diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index f56eb94..d63639c 100755
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -50,8 +50,7 @@ def init_app(configpath):
     default_app().mount("/hooks/", pelican_deploy.webhookbottle.app)
 
     pelican_deploy.statusbottle.set_auth_basic_fn(getattr(config,
-                                                    "STATUS_AUTH_BASIC_FN",
-                                                    lambda us, pw: False))
+                                                  "STATUS_AUTH_BASIC_FN", None))
     pelican_deploy.statusbottle.set_runners(**runners)
     default_app().mount("/status/", pelican_deploy.statusbottle.app)
 
diff --git a/example_config.py b/example_config.py
index 3dc2277..862b1b8 100644
--- a/example_config.py
+++ b/example_config.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ SCHEDULED_BUILD_JOBS = [
 
 ]
 
-# username, password for /status/... subpages, accepts nothing if not set
+# user, pass for /status/... subpages, if not set or None no auth is done
 def STATUS_AUTH_BASIC_FN(user, passw):
     return user == "powerpoint" and passw == "karaoke"
 
diff --git a/pelican_deploy/statusbottle.py b/pelican_deploy/statusbottle.py
index cbfcb69..6ea1b3c 100644
--- a/pelican_deploy/statusbottle.py
+++ b/pelican_deploy/statusbottle.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-from bottle import route, template, request, post, Bottle, HTTPError,auth_basic
+from bottle import route, template, request, post, Bottle, HTTPError, auth_basic
 from pprint import pformat
 from itertools import islice
+from functools import wraps
 import logging
 import sys
 
@@ -9,8 +10,16 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 app = Bottle()
 
 
-def _auth_basic_fn(us, pw):
-    return app.config.get("auth_basic_fn", lambda us, pw: False)(us, pw)
+def _auth_basic(fn):
+    @wraps(fn)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        authfn = app.config.get("auth_basic_fn")
+        if authfn:
+            return auth_basic(authfn)(fn)(*args, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            return fn(*args, **kwargs)
+    return wrapper
+
 
 def set_runners(**name_runner_mapping):
     app.config["deploy.runners"] = name_runner_mapping
@@ -56,7 +65,7 @@ def status():
     return template(tpl, runners=app.config["deploy.runners"].values())
 
 @app.route('/<name>')
-@auth_basic(_auth_basic_fn)
+@_auth_basic
 def runnerstatus(name):
     runner = _get_runner(name)
     rerun = "rerun" in request.query
@@ -89,7 +98,7 @@ def runnerstatus(name):
     return template(tpl, runner=runner, bss=runner.build_status, islice=islice,
                     pformat=pformat, start=start, end=end)
 
-@auth_basic(_auth_basic_fn)
+@_auth_basic
 @app.route('/<name>/rerun')
 def rerun(name):
     runner = _get_runner(name)