diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 5c3cb024..7696c8f5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -207,6 +207,12 @@ goaccess_SOURCES = \
    src/xmalloc.c       \
    src/xmalloc.h
 
+if WITH_SSL
+goaccess_SOURCES +=  \
+   src/wsauth.c      \
+   src/wsauth.h
+endif
+
 if USE_SHA1
 goaccess_SOURCES +=  \
    src/sha1.c        \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ad869944..7932e991 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ if test "$openssl" = 'yes'; then
   AC_CHECK_LIB([crypto], [CRYPTO_free],,[AC_MSG_ERROR([crypto library missing])])
   AC_CHECK_LIB([ssl], [SSL_CIPHER_standard_name], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_CIPHER_STD_NAME], 1, [HAVE_CIPHER_STD_NAME])])
 fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_SSL], [test "x$with_openssl" = "xyes"])
 
 # GeoIP
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([geoip],[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-geoip],[Enable GeoIP country lookup. Supported types: mmdb, legacy. Default is disabled])],[geoip="$enableval"],[geoip=no])
diff --git a/goaccess.1 b/goaccess.1
index ca7887d0..071e4db5 100644
--- a/goaccess.1
+++ b/goaccess.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH goaccess 1 "MAY 2024" GNU+Linux "User Manuals"
+.TH goaccess 1 "MAR 2025" GNU+Linux "User Manuals"
 .SH NAME
 goaccess \- fast web log analyzer and interactive viewer.
 .SH SYNOPSIS
@@ -460,6 +460,37 @@ Enable real-time HTML output.
 GoAccess uses its own WebSocket server to push the data from the server to the
 client. See http://gwsocket.io for more details how the WebSocket server works.
 .TP
+\fB\-\-ws-auth=<jwt[:secret]>
+
+Enable WebSocket authentication using a JSON Web Token (JWT). Optionally, a secret key can be provided for verification.
+
+.IP
+When this option is used, the HTML report will not bootstrap the initial parsed data. Instead, it will only display the report if authentication succeeds.
+.IP
+The system processes this option as follows: if the argument starts with "jwt:", the part after the colon is treated as either a file path (if it exists, the secret is read from the file) or a direct secret string. If only "jwt" is provided, the secret is sourced from the environment variable \fBGOACCESS_WSAUTH_SECRET\fR, or a default HS256-compatible secret is generated if the variable is unset. See http://gwsocket.io for more details on the underlying WebSocket server.
+
+.TP
+\fB\-\-ws-auth-expire=<secs>
+
+Set the time after which the JWT expires. Defaults to 8 hours (28800 seconds) if not specified.
+
+.IP
+Users can specify the expiration time in various formats. The value is converted to seconds for JWT expiration validation. Supported formats:
+
+.RS
+.IP \(bu 4
+"3600"       -> 3600 seconds
+.IP \(bu 4
+"24h"        -> 24 hours = 86,400 seconds
+.IP \(bu 4
+"10m"        -> 10 minutes = 600 seconds
+.IP \(bu 4
+"10d"        -> 10 days = 864,000 seconds
+.RE
+
+.IP
+The expiration time controls how long the JWT remains valid after issuance, ensuring secure WebSocket connections.
+.TP
 \fB\-\-ws-url=<[scheme://]url[:port]>
 URL to which the WebSocket server responds. This is the URL supplied to the
 WebSocket constructor on the client side.
diff --git a/resources/css/app.css b/resources/css/app.css
index c2cbbd76..1927d41b 100644
--- a/resources/css/app.css
+++ b/resources/css/app.css
@@ -30,11 +30,26 @@ h3 {
 .expandable>td {
 	cursor: pointer;
 }
+.loading-container {
+	position: fixed;
+	top: 0;
+	left: 0;
+	width: 100%;
+	height: 100%;
+	display: flex;
+	flex-direction: column;
+	justify-content: center;
+	align-items: center;
+}
 .spinner {
 	color: #999;
-	left: 50%;
-	position: absolute;
-	top: 50%;
+	margin-bottom: 10px; /* Space between spinner and text */
+}
+.app-loading-status {
+	color: #999;
+	text-align: center;
+	text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 #FFF;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
 }
 .powered {
 	bottom: 190px;
diff --git a/resources/js/app.js b/resources/js/app.js
index abc122b5..c0253170 100644
--- a/resources/js/app.js
+++ b/resources/js/app.js
@@ -66,9 +66,20 @@ window.GoAccess = window.GoAccess || {
 			var ls = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('AppPrefs'));
 			this.AppPrefs = GoAccess.Util.merge(this.AppPrefs, ls);
 		}
-		if (Object.keys(this.AppWSConn).length)
-			this.setWebSocket(this.AppWSConn);
 
+		// Track if the app has been initialized
+		this.isAppInitialized = false;
+
+		// If window.goaccessJWT is set and WebSocket is configured, set it up
+		if (window.goaccessJWT && Object.keys(this.AppWSConn).length) {
+			this.setWebSocket(this.AppWSConn);
+		} else {
+			// No JWT or no WebSocket: initialize immediately
+			GoAccess.App.initialize();
+			if (Object.keys(this.AppWSConn).length) {
+				this.setWebSocket(this.AppWSConn);
+			}
+		}
 	},
 
 	getPanelUI: function (panel) {
@@ -110,31 +121,69 @@ window.GoAccess = window.GoAccess || {
 	setWebSocket: function (wsConn) {
 		var host = null, pingId = null, uri = null, defURI = null, str = null;
 
+		const messages = [
+			'Validating WebSocket tokens... Please wait.',
+			'Authenticating WebSocket connection... Please wait.',
+			'Verifying WebSocket credentials... Please wait.',
+			'Authorizing WebSocket session... Please wait.'
+		];
+		let currentMessageIndex = 0;
+		let messageInterval;
+
+		function displayNextMessage() {
+			if (currentMessageIndex < messages.length) {
+				document.querySelector('.app-loading-status > small').innerHTML = messages[currentMessageIndex];
+				currentMessageIndex++;
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Start message rotation
+		messageInterval = setInterval(displayNextMessage, 100);
+
 		defURI = window.location.hostname ? window.location.hostname + ':' + wsConn.port : "localhost" + ':' + wsConn.port;
 		uri = wsConn.url && /^(wss?:\/\/)?[^\/]+:[0-9]{1,5}/.test(wsConn.url) ? wsConn.url : this.buildWSURI(wsConn);
 
 		str = uri || defURI;
 		str = !/^wss?:\/\//i.test(str) ? (window.location.protocol === "https:" ? 'wss://' : 'ws://') + str : str;
 
