diff --git a/ietf/utils/management/commands/import_htpasswd.py b/ietf/utils/management/commands/import_htpasswd.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4af4e37e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ietf/utils/management/commands/import_htpasswd.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import sys
+
+from optparse import make_option
+from textwrap import dedent
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+    """
+    Import passwords from one or more htpasswd files to Django's auth_user table.
+
+    This command only imports passwords; it does not import usernames, as that
+    would leave usernames without associated Person records in the database,
+    something which is undesirable.
+
+    By default the command won't overwrite existing password entries, but
+    given the --force switch, it will overwrite existing entries too.  Without
+    the --force switch, the command is safe to run repeatedly.
+    """
+
+    help = dedent(__doc__).strip()
+            
+    option_list = BaseCommand.option_list + (
+        make_option('--force',
+            action='store_true', dest='overwrite', default=False,
+            help='Overwrite existing passwords in the auth_user table.'),
+        )
+
+    args = '[path [path [...]]]'
+
+    def handle(self, *filenames, **options):
+        overwrite = options.get('overwrite', False)
+        verbosity = int(options.get('verbosity'))
+        for fn in filenames:
+            with open(fn) as file:
+                for line in file:
+                    if not ':' in line:
+                        raise ValueError('Found a line without colon separator in the htpassword file %s:'+
+                            '   "%s"' % (file.name, line))
+                    username, password = line.strip().split(':', 1)
+                    try:
+                        user = User.objects.get(username=username)
+                        if overwrite == True or not user.password:
+                            if   password.startswith('{SHA}'):
+                                user.password = "sha1$$%s" % password[len('{SHA}'):]
+                            elif password.startswith('$apr1$'):
+                                user.password = "md5$%s" % password[len('$apr1$'):]
+                            else:       # Assume crypt
+                                user.password = "crypt$$%s" % password
+                            user.save()
+                            if verbosity > 0:
+                                sys.stderr.write('.')
+                            if verbosity > 1:
+                                sys.stderr.write(' %s\n' % username)
+                    except User.DoesNotExist:
+                        if verbosity > 1:
+                            sys.stderr.write('\nNo such user: %s\n' % username)
+
+                    
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