diff --git a/maven-wrapper/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/wrapper/DefaultDownloader.java b/maven-wrapper/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/wrapper/DefaultDownloader.java
index 2f6478ebfd..57bb24ec1b 100644
--- a/maven-wrapper/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/wrapper/DefaultDownloader.java
+++ b/maven-wrapper/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/wrapper/DefaultDownloader.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ public class DefaultDownloader implements Downloader {
     this.applicationName = applicationName;
     this.applicationVersion = applicationVersion;
     configureProxyAuthentication();
+    configureAuthentication();
   }
 
   private void configureProxyAuthentication() {
@@ -50,6 +51,16 @@ public class DefaultDownloader implements Downloader {
       Authenticator.setDefault(new SystemPropertiesProxyAuthenticator());
     }
   }
+  
+  private void configureAuthentication() {
+    if (System.getProperty("MVNW_WRAPPER_AUTH_USERNAME") != null && System.getProperty("MVNW_WRAPPER_AUTH_PASSWORD") != null && System.getProperty("http.proxyUser") == null) {
+      Authenticator.setDefault(new Authenticator() {
+            protected PasswordAuthentication getPasswordAuthentication() {
+                return new PasswordAuthentication(System.getProperty("MVNW_WRAPPER_AUTH_USERNAME"), System.getProperty("MVNW_WRAPPER_AUTH_PASSWORD").toCharArray());
+            }
+        });
+    }
+  }
 
   public void download(URI address, File destination) throws Exception {
     if (destination.exists()) {