diff --git a/request.js b/request.js
index f0284635d..48e0c06dc 100644
--- a/request.js
+++ b/request.js
@@ -277,10 +277,14 @@ Request.prototype.init = function (options) {
   }
 
   if (options.auth) {
+    if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(options.auth, 'username')) options.auth.user = options.auth.username
+    if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(options.auth, 'password')) options.auth.pass = options.auth.password
+    
     self.auth(
-      (options.auth.user==="") ? options.auth.user : (options.auth.user || options.auth.username ),
-      options.auth.pass || options.auth.password,
-      options.auth.sendImmediately)
+      options.auth.user,
+      options.auth.pass,
+      options.auth.sendImmediately
+    )
   }
 
   if (self.uri.auth && !self.hasHeader('authorization')) {
diff --git a/tests/test-basic-auth.js b/tests/test-basic-auth.js
index 7cf1d6d82..23f4ee28c 100644
--- a/tests/test-basic-auth.js
+++ b/tests/test-basic-auth.js
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ var basicServer = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
   if (req.headers.authorization) {
     if (req.headers.authorization == 'Basic ' + new Buffer('test:testing2').toString('base64')) {
       ok = true;
+    } else if ( req.headers.authorization == 'Basic ' + new Buffer('test:').toString('base64')) {
+      ok = true;
     } else if ( req.headers.authorization == 'Basic ' + new Buffer(':apassword').toString('base64')) {
       ok = true;
     } else if ( req.headers.authorization == 'Basic ' + new Buffer('justauser').toString('base64')) {
@@ -146,6 +148,32 @@ var tests = [
         next();
       });
     })
+  },
+
+  function (next) {
+    request
+      .get('http://localhost:6767/test/')
+      .auth("test","",false)
+      .on('response', function (res) {
+        assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200);
+        assert.equal(numBasicRequests, 12);
+        next();
+      })
+  },
+
+  function (next) {
+    request.get('http://localhost:6767/test/',
+      {
+        auth: {
+          user: "test",
+          pass: "",
+          sendImmediately: false
+        }
+      }, function (err, res) {
+        assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200);
+        assert.equal(numBasicRequests, 14);
+        next();
+      })
   }
 ];