diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index d6624b67..171bcf6c 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 All changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+## [11.0.5] - 2020-12-17
+
+(ws) Implement simple header based websocket authorization technique to reject
+client which do not supply a certain header ("Authorization") with a special
+value (see doc).
+
 ## [11.0.4] - 2020-11-16
 
 (ixwebsocket) Handle EINTR return code in ix::poll and IXSelectInterrupt
diff --git a/docs/ws.md b/docs/ws.md
index 7793414c..75d11115 100644
--- a/docs/ws.md
+++ b/docs/ws.md
@@ -195,6 +195,63 @@ Server: Python/3.7 websockets/8.0.2
 Upgrade: websocket
 ```
 
+It is possible to pass custom HTTP header when doing the connection handshake,
+the remote server might process them to implement a simple authorization
+scheme.
+
+```
+src$ ws connect -H Authorization:supersecret ws://localhost:8008
+Type Ctrl-D to exit prompt...
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.732] [info] Authorization: supersecret
+Connecting to url: ws://localhost:8008
+> [2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] ws_connect: connected
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Uri: /
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Headers:
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Connection: Upgrade
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Sec-WebSocket-Accept: 2yaTFcdwn8KL6IzSMj2u6Le7KTg=
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Sec-WebSocket-Extensions: permessage-deflate; server_max_window_bits=15; client_max_window_bits=15
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Server: ixwebsocket/11.0.4 macos ssl/SecureTransport zlib 1.2.11
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Upgrade: websocket
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Received 25 bytes
+ws_connect: received message: Authorization suceeded!
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.736] [info] Received pong ixwebsocket::heartbeat::30s::0
+hello
+> [2020-12-17 22:35:25.157] [info] Received 7 bytes
+ws_connect: received message: hello
+```
+
+If the wrong header is passed in, the server would close the connection with a custom close code (>4000, and <4999).
+
+```
+[2020-12-17 22:39:37.044] [info] Upgrade: websocket
+ws_connect: connection closed: code 4001 reason Permission denied
+```
+
+## echo server
+
+The ws echo server will respond what the client just sent him. If we use the
+simple --http_authorization_header we can enforce that client need to pass a
+special value in the Authorization header to connect.
+
+```
+$ ws echo_server --http_authorization_header supersecret
+[2020-12-17 22:35:06.192] [info] Listening on 127.0.0.1:8008
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] New connection
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] remote ip: 127.0.0.1
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] id: 0
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Uri: /
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Headers:
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Authorization: supersecret
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Connection: Upgrade
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Host: localhost:8008
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Sec-WebSocket-Extensions: permessage-deflate; server_max_window_bits=15; client_max_window_bits=15
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Sec-WebSocket-Key: eFF2Gf25dC7eC15Ab1135G==
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Sec-WebSocket-Version: 13
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] Upgrade: websocket
+[2020-12-17 22:35:08.735] [info] User-Agent: ixwebsocket/11.0.4 macos ssl/SecureTransport zlib 1.2.11
+[2020-12-17 22:35:25.157] [info] Received 7 bytes
+```
+
 ## Websocket proxy
 
 ```
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXSocketServer.h b/ixwebsocket/IXSocketServer.h
index f06f81ca..a049e24c 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXSocketServer.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXSocketServer.h
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "IXConnectionState.h"
+#include "IXNetSystem.h"
 #include "IXSelectInterrupt.h"
 #include "IXSocketTLSOptions.h"
-#include "IXNetSystem.h"
 #include <atomic>
 #include <condition_variable>
 #include <functional>
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketVersion.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketVersion.h
index 632540ee..30bff6e1 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketVersion.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketVersion.h
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#define IX_WEBSOCKET_VERSION "11.0.4"
+#define IX_WEBSOCKET_VERSION "11.0.5"
diff --git a/ws/ws.cpp b/ws/ws.cpp
index 2bf0bca2..053c791a 100644
--- a/ws/ws.cpp
+++ b/ws/ws.cpp
@@ -1367,7 +1367,8 @@ namespace ix
                             const ix::SocketTLSOptions& tlsOptions,
                             bool ipv6,
                             bool disablePerMessageDeflate,
-                            bool disablePong)
+                            bool disablePong,
+                            const std::string& httpHeaderAuthorization)
     {
         spdlog::info("Listening on {}:{}", hostname, port);
 
@@ -1393,9 +1394,9 @@ namespace ix
         }
 
         server.setOnClientMessageCallback(
-            [greetings](std::shared_ptr<ConnectionState> connectionState,
-                        WebSocket& webSocket,
-                        const WebSocketMessagePtr& msg) {
+            [greetings, httpHeaderAuthorization](std::shared_ptr<ConnectionState> connectionState,
+                                                 WebSocket& webSocket,
+                                                 const WebSocketMessagePtr& msg) {
                 auto remoteIp = connectionState->getRemoteIp();
                 if (msg->type == ix::WebSocketMessageType::Open)
                 {
@@ -1409,6 +1410,19 @@ namespace ix
                         spdlog::info("{}: {}", it.first, it.second);
                     }
 
+                    if (!httpHeaderAuthorization.empty())
+                    {
+                        auto authorization = msg->openInfo.headers["Authorization"];
+                        if (authorization != httpHeaderAuthorization)
+                        {
+                            webSocket.close(4001, "Permission denied");
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            webSocket.sendText("Authorization suceeded!");
+                        }
+                    }
+
                     if (greetings)
                     {
                         webSocket.sendText("Welcome !");
@@ -3039,6 +3053,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     std::string publisherRolesecret;
     std::string sendMsg("hello world");
     std::string filename;
+    std::string httpHeaderAuthorization;
     ix::SocketTLSOptions tlsOptions;
     ix::CobraConfig cobraConfig;
     ix::CobraBotConfig cobraBotConfig;
@@ -3185,6 +3200,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     echoServerApp->fallthrough();
     echoServerApp->add_option("--port", port, "Port");
     echoServerApp->add_option("--host", hostname, "Hostname");
+    echoServerApp->add_option("--http_authorization_header", httpHeaderAuthorization, "Hostname");
     echoServerApp->add_flag("-q", quiet, "Quiet / only display warnings and errors");
     echoServerApp->add_flag("-g", greetings, "Greet");
     echoServerApp->add_flag("-6", ipv6, "IpV6");
@@ -3507,8 +3523,14 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
     else if (app.got_subcommand("echo_server"))
     {
-        ret = ix::ws_echo_server_main(
-            port, greetings, hostname, tlsOptions, ipv6, disablePerMessageDeflate, disablePong);
+        ret = ix::ws_echo_server_main(port,
+                                      greetings,
+                                      hostname,
+                                      tlsOptions,
+                                      ipv6,
+                                      disablePerMessageDeflate,
+                                      disablePong,
+                                      httpHeaderAuthorization);
     }
     else if (app.got_subcommand("push_server"))
     {