diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Get.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Get.java
index cda40ac61..189a01262 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Get.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Get.java
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.*;
  * Java runtime is correctly configured.
  *
  * @author costin@dnt.ro
+ * @author gg@grtmail.com (Added Java 1.1 style HTTP basic auth)
  */
 public class Get extends Task {
     private URL source; // required
@@ -73,6 +74,9 @@ public class Get extends Task {
     private boolean verbose = false;
     private boolean useTimestamp = false; //off by default
     private boolean ignoreErrors = false;
+    private String uname = null;
+    private String pword = null;
+
     
     /**
      * Does the work.
@@ -123,6 +127,24 @@ public class Get extends Task {
             if(useTimestamp && hasTimestamp) {
                 connection.setIfModifiedSince(timestamp);
             }
+	    // prepare Java 1.1 style credentials
+	    if (uname != null || pword != null) {
+	      String up = uname + ":" + pword;
+	      String encoding;
+	      // check to see if sun's Base64 encoder is available.
+	      try {
+		sun.misc.BASE64Encoder encoder = 
+		  (sun.misc.BASE64Encoder) Class.forName("sun.misc.BASE64Encoder").newInstance();
+		encoding = encoder.encode (up.getBytes());
+
+	      }
+	      catch (Exception ex) { // sun's base64 encoder isn't available 
+		Base64Converter encoder = new Base64Converter();
+		encoding = encoder.encode(up.getBytes());
+	      }
+	      connection.setRequestProperty ("Authorization", "Basic " + encoding);
+
+	    }
 
             //connect to the remote site (may take some time)
             connection.connect();
@@ -136,6 +158,12 @@ public class Get extends Task {
                     log("Not modified - so not downloaded");
                     return; 
                 }
+		// test for 401 result (HTTP only)
+                if(httpConnection.getResponseCode()==HttpURLConnection.HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED)  {
+                    log("Not authorized - check " + dest + " for details");
+                    return; 
+                }
+
             }
 
             //REVISIT: at this point even non HTTP connections may support the if-modified-since
@@ -280,4 +308,114 @@ public class Get extends Task {
         }
     }
 
+
+    /**
+     * Username for basic auth.
+     *
+     * @param u username for authentication
+     */
+    public void setUsername(String u) {
+      this.uname = u;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * password for the basic auth.
+     *
+     * @param p password for authentication
+     */
+    public void setPassword(String p) {
+      this.pword = p;
+    }
+
+     /*********************************************************************
+     * BASE 64 encoding of a String or an array of bytes.
+     *
+     * Based on RFC 1421.
+     * 
+     * @author
+     *    Unknown
+     *  @author
+     *    <a HREF="gg@grtmail.com">Gautam Guliani</a>
+     *********************************************************************/
+
+     class  Base64Converter
+     {
+
+     public final char [ ]  alphabet = {
+       'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H',   //  0 to  7
+       'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P',   //  8 to 15
+       'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'V', 'W', 'X',   // 16 to 23
+       'Y', 'Z', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f',   // 24 to 31
+       'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n',   // 32 to 39
+       'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v',   // 40 to 47
+       'w', 'x', 'y', 'z', '0', '1', '2', '3',   // 48 to 55
+       '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '+', '/' }; // 56 to 63
+
+
+     public String  encode ( String  s )
+     {
+       return encode ( s.getBytes ( ) );
+     }
+
+     public String  encode ( byte [ ]  octetString )
+     {
+       int  bits24;
+       int  bits6;
+
+       char [ ]  out
+         = new char [ ( ( octetString.length - 1 ) / 3 + 1 ) * 4 ];
+
+       int outIndex = 0;
+       int i        = 0;
+
+       while ( ( i + 3 ) <= octetString.length ) {
+       // store the octets 
+	 bits24=( octetString [ i++ ] & 0xFF ) << 16;
+         bits24 |=( octetString [ i++ ] & 0xFF ) << 8;
+
+         bits6=( bits24 & 0x00FC0000 )>> 18; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ];
+         bits6 = ( bits24 & 0x0003F000 ) >> 12; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ];
+         bits6 = ( bits24 & 0x00000FC0 ) >> 6; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ];
+         bits6 = ( bits24 & 0x0000003F );
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ]; 
+       }
+
+       if ( octetString.length - i == 2 )
+       {
+         // store the octets 
+         bits24  = ( octetString [ i     ] & 0xFF ) << 16;
+         bits24 |=( octetString [ i + 1 ] & 0xFF ) << 8;
+         bits6=( bits24 & 0x00FC0000 )>> 18;
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ]; 
+         bits6 = ( bits24 & 0x0003F000 ) >> 12; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ]; 
+         bits6 = ( bits24 & 0x00000FC0 ) >> 6; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ];
+
+         // padding
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = '='; 
+       }
+       else if ( octetString.length - i == 1 )
+       {
+         // store the octets 
+         bits24 = ( octetString [ i ] & 0xFF ) << 16;
+         bits6=( bits24 & 0x00FC0000 )>> 18;
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ];
+         bits6 = ( bits24 & 0x0003F000 ) >> 12; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = alphabet [ bits6 ];
+
+         // padding
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = '='; 
+         out [ outIndex++ ] = '='; 
+       }
+
+       return new String ( out );
+     }
+
+     }
+
+
 }