diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/base_authenticate.php b/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/base_authenticate.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2bc8ad72519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/base_authenticate.php
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * PHP 5
+ *
+ * CakePHP(tm) : Rapid Development Framework (http://cakephp.org)
+ * Copyright 2005-2010, Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ *
+ * Licensed under The MIT License
+ * Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
+ *
+ * @copyright     Copyright 2005-2010, Cake Software Foundation, Inc. (http://cakefoundation.org)
+ * @link          http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
+ * @license       MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
+ */
+App::import('Core', 'Security');
+
+/**
+ * Base Authentication class with common methods and properties.
+ *
+ * @package cake.libs.controller.components.auth
+ */
+abstract class BaseAuthenticate {
+
+/**
+ * Settings for this object.
+ *
+ * - `fields` The fields to use to identify a user by.
+ * - `userModel` The model name of the User, defaults to User.
+ * - `scope` Additional conditions to use when looking up and authenticating users,
+ *    i.e. `array('User.is_active' => 1).`
+ *
+ * @var array
+ */
+	public $settings = array(
+		'fields' => array(
+			'username' => 'username',
+			'password' => 'password'
+		),
+		'userModel' => 'User',
+		'scope' => array()
+	);
+
+/**
+ * Constructor
+ *
+ * @param array $settings Array of settings to use.
+ */
+	public function __construct($settings) {
+		$this->settings = Set::merge($this->settings, $settings);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Hash the supplied password using the configured hashing method.
+ *
+ * @param string $password The password to hash.
+ * @return string Hashed string
+ */
+	public function hash($password) {
+		return Security::hash($password, null, true);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * Authenticate a user based on the request information.
+ *
+ * @param CakeRequest $request Request to get authentication information from.
+ * @return mixed Either false on failure, or an array of user data on success.
+ */
+	abstract public function authenticate(CakeRequest $request);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/form_authenticate.php b/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/form_authenticate.php
index ce4a6e7c9f0..3f284eaf2c6 100644
--- a/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/form_authenticate.php
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/components/auth/form_authenticate.php
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * @link          http://cakephp.org CakePHP(tm) Project
  * @license       MIT License (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php)
  */
-App::import('Core', 'Security');
+App::import('Component', 'auth/base_authenticate');
 
 /**
  * An authentication adapter for AuthComponent.  Provides the ability to authenticate using POST
@@ -33,35 +33,7 @@
  * @since 2.0
  * @see AuthComponent::$authenticate
  */
-class FormAuthenticate {
-
-/**
- * Settings for this object.
- *
- * - `fields` The fields to use to identify a user by.
- * - `userModel` The model name of the User, defaults to User.
- * - `scope` Additional conditions to use when looking up and authenticating users,
- *    i.e. `array('User.is_active' => 1).`
- *
- * @var array
- */
-	public $settings = array(
-		'fields' => array(
-			'username' => 'username',
-			'password' => 'password'
-		),
-		'userModel' => 'User',
-		'scope' => array()
-	);
-
-/**
- * Constructor
- *
- * @param array $settings Array of settings to use.
- */
-	public function __construct($settings) {
-		$this->settings = Set::merge($this->settings, $settings);
-	}
+class FormAuthenticate extends BaseAuthenticate {
 
 /**
  * Authenticates the identity contained in a request.  Will use the `settings.userModel`, and `settings.fields`
@@ -103,13 +75,4 @@ public function authenticate(CakeRequest $request) {
 		return $result[$model];
 	}
 
-/**
- * Hash the supplied password using the configured hashing method.
- *
- * @param string $password The password to hash.
- * @return string Hashed string
- */
-	public function hash($password) {
-		return Security::hash($password, null, true);
-	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file