diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index cc570f3d..ed8ac769 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ var Client = function(config) {
   this.queryQueue = [];
   this.stream = config.stream || new net.Stream();
   this.queryQueue = [];
+  this.password = config.password || '';
 };
 
 sys.inherits(Client, EventEmitter);
@@ -51,6 +52,19 @@ p.connect = function() {
     }
   });
 
+  this.on('authenticationCleartextPassword', function() {
+    console.log(self);
+    var stringBuffer = new Buffer(self.password + '\0', 'utf8');
+    var buffer = Buffer(stringBuffer.length + 5);
+    buffer[0] = 0x70;
+    buffer[1] = 0;
+    buffer[2] = 0;
+    buffer[3] = 0;
+    buffer[4] = buffer.length - 1;
+    buffer.write(self.password, 5)
+    self.stream.write(buffer);
+  });
+
   this.on('readyForQuery', function() {
     self.readyForQuery = true;
     self.pulseQueryQueue();
diff --git a/lib/parser.js b/lib/parser.js
index f94032ee..a9921845 100644
--- a/lib/parser.js
+++ b/lib/parser.js
@@ -53,14 +53,12 @@ p.parseMessage =  function() {
 };
 
 p.parseR = function(msg) {
+  var code = 0;
   if(msg.length == 8) {
-    msg.code = this.parseInt32();
-  }
-  if(msg.code == 0) {
-    return msg;
-  }
-  if(msg.code == 3) {
-    msg.name = 'authenticationCleartextPassword';
+    code = this.parseInt32();
+    if(code == 3) {
+      msg.name = 'authenticationCleartextPassword';
+    }
     return msg;
   }
   throw new Error("Unknown authenticatinOk message type" + sys.inspect(msg));
diff --git a/test/integration/password-connection-tests.js b/test/integration/password-connection-tests.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2270b1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/password-connection-tests.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+require(__dirname + '/test-helper');
+var client = new Client({
+  database: 'postgres',
+  user: 'user_pw',
+  password: 'pass'
+});
+
+
+client.connect();
+client.on('message', function(msg) {
+  console.log('message: ' + msg.name);
+});
+
+var query = client.query('select * from pg_type');
+
+query.on('row', function() {
+  console.log('row');
+});
+
+query.on('end', function() {
+  client.disconnect();
+});
diff --git a/test/unit/authentication-tests.js b/test/unit/authentication-tests.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8439456b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/authentication-tests.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+require(__dirname+'/test-helper');
+
+test('password authentication', function(){
+
+  var client = createClient();
+  client.password = "!";
+
+  var clearTextPasswordBuffer = Buffer([0x52, 0, 0, 0, 8, 0, 0, 0, 3]);
+
+  var raised = false;
+
+  client.on('authenticationCleartextPassword', function() {
+    raised = true;
+  });
+
+  client.stream.emit('data', clearTextPasswordBuffer);
+
+  test('raises event', function() {
+    assert.ok(raised);
+  });
+
+  test('responds with password', function() {
+    assert.length(client.stream.packets, 1);
+    var packet = client.stream.packets[0];
+    assert.equalBuffers(packet, [0x70, 0, 0, 0, 6, 33, 0]);
+  });
+
+});