diff --git a/.env b/.env
index d0d83b2..46acd94 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -1,2 +1,8 @@
 # change this to a directory on your local machine to store pubmed articles
-PUBMED_DIR=./pubmed
\ No newline at end of file
+PUBMED_DIR=/Users/rmillikin/PubmedAbstracts
+
+# password hash (password is 'password' by default; to change it, you need 
+# to generate a hash yourself using bcrypt and put it here)
+# NOTE: I can't figure out how to use dollar signs in the hash. This is hacky,
+# but replace $ with ____ (four underscores).
+PASSWORD_HASH="____2b____12____YfgpDEOwxLy..UkZEe0H8.0aO/AQXpbsA4sAgZ9RWQShkG4iZYl16"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 986ac22..a8a2d68 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ services:
       context: .
       dockerfile: ./src/server/Dockerfile
     image: fast_km-server:build
+    command: --pw ${PASSWORD_HASH}  # edit .env file to change password
     ports:
       - "5001:5000"
     depends_on:
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index e14ab95..2956b84 100755
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -39,3 +39,4 @@ typing-extensions==3.10.0.2
 urllib3==1.26.7
 Werkzeug==2.0.2
 zipp==3.6.0
+flask-bcrypt==0.7.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/run_server.py b/src/run_server.py
index 9393c4b..1b676df 100644
--- a/src/run_server.py
+++ b/src/run_server.py
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
+import argparse
 import server.app as app
 
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+parser.add_argument('-p', '--pw_hash', default='none')
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
 def main():
-    app.start_server()
+    app.start_server(args.pw_hash)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/server/app.py b/src/server/app.py
index 6a9cf3f..1a7115e 100644
--- a/src/server/app.py
+++ b/src/server/app.py
@@ -6,13 +6,19 @@
 from flask_restful import Api
 from workers.work import km_work, skim_work, triple_miner_work, update_index_work
 import logging
+from flask_bcrypt import Bcrypt
 
 _r = Redis(host='redis', port=6379)
 _q = Queue(connection=_r)
 _app = Flask(__name__)
 _api = Api(_app)
+_bcrypt = Bcrypt(_app)
+_pw_hash = ''
+
+def start_server(pw_hash: str):
+    global _pw_hash
+    _pw_hash = pw_hash.replace('____', '$')
 
-def start_server():
     # set up redis-queue dashboard
     _set_up_rq_dashboard()
 
@@ -28,6 +34,17 @@ def _set_up_rq_dashboard():
     _app.register_blueprint(rq_dashboard.blueprint, url_prefix="/rq")
     _app.config['RQ_DASHBOARD_REDIS_URL'] = 'redis://redis:6379'
 
+def _authenticate(request):
+    if _pw_hash == 'none':
+        return True
+
+    if request.authorization and 'password' in request.authorization:
+        candidate = request.authorization['password']
+    else:
+        return False
+
+    return _bcrypt.check_password_hash(_pw_hash, candidate)
+
 ## ******** Generic Post/Get ********
 def _post_generic(work, request, job_timeout = 43200):
     if request.content_type != 'application/json':
@@ -36,6 +53,10 @@ def _post_generic(work, request, job_timeout = 43200):
     # NOTE: the max amount of time a job is allowed to take is 12 hrs by default
 
     json_data = request.get_json(request.data)
+    
+    if not _authenticate(request):
+        return 'Invalid password. do request.post(..., auth=(\'username\', \'password\'))', 401
+
     job = _q.enqueue(work, json_data, job_timeout = job_timeout)
 
     job_data = dict()
@@ -47,6 +68,9 @@ def _post_generic(work, request, job_timeout = 43200):
     return response
 
 def _get_generic(request):
+    if not _authenticate(request):
+        return 'Invalid password. do request.post(..., auth=(\'username\', \'password\'))', 401
+
     id = request.args['id']
     job = _q.fetch_job(id)