diff --git a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
index e52879065f2..d4670eabca1 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
@@ -163,3 +163,46 @@ def populate_apache_request(http_response, mod_python_req):
 def handler(req):
     # mod_python hooks into this function.
     return ModPythonHandler()(req)
+
+def authenhandler(req, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Authentication handler that checks against Django's auth database.
+    """
+    from mod_python import apache
+    
+    # mod_python fakes the environ, and thus doesn't process SetEnv.  This fixes 
+    # that so that the following import works
+    os.environ.update(req.subprocess_env)
+    from django.models.auth import users
+    
+    # check for PythonOptions
+    _str_to_bool = lambda s: s.lower() in '1', 'true', 'on', 'yes'
+    
+    options = req.get_options()
+    permission_name = options.get('DjangoPermissionName', None)
+    staff_only = _str_to_bool(options.get('DjangoRequireStaffStatus', "on"))
+    superuser_only = _str_to_bool(options.get('DjangoRequireSuperuserStatus', "off"))
+    
+    # check that the username is valid
+    kwargs = {'username__exact': req.user, 'is_active__exact': True}
+    if staff_only:
+        kwargs['is_staff__exact'] = True
+    if superuser_only:
+        kwargs['is_superuser__exact'] = True
+    try:
+        user = users.get_object(**kwargs)
+    except users.UserDoesNotExist:
+        return apache.HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED
+        
+    # check the password and any permission given
+    if user.check_password(req.get_basic_auth_pw()):
+        if permission_name:
+            if user.has_perm(permission_name):
+                return apache.OK
+            else:
+                return apache.HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED
+        else:
+            return apache.OK
+    else:
+        return apache.HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/apache_auth.txt b/docs/apache_auth.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bbb2fe091d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/apache_auth.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+=========================================================
+Authenticating against Django's user database from Apache
+=========================================================
+
+Since keeping multiple authentication databases in sync is a common problem when
+dealing with Apache, you can configuring Apache to authenticate against Django's
+`authentication system`_ directly.  For example, you could:
+
+    * Serve media files directly from Apache only to authenticated users.
+    
+    * Authenticate access to a Subversion_ repository against Django users with
+      a certain permission.
+      
+    * Allow certain users to connect to a WebDAV share created with mod_dav_.
+        
+Configuring Apache
+==================
+
+To check against Django's authorization database from a Apache configuration
+file, you'll need to use mod_python's ``PythonAuthenHandler`` directive along
+with the standard ``Auth*`` and ``Require`` directives::
+
+    <Location /example/>
+        AuthType basic
+        AuthName "example.com"
+        Require valid-user
+        
+        SetEnv DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE mysite.settings
+        PythonAuthenHandler django.core.handlers.modpython
+    </Location>
+
+By default, the authentication handler will limit access to the ``/example/``
+location to users marked as staff members.  You can use a set of
+``PythonOption`` directives to modify this behavior::
+
+    ================================  =========================================
+    ``PythonOption``                  Explanation
+    ================================  =========================================
+    ``DjangoRequireStaffStatus``      If set to ``on`` only "staff" users (i.e.
+                                      those with the ``is_staff`` flag set) 
+                                      will be allowed.
+                                      
+                                      Defaults to ``on``.
+
+    ``DjangoRequireSuperuserStatus``  If set to ``on`` only superusers (i.e.
+                                      those with the ``is_superuser`` flag set)
+                                      will be allowed.
+                                      
+                                      Defaults to ``off``.
+    
+    ``DjangoPermissionName``          The name of a permission to require for
+                                      access.  See `custom permissions`_ for
+                                      more information.
+                                      
+                                      By default no specific permission will be
+                                      required.
+    ================================  =========================================
+    
+.. _authentication system: http://www.djangoproject.com/documentation/authentication/
+.. _Subversion: http://subversion.tigris.org/
+.. _mod_dav: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.0/mod/mod_dav.html
+.. _custom permissions: http://www.djangoproject.com/documentation/authentication/#custom-permissions
\ No newline at end of file