diff --git a/src/ApiServiceProvider.php b/src/ApiServiceProvider.php
index 1f059e6e4..87b818618 100644
--- a/src/ApiServiceProvider.php
+++ b/src/ApiServiceProvider.php
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ protected function registerAuthentication()
 			$providers = [];
 
 			$resolvers = [
-				'basic'  => function($app) { return new BasicProvider($app['auth']); },
+				'basic'  => function($app) { return new BasicProvider($app['auth'], $app['config']['api::username_column']); },
 				'oauth2' => function($app) { return new OAuth2Provider($app['dingo.oauth.resource']); }
 			];
 
diff --git a/src/Auth/BasicProvider.php b/src/Auth/BasicProvider.php
index ae9a2c485..57d3c6f56 100644
--- a/src/Auth/BasicProvider.php
+++ b/src/Auth/BasicProvider.php
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ class BasicProvider extends Provider {
 	 * @param  \Illuminate\Auth\AuthManager  $auth
 	 * @return void
 	 */
-	public function __construct(AuthManager $auth)
+	public function __construct(AuthManager $auth, $username_column)
 	{
 		$this->auth = $auth;
+		$this->username_column =  $username_column;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ public function __construct(AuthManager $auth)
 	 */
 	public function authenticate(array $scopes)
 	{
-		if ($response = $this->auth->onceBasic() and $response->getStatusCode() === 401)
+		if ($response = $this->auth->onceBasic($this->username_column) and $response->getStatusCode() === 401)
 		{
 			throw new UnauthorizedHttpException('Basic', 'Invalid credentials.');
 		}
diff --git a/src/config/config.php b/src/config/config.php
index 8de82194b..8d1321db5 100644
--- a/src/config/config.php
+++ b/src/config/config.php
@@ -41,6 +41,20 @@
 
 	'auth' => ['basic'],
 
+	/*
+	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+	| Username Column for Basic Authentication Provider
+	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+	|
+	| Name of column to use when attempting to authenticate an incoming
+	| API request with basic authentication provider.
+	|
+	| Default: "email"
+	|
+	*/
+
+	'username_column' => 'email',
+
 	/*
 	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 	| Response Formats