+		if (window.goaccessJWT) {
+			const separator = str.includes('?') ? '&' : '?';
+			str = str + separator + 'token=' + encodeURIComponent(window.goaccessJWT);
+		}
+
 		var socket = new WebSocket(str);
+
 		socket.onopen = function (event) {
+			clearInterval(messageInterval);
+			document.querySelector('.app-loading-status > small').innerHTML = 'Authentication successful.';
+
 			this.currDelay = this.wsDelay;
 			this.retries = 0;
 
-			// attempt to keep connection alive (e.g., ping/pong)
-			if (wsConn.ping_interval)
+			if (wsConn.ping_interval) {
 				pingId = setInterval(() => { socket.send('ping'); }, wsConn.ping_interval * 1E3);
-
+			}
 			GoAccess.Nav.WSOpen(str);
 		}.bind(this);
 
 		socket.onmessage = function (event) {
 			this.AppState['updated'] = true;
 			this.AppData = JSON.parse(event.data);
+
+			if (window.goaccessJWT && !this.isAppInitialized) {
+				GoAccess.App.initialize();
+				GoAccess.Nav.WSOpen(str);
+				this.isAppInitialized = true;
+			}
+
 			this.App.renderData();
 		}.bind(this);
 
 		socket.onclose = function (event) {
+			clearInterval(messageInterval);
+			document.querySelector('.app-loading-status > small').innerHTML = 'Unable to authenticate WebSocket.';
+			document.querySelector('.loading-container > .spinner').style.display = 'none';
+
 			GoAccess.Nav.WSClose();
 			window.clearInterval(pingId);
 			socket = null;
@@ -395,7 +444,7 @@ GoAccess.OverallStats = {
 			'from': data.start_date,
 			'to': data.end_date,
 		}));
-    $('#overall').setAttribute('aria-labelledby', 'overall-heading');
+		$('#overall').setAttribute('aria-labelledby', 'overall-heading');
 
 		// Iterate over general data object
 		for (var x in data) {
@@ -703,11 +752,12 @@ GoAccess.Nav = {
 	},
 
 	WSOpen: function (str) {
+		const baseUrl = str.split('?')[0].split('#')[0];
 		$$('.nav-ws-status', function (item) {
 			item.classList.remove('fa-stop');
 			item.classList.add('fa-circle');
-			item.setAttribute('aria-label', `${GoAccess.i18n.websocket_connected} (${str})`);
-			item.setAttribute('title', `${GoAccess.i18n.websocket_connected} (${str})`);
+			item.setAttribute('aria-label', `${GoAccess.i18n.websocket_connected} (${baseUrl})`);
+			item.setAttribute('title', `${GoAccess.i18n.websocket_connected} (${baseUrl})`);
 		});
 	},
 
@@ -1926,16 +1976,20 @@ GoAccess.App = {
 		GoAccess.Tables.reloadTables();
 	},
 
-	initialize: function () {
-		this.setInitSort();
-		this.setTpls();
+	renderPanels: function () {
 		GoAccess.Nav.initialize();
-		this.initDom();
 		GoAccess.OverallStats.initialize();
 		GoAccess.Panels.initialize();
 		GoAccess.Charts.initialize();
 		GoAccess.Tables.initialize();
 	},
+
+	initialize: function () {
+		this.setInitSort();
+		this.setTpls();
+		this.initDom();
+		this.renderPanels();
+	},
 };
 
 // Adds the visibilitychange EventListener
@@ -1961,6 +2015,5 @@ window.onload = function () {
 		'wsConnection': window.connection || null,
 		'prefs': window.html_prefs || {},
 	});
-	GoAccess.App.initialize();
 };
 }());
diff --git a/src/base64.c b/src/base64.c
index 029cddca..e8b9e7da 100644
--- a/src/base64.c
+++ b/src/base64.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <string.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
 
 #include "base64.h"
 #include "xmalloc.h"
@@ -76,3 +77,87 @@ base64_encode (const void *buf, size_t size) {
 
