diff --git a/githubot.coffee b/githubot.coffee
index 8967306..8eb1acf 100644
--- a/githubot.coffee
+++ b/githubot.coffee
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ class Github
       url = "/#{url}" unless url[0] is "/"
       url = "https://api.github.com#{url}"
     req = http.create(url).header("Accept", "application/json")
-    req = req.header("Authorization", "token #{oauth_token}") if (oauth_token = process.env.HUBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN)?
+    if (oauth_token = process.env.HUBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN)?
+      req = req.header("Authorization", "token #{oauth_token}")
+    else if process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_USER? and process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_PASSWORD?
+      basic_auth = "#{process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_USER}:#{process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_PASSWORD}"
+      req = req.header("Authorization", "Basic #{new Buffer(basic_auth).toString('base64')}")
     req[verb.toLowerCase()](JSON.stringify data) (err, res, body) =>
       data = null
       if err?
diff --git a/test/request.coffee b/test/request.coffee
index 3754349..fa865be 100644
--- a/test/request.coffee
+++ b/test/request.coffee
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@ describe "github api", ->
         network.matchHeader("Authorization", "token 789abc")
         gh.request "GET", "repos/foo/bar/branches", success done
         delete process.env.HUBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN
+      it "uses basic auth if user/pass exists", (done) ->
+        process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_USER = "imauser"
+        process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_PASSWORD = "mypassword"
+        network.matchHeader("Authorization", "Basic aW1hdXNlcjpteXBhc3N3b3Jk")
+        gh.request "GET", "repos/foo/bar/branches", success done
+        delete process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_USER
+        delete process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_PASSWORD
+      it "oauth supercedes basic auth", (done) ->
+        process.env.HUBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN = "789abc"
+        process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_USER = "imauser"
+        process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_PASSWORD = "mypassword"
+        network.matchHeader("Authorization", "token 789abc")
+        gh.request "GET", "repos/foo/bar/branches", success done
+        delete process.env.HUBOT_GITHUB_TOKEN
+        delete process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_USER
+        delete process.env.HUBOT_BOT_GITHUB_PASSWORD
       it "includes accept header", (done) ->
         network.matchHeader('Accept', 'application/json')
         gh.request "GET", "repos/foo/bar/branches", success done