diff -r 97dc0963df2d -r 7f43656ee445 libpurple/protocols/irc/irc.c
--- a/libpurple/protocols/irc/irc.c	Sun Jan 13 14:51:04 2013 -0600
+++ b/libpurple/protocols/irc/irc.c	Sun Jan 13 14:53:18 2013 -0600
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@
  	char *tosend= g_strdup(buf);
 
 	purple_signal_emit(_irc_plugin, "irc-sending-text", purple_account_get_connection(irc->account), &tosend);
+	
 	if (tosend == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -393,9 +394,17 @@
 	const char *username, *realname;
 	struct irc_conn *irc = purple_connection_get_protocol_data(gc);
 	const char *pass = purple_connection_get_password(gc);
+#ifdef HAVE_CYRUS_SASL
+	const gboolean use_sasl = purple_account_get_bool(irc->account, "sasl", FALSE);
+#endif
 
 	if (pass && *pass) {
-		buf = irc_format(irc, "v:", "PASS", pass);
+#ifdef HAVE_CYRUS_SASL
+		if (use_sasl)
+			buf = irc_format(irc, "vv:", "CAP", "REQ", "sasl");
+		else /* intended to fall through */
+#endif
+			buf = irc_format(irc, "v:", "PASS", pass);
 		if (irc_send(irc, buf) < 0) {
 			g_free(buf);
 			return FALSE;
@@ -529,6 +538,17 @@
 	g_free(irc->mode_chars);
 	g_free(irc->reqnick);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CYRUS_SASL
+	if (irc->sasl_conn) {
+		sasl_dispose(&irc->sasl_conn);
+		irc->sasl_conn = NULL;
+	}
+	g_free(irc->sasl_cb);
+	if(irc->sasl_mechs)
+		g_string_free(irc->sasl_mechs, TRUE);
+#endif
+
+
 	g_free(irc);
 }
 
@@ -1047,6 +1067,16 @@
 	option = purple_account_option_bool_new(_("Use SSL"), "ssl", FALSE);
 	prpl_info.protocol_options = g_list_append(prpl_info.protocol_options, option);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CYRUS_SASL
+	option = purple_account_option_bool_new(_("Authenticate with SASL"), "sasl", FALSE);
+	prpl_info.protocol_options = g_list_append(prpl_info.protocol_options, option);
+
+	option = purple_account_option_bool_new(
+						_("Allow plaintext SASL auth over unencrypted connection"),
+						"auth_plain_in_clear", FALSE);
+	prpl_info.protocol_options = g_list_append(prpl_info.protocol_options, option);
+#endif
+
 	_irc_plugin = plugin;
 
 	purple_prefs_remove("/plugins/prpl/irc/quitmsg");