   return str;
 }
+
+/*
+ * base64_decode
+ *
+ * Given a Base64 encoded string in 'data', this function decodes it into
+ * a newly allocated binary buffer. The length of the decoded data is stored
+ * in *out_len. The caller is responsible for freeing the returned buffer.
+ *
+ * Returns NULL on error (for example, if the data's length is not a multiple
+ * of 4).
+ */
+char *
+base64_decode (const char *data, size_t *out_len) {
+  size_t decoded_len = 0, i = 0, j = 0, pad = 0, len = 0;
+  char *out = NULL;
+  uint32_t triple = 0;
+
+  /* Create a lookup table for decoding.
+   * For valid Base64 characters 'A'-'Z', 'a'-'z', '0'-'9', '+', '/',
+   * we place their value; for '=' we simply return 0.
+   * All other characters are marked as 0x80 (an invalid marker).
+   */
+  static const unsigned char dtable[256] = {
+    ['A'] = 0,['B'] = 1,['C'] = 2,['D'] = 3,
+    ['E'] = 4,['F'] = 5,['G'] = 6,['H'] = 7,
+    ['I'] = 8,['J'] = 9,['K'] = 10,['L'] = 11,
+    ['M'] = 12,['N'] = 13,['O'] = 14,['P'] = 15,
+    ['Q'] = 16,['R'] = 17,['S'] = 18,['T'] = 19,
+    ['U'] = 20,['V'] = 21,['W'] = 22,['X'] = 23,
+    ['Y'] = 24,['Z'] = 25,
+    ['a'] = 26,['b'] = 27,['c'] = 28,['d'] = 29,
+    ['e'] = 30,['f'] = 31,['g'] = 32,['h'] = 33,
+    ['i'] = 34,['j'] = 35,['k'] = 36,['l'] = 37,
+    ['m'] = 38,['n'] = 39,['o'] = 40,['p'] = 41,
+    ['q'] = 42,['r'] = 43,['s'] = 44,['t'] = 45,
+    ['u'] = 46,['v'] = 47,['w'] = 48,['x'] = 49,
+    ['y'] = 50,['z'] = 51,
+    ['0'] = 52,['1'] = 53,['2'] = 54,['3'] = 55,
+    ['4'] = 56,['5'] = 57,['6'] = 58,['7'] = 59,
+    ['8'] = 60,['9'] = 61,
+    ['+'] = 62,['/'] = 63,
+    ['='] = 0,
+    /* All other values are implicitly 0 (or you can mark them as invalid
+       by setting them to 0x80 if you prefer stricter checking). */
+  };
+
+  len = strlen (data);
+  /* Validate length: Base64 encoded data must be a multiple of 4 */
+  if (len % 4 != 0)
+    return NULL;
+
+  /* Count padding characters at the end */
+  if (len) {
+    if (data[len - 1] == '=')
+      pad++;
+    if (len > 1 && data[len - 2] == '=')
+      pad++;
+  }
+
+  /* Calculate the length of the decoded data */
+  decoded_len = (len / 4) * 3 - pad;
+  out = (char *) xmalloc (decoded_len + 1); /* +1 for a null terminator if needed */
+
+  for (i = 0, j = 0; i < len;) {
+    unsigned int sextet_a = data[i] == '=' ? 0 : dtable[(unsigned char) data[i]];
+    unsigned int sextet_b = data[i + 1] == '=' ? 0 : dtable[(unsigned char) data[i + 1]];
+    unsigned int sextet_c = data[i + 2] == '=' ? 0 : dtable[(unsigned char) data[i + 2]];
+    unsigned int sextet_d = data[i + 3] == '=' ? 0 : dtable[(unsigned char) data[i + 3]];
+    i += 4;
+
+    triple = (sextet_a << 18) | (sextet_b << 12) | (sextet_c << 6) | sextet_d;
+    if (j < decoded_len)
+      out[j++] = (triple >> 16) & 0xFF;
+    if (j < decoded_len)
+      out[j++] = (triple >> 8) & 0xFF;
+    if (j < decoded_len)
+      out[j++] = triple & 0xFF;
+  }
+
+  out[decoded_len] = '\0'; /* Null-terminate the output buffer */
+  if (out_len)
+    *out_len = decoded_len;
+  return out;
+}
diff --git a/src/base64.h b/src/base64.h
index 8470244e..47814143 100644
--- a/src/base64.h
+++ b/src/base64.h
@@ -33,5 +33,6 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 
 char *base64_encode (const void *buf, size_t size);
+char *base64_decode (const char *data, size_t *out_len);
 
 #endif // for #ifndef BASE64_H
diff --git a/src/gwsocket.c b/src/gwsocket.c
index 14380b83..b24f42c1 100644
--- a/src/gwsocket.c
+++ b/src/gwsocket.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "json.h"
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "websocket.h"
+#include "wsauth.h"
 #include "xmalloc.h"
 
 /* Allocate memory for a new GWSReader instance.
@@ -356,6 +357,12 @@ set_ws_opts (void) {
     ws_set_config_sslcert (conf.sslcert);
   if (conf.sslkey)
     ws_set_config_sslkey (conf.sslkey);
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSSL
+  if (conf.ws_auth_secret) {
+    ws_set_config_auth_secret (conf.ws_auth_secret);
+    ws_set_config_auth_cb (verify_jwt_token);
+  }
+#endif
 }
 
 /* Setup and start the WebSocket threads. */
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index f1a07bcb..564c1d25 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@
 #include "error.h"
 #include "labels.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "wsauth.h"
 
 #include "xmalloc.h"
 
