diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/CredentialsProvider.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/CredentialsProvider.java
index d2130ad30..ca83c6904 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/CredentialsProvider.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/CredentialsProvider.java
@@ -63,6 +63,23 @@
  * @see UsernamePasswordCredentialsProvider
  */
 public abstract class CredentialsProvider {
+	private static volatile CredentialsProvider defaultProvider;
+
+	/** @return the default credentials provider, or null. */
+	public static CredentialsProvider getDefault() {
+		return defaultProvider;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set the default credentials provider.
+	 *
+	 * @param p
+	 *            the new default provider, may be null to select no default.
+	 */
+	public static void setDefault(CredentialsProvider p) {
+		defaultProvider = p;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Check if the provider can supply the necessary {@link CredentialItem}s.
 	 *
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
index 5895f7f37..69eea0c22 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ protected Transport(final Repository local, final URIish uri) {
 		this.local = local;
 		this.uri = uri;
 		this.checkFetchedObjects = tc.isFsckObjects();
+		this.credentialsProvider = CredentialsProvider.getDefault();
 	}
 
 	/**