them with the following environment variables:
+
+```bash
+HTTP_USER
+HTTP_PASS
+```
+
+For example in the `docker run ...` line add in:
+
+```bash
+...
+-e HTTP_USER=some-username \
+-e HTTP_PASS=some-secure-password \
+...
+```
+
+Or in your Docker Compose file you would add in:
+
+```yaml
+...
+    environment:
+      - HTTP_USER=some-username
+      - HTTP_PASS=some-secure-password
+...
+```
+
+When BOTH `HTTP_USER` and `HTTP_PASS` are set then basic HTTP authentication will be
+enabled.
+
+
 # Updating
 
 To update, you can just pull a new version of the container image as they are released.
@@ -300,7 +334,9 @@ can log in at http://localhost:4848/admin
 
 ### Are there user accounts or multi-user support?
 
-No not at the moment. This could be added later if there is demand for it.
+There is support for basic HTTP authentication by setting the `HTTP_USER` and
+`HTTP_PASS` environment variables. There is not support for multi-user or user
+management.
 
 ### Does TubeSync support HTTPS?
 
@@ -328,6 +364,8 @@ useful if you are manually installing TubeSync in some other environment. These
 | GUNICORN_WORKERS         | Number of gunicorn workers to spawn                          | 3                                  |
 | LISTEN_HOST              | IP address for gunicorn to listen on                         | 127.0.0.1                          |
 | LISTEN_PORT              | Port number for gunicorn to listen on                        | 8080                               |
+| HTTP_USER                | Sets the username for HTTP basic authentication              | some-username                      |
+| HTTP_PASS                | Sets the password for HTTP basic authentication              | some-secure-password               |
 
 
 # Manual, non-containerised, installation
diff --git a/tubesync/common/middleware.py b/tubesync/common/middleware.py
index 17b97b0..3f46c48 100644
--- a/tubesync/common/middleware.py
+++ b/tubesync/common/middleware.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.forms import BaseForm
+from basicauth.middleware import BasicAuthMiddleware as BaseBasicAuthMiddleware
 
 
 class MaterializeDefaultFieldsMiddleware:
@@ -19,3 +21,12 @@ class MaterializeDefaultFieldsMiddleware:
                 for _, field in v.fields.items():
                     field.widget.attrs.update({'class':'browser-default'})
         return response
+
+
+class BasicAuthMiddleware(BaseBasicAuthMiddleware):
+
+    def process_request(self, request):
+        bypass_uris = getattr(settings, 'BASICAUTH_ALWAYS_ALLOW_URIS', [])
+        if request.path in bypass_uris:
+            return None
+        return super().process_request(request)
diff --git a/tubesync/tubesync/local_settings.py.container b/tubesync/tubesync/local_settings.py.container
index dbc104a..39840e4 100644
--- a/tubesync/tubesync/local_settings.py.container
+++ b/tubesync/tubesync/local_settings.py.container
@@ -38,3 +38,15 @@ if BACKGROUND_TASK_ASYNC_THREADS > MAX_BACKGROUND_TASK_ASYNC_THREADS:
 MEDIA_ROOT = CONFIG_BASE_DIR / 'media'
 DOWNLOAD_ROOT = DOWNLOADS_BASE_DIR
 YOUTUBE_DL_CACHEDIR = CONFIG_BASE_DIR / 'cache'
+
+
+BASICAUTH_USERNAME = os.getenv('HTTP_USER', '').strip()
+BASICAUTH_PASSWORD = os.getenv('HTTP_PASS', '').strip()
+if BASICAUTH_USERNAME and BASICAUTH_PASSWORD:
+    BASICAUTH_DISABLE = False
+    BASICAUTH_USERS = {
+        BASICAUTH_USERNAME: BASICAUTH_PASSWORD,
+    }
+else:
+    BASICAUTH_DISABLE = True
+    BASICAUTH_USERS = {}
diff --git a/tubesync/tubesync/settings.py b/tubesync/tubesync/settings.py
index 8f73ade..90e9c2c 100644
--- a/tubesync/tubesync/settings.py
+++ b/tubesync/tubesync/settings.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ MIDDLEWARE = [
     'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
     'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware',
     'common.middleware.MaterializeDefaultFieldsMiddleware',
+    'common.middleware.BasicAuthMiddleware',
 ]
 
 
@@ -117,6 +118,12 @@ Disallow: /
 X_FRAME_OPTIONS = 'SAMEORIGIN'
 
 
+BASICAUTH_DISABLE = True
+BASICAUTH_REALM = 'Authenticate to TubeSync'
+BASICAUTH_ALWAYS_ALLOW_URIS = ('/healthcheck',)
+BASICAUTH_USERS = {}
+
+
 HEALTHCHECK_FIREWALL = True
 HEALTHCHECK_ALLOWED_IPS = ('127.0.0.1',)