diff --git a/auth/credential_store.go b/auth/credential_store.go
index 8491ff51..e173c8e2 100644
--- a/auth/credential_store.go
+++ b/auth/credential_store.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package auth
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
+	"sync"
 
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
 )
@@ -41,6 +42,43 @@ type BasicAuther interface {
 	BasicAuth() (string, string, bool)
 }
 
+// HashCache store hash values for users. Safe for use from multiple goroutines.
+type HashCache struct {
+	mu sync.RWMutex
+	m  map[string]map[string]bool
+}
+
+// NewHashCache returns a instantiated HashCache
+func NewHashCache() *HashCache {
+	return &HashCache{
+		m: make(map[string]map[string]bool),
+	}
+}
+
+// Check returns whether hash is valid for username.
+func (h *HashCache) Check(username, hash string) bool {
+	h.mu.RLock()
+	defer h.mu.RUnlock()
+	m, ok := h.m[username]
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	_, ok = m[hash]
+	return ok
+}
+
+// Store stores the given hash as a valid hash for username.
+func (h *HashCache) Store(username, hash string) {
+	h.mu.Lock()
+	defer h.mu.Unlock()
+	_, ok := h.m[username]
+	if !ok {
+		h.m[username] = make(map[string]bool)
+	}
+	h.m[username][hash] = true
+}
+
 // Credential represents authentication and authorization configuration for a single user.
 type Credential struct {
 	Username string   `json:"username,omitempty"`
@@ -52,13 +90,18 @@ type Credential struct {
 type CredentialsStore struct {
 	store map[string]string
 	perms map[string]map[string]bool
+
+	UseCache  bool
+	hashCache *HashCache
 }
 
 // NewCredentialsStore returns a new instance of a CredentialStore.
 func NewCredentialsStore() *CredentialsStore {
 	return &CredentialsStore{
-		store: make(map[string]string),
-		perms: make(map[string]map[string]bool),
+		store:     make(map[string]string),
+		perms:     make(map[string]map[string]bool),
+		hashCache: NewHashCache(),
+		UseCache:  true,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -99,8 +142,27 @@ func (c *CredentialsStore) Check(username, password string) bool {
 	if !ok {
 		return false
 	}
-	return password == pw ||
-		bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(pw), []byte(password)) == nil
+
+	// Simple match with plaintext password in creds?
+	if password == pw {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// Maybe the given a password is a hash -- check if the hash is good
+	// for the given user.
+	if c.UseCache && c.hashCache.Check(username, password) {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// Next, what's in the file may be hashed, so hash the given password
+	// and compare.
+	if bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(pw), []byte(password)) != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// It's good -- cache that result for this user.
+	c.hashCache.Store(username, password)
+	return true
 }
 
 // Password returns the password for the given user.
diff --git a/auth/credential_store_test.go b/auth/credential_store_test.go
index d2c9c684..466572b0 100644
--- a/auth/credential_store_test.go
+++ b/auth/credential_store_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,53 @@ func (t *testBasicAuther) BasicAuth() (string, string, bool) {
 	return t.username, t.password, t.ok
 }
 
+func Test_HashCache(t *testing.T) {
+	hc := NewHashCache()
+
+	if hc.Check("user", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check OK for empty cache")
+	}
+	if hc.Check("user", "") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check OK for empty cache")
+	}
+	if hc.Check("", "") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check OK for empty cache")
+	}
+
+	hc.Store("user1", "hash1")
+	if !hc.Check("user1", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check not OK for user1")
+	}
+	if hc.Check("user", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check OK for bad user")
+	}
+
+	hc.Store("user1", "hash2")
+	if !hc.Check("user1", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check not OK for user1")
+	}
+	if !hc.Check("user1", "hash2") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check not OK for user1")
+	}
+
+	hc.Store("user3", "hash3")
+	if !hc.Check("user1", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check not OK for user1")
+	}
+	if !hc.Check("user1", "hash2") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check not OK for user1")
+	}
+	if hc.Check("user", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check OK for bad user")
+	}
+	if !hc.Check("user3", "hash3") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check not OK for user3")
+	}
+	if hc.Check("user3", "hash1") {
+		t.Fatalf("hash cache check OK for user3, with bad hash")
+	}
+}
+
 func Test_AuthLoadSingle(t *testing.T) {
 	const jsonStream = `
 		[