diff --git a/config.ini b/config.ini
index f6ac838..732d305 100644
--- a/config.ini
+++ b/config.ini
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ acceptallcustomnames=true
 # should attempts to log into non-existent accounts
 # automatically create them?
 autocreateaccounts=true
+# support logging in with auth cookies?
+useauthcookies=false
 # how often should everything be flushed to the database?
 # the default is 4 minutes
 dbsaveinterval=240
diff --git a/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp b/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp
index 9e905e6..95d41d1 100644
--- a/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/CNLoginServer.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ void CNLoginServer::login(CNSocket* sock, CNPacketData* data) {
     if (isCookieAuth) {
         // username encoded in TEGid raw
         userLogin = std::string((char*)login->szCookie_TEGid);
+
+        // clients that use web login but without proper cookies
+        // send their passwords instead, so store that
+        userPassword = std::string((char*)login->szCookie_authid);
     } else {
         /*
          * The std::string -> char* -> std::string maneuver should remove any
@@ -121,6 +125,11 @@ void CNLoginServer::login(CNSocket* sock, CNPacketData* data) {
         userPassword = std::string(AUTOU16TOU8(login->szPassword).c_str());
     }
 
+    if (!settings::USEAUTHCOOKIES) {
+        // use normal login flow
+        isCookieAuth = false;
+    }
+
     // check username regex
     if (!CNLoginServer::isUsernameGood(userLogin)) {
         // send a custom error message
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 5949f52..85554ea 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ bool settings::SANDBOX = true;
 int settings::LOGINPORT = 23000;
 bool settings::APPROVEALLNAMES = true;
 bool settings::AUTOCREATEACCOUNTS = true;
+bool settings::USEAUTHCOOKIES = false;
 int settings::DBSAVEINTERVAL = 240;
 
 int settings::SHARDPORT = 23001;
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ void settings::init() {
     LOGINPORT = reader.GetInteger("login", "port", LOGINPORT);
     APPROVEALLNAMES = reader.GetBoolean("login", "acceptallcustomnames", APPROVEALLNAMES);
     AUTOCREATEACCOUNTS = reader.GetBoolean("login", "autocreateaccounts", AUTOCREATEACCOUNTS);
+    USEAUTHCOOKIES = reader.GetBoolean("login", "useauthcookies", USEAUTHCOOKIES);
     DBSAVEINTERVAL = reader.GetInteger("login", "dbsaveinterval", DBSAVEINTERVAL);
     SHARDPORT = reader.GetInteger("shard", "port", SHARDPORT);
     SHARDSERVERIP = reader.Get("shard", "ip", SHARDSERVERIP);
diff --git a/src/settings.hpp b/src/settings.hpp
index 85fad68..a27eada 100644
--- a/src/settings.hpp
+++ b/src/settings.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ namespace settings {
     extern int LOGINPORT;
     extern bool APPROVEALLNAMES;
     extern bool AUTOCREATEACCOUNTS;
+    extern bool USEAUTHCOOKIES;
     extern int DBSAVEINTERVAL;
     extern int SHARDPORT;
     extern std::string SHARDSERVERIP;