diff --git a/src/api/Gemfile b/src/api/Gemfile
index 1738355b014..27a875999bd 100644
--- a/src/api/Gemfile
+++ b/src/api/Gemfile
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ group :development, :production do
   gem 'clockwork', '>= 0.7'
   # as interface to LDAP
   gem 'ruby-ldap', require: false
+  # to enable GSSAPI / Kerberos authentication
+  gem "gssapi", require: false
 end
 
 group :production do
diff --git a/src/api/Gemfile.lock b/src/api/Gemfile.lock
index 4a79d4d3205..cc00776d591 100644
--- a/src/api/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/src/api/Gemfile.lock
@@ -116,16 +116,19 @@ GEM
     faker (1.7.3)
       i18n (~> 0.5)
     feature (1.4.0)
-    flog (4.6.1)
+    ffi (1.9.17)
       path_expander (~> 1.0)
       ruby_parser (~> 3.1, > 3.1.0)
       sexp_processor (~> 4.8)
+    flog (4.6.1)
     flot-rails (0.0.7)
       jquery-rails
     font-awesome-rails (4.7.0.1)
       railties (>= 3.2, < 5.1)
     globalid (0.3.7)
       activesupport (>= 4.1.0)
+    gssapi (1.2.0)
+      ffi (>= 1.0.1)
     haml (4.0.7)
       tilt
     haml_lint (0.23.2)
@@ -398,6 +401,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   flog (> 4.1.0)
   flot-rails
   font-awesome-rails
+  gssapi
   haml
   haml_lint
   hoptoad_notifier (~> 2.3)
diff --git a/src/api/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/src/api/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 4f7b027e99e..7ccacd17c9e 100644
--- a/src/api/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/src/api/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
            to: :authenticator
 
   def authenticator
-    @authenticator ||= Authenticator.new(request, session)
+    @authenticator ||= Authenticator.new(request, session, response)
   end
 
   def pundit_user
@@ -303,7 +303,13 @@ def gather_exception_defaults(opt)
     end
 
     if @status == 401
-      response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = 'basic realm="API login"'
+      unless response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"]
+        if CONFIG['kerberos_service_principal']
+          response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = 'Negotiate, basic realm="API login"'
+        else
+          response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = 'basic realm="API login"'
+        end
+      end
     end
     if @status == 404
       @summary ||= "Not found"
diff --git a/src/api/config/options.yml.example b/src/api/config/options.yml.example
index 2f0cd26496b..1a669da585b 100644
--- a/src/api/config/options.yml.example
+++ b/src/api/config/options.yml.example
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ frontend_protocol: https
 #external_frontend_port: 443
 #external_frontend_protocol: https
 
+# Kerberos authentication
+#kerberos_keytab: "/etc/krb5.keytab"
+#kerberos_service_principal: "HTTP/hostname.example.com@EXAMPLE.COM"
+#kerberos_realm: "EXAMPLE.COM"
 
 extended_backend_log: false
 
diff --git a/src/api/lib/authenticator.rb b/src/api/lib/authenticator.rb
index 83ae5e4eef1..530e3f94084 100644
--- a/src/api/lib/authenticator.rb
+++ b/src/api/lib/authenticator.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+if CONFIG['kerberos_service_principal']
+  require_dependency 'gssapi'
+end
+
 class Authenticator
   class AuthenticationRequiredError < APIException
     setup 401, "Authentication required"
@@ -25,7 +29,8 @@ class AdminUserRequiredError < APIException
 
   attr_reader :request, :session, :user_permissions, :http_user
 
-  def initialize(request, session)
+  def initialize(request, session, response)
+    @response = response
     @request = request
     @session = session
     @http_user = nil
@@ -40,9 +45,8 @@ def extract_user
     if proxy_mode?
       extract_proxy_user
     else
-      extract_basic_auth_user
-
-      @http_user = User.find_with_credentials @login, @passwd if @login
+      extract_auth_user
+      @http_user = User.find_with_credentials @login, @passwd if @login && @passwd
     end
 
     if !@http_user && session[:login]
@@ -80,6 +84,65 @@ def require_admin
 
   private
 
+  def initialize_krb_session
+    principal = CONFIG['kerberos_service_principal']
+
+    unless CONFIG['kerberos_realm']
+      CONFIG['kerberos_realm'] = principal.rpartition("@")[2]
+    end
+
+    krb = GSSAPI::Simple.new(
+      principal.partition("/")[2].rpartition("@")[0],
+      principal.partition("/")[0],
+      CONFIG['kerberos_keytab'] || "/etc/krb5.keytab"
+    )
+    krb.acquire_credentials
+
+    return krb
+  end
+
+  def extract_krb_user(authorization)
+    unless authorization[1]
+      Rails.logger.debug "Didn't receive any negotiation data."
+      @response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = authorization.join(' ')
+      raise AuthenticationRequiredError.new "GSSAPI negotiation failed."
+    end
+
+    begin
+      krb = initialize_krb_session
+
+      begin
+        tok = krb.accept_context(Base64.strict_decode64(authorization[1]))
+      rescue GSSAPI::GssApiError
+        @response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = authorization.join(' ')
+        raise AuthenticationRequiredError.new "Received invalid GSSAPI context."
+      end
+
+      unless krb.display_name.match("@#{CONFIG['kerberos_realm']}$")
+        @response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = authorization.join(' ')
+        raise AuthenticationRequiredError.new "User authenticated in wrong Kerberos realm."
+      end
+
+      unless tok == true
+        tok = Base64.strict_encode64(tok)
+        @response.headers["WWW-Authenticate"] = "Negotiate #{tok}"
+      end
+
+      @login = krb.display_name.partition("@")[0]
+      @http_user = User.find_by_login @login
+      raise AuthenticationRequiredError.new "User '#{@login}' has no account on the server." unless @http_user
+    rescue GSSAPI::GssApiError => err
+      raise AuthenticationRequiredError.new, "Received a GSSAPI exception; #{err.message}."
+    end
+  end
+
+  def extract_basic_user(authorization)
+    @login, @passwd = Base64.decode64(authorization[1]).split(':', 2)[0..1]
+
+    # set password to the empty string in case no password is transmitted in the auth string
+    @passwd ||= ""
+  end
+
   def extract_proxy_user
     proxy_user = request.env['HTTP_X_USERNAME']
     if proxy_user
@@ -115,19 +178,21 @@ def extract_proxy_user
     end
   end
 
-  def extract_basic_auth_user
+  def extract_auth_user
     authorization = authorization_infos
 
-    # privacy! Rails.logger.debug( "AUTH: #{authorization.inspect}" )
-
-    if authorization && authorization[0] == "Basic"
-      # Rails.logger.debug( "AUTH2: #{authorization}" )
-      @login, @passwd = Base64.decode64(authorization[1]).split(':', 2)[0..1]
-
-      # set password to the empty string in case no password is transmitted in the auth string
-      @passwd ||= ""
+    # privacy! logger.debug( "AUTH: #{authorization.inspect}" )
+    if authorization
+      # logger.debug( "AUTH2: #{authorization}" )
+      if authorization[0] == "Basic"
+        extract_basic_user authorization
+      elsif authorization[0] == "Negotiate" && CONFIG['kerberos_service_principal']
+        extract_krb_user authorization
+      else
+        Rails.logger.debug "Unsupported authentication string '#{authorization[0]}' received."
+      end
     else
-      Rails.logger.debug "no authentication string was sent"
+      Rails.logger.debug "No authentication string was received."
     end
   end