diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts
index 3b827ffa2c..32706bde06 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ export class XHRConnection implements Connection {
     this.response = new Observable<Response>((responseObserver: Observer<Response>) => {
       let _xhr: XMLHttpRequest = browserXHR.build();
       _xhr.open(RequestMethod[req.method].toUpperCase(), req.url);
-
+      if (isPresent(req.withCredentials)) {
+        _xhr.withCredentials = req.withCredentials;
+      }
       // load event handler
       let onLoad = () => {
         // responseText is the old-school way of retrieving response (supported by IE8 & 9)
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
index 9eb579b095..e761e21eeb 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/base_request_options.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ export class RequestOptions {
    * Search parameters to be included in a {@link Request}.
    */
   search: URLSearchParams;
-  constructor({method, headers, body, url, search}: RequestOptionsArgs = {}) {
+  /**
+   * Enable use credentials for a {@link Request}.
+   */
+  withCredentials: boolean;
+  constructor({method, headers, body, url, search, withCredentials}: RequestOptionsArgs = {}) {
     this.method = isPresent(method) ? normalizeMethodName(method) : null;
     this.headers = isPresent(headers) ? headers : null;
     this.body = isPresent(body) ? body : null;
@@ -60,6 +64,7 @@ export class RequestOptions {
     this.search = isPresent(search) ? (isString(search) ? new URLSearchParams(<string>(search)) :
                                                           <URLSearchParams>(search)) :
                                       null;
+    this.withCredentials = isPresent(withCredentials) ? withCredentials : null;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -96,7 +101,10 @@ export class RequestOptions {
       search: isPresent(options) && isPresent(options.search) ?
                   (isString(options.search) ? new URLSearchParams(<string>(options.search)) :
                                               (<URLSearchParams>(options.search)).clone()) :
-                  this.search
+                  this.search,
+      withCredentials: isPresent(options) && isPresent(options.withCredentials) ?
+                           options.withCredentials :
+                           this.withCredentials
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/http.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/http.ts
index f68dc5645b..aeda0bc68a 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/http.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/http.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ function mergeOptions(defaultOpts: BaseRequestOptions, providedOpts: RequestOpti
       url: providedOpts.url || url,
       search: providedOpts.search,
       headers: providedOpts.headers,
-      body: providedOpts.body
+      body: providedOpts.body,
+      withCredentials: providedOpts.withCredentials
     }));
   }
   if (isPresent(method)) {
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts
index 4e48ba5db6..f11761a5bc 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/interfaces.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface RequestOptionsArgs {
   search?: string | URLSearchParams;
   headers?: Headers;
   body?: any;
+  withCredentials?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts
index 3ce95605e7..4fbd8cf4b8 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/static_request.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ export class Request {
   private _body: any;
   /** Type of the request body **/
   private contentType: ContentType;
+  /** Enable use credentials */
+  withCredentials: boolean;
   constructor(requestOptions: RequestArgs) {
     // TODO: assert that url is present
     let url = requestOptions.url;
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ export class Request {
     // Defaults to 'omit', consistent with browser
     // TODO(jeffbcross): implement behavior
     this.headers = new Headers(requestOptions.headers);
+    this.withCredentials = requestOptions.withCredentials;
   }
 
 
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts
index 63641174d6..06ceaed293 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class MockBrowserXHR extends BrowserXhr {
   responseHeaders: string;
   responseURL: string;
   statusText: string;
+  withCredentials: boolean;
 
   constructor() {
     super();
@@ -511,6 +512,26 @@ export function main() {
            existingXHRs[0].dispatchEvent('load');
          }));
 
+      it('should set withCredentials to true when defined in request options for CORS situations',
+         inject([AsyncTestCompleter], (async: AsyncTestCompleter) => {
+           var statusCode = 200;
+           sampleRequest.withCredentials = true;
+           var mockXhr = new MockBrowserXHR();
+           var connection =
+               new XHRConnection(sampleRequest, mockXhr, new ResponseOptions({status: statusCode}));
+           var responseHeaders = `X-Request-URL: http://somedomain.com
+           Foo: Bar`
+
+                                 connection.response.subscribe((res: Response) => {
+                                   expect(res.url).toEqual('http://somedomain.com');
+                                   expect(existingXHRs[0].withCredentials).toBeTruthy();
+                                   async.done();
+                                 });
+
+           existingXHRs[0].setResponseHeaders(responseHeaders);
+           existingXHRs[0].setStatusCode(statusCode);
+           existingXHRs[0].dispatchEvent('load');
+         }));
     });
   });
 }