diff --git a/src/controller/controller_api.cpp b/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
index 8de846ce..3f95e218 100644
--- a/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
+++ b/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@
 #include "controller_license.h"
 /*LTS-END*/
 
+/// Returns the challenge string for authentication, given the socket connection.
+std::string getChallenge(Socket::Connection & conn){
+  time_t Time = time(0);
+  tm * TimeInfo = localtime( &Time);
+  std::stringstream Date;
+  Date << TimeInfo->tm_mday << "-" << TimeInfo->tm_mon << "-" << TimeInfo->tm_year + 1900;
+  return Secure::md5(Date.str().c_str() + conn.getHost());
+}
+
 ///\brief Checks an authorization request for a given user.
 ///\param Request The request to be parsed.
 ///\param Response The location to store the generated response.
@@ -65,16 +74,8 @@
 /// Please note that this is NOT secure. At all. Never use this mechanism over a public network!
 /// A status of `"ACC_MADE"` indicates the account was created successfully and can now be used to login as normal.
 bool Controller::authorize(JSON::Value & Request, JSON::Value & Response, Socket::Connection & conn){
-  #ifdef NOAUTH
-  Response["authorize"]["status"] = "OK";
-  return true;
-  #endif
-  time_t Time = time(0);
-  tm * TimeInfo = localtime( &Time);
-  std::stringstream Date;
+  std::string Challenge = getChallenge(conn);
   std::string retval;
-  Date << TimeInfo->tm_mday << "-" << TimeInfo->tm_mon << "-" << TimeInfo->tm_year + 1900;
-  std::string Challenge = Secure::md5(Date.str().c_str() + conn.getHost());
   if (Request.isMember("authorize") && Request["authorize"]["username"].asString() != ""){
     std::string UserID = Request["authorize"]["username"];
     if (Storage["account"].isMember(UserID)){
@@ -114,17 +115,34 @@ int Controller::handleAPIConnection(Socket::Connection & conn){
   //while connected and not past login attempt limit
   while (conn && logins < 4){
     if ((conn.spool() || conn.Received().size()) && H.Read(conn)){
-      //Catch prometheus requests
-      if (Controller::prometheus.size()){
-        if (H.url == "/"+Controller::prometheus){
-          handlePrometheus(H, conn, PROMETHEUS_TEXT);
-          H.Clean();
-          continue;
-        }
-        if (H.url == "/"+Controller::prometheus+".json"){
-          handlePrometheus(H, conn, PROMETHEUS_JSON);
-          H.Clean();
-          continue;
+      //Are we local and not forwarded? Instant-authorized.
+      if (!authorized && !H.hasHeader("X-Real-IP") && conn.isLocal()){
+        MEDIUM_MSG("Local API access automatically authorized");
+        authorized = true;
+      }
+      #ifdef NOAUTH
+      //If auth is disabled, always allow access.
+      authorized = true;
+      #endif
+      if (!authorized && H.hasHeader("Authorization")){
+        std::string auth = H.GetHeader("Authorization");
+        if (auth.substr(0, 5) == "json "){
+          INFO_MSG("Checking auth header");
+          JSON::Value req;
+          req["authorize"] = JSON::fromString(auth.substr(5));
+          if (Storage["account"]){
+            tthread::lock_guard<tthread::mutex> guard(configMutex);
+            authorized = authorize(req, req, conn);
+            if (!authorized){
+              H.Clean();
+              H.body = "Please login first or provide a valid token authentication.";
+              H.SetHeader("Server", "MistServer/" PACKAGE_VERSION);
+              H.SetHeader("WWW-Authenticate", "json "+req["authorize"].toString());
+              H.SendResponse("403", "Not authorized", conn);
+              H.Clean();
+              continue;
+            }
+          }
         }
       }
       JSON::Value Response;
@@ -148,11 +166,6 @@ int Controller::handleAPIConnection(Socket::Connection & conn){
       }
       {//lock the config mutex here - do not unlock until done processing
         tthread::lock_guard<tthread::mutex> guard(configMutex);
-        //Are we local and not forwarded? Instant-authorized.
-        if (!authorized && !H.hasHeader("X-Real-IP") && conn.isLocal()){
-          MEDIUM_MSG("Local API access automatically authorized");
-          authorized = true;
-        }
         //if already authorized, do not re-check for authorization
         if (authorized && Storage["account"]){
           Response["authorize"]["status"] = "OK";