diff --git a/plugins/auth/auth_imap b/plugins/auth/auth_imap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56e5b36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/auth/auth_imap
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w 
+ 
+=head1 NAME auth_imap - Authenticate to an IMAP server 
+ 
+=head1 DESCRIPTION This plugin authenticates against any IMAP server you wish (it also supports SSL). 
+You need to specify the IMAP server and port number in the plugins configuration file like so:
+ 
+auth/auth_imap 192.168.0.1 143
+ 
+Without any options, it defaults to connecting to the IMAP server on localhost on port 143. 
+
+This plugin requires the Net::IMAP::Simple::SSL CPAN module.  Options from that module can be 
+added to the $server->() constructor below if your IMAP server requires older versions of SSL 
+rather than TLS, or for connection debugging ( debug => 1, ssl_version => "SSLv3", etc.).
+While you can adjust these settings, the plugin should work as is for a typical IMAP server.
+
+See the Net::IMAP::Simple POD for details on how tune the constructor parameters. 
+
+Note that auth_imap requires that you use AUTH PLAIN or AUTH LOGIN mechanisms which means 
+that communication between your e-mail client and Qpsmtpd - and between Qpsmtpd and your IMAP server -
+should be encrypted. There are several approaches to enabling encrypted password storage
+on the IMAP server as well. For dovecot2 see: http://wiki2.dovecot.org/HowTo/CRAM-MD5
+
+This plugin is suited for authorizing user connections to a Qpsmtp SMTP server acting as a 
+relay or a primary mail server. The principal benefit is ease of adminstration when 
+an existing IMAP service is already established. 
+
+head1 AUTHOR Christopher Heschong 
+ 
+Edits to add SSL support and updated for latest qpsmtpd version  - James Turnbull <james@lovedthanlost.net>
+ 
+=head1 COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE Copyright (c) 2004 Christopher Heschong 
+This plugin is licensed under the same terms as the qpsmtpd package itself. 
+Please see the LICENSE file included with qpsmtpd for details. 
+ 
+=cut 
+
+ 
+sub register { 
+    my ($self, $qp, @args) = @_;  
+ 
+    if (@args > 0) {
+      if ($args[0] =~ /^([\.\w_-]+)$/) {
+        $self->{_imap_server} = $1;
+    }
+    else {
+      die "Bad data in imap server: $args[0]";
+    }
+    $self->{_imap_port} = 143;
+    if (@args > 1 and $args[1] =~ /^(\d+)$/) {
+      $self->{_imap_port} = $1;
+    }
+    $self->log(LOGWARN, "WARNING: Ignoring additional arguments.") if (@args > 2);
+    } 
+    else {
+      die("No IMAP server specified in plugins file.");
+  }
+  
+# set any values that are not already
+    $self->{_imap_server} ||= "127.0.0.1";
+    $self->{_imap_port} ||= 143;
+
+    $self->register_hook( "auth-login", "auth_imap" );
+    $self->register_hook( "auth-plain", "auth_imap" );  
+}
+ 
+sub auth_imap { 
+  
+use Net::IMAP::Simple::SSL;  
+
+   my ($self, $transaction, $mechanism, $user, $clearPassword, $hashPassword, $ticket) = @_; 
+   my ($imaphost, $imapport, $imapserver);
+ 
+# pull values in from config
+   $imaphost = $self->{_imap_server};
+   $imapport = $self->{_imap_port};
+   $imapserver = "$imaphost:$imapport";
+ 
+   $self->log(LOGINFO, "SMTP server requires IMAP authentication before sending"); 
+
+# connect to IMAP server  
+my $server = Net::IMAP::Simple->new( $imapserver, ssl_version => "TLSv1", );
+ 
+if ( $server ) {
+   $self->log(LOGINFO, "Using $mechanism mechanism with server: $imapserver"); 
+}
+else {
+	return ( DENY, "auth_imap - could not connect to $imapserver" );
+}
+
+if ( $server->login( $user, $clearPassword, ) ) {
+   	$self->log(LOGINFO, "Authenticating user: $user with IMAP"); 
+	return OK, "auth_imap/$mechanism" ; 
+}
+else {
+	return ( DENY, "auth_imap - invalid password for $user at $imapserver" );
+}   
+
+}
diff --git a/t/plugin_tests/auth/auth_imap b/t/plugin_tests/auth/auth_imap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5339dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/plugin_tests/auth/auth_imap
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!perl -w
+use Test::More tests => 2;
+use strict;
+use lib 't';
+
+
+use_ok('Net::IMAP::Simple');
+
+sub auth_imap {
+
+  use Net::IMAP::Simple::SSL;
+
+  my ($imaphost, $imapport, $imapserver);
+
+  $imaphost   = "imap.gmail.com";
+  $imapport   = "993";
+  $imapserver = "$imaphost:$imapport";
+
+  my $server = Net::IMAP::Simple->new($imapserver, use_ssl => 1,)
+    or return ("auth_imap - could not connect to $imapserver");
+}
+
+
+ok(auth_imap, "auth_imap, connected to imap.gmail.com");
+