diff --git a/ghttp/handlers.go b/ghttp/handlers.go
index d27ad80..8c1668a 100644
--- a/ghttp/handlers.go
+++ b/ghttp/handlers.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	"github.com/onsi/gomega/types"
 )
@@ -53,6 +54,8 @@
 func VerifyBasicAuth(username string, password string) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 		auth := req.Header.Get("Authorization")
+		Ω(auth).ShouldNot(Equal(""), "Authorization header must be specified")
+
 		decoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(auth[6:])
 		Ω(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
 
diff --git a/ghttp/test_server_test.go b/ghttp/test_server_test.go
index 68ff0d4..793ca4a 100644
--- a/ghttp/test_server_test.go
+++ b/ghttp/test_server_test.go
@@ -290,6 +290,15 @@
 				Ω(failures).Should(HaveLen(1))
 			})
 
+			It("should require basic auth header", func() {
+				req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", s.URL()+"/foo", nil)
+				Ω(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+				failures := InterceptGomegaFailures(func() {
+					http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+				})
+				Ω(failures).Should(HaveLen(1))
+			})
 		})
 
 		Describe("VerifyHeader", func() {