diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 87b444d..3e0953e 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ Install the app::
     HEALTHPOINT_BASICAUTH_USERNAME = 'john'
     HEALTHPOINT_BASICAUTH_PASSWORD = 'doe'
 
+    # If set to True authentication is required for executing the
+    # health checks.
+    HEALTHPOINT_AUTH_REQUIRED = True
+
     # urls.py
     urlpatterns = [
         ...
diff --git a/healthpoint/tests/test_views.py b/healthpoint/tests/test_views.py
index c454af4..ac69ad9 100644
--- a/healthpoint/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/healthpoint/tests/test_views.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
-from django.test import TestCase
+import base64
+from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
 from django.utils.http import urlencode
 
 
@@ -8,26 +9,54 @@ class HealthTestCase(TestCase):
     def test_health(self):
         resp = self.client.get(reverse('healthpoint_health'))
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 503)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.json(), {})
 
     def test_health_failure(self):
         resp = self._test_func('healthpoint.tests.health.failure')
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 503)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.json(), {})
 
     def test_health_success(self):
         resp = self._test_func('healthpoint.tests.health.success')
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.json(), {})
 
     def test_unknown_health(self):
         resp = self._test_func('does.not.exist')
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 404)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.json(), {})
 
     def test_unknown_health_and_success(self):
         resp = self._test_func('does.not.exist', 'healthpoint.tests.health.success')
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 404)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.json(), {})
 
     def test_unknown_health_and_failure(self):
         resp = self._test_func('does.not.exist', 'healthpoint.tests.health.failure')
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 503)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.json(), {})
+
+    @override_settings(
+        HEALTHPOINT_BASICAUTH_USERNAME='john',
+        HEALTHPOINT_BASICAUTH_PASSWORD='doe'
+    )
+    def test_health_with_basic_auth(self):
+        headers = {
+           'HTTP_AUTHORIZATION': 'Basic ' +
+                base64.b64encode(b'john:doe').decode("ascii")
+       }
+        resp = self.client.get(reverse('healthpoint_health'), **headers)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 503)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            resp.json(),
+            {'success': {'healthpoint.tests.health.success': 'This check always succeeds'},
+             'error': {'healthpoint.tests.health.failure': 'This check always fails'}}
+        )
+
+    @override_settings(HEALTHPOINT_AUTH_REQUIRED=True)
+    def test_health_with_auth_required(self):
+        resp = self.client.get(reverse('healthpoint_health'))
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 403)
 
     def _test_func(self, *func):
         params = urlencode({'test': func}, doseq=True)
diff --git a/healthpoint/views.py b/healthpoint/views.py
index 5a7179d..2600770 100644
--- a/healthpoint/views.py
+++ b/healthpoint/views.py
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@
 from healthpoint.registry import get_health_checks
 
 
-def _show_health_details(request):
-    # Only staff members are allowed to see details...
+def _is_authenticated_request(request):
+    # Superusers and staff members are always correctly authenticated.
     user = getattr(request, 'user', None)
     if user is not None and (user.is_staff or user.is_superuser):
         return True
+    # Requests with basic authentication credentials are only
+    # authenticated when they match the settings.
     ba_username = getattr(settings, 'HEALTHPOINT_BASICAUTH_USERNAME', None)
     ba_password = getattr(settings, 'HEALTHPOINT_BASICAUTH_PASSWORD', None)
     authorization = request.META.get('HTTP_AUTHORIZATION')
@@ -27,23 +29,39 @@ def health(request):
     tests_left = set(tests)
     data = {'success': {}, 'error': {}}
     status = 200
-    for health_check in get_health_checks():
-        func = '.'.join([
-            health_check.__module__,
-            health_check.__qualname__])
-        if tests and func not in tests:
-            continue
-        tests_left.discard(func)
-        success, detail = health_check()
-        data['success' if success else 'error'][func] = detail
-        if not success:
-            status = 503
-    if tests_left:
-        if status == 200:
-            status = 404
-        for test in tests_left:
-            data['error'][test] = 'Unknown health check'
-    # Only staff members are allowed to see details...
-    if not _show_health_details(request):
+
+    is_authenticated_request = _is_authenticated_request(request)
+    authentication_required = getattr(settings, 'HEALTHPOINT_AUTH_REQUIRED', False)
+
+    if authentication_required and not is_authenticated_request:
+        # The settings require a succesfully authenticated request
+        # Abort the health checks if this is not the case...
+        status = 403
         data = {}
+    else:
+        # Perform the actual health checks if the authentication is successful
+        # or not required.
+        for health_check in get_health_checks():
+            func = '.'.join([
+                health_check.__module__,
+                health_check.__qualname__])
+            if tests and func not in tests:
+                continue
+            tests_left.discard(func)
+            success, detail = health_check()
+            data['success' if success else 'error'][func] = detail
+            if not success:
+                status = 503
+        if tests_left:
+            if status == 200:
+                status = 404
+            for test in tests_left:
+                data['error'][test] = 'Unknown health check'
+
+        # Only successfully authenticated requests are allowed to see the
+        # full details of the results.
+        if not is_authenticated_request:
+            data = {}
+
+    # Return the response
     return JsonResponse(data, status=status)