diff --git a/auth.go b/auth.go
index fde1570..524ef3a 100644
--- a/auth.go
+++ b/auth.go
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
 	"crypto/subtle"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
-	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/tg123/go-htpasswd"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
 )
 
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ type Auth interface {
 	Validate(wr http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) bool
 }
 
-func NewAuth(paramstr string) (Auth, error) {
+func NewAuth(paramstr string, logger *CondLogger) (Auth, error) {
 	url, err := url.Parse(paramstr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -31,9 +33,9 @@ func NewAuth(paramstr string) (Auth, error) {
 
 	switch strings.ToLower(url.Scheme) {
 	case "static":
-		return NewStaticAuth(url)
+		return NewStaticAuth(url, logger)
 	case "basicfile":
-		return NewBasicFileAuth(url)
+		return NewBasicFileAuth(url, logger)
 	case "cert":
 		return CertAuth{}, nil
 	case "none":
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ func NewAuth(paramstr string) (Auth, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func NewStaticAuth(param_url *url.URL) (*BasicAuth, error) {
+func NewStaticAuth(param_url *url.URL, logger *CondLogger) (*BasicAuth, error) {
 	values, err := url.ParseQuery(param_url.RawQuery)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -60,11 +62,21 @@ func NewStaticAuth(param_url *url.URL) (*BasicAuth, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBufferString(username)
+	buf.WriteByte(':')
+	buf.Write(hashedPassword)
+
+	pwFile, err := htpasswd.NewFromReader(buf, htpasswd.DefaultSystems, func(parseError error) {
+		logger.Error("static auth: password entry parse error: %v", err)
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't instantiate pwFile: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	return &BasicAuth{
-		users: map[string][]byte{
-			username: hashedPassword,
-		},
 		hiddenDomain: strings.ToLower(values.Get("hidden_domain")),
+		logger:       logger,
+		pwFile:       pwFile,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -82,11 +94,14 @@ func requireBasicAuth(wr http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, hidden_domain s
 }
 
 type BasicAuth struct {
-	users        map[string][]byte
+	pwFilename   string
+	pwFile       *htpasswd.File
+	pwMux        sync.RWMutex
+	logger       *CondLogger
 	hiddenDomain string
 }
 
-func NewBasicFileAuth(param_url *url.URL) (*BasicAuth, error) {
+func NewBasicFileAuth(param_url *url.URL, logger *CondLogger) (*BasicAuth, error) {
 	values, err := url.ParseQuery(param_url.RawQuery)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -96,38 +111,32 @@ func NewBasicFileAuth(param_url *url.URL) (*BasicAuth, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("\"path\" parameter is missing from auth config URI")
 	}
 
-	f, err := os.Open(filename)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer f.Close()
-
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
-	users := make(map[string][]byte)
-	for scanner.Scan() {
-		line := scanner.Text()
-		trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(line)
-		if trimmed == "" || strings.HasPrefix(trimmed, "#") {
-			continue
-		}
-		pair := strings.SplitN(line, ":", 2)
-		if len(pair) != 2 {
-			return nil, errors.New("Malformed login and password line")
-		}
-		login := pair[0]
-		password := pair[1]
-		users[login] = []byte(password)
-	}
-	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if len(users) == 0 {
-		return nil, errors.New("No password lines were read from file")
-	}
-	return &BasicAuth{
-		users:        users,
+	auth := &BasicAuth{
 		hiddenDomain: strings.ToLower(values.Get("hidden_domain")),
-	}, nil
+		pwFilename:   filename,
+		logger:       logger,
+	}
+
+	if err := auth.reload(); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to load initial password list: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return auth, nil
+}
+
+func (auth *BasicAuth) reload() error {
+	newPwFile, err := htpasswd.New(auth.pwFilename, htpasswd.DefaultSystems, func(parseErr error) {
+		auth.logger.Error("failed to parse line in %q: %v", auth.pwFilename, parseErr)
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	auth.pwMux.Lock()
+	defer auth.pwMux.Unlock()
+	auth.pwFile = newPwFile
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (auth *BasicAuth) Validate(wr http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) bool {
@@ -157,14 +166,12 @@ func (auth *BasicAuth) Validate(wr http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) bool
 
 	login := pair[0]
 	password := pair[1]
+	
+	auth.pwMux.RLock()
+	pwFile := auth.pwFile
+	auth.pwMux.RUnlock()
 
