diff --git a/zerver/context_processors.py b/zerver/context_processors.py
index 491e4eb6d9..20913a5305 100644
--- a/zerver/context_processors.py
+++ b/zerver/context_processors.py
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 from django.conf import settings
 import ujson
-from zproject.backends import password_auth_enabled, dev_auth_enabled, google_auth_enabled
+from zproject.backends import (password_auth_enabled, dev_auth_enabled,
+                               google_auth_enabled, github_auth_enabled)
 
 def add_settings(request):
     realm = request.user.realm if hasattr(request.user, "realm") else None
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ def add_settings(request):
         'password_auth_enabled':     password_auth_enabled(realm),
         'dev_auth_enabled':          dev_auth_enabled(),
         'google_auth_enabled':       google_auth_enabled(),
+        'github_auth_enabled':       github_auth_enabled(),
         'development_environment':   settings.DEVELOPMENT,
     }
 
diff --git a/zproject/backends.py b/zproject/backends.py
index 74f7772f10..4bd68aaf82 100644
--- a/zproject/backends.py
+++ b/zproject/backends.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ from zerver.models import UserProfile, Realm, get_user_profile_by_id, \
 
 from apiclient.sample_tools import client as googleapiclient
 from oauth2client.crypt import AppIdentityError
+from social.backends.github import GithubOAuth2
+from django.contrib.auth import authenticate
 
 def password_auth_enabled(realm):
     if realm is not None:
@@ -55,6 +57,12 @@ def common_get_active_user_by_email(email, return_data=None):
         return None
     return user_profile
 
+def github_auth_enabled():
+    for backend in django.contrib.auth.get_backends():
+        if isinstance(backend, GitHubBackend):
+            return True
+    return False
+
 class ZulipAuthMixin(object):
     def get_user(self, user_profile_id):
         """ Get a UserProfile object from the user_profile_id. """
@@ -208,3 +216,51 @@ class DevAuthBackend(ZulipAuthMixin):
 
     def authenticate(self, username, return_data=None):
         return common_get_active_user_by_email(username, return_data=return_data)
+
+class GitHubBackend(ZulipAuthMixin, GithubOAuth2):
+    def authenticate(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            email_address = kwargs['response']['email']
+            return_data = kwargs['return_data']
+        except KeyError:
+            return None
+
+        try:
+            user_profile = get_user_profile_by_email(email_address)
+        except UserProfile.DoesNotExist:
+            return_data["valid_attestation"] = True
+            return None
+
+        if not user_profile.is_active:
+            return_data["inactive_user"] = True
+            return None
+
+        if user_profile.realm.deactivated:
+            return_data["inactive_realm"] = True
+            return None
+
+        return user_profile
+
+    def do_auth(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # This function needs to be imported from here due to the cyclic
+        # dependency.
+        from zerver.views import login_or_register_remote_user
+
+        kwargs['return_data'] = {}
+
+        user_profile = super(GitHubBackend, self).do_auth(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        return_data = kwargs['return_data']
+        inactive_user = return_data.get('inactive_user')
+        inactive_realm = return_data.get('inactive_realm')
+
+        if inactive_user or inactive_realm:
+            return None
+
+        request = self.strategy.request
+        details = kwargs['response']
+        email_address = details.get('email')
+        full_name = details.get('name')
+
+        return login_or_register_remote_user(request, email_address,
+                                             user_profile, full_name)
diff --git a/zproject/settings.py b/zproject/settings.py
index 51946ab369..084347f4d1 100644
--- a/zproject/settings.py
+++ b/zproject/settings.py
@@ -964,6 +964,14 @@ if POPULATE_PROFILE_VIA_LDAP and \
 else:
     POPULATE_PROFILE_VIA_LDAP = 'zproject.backends.ZulipLDAPAuthBackend' in AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS or POPULATE_PROFILE_VIA_LDAP
 
+########################################################################
+# GITHUB AUTHENTICATION SETTINGS
+########################################################################
+SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_KEY = get_secret('social_auth_github_key')
+SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_SECRET = get_secret('social_auth_github_secret')
+SOCIAL_AUTH_LOGIN_ERROR_URL = '/login/'
+SOCIAL_AUTH_GITHUB_SCOPE = ['email']
+
 ########################################################################
 # EMAIL SETTINGS
 ########################################################################
diff --git a/zproject/urls.py b/zproject/urls.py
index ba3e00616e..e3e5a592f8 100644
--- a/zproject/urls.py
+++ b/zproject/urls.py
@@ -310,6 +310,9 @@ urls += [
     url(r'^notify_tornado$',                'zerver.tornadoviews.notify'),
 ]
 
+# Python Social Auth
+urls += [url(r'^', include('social.apps.django_app.urls', namespace='social'))]
+
 if settings.DEVELOPMENT:
     urls += dev_urls.urls
     i18n_urls += dev_urls.i18n_urls