@@ -153,6 +156,10 @@ static const struct option long_opts[] = {
 #endif
   {"time-format"          , required_argument , 0 ,  0  } ,
   {"ws-url"               , required_argument , 0 ,  0  } ,
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSSL
+  {"ws-auth"              , required_argument , 0 ,  0  } ,
+  {"ws-auth-expire"       , required_argument , 0 ,  0  } ,
+#endif
   {"ping-interval"        , required_argument , 0 ,  0  } ,
 #ifdef HAVE_GEOLOCATION
   {"geoip-database"       , required_argument , 0 ,  0  } ,
@@ -234,6 +241,12 @@ cmd_help (void)
   "  --ssl-key=<priv.key>            - Path to TLS/SSL private key.\n"
   "  --user-name=<username>          - Run as the specified user.\n"
   "  --ws-url=<url>                  - URL to which the WebSocket server responds.\n"
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSSL
+  "  --ws-auth=<jwt[:secret]>        - Enables WebSocket authentication using a\n"
+  "                                    JSON Web Token (JWT). Optionally, a secret key\n"
+  "                                    can be provided for verification.\n"
+  "  --ws-auth-expire=<secs>         - Time after which the JWT expires.\n"
+#endif
   "  --ping-interval=<secs>          - Enable WebSocket ping with specified\n"
   "                                    interval in seconds.\n"
   "\n"
@@ -365,6 +378,113 @@ set_array_opt (const char *oarg, const char *arr[], int *size, int max) {
     arr[(*size)++] = oarg;
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSSL
+/*
+ * parse_ws_auth_expire_option:
+ *   Parses a time duration string and converts it to seconds.
+ *
+ * Supported formats:
+ *   "3600"       -> 3600 seconds
+ *   "24h"        -> 24 hours = 24 * 3600 seconds
+ *   "10m"        -> 10 minutes = 10 * 60 seconds
+ *   "10d"        -> 10 days = 10 * 86400 seconds
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, nonzero on failure.
+ */
+static int
+parse_ws_auth_expire_option (const char *input) {
+  char *endptr = NULL;
+  double value = 0, multiplier = 0, total_seconds = 0;
+
+  if (!input || *input == '\0')
+    return -1;  // Empty or NULL string
+
+  value = strtod (input, &endptr);
+  if (endptr == input) {
+    // No conversion could be performed
+    return -1;
+  }
+
+  multiplier = 1.0;
+  /* Skip any whitespace after the number */
+  while (isspace ((unsigned char) *endptr))
+    endptr++;
+
+  if (*endptr != '\0') {
+    /* Expect a single unit character; any extra characters are not allowed */
+    char unit = *endptr;
+    endptr++;
+    while (isspace ((unsigned char) *endptr))
+      endptr++;
+
+    if (*endptr != '\0') {
+      // Extra unexpected characters
+      return -1;
+    }
+
+    switch (unit) {
+    case 's':
+    case 'S':
+      multiplier = 1.0;
+      break;
+    case 'm':
+    case 'M':
+      multiplier = 60.0;
+      break;
+    case 'h':
+    case 'H':
+      multiplier = 3600.0;
+      break;
+    case 'd':
+    case 'D':
+      multiplier = 86400.0;
+      break;
+    default:
+      // Unknown unit
+      return -1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  total_seconds = value * multiplier;
+  if (total_seconds < 0)
+    return -1;  // Negative durations are not allowed
+
+  /* Store the result in your global configuration */
+  conf.ws_auth_expire = (long) total_seconds;
+  return 0;
+}
+
+static int
+parse_ws_auth_option (const char *optarg) {
+  /* Check if the option starts with "jwt:" */
+  if (strncmp (optarg, "jwt:", 4) == 0) {
+    const char *secret_part = optarg + 4;
+
+    /* Check if the secret is a file path */
+    if (access (secret_part, F_OK) == 0) {
+      /* File exists: read the file content */
+      conf.ws_auth_secret = read_secret_from_file (secret_part);
+    } else {
+      /* Not a file: use the secret directly */
+      conf.ws_auth_secret = strdup (secret_part);
+    }
+    return 0;
+  }
+  /* Check for plain "jwt" option */
+  if (strcmp (optarg, "jwt") == 0) {
+    /* Try to get secret from environment variable */
+    const char *env_secret = getenv ("GOACCESS_WSAUTH_SECRET");
+    if (env_secret != NULL)
+      conf.ws_auth_secret = strdup (env_secret);
+    else
+      conf.ws_auth_secret = generate_ws_auth_secret ();
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  return 1;
+}
+#endif
+
 /* Parse command line long options. */
 static void
 parse_long_opt (const char *name, const char *oarg) {
@@ -540,6 +660,17 @@ parse_long_opt (const char *name, const char *oarg) {
   if (!strcmp ("ws-url", name))
     conf.ws_url = oarg;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSSL
+  /* WebSocket auth */
+  if (!strcmp ("ws-auth", name) && parse_ws_auth_option (oarg) != 0)
+    FATAL ("Invalid --ws-auth option.");
+
+  /* WebSocket auth JWT expires */
+  if (!strcmp ("ws-auth-expire", name) && parse_ws_auth_expire_option (oarg) != 0)
+    FATAL ("Invalid --ws-auth-expire option.");
+
+#endif
+
   /* WebSocket ping interval in seconds */
   if (!strcmp ("ping-interval", name))
     conf.ping_interval = oarg;
diff --git a/src/output.c b/src/output.c
index 3042e4ec..b97a5d6e 100644
--- a/src/output.c
+++ b/src/output.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "ui.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "wsauth.h"
 #include "xmalloc.h"
 
 #include "tpls.h"
@@ -289,7 +290,10 @@ print_html_body (FILE * fp, const char *now)
   fprintf (fp,
   "<nav class='hidden-xs hidden-sm hide' aria-label='Main navigation'>"
   "</nav>"
+  "<div class='loading-container'>"
   "<i class='spinner fa fa-circle-o-notch fa-spin fa-3x fa-fw' aria-hidden='true' aria-label='Loading'></i>"
+  "<div class='app-loading-status'><small class='muted'></small></div>"
+  "</div>"
   "<div class='container hide' role='document'>"
   "<header class='page-header'>"
   "<h1 class='h-dashboard'>"
@@ -501,14 +505,14 @@ hits_bw_req_plot (FILE *fp, GHTMLPlot plot, int sp) {
 
 /* Output JSON data definitions. */
 static void
-print_json_data (FILE *fp, GHolder *holder) {
+print_json_data (FILE *fp, GHolder *holder, const char *jwt) {
   char *json = NULL;
 
   if ((json = get_json (holder, 1)) == NULL)
     return;
 
   fprintf (fp, external_assets ? "" : "<script type='text/javascript'>");
-  fprintf (fp, "var json_data=%s", json);
+  fprintf (fp, "var json_data=%s", (conf.ws_auth_secret && jwt ? "{}" : json));
   fprintf (fp, external_assets ? "\n" : "</script>");
 
   free (json);
@@ -516,7 +520,7 @@ print_json_data (FILE *fp, GHolder *holder) {
 
 /* Output WebSocket connection definition. */
 static void
-print_conn_def (FILE *fp) {
+print_conn_def (FILE *fp, const char *jwt) {
   int sp = 0;
   /* use tabs to prettify output */
   if (conf.json_pretty_print)
@@ -527,6 +531,9 @@ print_conn_def (FILE *fp) {
 
   fprintf (fp, external_assets ? "" : "<script type='text/javascript'>");
 
+  if (conf.ws_auth_secret && jwt)
+    fprintf (fp, "window.goaccessJWT=\"%s\";", jwt);
+
   fprintf (fp, "var connection = ");
   fpopen_obj (fp, sp);
   fpskeysval (fp, "url", (conf.ws_url ? conf.ws_url : ""), sp, 0);
@@ -1279,6 +1286,7 @@ void
 output_html (GHolder *holder, const char *filename) {
   FILE *fp, *fjs = NULL, *fcs = NULL;
   char now[DATE_TIME] = { 0 };
+  char *jwt = NULL;
 
   if (filename != NULL)
     fp = fopen (filename, "w");
@@ -1302,15 +1310,21 @@ output_html (GHolder *holder, const char *filename) {
   generate_time ();
   strftime (now, DATE_TIME, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S %z", &now_tm);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSSL
+  jwt = create_jwt_token ();
+#endif
+
   print_html_header (fp, fcs);
 
   print_html_body (fp, now);
   print_json_defs ((fjs ? fjs : fp));
-  print_json_data ((fjs ? fjs : fp), holder);
-  print_conn_def ((fjs ? fjs : fp));
+  print_json_data ((fjs ? fjs : fp), holder, jwt);
+  print_conn_def ((fjs ? fjs : fp), jwt);
 
   print_html_footer (fp, fjs);
 
