diff --git a/cake/libs/http_socket.php b/cake/libs/http_socket.php
index 45abaa079..d5ed518ad 100644
--- a/cake/libs/http_socket.php
+++ b/cake/libs/http_socket.php
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
  * @param string $pass Password for authentication
  * @return void
  */
-	public function setAuthConfig($method, $user, $pass = null) {
+	public function setAuthConfig($method, $user = null, $pass = null) {
 		if (empty($method)) {
 			$this->_auth = array();
 			return;
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
index 99f3f0cdb..06b055928 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
@@ -755,6 +755,25 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->RequestSocket->get('http://www.google.com/', null, array('auth' => array('user' => 'foo', 'pass' => 'bar')));
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Test authentication
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testAuth() {
+		$socket = new MockHttpSocket();
+		$socket->get('http://mark:secret@example.com/test');
+		$this->assertTrue(strpos($socket->request['header'], 'Authorization: Basic bWFyazpzZWNyZXQ=') !== false);
+
+		$socket->setAuthConfig(false);
+		$socket->get('http://example.com/test');
+		$this->assertFalse(strpos($socket->request['header'], 'Authorization:'));
+
+		$socket->setAuthConfig('Test', 'mark', 'passwd');
+		$socket->get('http://example.com/test');
+		$this->assertTrue(strpos($socket->request['header'], 'Authorization: Test mark.passwd') !== false);
+	}
+
 /**
  * test that two consecutive get() calls reset the authentication credentials.
  *