-	hashedPassword, ok := auth.users[login]
-	if !ok {
-		requireBasicAuth(wr, req, auth.hiddenDomain)
-		return false
-	}
-
-	if bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword(hashedPassword, []byte(password)) == nil {
+	if pwFile.Match(login, password) {
 		if auth.hiddenDomain != "" &&
 			(req.Host == auth.hiddenDomain || req.URL.Host == auth.hiddenDomain) {
 			wr.Header().Set("Content-Length", strconv.Itoa(len([]byte(AUTH_TRIGGERED_MSG))))
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 422eafc..3be7fed 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module github.com/Snawoot/dumbproxy
 go 1.13
 
 require (
+	github.com/tg123/go-htpasswd v1.2.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220829220503-c86fa9a7ed90
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20220826154423-83b083e8dc8b // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index f57a52f..205e35f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
+github.com/GehirnInc/crypt v0.0.0-20200316065508-bb7000b8a962 h1:KeNholpO2xKjgaaSyd+DyQRrsQjhbSeS7qe4nEw8aQw=
+github.com/GehirnInc/crypt v0.0.0-20200316065508-bb7000b8a962/go.mod h1:kC29dT1vFpj7py2OvG1khBdQpo3kInWP+6QipLbdngo=
+github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
+github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
+github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
+github.com/tg123/go-htpasswd v1.2.0 h1:UKp34m9H467/xklxUxU15wKRru7fwXoTojtxg25ITF0=
+github.com/tg123/go-htpasswd v1.2.0/go.mod h1:h7IzlfpvIWnVJhNZ0nQ9HaFxHb7pn5uFJYLlEUJa2sM=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190228161510-8dd112bcdc25/go.mod h1:djNgcEr1/C05ACkg1iLfiJU5Ep61QUkGW8qpdssI0+w=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220829220503-c86fa9a7ed90 h1:Y/gsMcFOcR+6S6f3YeMKl5g+dZMEWqcz5Czj/GWYbkM=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220829220503-c86fa9a7ed90/go.mod h1:IxCIyHEi3zRg3s0A5j5BB6A9Jmi73HwBIUl50j+osU4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20211112202133-69e39bad7dc2/go.mod h1:9nx3DQGgdP8bBQD5qxJ1jj9UTztislL4KSBs9R2vV5Y=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20220826154423-83b083e8dc8b h1:ZmngSVLe/wycRns9MKikG9OWIEjGcGAkacif7oYQaUY=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20220826154423-83b083e8dc8b/go.mod h1:YDH+HFinaLZZlnHAfSS6ZXJJ9M9t4Dl22yv3iI2vPwk=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210423082822-04245dca01da/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210615035016-665e8c7367d1/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
@@ -13,3 +23,5 @@ golang.org/x/text v0.3.6/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.7 h1:olpwvP2KacW1ZWvsR7uQhoyTYvKAupfQrRGBFM352Gk=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.7/go.mod h1:u+2+/6zg+i71rQMx5EYifcz6MCKuco9NR6JIITiCfzQ=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=
+gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
+gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20200313102051-9f266ea9e77c/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index e44ce64..cedf9ff 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -119,8 +119,11 @@ func run() int {
 	proxyLogger := NewCondLogger(log.New(logWriter, "PROXY   : ",
 		log.LstdFlags|log.Lshortfile),
 		args.verbosity)
+	authLogger := NewCondLogger(log.New(logWriter, "AUTH    : ",
+		log.LstdFlags|log.Lshortfile),
+		args.verbosity)
 
-	auth, err := NewAuth(args.auth)
+	auth, err := NewAuth(args.auth, authLogger)
 	if err != nil {
 		mainLogger.Critical("Failed to instantiate auth provider: %v", err)
 		return 3