+  free (jwt);
+
   if (fjs)
     fclose (fjs);
   if (fcs)
diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
index a3044dfa..b32dfd61 100644
--- a/src/parser.c
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -358,26 +358,6 @@ free_glog (GLogItem *logitem) {
   free (logitem);
 }
 
-/* Decodes the given URL-encoded string.
- *
- * On success, the decoded string is assigned to the output buffer. */
-#define B16210(x) (((x) >= '0' && (x) <= '9') ? ((x) - '0') : (toupper((unsigned char) (x)) - 'A' + 10))
-static void
-decode_hex (char *url, char *out) {
-  char *ptr;
-  const char *c;
-
-  for (c = url, ptr = out; *c; c++) {
-    if (*c != '%' || !isxdigit ((unsigned char) c[1]) || !isxdigit ((unsigned char) c[2])) {
-      *ptr++ = *c;
-    } else {
-      *ptr++ = (char) ((B16210 (c[1]) * 16) + (B16210 (c[2])));
-      c += 2;
-    }
-  }
-  *ptr = 0;
-}
-
 /* Entry point to decode the given URL-encoded string.
  *
  * On success, the decoded trimmed string is assigned to the output
@@ -390,10 +370,10 @@ decode_url (char *url) {
     return NULL;
 
   out = decoded = xstrdup (url);
-  decode_hex (url, out);
+  decode_hex (url, out, 0);
   /* double encoded URL? */
   if (conf.double_decode)
-    decode_hex (decoded, out);
+    decode_hex (decoded, out, 0);
   strip_newlines (out);
 
   return trim_str (out);
diff --git a/src/settings.c b/src/settings.c
index e653a634..10e95418 100644
--- a/src/settings.c
+++ b/src/settings.c
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ free_cmd_args (void) {
     free (nargv[i]);
   free (nargv);
   free (conf.iconfigfile);
+  free (conf.ws_auth_secret);
 }
 
 /* Append extra value to argv */
diff --git a/src/settings.h b/src/settings.h
index 0ced020f..125c2667 100644
--- a/src/settings.h
+++ b/src/settings.h
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@ typedef struct GConf_
   const char *ws_url;               /* WebSocket URL */
   const char *ping_interval;        /* WebSocket ping interval in seconds */
   const char *unix_socket;          /* unix socket to bind to */
+  char *ws_auth_secret;             /* WebSocket AUTH */
+  long ws_auth_expire;              /* WebSocket AUTH JWT expire in seconds */
 
   /* User flags */
   int all_static_files;             /* parse all static files */
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 5df96045..4145af67 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -973,6 +973,29 @@ u642str (uint64_t d, int width) {
   return s;
 }
 
+/* Decodes the given URL-encoded string.
+ *
+ * On success, the decoded string is assigned to the output buffer. */
+#define B16TOD(x) (((x) >= '0' && (x) <= '9') ? ((x) - '0') : (toupper((unsigned char) (x)) - 'A' + 10))
+void
+decode_hex (char *url, char *out, int decode_plus) {
+  char *ptr;
+  const char *c;
+  for (c = url, ptr = out; *c; c++) {
+    if (*c != '%' || !isxdigit ((unsigned char) c[1]) || !isxdigit ((unsigned char) c[2])) {
+      if (decode_plus && *c == '+') {
+        *ptr++ = ' ';
+      } else {
+        *ptr++ = *c;
+      }
+    } else {
+      *ptr++ = (char) ((B16TOD (c[1]) * 16) + (B16TOD (c[2])));
+      c += 2;
+    }
+  }
+  *ptr = 0;
+}
+
 /* Convert the given float to a string with the ability to add some
  * padding.
  *
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 3bfa7ace..337994e0 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ off_t file_size (const char *filename);
 size_t append_str (char **dest, const char *src);
 uint32_t djb2 (const unsigned char *str);
 uint64_t u64encode (uint32_t x, uint32_t y);
+void decode_hex(char *url, char *out, int decode_plus);
 void genstr (char *dest, size_t len);
 void set_tz (void);
 void strip_newlines (char *str);
diff --git a/src/websocket.c b/src/websocket.c
index 80889217..947715b6 100644
--- a/src/websocket.c
+++ b/src/websocket.c
@@ -437,6 +437,8 @@ ws_free_header_fields (WSHeaders *headers) {
     free (headers->path);
   if (headers->protocol)
     free (headers->protocol);
+  if (headers->jwt)
+    free (headers->jwt);
   if (headers->upgrade)
     free (headers->upgrade);
   if (headers->ws_accept)
@@ -1129,13 +1131,48 @@ ws_verify_req_headers (WSHeaders *headers) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+/* Extract JWT token from query string */
+static char *
+ws_extract_jwt_token (char *path) {
+  char decoded_token[8192] = { 0 }; // Adjust size as needed
+  char *query = NULL, *tokenParam = NULL, *end = NULL;
+  if (!path)
+    return NULL;
+
+  // Look for a query string in the path
+  query = strchr (path, '?');
+  if (!query)
+    return NULL;
+
+  query++;      // Skip the '?'
+
+  // Look for the token parameter
+  tokenParam = strstr (query, "token=");
+  if (!tokenParam)
+    return NULL;
+
+  tokenParam += strlen ("token="); // Move pointer past "token="
+
+  // Decode the token
+  decode_hex (tokenParam, decoded_token, 1);
+
+  // Find the end of the token (next '&' or end of string)
+  end = strpbrk (decoded_token, "& ");
+  if (end)
+    *end = '\0';
+
+  // Return a dynamically allocated copy of the decoded token
+  return strdup (decoded_token);
+}
+
 /* From RFC2616, each header field consists of a name followed by a
  * colon (":") and the field value. Field names are case-insensitive.
  * The field value MAY be preceded by any amount of LWS, though a
  * single SP is preferred */
 static int
 ws_set_header_fields (char *line, WSHeaders *headers) {
-  char *path = NULL, *method = NULL, *proto = NULL, *p, *value;
+  char *path = NULL, *method = NULL, *proto = NULL;
+  char *p = NULL, *value = NULL;
 
   if (line[0] == '\n' || line[0] == '\r')
     return 1;
@@ -1143,10 +1180,14 @@ ws_set_header_fields (char *line, WSHeaders *headers) {
   if ((strstr (line, "GET ")) || (strstr (line, "get "))) {
     if ((path = ws_parse_request (line, &method, &proto)) == NULL)
       return 1;
+
     headers->path = path;
     headers->method = method;
     headers->protocol = proto;
 
