diff --git a/docs-xml/manpages/samba-tool.8.xml b/docs-xml/manpages/samba-tool.8.xml
index 9a40bb1bec4..220c42856ec 100644
--- a/docs-xml/manpages/samba-tool.8.xml
+++ b/docs-xml/manpages/samba-tool.8.xml
@@ -69,6 +69,13 @@
 	</para></listitem>
 	</varlistentry>
 
+	<varlistentry>
+	<term>-A AUTHFILE|--authentication-file=AUTHFILE</term>
+	<listitem><para>
+	Authentication file
+	</para></listitem>
+	</varlistentry>
+
 	&cmdline.common.debug.client;
 
 	</variablelist>
diff --git a/python/samba/getopt.py b/python/samba/getopt.py
index 7b8d2ef46c5..a22d0139e44 100644
--- a/python/samba/getopt.py
+++ b/python/samba/getopt.py
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ class CredentialsOptions(optparse.OptionGroup):
                          action="callback", type=str,
                          help="Kerberos Credentials cache",
                          callback=self._set_krb5_ccache)
+        self._add_option("-A", "--authentication-file", metavar="AUTHFILE",
+                         action="callback", type=str,
+                         help="Authentication file",
+                         callback=self._set_auth_file)
 
         # LEGACY
         self._add_option("-k", "--kerberos", metavar="KERBEROS",
@@ -275,6 +279,29 @@ class CredentialsOptions(optparse.OptionGroup):
         self.creds.set_kerberos_state(MUST_USE_KERBEROS)
         self.creds.set_named_ccache(arg)
 
+    def _set_auth_file(self, option, opt_str, arg, parser):
+        auth_data = {}
+        try:
+            actions = {
+                    'username': self.creds.parse_string,
+                    'password': self.creds.set_password,
+                    'domain': self.creds.set_domain
+                    }
+            with open(arg, mode='r') as fd:
+                for line in fd.readlines():
+                    key, val = map(str.strip, line.partition('=')[::2])
+                    if key in actions and val:
+                        actions[key](val)
+                        actions.pop(key, None)
+
+            self.ask_for_password = False
+            self.machine_pass = False
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            raise optparse.OptionValueError("file %r not found" % (arg,))
+        except PermissionError:
+            raise optparse.OptionValueError("no permissions to read %r" % (arg,))
+
+
     def get_credentials(self, lp, fallback_machine=False):
         """Obtain the credentials set on the command-line.