diff --git a/internal/middleware/auth.go b/internal/middleware/auth.go
index 44120ffbf..d9505092a 100644
--- a/internal/middleware/auth.go
+++ b/internal/middleware/auth.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package middleware
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 
 	rebac_handlers "github.com/canonical/rebac-admin-ui-handlers/v1"
@@ -10,9 +11,14 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/auth"
+	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/jujuapi"
+	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/openfga"
 )
 
+// identityContextKey is the unique key to extract user from context for basic-auth authentication
+type identityContextKey struct{}
+
 // AuthenticateViaCookie performs browser session authentication and puts an identity in the request's context
 func AuthenticateViaCookie(next http.Handler, jimm jujuapi.JIMM) http.Handler {
 	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -57,3 +63,40 @@ func AuthenticateRebac(next http.Handler, jimm jujuapi.JIMM) http.Handler {
 		next.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 	}), jimm)
 }
+
+// AuthenticateWithSessionTokenViaBasicAuth performs basic auth authentication and puts an identity in the request's context.
+// The basic-auth is composed of an empty user, and as a password a jwt token that we parse and use to authenticate the user.
+func AuthenticateWithSessionTokenViaBasicAuth(next http.Handler, jimm jujuapi.JIMM) http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		ctx := r.Context()
+		// extract auth token
+		_, password, ok := r.BasicAuth()
+		if !ok {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte("authentication missing"))
+			return
+		}
+		user, err := jimm.LoginWithSessionToken(ctx, password)
+		if err != nil {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte("error authenticating the user"))
+			return
+		}
+		next.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(withIdentity(ctx, user)))
+	})
+}
+
+// IdentityFromContext extracts the user from the context.
+func IdentityFromContext(ctx context.Context) (*openfga.User, error) {
+	identity := ctx.Value(identityContextKey{})
+	user, ok := identity.(*openfga.User)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.E("cannot extract user from context")
+	}
+	return user, nil
+}
+
+// withIdentity sets the user into the context and return the context
+func withIdentity(ctx context.Context, user *openfga.User) context.Context {
+	return context.WithValue(ctx, identityContextKey{}, user)
+}
diff --git a/internal/middleware/auth_test.go b/internal/middleware/auth_test.go
index a622f542b..a16bc6ab0 100644
--- a/internal/middleware/auth_test.go
+++ b/internal/middleware/auth_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package middleware_test
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/dbmodel"
+	jimm_errors "github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/jimmtest"
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/jimmtest/mocks"
 	"github.com/canonical/jimm/v3/internal/middleware"
@@ -96,3 +98,71 @@ func TestAuthenticateRebac(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAuthenticateViaBasicAuth(t *testing.T) {
+	testUser := "test-user@canonical.com"
+	jt := jimmtest.JIMM{
+		LoginService: mocks.LoginService{
+			LoginWithSessionToken_: func(ctx context.Context, sessionToken string) (*openfga.User, error) {
+				if sessionToken != "good" {
+					return nil, jimm_errors.E(jimm_errors.CodeSessionTokenInvalid)
+				}
+				user := dbmodel.Identity{Name: testUser}
+				return &openfga.User{Identity: &user, JimmAdmin: true}, nil
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name              string
+		jimmAdmin         bool
+		expectedStatus    int
+		basicAuthPassword string
+		errorExpected     string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:              "success",
+			jimmAdmin:         true,
+			expectedStatus:    http.StatusOK,
+			basicAuthPassword: "good",
+		},
+		{
+			name:              "failure",
+			expectedStatus:    http.StatusUnauthorized,
+			basicAuthPassword: "bad",
+			errorExpected:     "error authenticating the user",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "no basic auth",
+			expectedStatus: http.StatusUnauthorized,
+			errorExpected:  "authentication missing",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			c := qt.New(t)
+			req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/", nil)
+			w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			if tt.basicAuthPassword != "" {
+				req.SetBasicAuth("", tt.basicAuthPassword)
+			}
+			handler := http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+				user, err := middleware.IdentityFromContext(r.Context())
+				c.Assert(err, qt.IsNil)
+				c.Assert(user.Name, qt.Equals, testUser)
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+			})
+			middleware := middleware.AuthenticateWithSessionTokenViaBasicAuth(handler, &jt)
+			middleware.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+			c.Assert(w.Code, qt.Equals, tt.expectedStatus)
+			b := w.Result().Body
+			defer b.Close()
+			body, err := io.ReadAll(b)
+			c.Assert(err, qt.IsNil)
+			if tt.errorExpected != "" {
+				c.Assert(string(body), qt.Matches, tt.errorExpected)
+			}
+
+		})
+	}
+}