+    /* Extract JWT token from path */
+    headers->jwt = ws_extract_jwt_token (path);
+
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -1161,15 +1202,16 @@ ws_set_header_fields (char *line, WSHeaders *headers) {
     return 1;
 
   *p = '\0';
+
   if (strpbrk (line, " \t") != NULL) {
     *p = ' ';
     return 1;
   }
+
   while (isspace ((unsigned char) *value))
     value++;
 
   ws_set_header_key_value (headers, line, value);
-
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1619,6 +1661,13 @@ ws_get_handshake (WSClient *client, WSServer *server) {
     return ws_set_status (client, WS_CLOSE, bytes);
   }
 
+  /* Ensure we can authenticate the connection */
+  if (wsconfig.auth_secret && wsconfig.auth (client->headers->jwt, wsconfig.auth_secret) != 1) {
+    LOG (("Unable to authenticate connection %d [%s]...\n", client->listener, client->remote_ip));
+    http_error (client, WS_UNAUTHORIZED_STR);
+    return ws_set_status (client, WS_CLOSE, bytes);
+  }
+
   ws_set_handshake_headers (client->headers);
 
   /* handshake response */
@@ -2961,6 +3010,17 @@ ws_set_config_sslkey (const char *sslkey) {
   wsconfig.sslkey = sslkey;
 }
 
+/* Set auth secret for auth. */
+void
+ws_set_config_auth_secret (const char *auth_secret) {
+  wsconfig.auth_secret = auth_secret;
+}
+
+void
+ws_set_config_auth_cb (int (*auth_cb) (const char *jwt, const char *secret)) {
+  wsconfig.auth = auth_cb;
+}
+
 /* Create a new websocket server context. */
 WSServer *
 ws_init (const char *host, const char *port, void (*initopts) (void)) {
diff --git a/src/websocket.h b/src/websocket.h
index 7c682e44..4f5dc42d 100644
--- a/src/websocket.h
+++ b/src/websocket.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
 #include "gslist.h"
 
 #define WS_BAD_REQUEST_STR "HTTP/1.1 400 Invalid Request\r\n\r\n"
+#define WS_UNAUTHORIZED_STR "HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized\r\n\r\n"
 #define WS_SWITCH_PROTO_STR "HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols"
 #define WS_TOO_BUSY_STR "HTTP/1.1 503 Service Unavailable\r\n\r\n"
 
