diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/base_data.xml b/openerp/addons/base/base_data.xml
index df6aaee8ac4..ee0d3fa721b 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/base_data.xml
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/base_data.xml
@@ -129,6 +129,19 @@ Administrator</field>
             <field name="path">/dev/null</field>
             <field name="mode">all</field>
         </record>
+        
+        <record id="public_user" model="res.users">
+            <field name="name">Anonymous</field>
+            <field name="login">public</field>
+            <field name="password"></field>
+            <!-- Avoid auto-including this demo user in any default group -->
+            <field name="groups_id" eval="[(5,)]"/>
+            <field name="image" type="base64" file="base/static/img/public_user-image.png"/>
+            <field name="active" eval="False"/>
+        </record>
+        <record id="base.group_public" model="res.groups">
+            <field name="users" eval="[(4, ref('base.public_user'))]"/>
+        </record>
 
     </data>
 </openerp>
diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_http.py b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_http.py
index 704bf8b1ec7..5a96bbb1f56 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_http.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/ir/ir_http.py
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ class ir_http(osv.AbstractModel):
         request.disable_db = True
         request.uid = None
 
+    def _auth_method_public(self):
+        if not request.session.uid:
+            dummy, request.uid = self.pool['ir.model.data'].get_object_reference(request.cr, openerp.SUPERUSER_ID, 'base', 'public_user')
+        else:
+            request.uid = request.session.uid
+
     def _authenticate(self, auth_method='user'):
         if request.session.uid:
             try: