diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6da99cc..330e7a1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 test.txt
 ledger-quicknote
 *.txt
+.htpasswd
diff --git a/auth/auth.go b/auth/auth.go
index 7f32db0..0233d79 100644
--- a/auth/auth.go
+++ b/auth/auth.go
@@ -29,8 +29,32 @@ func NewHtpasswd(path string) (AuthStore, error) {
 	return s, err
 }
 
+func (s Htpasswd) Register(user, pass string) (err error) {
+	if _, ok := s.accounts[user]; ok {
+		return errors.New("user already exists")
+	}
+	s.accounts[user], err = hash(pass)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return s.write()
+}
+
+func (s Htpasswd) Authenticate(user, pass string) (err error) {
+	hashed, ok := s.accounts[user]
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.New("user not found")
+	}
+	return bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(hashed), []byte(pass))
+}
+
+func (s Htpasswd) Remove(user string) (err error) {
+	delete(s.accounts, user)
+	return s.write()
+}
+
 func (s *Htpasswd) read() (err error) {
-	file, err := os.Open(s.filePath)
+	file, err := os.OpenFile(s.filePath, os.O_RDONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -66,27 +90,6 @@ func (s *Htpasswd) write() (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s Htpasswd) Register(user, pass string) (err error) {
-	s.accounts[user], err = hash(pass)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	return s.write()
-}
-
-func (s Htpasswd) Authenticate(user, pass string) (err error) {
-	hashed, ok := s.accounts[user]
-	if !ok {
-		return errors.New("user not found")
-	}
-	return bcrypt.CompareHashAndPassword([]byte(hashed), []byte(pass))
-}
-
-func (s Htpasswd) Remove(user string) (err error) {
-	delete(s.accounts, user)
-	return s.write()
-}
-
 func hash(pass string) (string, error) {
 	output, err := bcrypt.GenerateFromPassword([]byte(pass), bcrypt.DefaultCost)
 	return string(output), err
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 9d91215..0c0bf9e 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+	"github.com/lancatlin/ledger-quicknote/auth"
 )
 
 var ledgerTpl *template.Template
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ var LEDGER_INIT string
 var WORKING_DIR string
 var HOST string
 
+var store auth.AuthStore
+
+const HTPASSWD_FILE = ".htpasswd"
+
 type TxData struct {
 	Action  string `form:"action" binding:"required"`
 	Name    string `form:"name"`
@@ -31,6 +36,11 @@ type TxData struct {
 	Account string `form:"account"`
 }
 
+type UserLogin struct {
+	Email    string `form:"email" binding:"required"`
+	Password string `form:"password" binding:"required"`
+}
+
 func init() {
 	ledgerTpl = template.Must(template.ParseGlob("tx/*"))
 	flag.StringVar(&LEDGER_FILE, "f", "example.txt", "ledger journal file to write")
@@ -38,12 +48,17 @@ func init() {
 	flag.StringVar(&WORKING_DIR, "w", "", "ledger working directory")
 	flag.StringVar(&HOST, "b", "127.0.0.1:8000", "binding address")
 	flag.Parse()
+	var err error
+	store, err = auth.NewHtpasswd(HTPASSWD_FILE)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 }
 
 func main() {
 	r := gin.Default()
 	r.HTMLRender = loadTemplates("templates")
-	r.GET("/", func(c *gin.Context) {
+	r.GET("/dashboard", func(c *gin.Context) {
 		c.HTML(200, "index.html", struct {
 			Templates []*template.Template
 			Scripts   map[string][]string
@@ -91,6 +106,24 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	})
 
+	r.GET("/signup", func(c *gin.Context) {
+		c.HTML(200, "signup.html", nil)
+	})
+
+	r.POST("/signup", func(c *gin.Context) {
+		var user UserLogin
+		if err := c.ShouldBind(&user); err != nil {
+			c.HTML(400, "signup.html", err)
+			return
+		}
+		if err := store.Register(user.Email, user.Password); err != nil {
+			c.HTML(400, "signup.html", err)
+			return
+		}
+		c.Request.SetBasicAuth(user.Email, user.Password)
+		c.Redirect(303, "/dashboard")
+	})
+
 	log.Fatal(r.Run(HOST))
 }
 
diff --git a/templates/signup.html b/templates/signup.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a259881
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/signup.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{{ define "title" }}Sign Up{{ end }}
+{{ define "main" }}
+<h1>Sign Up</h1>
+<form action="/signup" method="POST">
+    <label>Email: <input type="text" name="email"></label><br>
+    <label>Password: <input type="password" name="password"></label><br>
+    {{ with .Error }}<p class="error">{{ . }}</p>{{ end }}
+    <input type="submit" value="Sign Up">
+</form>
+{{ end }}