@@ -178,6 +179,7 @@ typedef struct WSHeaders_ {
 
   char *agent;
   char *path;
+  char *jwt;
   char *method;
   char *protocol;
   char *host;
@@ -272,6 +274,11 @@ typedef struct WSConfig_ {
   const char *sslcert;
   const char *sslkey;
   const char *unix_socket;
+  const char *auth_secret;
+
+  /* Function pointer for JWT verification */
+  int (*auth) (const char *jwt, const char *secret);
+
   int echomode;
   int strict;
   int max_frm_size;
@@ -322,6 +329,8 @@ void ws_set_config_port (const char *port);
 void ws_set_config_sslcert (const char *sslcert);
 void ws_set_config_sslkey (const char *sslkey);
 void ws_set_config_strict (int strict);
+void ws_set_config_auth_secret (const char *auth_secret);
+void ws_set_config_auth_cb (int (*auth_cb) (const char *jwt, const char *secret));
 void ws_start (WSServer * server);
 void ws_stop (WSServer * server);
 WSServer *ws_init (const char *host, const char *port, void (*initopts) (void));
diff --git a/src/wsauth.c b/src/wsauth.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..68e644e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/wsauth.c
@@ -0,0 +1,421 @@
+/**
+ * wsauth.c - web socket authentication
+ *    ______      ___
+ *   / ____/___  /   | _____________  __________
+ *  / / __/ __ \/ /| |/ ___/ ___/ _ \/ ___/ ___/
+ * / /_/ / /_/ / ___ / /__/ /__/  __(__  |__  )
+ * \____/\____/_/  |_\___/\___/\___/____/____/
+ *
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ * Copyright (c) 2009-2024 Gerardo Orellana <hello @ goaccess.io>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <time.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+
+#include <openssl/hmac.h>
+#include <openssl/rand.h>
+#include <openssl/evp.h>
+
+#include "wsauth.h"
+
+#include "base64.h"
+#include "util.h"
+#include "pdjson.h"
+#include "settings.h"
+#include "xmalloc.h"
+
+char *
+read_secret_from_file (const char *path) {
+  FILE *file = fopen (path, "r");
+  char *secret = xcalloc (1, MAX_SECRET_SIZE);
+
+  if (!file) {
+    perror ("Error opening secret file");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  if (!secret) {
+    perror ("Error allocating memory");
+    fclose (file);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  if (!fgets (secret, MAX_SECRET_SIZE, file)) {
+    perror ("Error reading secret file");
+    free (secret);
+    fclose (file);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  fclose (file);
+
+  // Remove trailing newline, if present.
+  secret[strcspn (secret, "\n")] = '\0';
+
+  return secret;
+}
+
+/* Generate a new secret (HS256-compatible) and return it as a hex string. */
+char *
+generate_ws_auth_secret (void) {
+  char *secret_hex = NULL;
+  int secret_len = 32;          // 256 bits
+  unsigned char secret_bytes[32];
+
+  if (RAND_bytes (secret_bytes, secret_len) != 1) {
+    fprintf (stderr, "Error generating random bytes\n");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  secret_hex = xmalloc (secret_len * 2 + 1);
+  if (!secret_hex)
+    return NULL;
+  for (int i = 0; i < secret_len; i++) {
+    sprintf (&secret_hex[i * 2], "%02x", secret_bytes[i]);
+  }
+  secret_hex[secret_len * 2] = '\0';
+  return secret_hex;
+}
+
+static char *
+create_jwt_payload (const char *sub, long iat, long exp) {
+  const char *aud = "goaccess_ws";
+  const char *scope = "report_access";
+  char *payload = NULL;
+  char hostname[HOST_NAME_MAX];
+
+  if (gethostname (hostname, sizeof (hostname)) != 0) {
+    perror ("gethostname");
+    // Fallback to a default issuer value if hostname retrieval fails.
+    strcpy (hostname, "goaccess");
+  }
+  // Allocate a buffer for the payload JSON.
+  // Adjust the size if you plan on including more data.
+  payload = xcalloc (1, MAX_JWT_PAYLOAD);
+  if (!payload)
+    return NULL;
+
+  // Build the JSON payload.
+  snprintf (payload, MAX_JWT_PAYLOAD,
+            "{\"iss\":\"%s\",\"sub\":\"%s\",\"iat\":%ld,\"exp\":%ld,\"aud\":\"%s\",\"scope\":\"%s\"}",
+            hostname, sub, iat, exp, aud, scope);
+
+  return payload;
+}
+
+char *
+create_jwt_token (void) {
+  char *jwt = NULL, *payload = NULL, report_id[50];
+  time_t now = time (NULL);
+  struct tm *jwt_now_tm = localtime (&now);
+  // Configure token lifetime in seconds
+  long token_lifetime = conf.ws_auth_expire > 0 ? conf.ws_auth_expire : DEFAULT_EXPIRE_TIME;
+  long iat = now;
+  long exp = now + token_lifetime;
+
+  // Format the date as "YYYYMMDD" for the report ID
+  snprintf (report_id, sizeof (report_id), "goaccess_report_%04d%02d%02d",
+            jwt_now_tm->tm_year + 1900, jwt_now_tm->tm_mon + 1, jwt_now_tm->tm_mday);
+
+  if (!conf.ws_auth_secret)
+    return NULL;
+
+  payload = create_jwt_payload (report_id, iat, exp);
+  if (!payload) {
+    fprintf (stderr, "Failed to create JWT payload\n");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  jwt = generate_jwt (conf.ws_auth_secret, payload);
+  free (payload);
+  return jwt;
+}
+
+static int
+verify_jwt_signature (const char *jwt, const char *secret) {
+  char *token_dup = NULL, *header_part = NULL, *payload_part = NULL, *signature_part = NULL,
+    *signing_input = NULL, *computed_signature = NULL;
+  unsigned char *hmac_result = NULL;
+  unsigned int hmac_len = 0;
+  int valid = 0;
+  size_t signing_input_len = 0;
+
+  if (!jwt || !secret) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  token_dup = strdup (jwt);
+  if (!token_dup) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  header_part = strtok (token_dup, ".");
+  payload_part = strtok (NULL, ".");
+  signature_part = strtok (NULL, ".");
+  if (!header_part || !payload_part || !signature_part) {
+    free (token_dup);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  signing_input_len = strlen (header_part) + 1 + strlen (payload_part) + 1;
+  signing_input = malloc (signing_input_len);
+  if (!signing_input) {
+    free (token_dup);
+    return 0;
+  }
+  snprintf (signing_input, signing_input_len, "%s.%s", header_part, payload_part);
+
+  hmac_result = HMAC (EVP_sha256 (), secret, strlen (secret), (unsigned char *) signing_input,
+                      strlen (signing_input), NULL, &hmac_len);
+  free (signing_input);
+  if (!hmac_result) {
+    free (token_dup);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  computed_signature = base64_encode (hmac_result, hmac_len);
+  if (!computed_signature) {
+    free (token_dup);
+    if (hmac_result)
+      OPENSSL_free (hmac_result);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  valid = (strcmp (computed_signature, signature_part) == 0);
+
+  free (computed_signature);
+  free (token_dup);
+
+  return valid;
+}
+
+static int
+validate_jwt_claims (const char *payload_json) {
+  json_stream json;
+  enum json_type t = JSON_ERROR;
+  size_t len = 0, level = 0;
+  enum json_type ctx = JSON_ERROR;
+  char hostname[HOST_NAME_MAX] = { 0 };
+  char *curr_key = NULL;
+
+  /* Validation flags/values. */
+  int valid_iss = 0, valid_sub = 0, valid_aud = 0, valid_scope = 0;
+  long iat = 0, exp = 0;
+  time_t now = time (NULL);
+
+  /* Get hostname for the issuer check. */
+  if (gethostname (hostname, sizeof (hostname)) != 0) {
+    perror ("gethostname");
+    strcpy (hostname, "goaccess");
+  }
+
+  /* Open JSON payload as a stream and disable streaming mode. */
+  json_open_string (&json, payload_json);
+  json_set_streaming (&json, false);
+
