diff --git a/auth.py b/auth.py
index 5103365f3..893f814bd 100644
--- a/auth.py
+++ b/auth.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def authorizeBasic(baseDir: str, path: str, authHeader: str,
     """
     if ' ' not in authHeader:
         if debug:
-            print('DEBUG: basic auth - Authorixation header does not ' +
+            print('DEBUG: basic auth - Authorisation header does not ' +
                   'contain a space character')
         return False
     if not hasUsersPath(path):
@@ -147,6 +147,61 @@ def authorizeBasic(baseDir: str, path: str, authHeader: str,
     return False
 
 
+def authorizeDFC(sharedItemsFederatedDomains: [],
+                 baseDir: str,
+                 callingDomain: str,
+                 authHeader: str,
+                 debug: bool) -> bool:
+    """HTTP basic auth for shared item federation
+    """
+    if callingDomain not in sharedItemsFederatedDomains:
+        if debug:
+            print(callingDomain +
+                  ' is not in the shared items federation list')
+        return False
+    if 'Basic ' not in authHeader:
+        if debug:
+            print('DEBUG: DFC basic auth - Authorisation header does not ' +
+                  'contain a space character')
+        return False
+    base64Str = \
+        authHeader.split(' ')[1].replace('\n', '').replace('\r', '')
+    plain = base64.b64decode(base64Str).decode('utf-8')
+    if ':' not in plain:
+        if debug:
+            print('DEBUG: DFC basic auth header does not contain a ":" ' +
+                  'separator for username:password')
+        return False
+    basicAuthDomain = plain.split(':')[0]
+    if basicAuthDomain != callingDomain:
+        if debug:
+            print('DEBUG: DFC calling domain does not match ' +
+                  'the one in the Authorization header (' +
+                  basicAuthDomain + ')')
+        return False
+    passwordFile = baseDir + '/accounts/sharedItemsFederationTokens'
+    if not os.path.isfile(passwordFile):
+        if debug:
+            print('DEBUG: shared item federation tokens file missing ' +
+                  passwordFile)
+        return False
+    providedPassword = plain.split(':')[1]
+    passfile = open(passwordFile, 'r')
+    for line in passfile:
+        if line.startswith(basicAuthDomain + ':'):
+            storedPassword = \
+                line.split(':')[1].replace('\n', '').replace('\r', '')
+            success = _verifyPassword(storedPassword, providedPassword)
+            if not success:
+                if debug:
+                    print('DEBUG: DFC password check failed for ' +
+                          basicAuthDomain)
+            return success
+    print('DEBUG: DFC did not find credentials for ' + basicAuthDomain +
+          ' in ' + passwordFile)
+    return False
+
+
 def storeBasicCredentials(baseDir: str, nickname: str, password: str) -> bool:
     """Stores login credentials to a file
     """
diff --git a/daemon.py b/daemon.py
index 5b110b177..17793de0a 100644
--- a/daemon.py
+++ b/daemon.py
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ from skills import actorSkillValue
 from skills import setActorSkillLevel
 from auth import recordLoginFailure
 from auth import authorize
+from auth import authorizeDFC
 from auth import createPassword
 from auth import createBasicAuthHeader
 from auth import authorizeBasic
@@ -10671,11 +10672,13 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
             if authorized:
                 catalogAuthorized = True
             else:
-                # basic auth access to catalog
+                # basic auth access to shared items catalog
                 if self.headers.get('Authorization'):
-                    if authorize(self.server.baseDir, self.path,
-                                 self.headers['Authorization'],
-                                 self.server.debug):
+                    if authorizeDFC(self.server.sharedItemsFederatedDomains,
+                                    self.server.baseDir,
+                                    callingDomain,
+                                    self.headers['Authorization'],
+                                    self.server.debug):
                         catalogAuthorized = True
             # show shared items DFC catalog
             if self._hasAccept(callingDomain) and catalogAuthorized:
@@ -14808,7 +14811,8 @@ def loadTokens(baseDir: str, tokensDict: {}, tokensLookup: {}) -> None:
         break
 
