diff --git a/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/BasicProxyAuthenticator.java b/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/BasicProxyAuthenticator.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d69c4598
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/BasicProxyAuthenticator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package org.littleshoot.proxy;
+
+import com.google.common.io.BaseEncoding;
+
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+
+import java.nio.charset.Charset;
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+public abstract class BasicProxyAuthenticator implements ProxyAuthenticator {
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean authenticate(String proxyAuthorizationHeaderValue) {
+    String value = StringUtils.substringAfter(proxyAuthorizationHeaderValue, "Basic ").trim();
+
+    byte[] decodedValue = BaseEncoding.base64().decode(value);
+
+    String decodedString = new String(decodedValue, Charset.forName("UTF-8"));
+
+    String userName = StringUtils.substringBefore(decodedString, ":");
+    String password = StringUtils.substringAfter(decodedString, ":");
+
+    return authenticate(userName, password);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Authenticates the user using the specified userName and password.
+   *
+   * @param username
+   *            The user name.
+   * @param password
+   *            The password.
+   * @return <code>true</code> if the credentials are acceptable, otherwise
+   *         <code>false</code>.
+   * requests.
+   */
+  abstract boolean authenticate(String username, String password);
+
+  abstract public String getRealm();
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/ProxyAuthenticator.java b/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/ProxyAuthenticator.java
index df77c687f..493d4f476 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/ProxyAuthenticator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/ProxyAuthenticator.java
@@ -5,18 +5,17 @@
  * the basis of a username and password.
  */
 public interface ProxyAuthenticator {
+
     /**
-     * Authenticates the user using the specified userName and password.
-     * 
-     * @param userName
-     *            The user name.
-     * @param password
-     *            The password.
-     * @return <code>true</code> if the credentials are acceptable, otherwise
+     * Authenticates the user using the specified proxy authorization header.
+     *
+     * @param proxyAuthorizationHeaderValue
+     *            The proxy authorization header value.
+     * @return <code>true</code> if the credential is acceptable, otherwise
      *         <code>false</code>.
      */
-    boolean authenticate(String userName, String password);
-    
+    boolean authenticate(String proxyAuthorizationHeaderValue);
+
     /**
      * The realm value to be used in the request for proxy authentication 
      * ("Proxy-Authenticate" header). Returning null will cause the string
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/impl/ClientToProxyConnection.java b/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/impl/ClientToProxyConnection.java
index 964858fbf..f7c906c71 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/impl/ClientToProxyConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/impl/ClientToProxyConnection.java
@@ -982,15 +982,7 @@ private boolean authenticationRequired(HttpRequest request) {
         List<String> values = request.headers().getAll(
                 HttpHeaders.Names.PROXY_AUTHORIZATION);
         String fullValue = values.iterator().next();
-        String value = StringUtils.substringAfter(fullValue, "Basic ").trim();
-
-        byte[] decodedValue = BaseEncoding.base64().decode(value);
-
-        String decodedString = new String(decodedValue, Charset.forName("UTF-8"));
-        
-        String userName = StringUtils.substringBefore(decodedString, ":");
-        String password = StringUtils.substringAfter(decodedString, ":");
-        if (!authenticator.authenticate(userName, password)) {
+        if (!authenticator.authenticate(fullValue)) {
             writeAuthenticationRequired(authenticator.getRealm());
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/MITMUsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java b/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/MITMUsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java
index 48369cdd0..f9ef07210 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/MITMUsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/MITMUsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ protected void setUp() {
     protected boolean isMITM() {
         return true;
     }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/UsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java b/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/UsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java
index f3c704aeb..511fb26a6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/UsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/littleshoot/proxy/UsernamePasswordAuthenticatingProxyTest.java
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ protected String getPassword() {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public boolean authenticate(String userName, String password) {
-        return getUsername().equals(userName) && getPassword().equals(password);
+    public boolean authenticate(String proxyAuthorizationHeaderValue) {
+        return new TestBasicProxyAuthenticator(getUsername(), getPassword()).authenticate(proxyAuthorizationHeaderValue);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -37,4 +37,25 @@ protected boolean isAuthenticating() {
     public String getRealm() {
         return null;
     }
+
+    static class TestBasicProxyAuthenticator extends BasicProxyAuthenticator{
+
+        private final String username;
+        private final String password;
+
+        TestBasicProxyAuthenticator(String username, String password) {
+            this.username = username;
+            this.password = password;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        boolean authenticate(String username, String password) {
+            return this.username.equals(username) && this.password.equals(password);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String getRealm() {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
 }