diff --git a/__tests__/auth.test.ts b/__tests__/auth.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..937d119
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/auth.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import io = require('@actions/io');
+import fs = require('fs');
+import path = require('path');
+import child_process = require('child_process');
+
+const m2Dir = path.join(__dirname, '.m2');
+const settingsFile = path.join(m2Dir, 'settings.xml');
+
+import * as auth from '../src/auth';
+
+describe('auth tests', () => {
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    await io.rmRF(m2Dir);
+  }, 300000);
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    try {
+      await io.rmRF(m2Dir);
+    } catch {
+      console.log('Failed to remove test directories');
+    }
+  }, 100000);
+
+  it('Creates settings.xml file with username and password', async () => {
+    const username = 'bluebottle';
+    const password = 'SingleOrigin';
+
+    await auth.configAuthentication(username, password);
+
+    expect(fs.existsSync(m2Dir)).toBe(true);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(settingsFile)).toBe(true);
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(settingsFile, 'utf-8')).toEqual(
+      auth.generate(username, password)
+    );
+  }, 100000);
+});
diff --git a/lib/auth.js b/lib/auth.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33e643b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/auth.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"use strict";
+var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, P, generator) {
+    return new (P || (P = Promise))(function (resolve, reject) {
+        function fulfilled(value) { try { step(generator.next(value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
+        function rejected(value) { try { step(generator["throw"](value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
+        function step(result) { result.done ? resolve(result.value) : new P(function (resolve) { resolve(result.value); }).then(fulfilled, rejected); }
+        step((generator = generator.apply(thisArg, _arguments || [])).next());
+    });
+};
+var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || function (mod) {
+    if (mod && mod.__esModule) return mod;
+    var result = {};
+    if (mod != null) for (var k in mod) if (Object.hasOwnProperty.call(mod, k)) result[k] = mod[k];
+    result["default"] = mod;
+    return result;
+};
+Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
+const fs = __importStar(require("fs"));
+const os = __importStar(require("os"));
+const path = __importStar(require("path"));
+const io = __importStar(require("@actions/io"));
+function configAuthentication(username, password) {
+    return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+        const directory = path.join(os.homedir(), '.m2');
+        yield io.mkdirP(directory);
+        yield write(directory, generate(username, password));
+    });
+}
+exports.configAuthentication = configAuthentication;
+// only exported for testing purposes
+function generate(username = '${actions.username}', password = '${actions.password}') {
+    return `<settings>
+                <servers>
+                <server>
+                    <username>${username}</username>
+                    <password>${password}</password>
+                </server>
+                </servers>
+            </settings>
+    `;
+}
+exports.generate = generate;
+function write(directory, settings) {
+    return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+        return fs.writeFileSync(path.join(directory, 'settings.xml'), settings);
+    });
+}
diff --git a/lib/setup-java.js b/lib/setup-java.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1028cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/setup-java.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+"use strict";
+var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, P, generator) {
+    return new (P || (P = Promise))(function (resolve, reject) {
+        function fulfilled(value) { try { step(generator.next(value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
+        function rejected(value) { try { step(generator["throw"](value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
+        function step(result) { result.done ? resolve(result.value) : new P(function (resolve) { resolve(result.value); }).then(fulfilled, rejected); }
+        step((generator = generator.apply(thisArg, _arguments || [])).next());
+    });
+};
+var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || function (mod) {
+    if (mod && mod.__esModule) return mod;
+    var result = {};
+    if (mod != null) for (var k in mod) if (Object.hasOwnProperty.call(mod, k)) result[k] = mod[k];
+    result["default"] = mod;
+    return result;
+};
+Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
+const core = __importStar(require("@actions/core"));
+const installer = __importStar(require("./installer"));
+const auth = __importStar(require("./auth"));
+const path = __importStar(require("path"));
+function run() {
+    return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+        try {
+            let version = core.getInput('version');
+            if (!version) {
+                version = core.getInput('java-version', { required: true });
+            }
+            const arch = core.getInput('architecture', { required: true });
+            const jdkFile = core.getInput('jdkFile', { required: false }) || '';
+            yield installer.getJava(version, arch, jdkFile);
+            const username = core.getInput('username', { required: false });
+            const password = core.getInput('password', { required: false });
+            if (username && password) {
+                yield auth.configAuthentication(username, password);
+            }
+            const matchersPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', '.github');
+            console.log(`##[add-matcher]${path.join(matchersPath, 'java.json')}`);
+        }
+        catch (error) {
+            core.setFailed(error.message);
+        }
+    });
+}
+run();
diff --git a/src/auth.ts b/src/auth.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..328c54f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auth.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as os from 'os';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import * as core from '@actions/core';
+import * as io from '@actions/io';
+
+export async function configAuthentication(username: string, password: string) {
+  const directory: string = path.join(os.homedir(), '.m2');
+  await io.mkdirP(directory);
+  await write(directory, generate(username, password));
+}
+
+// only exported for testing purposes
+export function generate(
+  username = '${actions.username}',
+  password = '${actions.password}'
+) {
+  return `<settings>
+                <servers>
+                <server>
+                    <username>${username}</username>
+                    <password>${password}</password>
+                </server>
+                </servers>
+            </settings>
+    `;
+}
+
+async function write(directory: string, settings: string) {
+  return fs.writeFileSync(path.join(directory, 'settings.xml'), settings);
+}
diff --git a/src/setup-java.ts b/src/setup-java.ts
index 1d26bff..e6b179e 100644
--- a/src/setup-java.ts
+++ b/src/setup-java.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as core from '@actions/core';
 import * as installer from './installer';
+import * as auth from './auth';
 import * as path from 'path';
 
 async function run() {
@@ -14,6 +15,13 @@ async function run() {
 
     await installer.getJava(version, arch, jdkFile, javaPackage);
 
+    const username = core.getInput('username', {required: false});
+    const password = core.getInput('password', {required: false});
+
+    if (username && password) {
+      await auth.configAuthentication(username, password);
+    }
+
     const matchersPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', '.github');
     console.log(`##[add-matcher]${path.join(matchersPath, 'java.json')}`);
   } catch (error) {