diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6bd4cf6ce..4492bb695 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -161,6 +161,21 @@ ipfs config --json API.HTTPHeaders.Access-Control-Allow-Credentials "[\"true\"]"
 ipfs config --json API.HTTPHeaders.Access-Control-Allow-Methods "[\"PUT\", \"POST\", \"GET\"]"
 ```
 
+### Custom Headers
+
+If you wish to send custom headers with each request made by this library, for example, the Authorization header. You can use the config to do so:
+
+```
+const ipfs = IpfsApi({
+  host: 'localhost',
+  port: 5001,
+  protocol: 'http',
+  headers: {
+    authorization: 'Bearer ' + TOKEN
+  }
+})
+```
+
 ## Usage
 
 ### API
diff --git a/src/utils/send-request.js b/src/utils/send-request.js
index 90f436d47..eb9ea6adc 100644
--- a/src/utils/send-request.js
+++ b/src/utils/send-request.js
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ function requestAPI (config, options, callback) {
   delete options.qs.followSymlinks
 
   const method = 'POST'
-  const headers = {}
+  const headers = Object.assign({}, config.headers)
 
   if (isNode) {
     // Browsers do not allow you to modify the user agent
diff --git a/test/custom-headers.spec.js b/test/custom-headers.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2cf4c71c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/custom-headers.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+/* eslint-env mocha */
+'use strict'
+
+const isNode = require('detect-node')
+const chai = require('chai')
+const dirtyChai = require('dirty-chai')
+const expect = chai.expect
+chai.use(dirtyChai)
+
+const IPFSApi = require('../src')
+const f = require('./utils/factory')
+
+describe('custom headers', function () {
+  // do not test in browser
+  if (!isNode) { return }
+  this.timeout(50 * 1000) // slow CI
+  let ipfs
+  let ipfsd
+  // initialize ipfs with custom headers
+  before(done => {
+    f.spawn({ initOptions: { bits: 1024 } }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
+      expect(err).to.not.exist()
+      ipfsd = _ipfsd
+      ipfs = IPFSApi({
+        host: 'localhost',
+        port: 6001,
+        protocol: 'http',
+        headers: {
+          authorization: 'Bearer ' + 'YOLO'
+        }
+      })
+      done()
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('are supported', done => {
+    // spin up a test http server to inspect the requests made by the library
+    const server = require('http').createServer((req, res) => {
+      req.on('data', () => {})
+      req.on('end', () => {
+        res.writeHead(200)
+        res.end()
+        // ensure custom headers are present
+        expect(req.headers.authorization).to.equal('Bearer ' + 'YOLO')
+        server.close()
+        done()
+      })
+    })
+
+    server.listen(6001, () => {
+      ipfs.id((err, res) => {
+        if (err) {
+          throw new Error('Unexpected error.')
+        }
+        // this call is used to test that headers are being sent.
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  after(done => ipfsd.stop(done))
+})