diff --git a/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/Client.h b/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/Client.h
index c9e1eab98..c7f048899 100644
--- a/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/Client.h
+++ b/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/Client.h
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ public:
 	void connect(const Net::SocketAddress& addrs, const Timespan& timeout);
 		/// Connects to the given Redis server.
 
+    bool sendAuth(const std::string& password);
+        /// Sends password to Redis server
+
+    bool isAuthenticated();
+        /// Returns true when the client is authenticated
+
 	void disconnect();
 		/// Disconnects from the Redis server.
 
@@ -198,6 +204,7 @@ private:
 	Net::StreamSocket _socket;
 	RedisInputStream* _input;
 	RedisOutputStream* _output;
+    bool _authenticated;
 };
 
 
@@ -231,6 +238,10 @@ inline void Client::setReceiveTimeout(const Timespan& timeout)
 	_socket.setReceiveTimeout(timeout);
 }
 
+inline bool Client::isAuthenticated()
+{
+    return _authenticated;
+}
 
 } } // namespace Poco::Redis
 
diff --git a/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/PoolableConnectionFactory.h b/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/PoolableConnectionFactory.h
index a2dfd0441..edad80994 100644
--- a/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/PoolableConnectionFactory.h
+++ b/Redis/include/Poco/Redis/PoolableConnectionFactory.h
@@ -35,23 +35,23 @@ class PoolableObjectFactory<Redis::Client, Redis::Client::Ptr>
 {
 public:
 	PoolableObjectFactory(Net::SocketAddress& address):
-		_address(address)
+        _address(address)
 	{
 	}
 
 	PoolableObjectFactory(const std::string& address):
-		_address(address)
+        _address(address)
 	{
 	}
 
 	Redis::Client::Ptr createObject()
 	{
-		return new Redis::Client(_address);
+        return new Redis::Client(_address);
 	}
 
 	bool validateObject(Redis::Client::Ptr pObject)
 	{
-		return true;
+        return true;
 	}
 
 	void activateObject(Redis::Client::Ptr pObject)
@@ -91,7 +91,10 @@ public:
 	{
 		try
 		{
-			_pool.returnObject(_client);
+            if (_client)
+            {
+                _pool.returnObject(_client);
+            }
 		}
 		catch (...)
 		{
diff --git a/Redis/src/Client.cpp b/Redis/src/Client.cpp
index a53a97b28..c4f8aab93 100644
--- a/Redis/src/Client.cpp
+++ b/Redis/src/Client.cpp
@@ -24,40 +24,44 @@ namespace Poco {
 namespace Redis {
 
 
-Client::Client(): 
-	_address(), 
-	_socket(), 
-	_input(0), 
-	_output(0)
+Client::Client():
+	_address(),
+	_socket(),
+	_input(0),
+	_output(0),
+    _authenticated(false)
 {
 }
 
 
 Client::Client(const std::string& hostAndPort):
-	_address(hostAndPort), 
-	_socket(), 
-	_input(0), 
-	_output(0)
+	_address(hostAndPort),
+	_socket(),
+	_input(0),
+	_output(0),
+    _authenticated(false)
 {
 	connect();
 }
 
 
-Client::Client(const std::string& host, int port): 
-	_address(host, port), 
-	_socket(), 
-	_input(0), 
-	_output(0)
+Client::Client(const std::string& host, int port):
+	_address(host, port),
+	_socket(),
+	_input(0),
+	_output(0),
+    _authenticated(false)
 {
 	connect();
 }
 
 
-Client::Client(const Net::SocketAddress& addrs): 
-	_address(addrs), 
-	_socket(), 
-	_input(0), 
-	_output(0)
+Client::Client(const Net::SocketAddress& addrs):
+	_address(addrs),
+	_socket(),
+	_input(0),
+	_output(0),
+    _authenticated(false)
 {
 	connect();
 }
@@ -67,6 +71,7 @@ Client::~Client()
 {
 	delete _input;
 	delete _output;
+    _socket.close();
 }
 
 
@@ -76,7 +81,7 @@ void Client::connect()
 	poco_assert(! _output);
 
 	_socket.connect(_address);
-	_input = new RedisInputStream(_socket);
+    _input = new RedisInputStream(_socket);
 	_output = new RedisOutputStream(_socket);
 }
 
@@ -134,6 +139,26 @@ void Client::connect(const Net::SocketAddress& addrs, const Timespan& timeout)
 }
 
 
+bool Client::sendAuth(const std::string& password)
+{
+    Array cmd;
+    cmd << "AUTH" << password;
+
+    bool ret = true;
+    std::string response;
+
+    try {
+        response = execute<std::string>(cmd);
+    } catch (...) {
+        ret = false;
+    }
+
+    _authenticated = (ret && (response == "OK"));
+
+    return _authenticated;
+}
+
+
 void Client::disconnect()
 {
 	delete _input;