diff --git a/homeassistant/auth/providers/command_line.py b/homeassistant/auth/providers/command_line.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9cec34c1340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/homeassistant/auth/providers/command_line.py
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+"""Auth provider that validates credentials via an external command."""
+
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, cast
+
+import asyncio.subprocess
+import collections
+import logging
+import os
+
+import voluptuous as vol
+
+from homeassistant.exceptions import HomeAssistantError
+
+from . import AuthProvider, AUTH_PROVIDER_SCHEMA, AUTH_PROVIDERS, LoginFlow
+from ..models import Credentials, UserMeta
+
+
+CONF_COMMAND = "command"
+CONF_ARGS = "args"
+CONF_META = "meta"
+
+CONFIG_SCHEMA = AUTH_PROVIDER_SCHEMA.extend({
+    vol.Required(CONF_COMMAND): vol.All(
+        str,
+        os.path.normpath,
+        msg="must be an absolute path"
+    ),
+    vol.Optional(CONF_ARGS, default=None): vol.Any(vol.DefaultTo(list), [str]),
+    vol.Optional(CONF_META, default=False): bool,
+}, extra=vol.PREVENT_EXTRA)
+
+_LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class InvalidAuthError(HomeAssistantError):
+    """Raised when authentication with given credentials fails."""
+
+
+@AUTH_PROVIDERS.register("command_line")
+class CommandLineAuthProvider(AuthProvider):
+    """Auth provider validating credentials by calling a command."""
+
+    DEFAULT_TITLE = "Command Line Authentication"
+
+    # which keys to accept from a program's stdout
+    ALLOWED_META_KEYS = ("name",)
+
+    def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
+        """Extend parent's __init__.
+
+        Adds self._user_meta dictionary to hold the user-specific
+        attributes provided by external programs.
+        """
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self._user_meta = {}  # type: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]
+
+    async def async_login_flow(self, context: Optional[dict]) -> LoginFlow:
+        """Return a flow to login."""
+        return CommandLineLoginFlow(self)
+
+    async def async_validate_login(self, username: str, password: str) -> None:
+        """Validate a username and password."""
+        env = {
+            "username": username,
+            "password": password,
+        }
+        try:
+            # pylint: disable=no-member
+            process = await asyncio.subprocess.create_subprocess_exec(
+                self.config[CONF_COMMAND], *self.config[CONF_ARGS],
+                env=env,
+                stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE
+                if self.config[CONF_META] else None,
+            )
+            stdout, _ = (await process.communicate())
+        except OSError as err:
+            # happens when command doesn't exist or permission is denied
+            _LOGGER.error("Error while authenticating %r: %s",
+                          username, err)
+            raise InvalidAuthError
+
+        if process.returncode != 0:
+            _LOGGER.error("User %r failed to authenticate, command exited "
+                          "with code %d.",
+                          username, process.returncode)
+            raise InvalidAuthError
+
+        if self.config[CONF_META]:
+            meta = {}  # type: Dict[str, str]
+            for _line in stdout.splitlines():
+                try:
+                    line = _line.decode().lstrip()
+                    if line.startswith("#"):
+                        continue
+                    key, value = line.split("=", 1)
+                except ValueError:
+                    # malformed line
+                    continue
+                key = key.strip()
+                value = value.strip()
+                if key in self.ALLOWED_META_KEYS:
+                    meta[key] = value
+            self._user_meta[username] = meta
+
+    async def async_get_or_create_credentials(
+            self, flow_result: Dict[str, str]
+    ) -> Credentials:
+        """Get credentials based on the flow result."""
+        username = flow_result["username"]
+        for credential in await self.async_credentials():
+            if credential.data["username"] == username:
+                return credential
+
+        # Create new credentials.
+        return self.async_create_credentials({
+            "username": username,
+        })
+
+    async def async_user_meta_for_credentials(
+            self, credentials: Credentials
+    ) -> UserMeta:
+        """Return extra user metadata for credentials.
+
+        Currently, only name is supported.
+        """
+        meta = self._user_meta.get(credentials.data["username"], {})
+        return UserMeta(
+            name=meta.get("name"),
+            is_active=True,
+        )
+
+
+class CommandLineLoginFlow(LoginFlow):
+    """Handler for the login flow."""
+
+    async def async_step_init(
+            self, user_input: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None
+    ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        """Handle the step of the form."""
+        errors = {}
+
+        if user_input is not None:
+            user_input["username"] = user_input["username"].strip()
+            try:
+                await cast(CommandLineAuthProvider, self._auth_provider) \
+                        .async_validate_login(
+                            user_input["username"], user_input["password"]
+                        )
+            except InvalidAuthError:
+                errors["base"] = "invalid_auth"
+
+            if not errors:
+                user_input.pop("password")
+                return await self.async_finish(user_input)
+
+        schema = collections.OrderedDict()  # type: Dict[str, type]
+        schema["username"] = str
+        schema["password"] = str
+
+        return self.async_show_form(
+            step_id="init",
+            data_schema=vol.Schema(schema),
+            errors=errors,
+        )
diff --git a/tests/auth/providers/test_command_line.py b/tests/auth/providers/test_command_line.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f22958e7e38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/auth/providers/test_command_line.py
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+"""Tests for the command_line auth provider."""
+
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+import os
+import uuid
+
+import pytest
+
+from homeassistant import data_entry_flow
+from homeassistant.auth import auth_store, models as auth_models, AuthManager
+from homeassistant.auth.providers import command_line
+from homeassistant.const import CONF_TYPE
+
+from tests.common import mock_coro
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def store(hass):
+    """Mock store."""
+    return auth_store.AuthStore(hass)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def provider(hass, store):
+    """Mock provider."""
+    return command_line.CommandLineAuthProvider(hass, store, {
+        CONF_TYPE: "command_line",
+        command_line.CONF_COMMAND: os.path.join(
+            os.path.dirname(__file__), "test_command_line_cmd.sh"
+        ),
+        command_line.CONF_ARGS: [],
+        command_line.CONF_META: False,
+    })
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def manager(hass, store, provider):
+    """Mock manager."""
+    return AuthManager(hass, store, {
+        (provider.type, provider.id): provider
+    }, {})
+
+
+async def test_create_new_credential(manager, provider):
+    """Test that we create a new credential."""
+    credentials = await provider.async_get_or_create_credentials({
+        "username": "good-user",
+        "password": "good-pass",
+    })
+    assert credentials.is_new is True
+
+    user = await manager.async_get_or_create_user(credentials)
+    assert user.is_active
+
+
+async def test_match_existing_credentials(store, provider):
+    """See if we match existing users."""
+    existing = auth_models.Credentials(
+        id=uuid.uuid4(),
+        auth_provider_type="command_line",
+        auth_provider_id=None,
+        data={
+            "username": "good-user"
+        },
+        is_new=False,
+    )
+    provider.async_credentials = Mock(return_value=mock_coro([existing]))
+    credentials = await provider.async_get_or_create_credentials({
+        "username": "good-user",
+        "password": "irrelevant",
+    })
+    assert credentials is existing
+
+
+async def test_invalid_username(provider):
+    """Test we raise if incorrect user specified."""
+    with pytest.raises(command_line.InvalidAuthError):
+        await provider.async_validate_login("bad-user", "good-pass")
+
+
+async def test_invalid_password(provider):
+    """Test we raise if incorrect password specified."""
+    with pytest.raises(command_line.InvalidAuthError):
+        await provider.async_validate_login("good-user", "bad-pass")
+
+
+async def test_good_auth(provider):
+    """Test nothing is raised with good credentials."""
+    await provider.async_validate_login("good-user", "good-pass")
+
+
+async def test_good_auth_with_meta(manager, provider):
+    """Test metadata is added upon successful authentication."""
+    provider.config[command_line.CONF_ARGS] = ["--with-meta"]
+    provider.config[command_line.CONF_META] = True
+
+    await provider.async_validate_login("good-user", "good-pass")
+
+    credentials = await provider.async_get_or_create_credentials({
+        "username": "good-user",
+        "password": "good-pass",
+    })
+    assert credentials.is_new is True
+
+    user = await manager.async_get_or_create_user(credentials)
+    assert user.name == "Bob"
+    assert user.is_active
+
+
+async def test_utf_8_username_password(provider):
+    """Test that we create a new credential."""
+    credentials = await provider.async_get_or_create_credentials({
+        "username": "ßßß",
+        "password": "äöü",
+    })
+    assert credentials.is_new is True
+
+
+async def test_login_flow_validates(provider):
+    """Test login flow."""
+    flow = await provider.async_login_flow({})
+    result = await flow.async_step_init()
+    assert result["type"] == data_entry_flow.RESULT_TYPE_FORM
+
+    result = await flow.async_step_init({
+        "username": "bad-user",
+        "password": "bad-pass",
+    })
+    assert result["type"] == data_entry_flow.RESULT_TYPE_FORM
+    assert result['errors']["base"] == "invalid_auth"
+
+    result = await flow.async_step_init({
+        "username": "good-user",
+        "password": "good-pass",
+    })
+    assert result["type"] == data_entry_flow.RESULT_TYPE_CREATE_ENTRY
+    assert result["data"]["username"] == "good-user"
+
+
+async def test_strip_username(provider):
+    """Test authentication works with username with whitespace around."""
+    flow = await provider.async_login_flow({})
+    result = await flow.async_step_init({
+        "username": "\t\ngood-user ",
+        "password": "good-pass",
+    })
+    assert result["type"] == data_entry_flow.RESULT_TYPE_CREATE_ENTRY
+    assert result["data"]["username"] == "good-user"
diff --git a/tests/auth/providers/test_command_line_cmd.sh b/tests/auth/providers/test_command_line_cmd.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..0e689e338f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/auth/providers/test_command_line_cmd.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+if [ "$username" = "good-user" ] && [ "$password" = "good-pass" ]; then
+	echo "Auth should succeed." >&2
+	if [ "$1" = "--with-meta" ]; then
+		echo "name=Bob"
+	fi
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "Auth should fail." >&2
+exit 1