diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 9357a67..5241c0c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ hex = "0.4.3"
 itertools = "0.12.0"
 nom = "7.1.3"
 reqwest = { version = "0.11.23", default-features = false }
-sec = { version = "1.0.0", features = ["deserialize"] }
+sec = { version = "1.0.0", features = [ "deserialize", "serialize" ] }
 serde = { version = "1.0.193", features = [ "derive" ] }
 serde_json = "1.0.108"
 sha2 = "0.10.8"
diff --git a/src/container_orchestrator.rs b/src/container_orchestrator.rs
index 336a3b8..fbbe177 100644
--- a/src/container_orchestrator.rs
+++ b/src/container_orchestrator.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ContainerOrchestrator {
 pub(crate) struct PublishedContainer {
     host_addr: SocketAddr,
     manifest_reference: ManifestReference,
-    config: RuntimeConfig,
+    config: Arc<RuntimeConfig>,
 }
 
 impl PublishedContainer {
@@ -57,12 +57,16 @@ impl PublishedContainer {
     pub(crate) fn host_addr(&self) -> SocketAddr {
         self.host_addr
     }
+
+    pub(crate) fn config(&self) -> &Arc<RuntimeConfig> {
+        &self.config
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 pub(crate) struct RuntimeConfig {
     #[serde(default)]
-    http_access: HashMap<String, String>,
+    pub(crate) http_access: Option<HashMap<String, Secret<String>>>,
 }
 
 impl IntoResponse for RuntimeConfig {
@@ -115,7 +119,12 @@ impl ContainerOrchestrator {
         self.configs_dir
             .join(location.repository())
             .join(location.image())
-            .join(manifest_reference.reference().to_string())
+            .join(
+                manifest_reference
+                    .reference()
+                    .to_string()
+                    .trim_start_matches(':'),
+            )
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn load_config(
@@ -196,7 +205,7 @@ impl ContainerOrchestrator {
             return Ok(None);
         };
 
-        let config = self.load_config(&manifest_reference).await?;
+        let config = Arc::new(self.load_config(&manifest_reference).await?);
 
         Ok(Some(PublishedContainer {
             host_addr: port_mapping
diff --git a/src/registry/auth.rs b/src/registry/auth.rs
index 8f7887a..ff677af 100644
--- a/src/registry/auth.rs
+++ b/src/registry/auth.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::{str, sync::Arc};
+use std::{collections::HashMap, str, sync::Arc};
 
 use axum::{
     async_trait,
@@ -96,6 +96,30 @@ impl AuthProvider for bool {
     }
 }
 
+#[async_trait]
+impl AuthProvider for HashMap<String, Secret<String>> {
+    async fn check_credentials(
+        &self,
+        UnverifiedCredentials {
+            username: unverified_username,
+            password: unverified_password,
+        }: &UnverifiedCredentials,
+    ) -> bool {
+        if let Some(correct_password) = self.get(unverified_username) {
+            // TODO: Use constant-time compare. Maybe add to `sec`?
+            if correct_password == unverified_password {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        false
+    }
+
+    async fn has_access_to(&self, _username: &str, _namespace: &str, _image: &str) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+}
+
 #[async_trait]
 impl<T> AuthProvider for Box<T>
 where
diff --git a/src/reverse_proxy.rs b/src/reverse_proxy.rs
index fff8ce5..b3a00ad 100644
--- a/src/reverse_proxy.rs
+++ b/src/reverse_proxy.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ impl PartialEq<String> for Domain {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 enum Destination {
-    ReverseProxied(Uri),
+    ReverseProxied {
+        uri: Uri,
+        config: Arc<RuntimeConfig>,
+    },
     Internal(Uri),
     NotFound,
 }
@@ -129,9 +132,10 @@ impl RoutingTable {
                 Authority::from_str(&pc.host_addr().to_string())
                     .expect("SocketAddr should never fail to convert to Authority"),
             );
-            return Destination::ReverseProxied(
-                Uri::from_parts(parts).expect("should not have invalidated Uri"),
-            );
+            return Destination::ReverseProxied {
+                uri: Uri::from_parts(parts).expect("should not have invalidated Uri"),
+                config: pc.config().clone(),
+            };
         }
 
         // Matching a domain did not succeed, let's try with a path.
@@ -161,7 +165,10 @@ impl RoutingTable {
                 parts.authority = Some(Authority::from_str(&container_addr.to_string()).unwrap());
                 parts.path_and_query = Some(PathAndQuery::from_str(&dest_path_and_query).unwrap());
 
-                return Destination::ReverseProxied(Uri::from_parts(parts).unwrap());
+                return Destination::ReverseProxied {
+                    uri: Uri::from_parts(parts).unwrap(),
+                    config: pc.config().clone(),
+                };
             }
         }
 
@@ -271,7 +278,7 @@ fn split_path_base_url(uri: &Uri) -> Option<(ImageLocation, String)> {
 
 async fn route_request(
     State(rp): State<Arc<ReverseProxy>>,
-    request: Request,
+    mut request: Request,
 ) -> Result<Response, AppError> {
     let dest_uri = {
         let routing_table = rp.routing_table.read().await;
@@ -279,9 +286,26 @@ async fn route_request(
     };
 
     match dest_uri {
-        Destination::ReverseProxied(dest) => {
+        Destination::ReverseProxied { uri: dest, config } => {
             trace!(%dest, "reverse proxying");
 
+            // First, check if http authentication is enabled.
+            if let Some(ref http_access) = config.http_access {
+                let creds = request
+                    .extract_parts::<UnverifiedCredentials>()
+                    .await
+                    .map_err(AppError::AuthFailure)?;
+
+                if !http_access.check_credentials(&creds).await {
+                    return Response::builder()
+                        .status(StatusCode::FORBIDDEN)
+                        .body(Body::empty())
+                        .map_err(|_| {
+                            AppError::AssertionFailed("should not fail to build response")
+                        });
+                }
+            }
+
             // Note: `reqwest` and `axum` currently use different versions of `http`
             let method = request.method().to_string().parse().map_err(|_| {
                 AppError::AssertionFailed("method http version mismatch workaround failed")
@@ -367,7 +391,7 @@ async fn route_request(
                     Ok(config.into_response())
                 }
                 Method::PUT => {
-                    let raw = dbg!(opt_body.ok_or(AppError::InvalidPayload)?);
+                    let raw = opt_body.ok_or(AppError::InvalidPayload)?;
                     let new_config: RuntimeConfig =
                         toml::from_str(&raw).map_err(|_| AppError::InvalidPayload)?;
                     let stored = orchestrator