diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 94885a6b709..acad8c09c34 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ Other notable changes:
 * regex_replace filter plugin added
 * added an inventory script for Docker
 * added an inventory script for Abiquo
+* the get_url module now accepts url_username and url_password as parameters, so sites which require
+  authentication no longer need to have them embedded in the url
 * ... to be filled in from changelogs ...
 * 
 
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/urls.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/urls.py
index c6e667be6fc..c2bfc325043 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/urls.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/urls.py
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ def url_argument_spec():
         http_agent = dict(default='ansible-httpget'),
         use_proxy = dict(default='yes', type='bool'),
         validate_certs = dict(default='yes', type='bool'),
+        url_username = dict(required=False),
+        url_password = dict(required=False),
     )
 
 
@@ -247,15 +249,22 @@ def fetch_url(module, url, data=None, headers=None, method=None,
             ssl_handler = SSLValidationHandler(module, hostname, port)
             handlers.append(ssl_handler)
 
-    if parsed[0] != 'ftp' and '@' in parsed[1]:
-        credentials, netloc = parsed[1].split('@', 1)
-        if ':' in credentials:
-            username, password = credentials.split(':', 1)
-        else:
-            username = credentials
-            password = ''
-        parsed = list(parsed)
-        parsed[1] = netloc
+    if parsed[0] != 'ftp':
+        url_username = module.params.get('url_username', '')
+        if url_username:
+            username = url_username
+            password = module.params.get('url_password', '')
+            netloc = parsed[1]
+        elif '@' in parsed[1]:
+            credentials, netloc = parsed[1].split('@', 1)
+            if ':' in credentials:
+                username, password = credentials.split(':', 1)
+            else:
+                username = credentials
+                password = ''
+
+            parsed = list(parsed)
+            parsed[1] = netloc
 
         passman = urllib2.HTTPPasswordMgrWithDefaultRealm()
         # this creates a password manager
diff --git a/library/network/get_url b/library/network/get_url
index 74cc5479f4a..e1ff8d24d76 100644
--- a/library/network/get_url
+++ b/library/network/get_url
@@ -90,6 +90,18 @@ options:
     required: false
     default: 'yes'
     choices: ['yes', 'no']
+  url_username:
+    description:
+      - The username for use in HTTP basic authentication. This parameter can be used
+        without C(url_password) for sites that allow empty passwords.
+    required: false
+    version_added: '1.6'
+  url_password:
+    description:
+      - The password for use in HTTP basic authentication. If the C(url_username)
+        parameter is not specified, the C(url_password) parameter will not be used.
+    required: false
+    version_added: '1.6'
   others:
     description:
       - all arguments accepted by the M(file) module also work here