 
-def runDaemon(userAgentsBlocked: [],
+def runDaemon(sharedItemsFederatedDomains: [],
+              userAgentsBlocked: [],
               logLoginFailures: bool,
               city: str,
               showNodeInfoAccounts: bool,
@@ -15067,6 +15071,7 @@ def runDaemon(userAgentsBlocked: [],
     httpd.httpPrefix = httpPrefix
     httpd.debug = debug
     httpd.federationList = fedList.copy()
+    httpd.sharedItemsFederatedDomains = sharedItemsFederatedDomains.copy()
     httpd.baseDir = baseDir
     httpd.instanceId = instanceId
     httpd.personCache = {}
diff --git a/epicyon.py b/epicyon.py
index f65c29786..6c8fa6c3f 100644
--- a/epicyon.py
+++ b/epicyon.py
@@ -264,6 +264,10 @@ parser.add_argument('--rss', dest='rss', type=str, default=None,
                     help='Show an rss feed for a given url')
 parser.add_argument('-f', '--federate', nargs='+', dest='federationList',
                     help='Specify federation list separated by spaces')
+parser.add_argument('--federateshares', nargs='+',
+                    dest='sharedItemsFederatedDomains',
+                    help='Specify federation list for shared items, ' +
+                    'separated by spaces')
 parser.add_argument("--following", "--followingList",
                     dest='followingList',
                     type=str2bool, nargs='?',
@@ -1024,6 +1028,16 @@ else:
     if configFederationList:
         federationList = configFederationList
 
+sharedItemsFederatedDomains = []
+if args.sharedItemsFederatedDomains:
+    setConfigParam(baseDir, 'sharedItemsFederatedDomains',
+                   sharedItemsFederatedDomains)
+else:
+    configSharedItemsFederatedDomains = \
+        getConfigParam(baseDir, 'sharedItemsFederatedDomains')
+    if configSharedItemsFederatedDomains:
+        sharedItemsFederatedDomains = configSharedItemsFederatedDomains
+
 proxyType = None
 if args.tor or domain.endswith('.onion'):
     proxyType = 'tor'
@@ -2142,6 +2156,9 @@ if args.desktop:
 
 if federationList:
     print('Federating with: ' + str(federationList))
+if sharedItemsFederatedDomains:
+    print('Federating shared items with: ' +
+          str(sharedItemsFederatedDomains))
 
 if args.block:
     if not nickname:
@@ -2657,7 +2674,8 @@ if args.registration:
         print('New registrations closed')
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    runDaemon(userAgentsBlocked,
+    runDaemon(sharedItemsFederatedDomains,
+              userAgentsBlocked,
               args.logLoginFailures,
               args.city,
               args.showNodeInfoAccounts,
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index c8f3b3b54..0e79f10bd 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@ def createServerAlice(path: str, domain: str, port: int,
         shutil.rmtree(path)
     os.mkdir(path)
     os.chdir(path)
+    sharedItemsFederatedDomains = []
     systemLanguage = 'en'
     nickname = 'alice'
     httpPrefix = 'http'
@@ -554,7 +555,8 @@ def createServerAlice(path: str, domain: str, port: int,
     logLoginFailures = False
     userAgentsBlocked = []
     print('Server running: Alice')
-    runDaemon(userAgentsBlocked,
+    runDaemon(sharedItemsFederatedDomains,
+              userAgentsBlocked,
               logLoginFailures, city,
               showNodeInfoAccounts,
               showNodeInfoVersion,
@@ -585,6 +587,7 @@ def createServerBob(path: str, domain: str, port: int,
         shutil.rmtree(path)
     os.mkdir(path)
     os.chdir(path)
+    sharedItemsFederatedDomains = []
     systemLanguage = 'en'
     nickname = 'bob'
     httpPrefix = 'http'
@@ -680,7 +683,8 @@ def createServerBob(path: str, domain: str, port: int,
     logLoginFailures = False
     userAgentsBlocked = []
     print('Server running: Bob')
-    runDaemon(userAgentsBlocked,
+    runDaemon(sharedItemsFederatedDomains,
+              userAgentsBlocked,
               logLoginFailures, city,
               showNodeInfoAccounts,
               showNodeInfoVersion,
@@ -710,6 +714,7 @@ def createServerEve(path: str, domain: str, port: int, federationList: [],
         shutil.rmtree(path)
     os.mkdir(path)
     os.chdir(path)
+    sharedItemsFederatedDomains = []
     nickname = 'eve'
     httpPrefix = 'http'
     proxyType = None
@@ -740,7 +745,8 @@ def createServerEve(path: str, domain: str, port: int, federationList: [],
     logLoginFailures = False
     userAgentsBlocked = []
     print('Server running: Eve')
-    runDaemon(userAgentsBlocked,
+    runDaemon(sharedItemsFederatedDomains,
+              userAgentsBlocked,
               logLoginFailures, city,
               showNodeInfoAccounts,
               showNodeInfoVersion,