diff --git a/src/gitolite.pm b/src/gitolite.pm
index e7be1bd..050384e 100644
--- a/src/gitolite.pm
+++ b/src/gitolite.pm
@@ -907,7 +907,8 @@ sub setup_authkeys
     # command and options for authorized_keys
     my $AUTH_COMMAND="$ENV{GL_BINDIR}/gl-auth-command";
     $AUTH_COMMAND="$ENV{GL_BINDIR}/gl-time $ENV{GL_BINDIR}/gl-auth-command" if $GL_PERFLOGT;
-    my $AUTH_OPTIONS="no-port-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-pty";
+    # set default authentication options
+    $AUTH_OPTIONS ||= "no-port-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-pty";
 
     # START
 
diff --git a/src/gitolite_rc.pm b/src/gitolite_rc.pm
index f4bdd37..45b99a2 100644
--- a/src/gitolite_rc.pm
+++ b/src/gitolite_rc.pm
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use Exporter 'import';
     $GL_PACKAGE_CONF $GL_PACKAGE_HOOKS $GL_PERFLOGT $GL_SITE_INFO
     $GL_SLAVE_MODE $GL_WILDREPOS $GL_WILDREPOS_DEFPERMS
     $GL_WILDREPOS_PERM_CATS $HTPASSWD_FILE $PROJECTS_LIST $REPO_BASE
-    $REPO_UMASK $RSYNC_BASE $SVNSERVE $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO
+    $REPO_UMASK $RSYNC_BASE $SVNSERVE $UPDATE_CHAINS_TO $AUTH_OPTIONS
 
     $GL_HTTP_ANON_USER
 );