diff --git a/stetl/inputs/httpinput.py b/stetl/inputs/httpinput.py
index 90998af..b15be9e 100644
--- a/stetl/inputs/httpinput.py
+++ b/stetl/inputs/httpinput.py
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ def add_authorization(self, request):
             # Basic auth: http://mozgovipc.blogspot.nl/2012/06/python-http-basic-authentication-with.html
             # base64 encode username and password
             # write the Authorization header like: 'Basic base64encode(username + ':' + password)
-            auth_val = base64.encodestring('%s:%s' % (auth_creds['user'], auth_creds['password']))
+            creds = '%s:%s' % (auth_creds['user'], auth_creds['password'])
+            auth_val = base64.b64encode(creds.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8')
             auth_val = "Basic %s" % auth_val
         elif auth_type == 'token':
             # Bearer Type, see eg. https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6750
diff --git a/stetl/outputs/httpoutput.py b/stetl/outputs/httpoutput.py
index 03fafc4..ab8370f 100644
--- a/stetl/outputs/httpoutput.py
+++ b/stetl/outputs/httpoutput.py
@@ -107,8 +107,9 @@ def post(self, packet, payload):
         # basic auth: http://mozgovipc.blogspot.nl/2012/06/python-http-basic-authentication-with.html
         # base64 encode the username and password
         # write the Authorization header like: 'Basic base64encode(username + ':' + password)
-        if self.user is not None:
-            auth = base64.encodestring('%s:%s' % (self.user, self.password)).replace('\n', '')
+        if self.user is not None and self.password is not None:
+            creds = '%s:%s' % (self.user, self.password)
+            auth = base64.b64encode(creds.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8')
             webservice.putheader("Authorization", "Basic %s" % auth)
 
         webservice.endheaders()