diff --git a/cmd/rcd/rcd.go b/cmd/rcd/rcd.go
index 38094cf8a..668c7f12c 100644
--- a/cmd/rcd/rcd.go
+++ b/cmd/rcd/rcd.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/rc/rcflags"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/rc/rcserver"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/lib/errors"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/lib/random"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -54,6 +55,20 @@ See the [rc documentation](/rc/) for more info on the rc flags.
 			if err := checkRelease(rcflags.Opt.WebGUIUpdate); err != nil {
 				log.Fatalf("Error while fetching the latest release of rclone-webui-react %v", err)
 			}
+			if rcflags.Opt.NoAuth {
+				rcflags.Opt.NoAuth = false
+				fs.Infof(nil, "Cannot run web-gui without authentication, using default auth")
+			}
+			if rcflags.Opt.HTTPOptions.BasicUser == "" {
+				rcflags.Opt.HTTPOptions.BasicUser = "gui"
+				fs.Infof("Using default username: %s \n", rcflags.Opt.HTTPOptions.BasicUser)
+			}
+			if rcflags.Opt.HTTPOptions.BasicPass == "" {
+				randomPass := random.String(16)
+				rcflags.Opt.HTTPOptions.BasicPass = randomPass
+				fs.Infof("No password specified. Using random password: %s \n", randomPass)
+			}
+			rcflags.Opt.Serve = true
 		}
 
 		s, err := rcserver.Start(&rcflags.Opt)
diff --git a/fs/rc/rcserver/rcserver.go b/fs/rc/rcserver/rcserver.go
index d1e635f73..b74d7b4c5 100644
--- a/fs/rc/rcserver/rcserver.go
+++ b/fs/rc/rcserver/rcserver.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package rcserver
 
 import (
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
@@ -89,8 +90,17 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		}
 		// Add username, password into the URL if they are set
 		user, pass := s.opt.HTTPOptions.BasicUser, s.opt.HTTPOptions.BasicPass
-		if user != "" || pass != "" {
+		if user != "" && pass != "" {
 			openURL.User = url.UserPassword(user, pass)
+
+			// Base64 encode username and password to be sent through url
+			loginToken := user + ":" + pass
+			parameters := url.Values{}
+			encodedToken := base64.URLEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(loginToken))
+			fs.Debugf(nil, "login_token %q", encodedToken)
+			parameters.Add("login_token", encodedToken)
+			openURL.RawQuery = parameters.Encode()
+			openURL.RawPath = "/#/login"
 		}
 		// Don't open browser if serving in testing environment.
 		if flag.Lookup("test.v") == nil {