+  /* The payload should be a JSON object. */
+  t = json_next (&json);
+  if (t != JSON_OBJECT) {
+    json_close (&json);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  /* Iterate over each token (key or value) in the JSON object. */
+  while ((t = json_next (&json)) != JSON_DONE && t != JSON_ERROR) {
+    ctx = json_get_context (&json, &level);
+    /* keys typically appear when (level % 2) != 0 and not inside an array.
+     * otherwise, the token is a value. */
+    if ((level % 2) != 0 && ctx != JSON_ARRAY) {
+      /* This token is a key. Duplicate it to use for matching. */
+      if (curr_key)
+        free (curr_key);
+      curr_key = xstrdup (json_get_string (&json, &len));
+    } else {
+      /* Assume this token is the value for the last encountered key. */
+      if (curr_key) {
+        char *val = xstrdup (json_get_string (&json, &len));
+        if (strcmp (curr_key, "iss") == 0) {
+          /* "iss" must equal the hostname. */
+          valid_iss = (strcmp (val, hostname) == 0);
+        } else if (strcmp (curr_key, "sub") == 0) {
+          /* "sub" must be non-empty. */
+          valid_sub = (val[0] != '\0');
+        } else if (strcmp (curr_key, "aud") == 0) {
+          valid_aud = (strcmp (val, "goaccess_ws") == 0);
+        } else if (strcmp (curr_key, "scope") == 0) {
+          valid_scope = (strcmp (val, "report_access") == 0);
+        } else if (strcmp (curr_key, "iat") == 0) {
+          iat = strtol (val, NULL, 10);
+        } else if (strcmp (curr_key, "exp") == 0) {
+          exp = strtol (val, NULL, 10);
+        }
+        free (val);
+        free (curr_key);
+        curr_key = NULL;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  if (curr_key)
+    free (curr_key);
+  json_close (&json);
+
+  /* Final validation: All required properties must be valid and the token time window correct.
+   * iat must be > 0, exp must be after iat, and the current time must be between iat and exp.
+   */
+  if (valid_iss && valid_sub && valid_aud && valid_scope &&
+      iat > 0 && exp > iat && now >= iat && now <= exp) {
+    return 1;   // Valid JWT claims.
+  }
+  return 0;     // One or more claim validations failed.
+}
+
+
+/* verifies the JWT signature.
+ * Returns 1 if valid, 0 if not.
+ */
+int
+verify_jwt_token (const char *jwt, const char *secret) {
+  char *payload_part = NULL, *payload_json = NULL, *token_dup = NULL;
+  size_t payload_len = 0;
+  int valid_signature = 0, valid_claims = 0;
+
+  /* Step 1: Verify the signature */
+  valid_signature = verify_jwt_signature (jwt, secret);
+  if (!valid_signature) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  /* Step 2: Extract the payload part from the JWT */
+  token_dup = strdup (jwt);
+  if (!token_dup) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  strtok (token_dup, "."); // Skip header
+  payload_part = strtok (NULL, "."); // Get payload
+  if (!payload_part) {
+    free (token_dup);
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  /* Step 3: Decode the base64url-encoded payload */
+  payload_json = base64_decode (payload_part, &payload_len);
+  free (token_dup);
+  if (!payload_json) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  /* Null-terminate the payload JSON string for parsing */
+  payload_json = realloc (payload_json, payload_len + 1);
+  if (!payload_json) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  payload_json[payload_len] = '\0';
+
+  /* Step 4: Validate the claims */
+  valid_claims = validate_jwt_claims (payload_json);
+
+  /* Clean up */
+  free (payload_json);
+
+  return valid_claims;
+
+}
+
+/* Generate a JWT signed with HMAC-SHA256.
+ * - secret: the secret key as a string (from conf.ws_auth_secret)
+ * - payload: a JSON string to be used as the JWT payload.
+ *
+ * The JWT header is fixed to {"alg":"HS256","typ":"JWT"}.
+ *
+ * The returned JWT is dynamically allocated and must be freed by the caller.
+ */
+char *
+generate_jwt (const char *secret, const char *payload) {
+  char *encoded_payload = NULL, *encoded_header = NULL, *encoded_signature = NULL;
+  char *signing_input = NULL;
+  const char *header = "{\"alg\":\"HS256\",\"typ\":\"JWT\"}";
+  unsigned char *hmac_result = NULL;
+  unsigned int hmac_len = 0;
+  size_t jwt_len = 0, signing_input_len = 0;
+  char *jwt = NULL;
+
+  encoded_header = base64_encode ((const unsigned char *) header, strlen (header));
+  if (!encoded_header)
+    return NULL;
+  encoded_payload = base64_encode ((const unsigned char *) payload, strlen (payload));
+  if (!encoded_payload) {
+    free (encoded_header);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  // Create the signing input: "<encoded_header>.<encoded_payload>"
+  signing_input_len = strlen (encoded_header) + 1 + strlen (encoded_payload) + 1;
+  signing_input = malloc (signing_input_len);
+  if (!signing_input) {
+    free (encoded_header);
+    free (encoded_payload);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  snprintf (signing_input, signing_input_len, "%s.%s", encoded_header, encoded_payload);
+
+  // Compute HMAC-SHA256 signature
+  hmac_result =
+    HMAC (EVP_sha256 (), secret, strlen (secret), (unsigned char *) signing_input,
+          strlen (signing_input), NULL, &hmac_len);
+  if (!hmac_result) {
+    free (encoded_header);
+    free (encoded_payload);
+    free (signing_input);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  // Base64url-encode the signature
+  encoded_signature = base64_encode (hmac_result, hmac_len);
+  if (!encoded_signature) {
+    free (encoded_header);
+    free (encoded_payload);
+    free (signing_input);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  // Build the final JWT: "<encoded_header>.<encoded_payload>.<encoded_signature>"
+  jwt_len =
+    strlen (encoded_header) + 1 + strlen (encoded_payload) + 1 + strlen (encoded_signature) + 1;
+  jwt = malloc (jwt_len);
+  if (!jwt) {
+    free (encoded_header);
+    free (encoded_payload);
+    free (signing_input);
+    free (encoded_signature);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  snprintf (jwt, jwt_len, "%s.%s.%s", encoded_header, encoded_payload, encoded_signature);
+
+  free (encoded_header);
+  free (encoded_payload);
+  free (signing_input);
+  free (encoded_signature);
+
+  return jwt;
+}
diff --git a/src/wsauth.h b/src/wsauth.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77f436da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/wsauth.h
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/**
+ *    ______      ___
+ *   / ____/___  /   | _____________  __________
+ *  / / __/ __ \/ /| |/ ___/ ___/ _ \/ ___/ ___/
+ * / /_/ / /_/ / ___ / /__/ /__/  __(__  |__  )
+ * \____/\____/_/  |_\___/\___/\___/____/____/
+ *
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ * Copyright (c) 2009-2024 Gerardo Orellana <hello @ goaccess.io>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+ * SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#ifndef WSAUTH_H_INCLUDED
+#define WSAUTH_H_INCLUDED
+
+#define MAX_SECRET_SIZE 256
+#define MAX_JWT_PAYLOAD 512
+#define DEFAULT_EXPIRE_TIME 28800 // seconds 
+
+char *create_jwt_token (void);
+char *generate_jwt (const char *secret, const char *payload);
+char *generate_ws_auth_secret (void);
+char *read_secret_from_file (const char *path);
+int verify_jwt_token (const char *jwt, const char *secret);
+
+#endif // for #ifndef WSAUTH_H