diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index d055e34..6d47d97 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type UserInfo struct {
 }
 
 type Channel struct {
+	Client            *Client
 	Name              string
 	Occupied          bool `json:"occupied"`
 	UserCount         int  `json:"user_count",omitempty`
@@ -61,6 +62,20 @@ func (c *Channel) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(format, c.Name, c.Occupied, c.UserCount, c.SubscriptionCount)
 }
 
+func (c *Channel) Authenticate(socketID string, data interface{}) (*AuthInfo, error) {
+
+	userAuthentication := &UserAuthentication{c.Client.key, c.Client.secret}
+
+	var authInfo *AuthInfo
+	authInfo, err := userAuthentication.Authenticate(c.Name, socketID, data)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("pusher: Channel Authenticate failed: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return authInfo, err
+}
+
 func NewClient(appid, key, secret string) *Client {
 	return &Client{
 		appid:  appid,
@@ -129,6 +144,7 @@ func (c *Client) Channel(name string, queryParameters map[string]string) (*Chann
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("pusher: Channel failed: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	channel.Client = c
 	channel.Name = name
 
 	return channel, nil
diff --git a/client_test.go b/client_test.go
index 0ecb857..7e341f1 100644
--- a/client_test.go
+++ b/client_test.go
@@ -103,3 +103,22 @@ func TestDefaultScheme(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Scheme not set correctly")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAuthenticate(t *testing.T) {
+	key := "278d425bdf160c739803"
+	secret := "7ad3773142a6692b25b8"
+
+	client := NewClient("1", key, secret)
+	channel := &Channel{client, "private-foobar", false, 0, 0}
+
+	authExpected := key + ":58df8b0c36d6982b82c3ecf6b4662e34fe8c25bba48f5369f135bf843651c3a4"
+	authInfo, _ := channel.Authenticate("1234.1234", nil)
+
+	if authExpected != authInfo.Auth {
+		t.Errorf("Authenticate(): Expected %s, got %s", authExpected, authInfo.Auth)
+	}
+
+	if "" != authInfo.ChannelData {
+		t.Errorf("Authenticate(): Expected %s, got %s", nil, authInfo.ChannelData)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/examples/channelAuthenticate.go b/examples/channelAuthenticate.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c962000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/channelAuthenticate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"../../pusher"
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	client := pusher.NewClient("4115", "23ed642e81512118260e", "cd72de5494540704dcf1")
+
+	done := make(chan bool)
+
+	go func() {
+		channel, err := client.Channel("common", nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("Error %s\n", err)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Println(channel)
+		}
+
+		authInfo, errAuth := channel.Authenticate("1234.1234", nil)
+		if errAuth != nil {
+			fmt.Printf("Error %s\n", errAuth)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Println(authInfo)
+		}
+		done <- true
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+		fmt.Println("Done :-)")
+	case <-time.After(1 * time.Minute):
+		fmt.Println("Timeout :-(")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/userAuthentication.go b/userAuthentication.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..009cc80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/userAuthentication.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package pusher
+
+import (
+	"crypto/hmac"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+)
+
+type UserAuthentication struct {
+	key, secret string
+}
+
+type AuthInfo struct {
+	Auth        string `json:"auth"`
+	ChannelData string `json:"channel_data,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// Authenticate can handle user authentification for private and presence channels
+func (ua *UserAuthentication) Authenticate(channelName string, socketID string, data interface{}) (*AuthInfo, error) {
+
+	stringToSign := socketID + ":" + channelName
+	jsonStr := ""
+
+	if data != nil {
+		b, err := json.Marshal(data)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		jsonStr = string(b)
+		stringToSign = stringToSign + ":" + jsonStr
+	}
+
+	hash := hmac.New(sha256.New, []byte(ua.secret))
+	io.WriteString(hash, stringToSign)
+	hexDigest := hex.EncodeToString(hash.Sum(nil))
+	return &AuthInfo{ua.key + ":" + hexDigest, jsonStr}, nil
+}
diff --git a/userAuthentication_test.go b/userAuthentication_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39959d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/userAuthentication_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package pusher
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestPrivateChannelAuthentication(t *testing.T) {
+	ua := &UserAuthentication{"278d425bdf160c739803", "7ad3773142a6692b25b8"}
+
+	authExpected := "278d425bdf160c739803:58df8b0c36d6982b82c3ecf6b4662e34fe8c25bba48f5369f135bf843651c3a4"
+	authInfo, _ := ua.Authenticate("private-foobar", "1234.1234", nil)
+
+	if authExpected != authInfo.Auth {
+		t.Errorf("Authenticate(): Expected %s, got %s", authExpected, authInfo.Auth)
+	}
+
+	if "" != authInfo.ChannelData {
+		t.Errorf("Authenticate(): Expected %s, got %s", nil, authInfo.ChannelData)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPresenceChannelAuthentication(t *testing.T) {
+	ua := &UserAuthentication{"278d425bdf160c739803", "7ad3773142a6692b25b8"}
+
+	authExpected := "278d425bdf160c739803:afaed3695da2ffd16931f457e338e6c9f2921fa133ce7dac49f529792be6304c"
+	channelDataExpected := "{\"user_id\":10,\"user_info\":{\"name\":\"Mr. Pusher\"}}"
+
+	dataStr := channelDataExpected
+	var data interface{}
+	json.Unmarshal([]byte(dataStr), &data)
+
+	authInfo, _ := ua.Authenticate("presence-foobar", "1234.1234", data)
+
+	if authExpected != authInfo.Auth {
+		t.Errorf("Authenticate(): Expected %s, got %s", authExpected, authInfo.Auth)
+	}
+
+	if channelDataExpected != authInfo.ChannelData {
+		t.Errorf("Authenticate(): Expected %s, got %s", channelDataExpected, authInfo.ChannelData)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAuthInfoJsonWithData(t *testing.T) {
+	authInfo := &AuthInfo{"auth", "{\"key\": \"value\"}"}
+
+	jsonExpected := "{\"auth\":\"auth\",\"channel_data\":\"{\\\"key\\\": \\\"value\\\"}\"}"
+
+	b, _ := json.Marshal(authInfo)
+	res := string(b)
+
+	if res != jsonExpected {
+		t.Errorf("AuthInfo json: Expected %s, got %s", jsonExpected, res)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAuthInfoJsonWithoutData(t *testing.T) {
+	authInfo := &AuthInfo{"auth", ""}
+
+	jsonExpected := "{\"auth\":\"auth\"}"
+
+	b, _ := json.Marshal(authInfo)
+	res := string(b)
+
+	if res != jsonExpected {
+		t.Errorf("AuthInfo json: Expected %s, got %s", jsonExpected, res)
+	}
+}