diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e160754..0a6c466 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,10 +58,14 @@ HTTPDirFS options:
                             for HTTP range requests
 
 For mounting a Airsonic / Subsonic server:
+
         --sonic-username    The username for your Airsonic / Subsonic server
-        --sonic-password    The username for your Airsonic / Subsonic server
+        --sonic-password    The password for your Airsonic / Subsonic server
         --sonic-id3         Enable ID3 mode - this present the server content in
                             Artist/Album/Song layout
+        --sonic-insecure    Authenticate against your Airsonic / Subsonic server
+                            using the insecure username / hex encoded password
+                            scheme
 
 FUSE options:
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 55c6110..cd4a81a 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ parse_arg_list(int argc, char **argv, char ***fuse_argv, int *fuse_argc)
         {"sonic-password", required_argument, NULL, 'L'},   /* 16 */
         {"sonic-id3", no_argument, NULL, 'L'},              /* 17 */
         {"no-range-check", no_argument, NULL, 'L'},         /* 18 */
+        {"sonic-insecure", no_argument, NULL, 'L'},         /* 19 */
         {0, 0, 0, 0}
     };
     while ((c =
@@ -232,6 +233,9 @@ parse_arg_list(int argc, char **argv, char ***fuse_argv, int *fuse_argc)
                     case 18:
                         CONFIG.no_range_check = 1;
                         break;
+                    case 19:
+                        CONFIG.sonic_insecure = 1;
+                        break;
                     default:
                         fprintf(stderr, "see httpdirfs -h for usage\n");
                         return 1;
@@ -312,5 +316,8 @@ HTTPDirFS options:\n\
         --sonic-password    The username for your Airsonic / Subsonic server\n\
         --sonic-id3         Enable ID3 mode - this present the server content in\n\
                             Artist/Album/Song layout \n\
+        --sonic-insecure    Authenticate against your Airsonic / Subsonic server\n\
+                            using the insecure username / hex encoded password\n\
+                            scheme\n\
 \n");
 }
diff --git a/src/sonic.c b/src/sonic.c
index a818e3d..f1f2f88 100644
--- a/src/sonic.c
+++ b/src/sonic.c
@@ -36,11 +36,19 @@ void sonic_config_init(const char *server, const char *username,
     SONIC_CONFIG.username = strndup(username, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
     SONIC_CONFIG.password = strndup(password, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
     SONIC_CONFIG.client = DEFAULT_USER_AGENT;
-    /*
-     * API 1.13.0 is the minimum version that supports
-     * salt authentication scheme
-     */
-    SONIC_CONFIG.api_version = "1.13.0";
+
+    if (!CONFIG.sonic_insecure) {
+        /*
+         * API 1.13.0 is the minimum version that supports
+         * salt authentication scheme
+         */
+        SONIC_CONFIG.api_version = "1.13.0";
+    } else {
+        /*
+         * API 1.8.0 is the minimum version that supports ID3 mode
+         */
+        SONIC_CONFIG.api_version = "1.8.0";
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -48,21 +56,32 @@ void sonic_config_init(const char *server, const char *username,
  */
 static char *sonic_gen_auth_str(void)
 {
-    char *salt = generate_salt();
-    size_t password_len = strnlen(SONIC_CONFIG.password, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
-    size_t password_salt_len = password_len + strnlen(salt, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
-    char *password_salt = CALLOC(password_salt_len + 1, sizeof(char));
-    strncat(password_salt, SONIC_CONFIG.password, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
-    strncat(password_salt + password_len, salt, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
-    char *token = generate_md5sum(password_salt);
-    char *auth_str = CALLOC(MAX_PATH_LEN + 1, sizeof(char));
-    snprintf(auth_str, MAX_PATH_LEN,
-                        ".view?u=%s&t=%s&s=%s&v=%s&c=%s",
-                        SONIC_CONFIG.username, token, salt,
-                        SONIC_CONFIG.api_version, SONIC_CONFIG.client);
-    free(salt);
-    free(token);
-    return auth_str;
+    if (!CONFIG.sonic_insecure) {
+        char *salt = generate_salt();
+        size_t pwd_len = strnlen(SONIC_CONFIG.password, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
+        size_t pwd_salt_len = pwd_len + strnlen(salt, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
+        char *pwd_salt = CALLOC(pwd_salt_len + 1, sizeof(char));
+        strncat(pwd_salt, SONIC_CONFIG.password, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
+        strncat(pwd_salt + pwd_len, salt, MAX_FILENAME_LEN);
+        char *token = generate_md5sum(pwd_salt);
+        char *auth_str = CALLOC(MAX_PATH_LEN + 1, sizeof(char));
+        snprintf(auth_str, MAX_PATH_LEN,
+                            ".view?u=%s&t=%s&s=%s&v=%s&c=%s",
+                            SONIC_CONFIG.username, token, salt,
+                            SONIC_CONFIG.api_version, SONIC_CONFIG.client);
+        free(salt);
+        free(token);
+        return auth_str;
+    } else {
+        char *pwd_hex = str_to_hex(SONIC_CONFIG.password);
+        char *auth_str = CALLOC(MAX_PATH_LEN + 1, sizeof(char));
+        snprintf(auth_str, MAX_PATH_LEN,
+                 ".view?u=%s&p=enc:%s&v=%s&c=%s",
+                 SONIC_CONFIG.username, pwd_hex, SONIC_CONFIG.api_version,
+                 SONIC_CONFIG.client);
+        free(pwd_hex);
+        return auth_str;
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -144,6 +163,13 @@ static char *sonic_stream_link(const int id)
 static void XMLCALL XML_parser_index(void *data, const char *elem,
                                                const char **attr)
 {
+    if (!strcmp(elem, "error")) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "XML_parser_index() error:\n");
+        for (int i = 0; attr[i]; i += 2) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s\n", attr[i], attr[i+1]);
+        }
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
     LinkTable *linktbl = (LinkTable *) data;
     Link *link;
     if (!strcmp(elem, "child") || !strcmp(elem, "artist")) {
@@ -283,6 +309,14 @@ LinkTable *sonic_LinkTable_new_index(const int id)
 static void XMLCALL XML_parser_id3_root(void *data, const char *elem,
                                    const char **attr)
 {
+    if (!strcmp(elem, "error")) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "XML_parser_id3_root() error:\n");
+        for (int i = 0; attr[i]; i += 2) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s\n", attr[i], attr[i+1]);
+        }
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+
     LinkTable *root_linktbl = (LinkTable *) data;
     LinkTable *this_linktbl = NULL;
 
@@ -347,6 +381,14 @@ static void XMLCALL XML_parser_id3_root(void *data, const char *elem,
 static void XMLCALL XML_parser_id3(void *data, const char *elem,
                                         const char **attr)
 {
+    if (!strcmp(elem, "error")) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "XML_parser_id3() error:\n");
+        for (int i = 0; attr[i]; i += 2) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s\n", attr[i], attr[i+1]);
+        }
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+
     LinkTable *linktbl = (LinkTable *) data;
     Link *link;
 
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 7c723a8..3832e67 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ void Config_init(void)
     CONFIG.sonic_password = NULL;
 
     CONFIG.sonic_id3 = 0;
+
+    CONFIG.sonic_insecure = 0;
 }
 
 char *path_append(const char *path, const char *filename)
@@ -204,3 +206,11 @@ void *CALLOC(size_t nmemb, size_t size)
     return ptr;
 }
 
+char *str_to_hex(char *s)
+{
+    char *hex = CALLOC(strlen(s) * 2 + 1, sizeof(char));
+    for (char *c = s, *h = hex; *c; c++, h+=2) {
+        sprintf(h, "%x", *c);
+    }
+    return hex;
+}
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 2b87ce3..28c68d1 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -71,8 +71,10 @@ typedef struct {
     char *sonic_username;
     /** \brief The Sonic server password */
     char *sonic_password;
-    /** \brief Whether we are using Sonic mode ID3 extension */
+    /** \brief Whether we are using sonic mode ID3 extension */
     int sonic_id3;
+    /** \brief Whether we use the legacy sonic authentication mode */
+    int sonic_insecure;
 } ConfigStruct;
 
 /**
@@ -132,6 +134,11 @@ char *generate_md5sum(const char *str);
  */
 void *CALLOC(size_t nmemb, size_t size);
 
+/**
+ * \brief Convert a string to hex
+ */
+char *str_to_hex(char *s);
+
 /**
  * \brief initialise the configuration data structure
  */