diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index 9cad656b0..90d64b581 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -256,14 +256,6 @@ class TestUtil(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(sanitize_url('https://foo.bar'), 'https://foo.bar')
         self.assertEqual(sanitize_url('foo bar'), 'foo bar')
 
-    def test_extract_user_pass(self):
-        self.assertEqual(extract_user_pass('http://foo.bar'), ('http://foo.bar', None, None))
-        self.assertEqual(extract_user_pass('http://:foo.bar'), ('http://:foo.bar', None, None))
-        self.assertEqual(extract_user_pass('http://@foo.bar'), ('http://foo.bar', '', ''))
-        self.assertEqual(extract_user_pass('http://:pass@foo.bar'), ('http://foo.bar', '', 'pass'))
-        self.assertEqual(extract_user_pass('http://user:@foo.bar'), ('http://foo.bar', 'user', ''))
-        self.assertEqual(extract_user_pass('http://user:pass@foo.bar'), ('http://foo.bar', 'user', 'pass'))
-
     def test_sanitized_Request(self):
         self.assertFalse(sanitized_Request('http://foo.bar').has_header('Authorization'))
         self.assertFalse(sanitized_Request('http://:foo.bar').has_header('Authorization'))
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index 3596a04ed..c249e7168 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -2182,23 +2182,28 @@ def sanitize_url(url):
     return url
 
 
-def extract_user_pass(url):
-    parts = compat_urlparse.urlsplit(url)
-    username = parts.username
-    password = parts.password
-    if username is not None:
-        if password is None:
-            password = ''
-        netloc = parts.hostname
-        if parts.port is not None:
-            netloc = parts.hostname + ':' + parts.port
-        parts = parts._replace(netloc=netloc)
-        url = compat_urlparse.urlunsplit(parts)
-    return url, username, password
+def extract_basic_auth(url):
+    parts = compat_urllib_parse.urlsplit(url)
+    if parts.username is None:
+        return url, None
+    url = compat_urllib_parse.urlunsplit(parts._replace(netloc=(
+        parts.hostname if parts.port is None
+        else '%s:%d' % (parts.hostname, parts.port))))
+    auth_payload = base64.b64encode(
+        ('%s:%s' % (parts.username, parts.password or '')).encode('utf-8'))
+    return url, 'Basic {0}'.format(auth_payload.decode('ascii'))
 
 
 def sanitized_Request(url, *args, **kwargs):
-    return compat_urllib_request.Request(escape_url(sanitize_url(url)), *args, **kwargs)
+    url, auth_header = extract_basic_auth(escape_url(sanitize_url(url)))
+    if auth_header is not None:
+        headers = args[1] if len(args) > 1 else kwargs.get('headers')
+        headers = headers or {}
+        headers['Authorization'] = auth_header
+        if len(args) <= 1 and kwargs.get('headers') is None:
+            kwargs['headers'] = headers
+            kwargs = compat_kwargs(kwargs)
+    return compat_urllib_request.Request(url, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
 def expand_path(s):