diff --git a/auth/imap/config.html b/auth/imap/config.html
index 8a6dfb04d18..15d5309e115 100644
--- a/auth/imap/config.html
+++ b/auth/imap/config.html
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 	<?php  if (isset($err["auth_imaphost"])) formerr($err["auth_imaphost"]); ?>
 	</TD>
     <TD>
-    <?php  print_string("auth_imaphost","auth") ?>
+    <?php  print_string("auth_imaphost","auth") ?> 
+    <?php  print_string("auth_multiplehosts","auth") ?>
     </TD>
 </TR>
 
diff --git a/auth/imap/lib.php b/auth/imap/lib.php
index 1bf4fd46a72..0cc6fe2f8f8 100644
--- a/auth/imap/lib.php
+++ b/auth/imap/lib.php
@@ -7,34 +7,40 @@ function auth_user_login ($username, $password) {
 
     global $CFG;
 
-    switch ($CFG->auth_imaptype) {
-        case "imapssl":
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_imaphost.":$CFG->auth_imapport/imap/ssl}";
-        break;
+    $hosts = split(';', $CFG->auth_imaphost);   // Could be multiple hosts
 
-        case "imapcert":
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_imaphost.":$CFG->auth_imapport/imap/ssl/novalidate-cert}";
-        break;
+    foreach ($hosts as $host) {                 // Try each host in turn
 
-        case "imaptls":
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_imaphost.":$CFG->auth_imapport/imap/notls}";
-        break;
+        $host = trim($host);
 
-        default:
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_imaphost.":$CFG->auth_imapport}";
+        switch ($CFG->auth_imaptype) {
+            case "imapssl":
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_imapport/imap/ssl}";
+            break;
+    
+            case "imapcert":
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_imapport/imap/ssl/novalidate-cert}";
+            break;
+    
+            case "imaptls":
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_imapport/imap/notls}";
+            break;
+    
+            default:
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_imapport}";
+        }
+
+        error_reporting(0);
+        $connection = imap_open($host, $username, $password, OP_HALFOPEN);
+        error_reporting($CFG->debug);   
+
+        if ($connection) {
+            imap_close($connection);
+            return true;
+        }
     }
 
-    error_reporting(0);
-    $connection = imap_open($host, $username, $password, OP_HALFOPEN);
-    error_reporting($CFG->debug);   
-
-    if ($connection) {
-        imap_close($connection);
-        return true;
-
-    } else {
-        return false;
-    }
+    return false;  // No match
 }
 
 
diff --git a/auth/nntp/config.html b/auth/nntp/config.html
index 3cf54ae3511..caf0c3a9d27 100644
--- a/auth/nntp/config.html
+++ b/auth/nntp/config.html
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 	</TD>
     <TD>
     <?php  print_string("auth_nntphost","auth") ?>
+    <?php  print_string("auth_multiplehosts","auth") ?>
     </TD>
 </TR>
 
diff --git a/auth/nntp/lib.php b/auth/nntp/lib.php
index de0a2d597e0..7fd6836fecc 100644
--- a/auth/nntp/lib.php
+++ b/auth/nntp/lib.php
@@ -8,19 +8,22 @@ function auth_user_login ($username, $password) {
 
     global $CFG;
 
-    $host = "{".$CFG->auth_nntphost.":$CFG->auth_nntpport/nntp}";
+    $hosts = split(';', $CFG->auth_nntphost);   // Could be multiple hosts
 
-    error_reporting(0);
-    $connection = imap_open($host, $username, $password, OP_HALFOPEN);
-    error_reporting($CFG->debug);   
+    foreach ($hosts as $host) {                 // Try each host in turn
+        $host = '{'.trim($host).":$CFG->auth_nntpport/nntp}";
 
-    if ($connection) {
-        imap_close($connection);
-        return true;
+        error_reporting(0);
+        $connection = imap_open($host, $username, $password, OP_HALFOPEN);
+        error_reporting($CFG->debug);   
 
-    } else {
-        return false;
+        if ($connection) {
+            imap_close($connection);
+            return true;
+        }
     }
+
+    return false;    // No match
 }
 
 
diff --git a/auth/pop3/config.html b/auth/pop3/config.html
index 1f5acfa623c..103375c348f 100644
--- a/auth/pop3/config.html
+++ b/auth/pop3/config.html
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 	</TD>
     <TD>
     <?php  print_string("auth_pop3host","auth") ?>
+    <?php  print_string("auth_multiplehosts","auth") ?>
     </TD>
 </TR>
 
diff --git a/auth/pop3/lib.php b/auth/pop3/lib.php
index 5602f0065ed..a383905756a 100644
--- a/auth/pop3/lib.php
+++ b/auth/pop3/lib.php
@@ -7,29 +7,35 @@ function auth_user_login ($username, $password) {
 
     global $CFG;
 
-    switch ($CFG->auth_pop3type) {
-        case "pop3":
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_pop3host.":$CFG->auth_pop3port/pop3}INBOX";
-        break;
-        case "pop3notls":
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_pop3host.":$CFG->auth_pop3port/pop3/notls}INBOX";
-        break;
-        case "pop3cert":
-            $host = "{".$CFG->auth_pop3host.":$CFG->auth_pop3port/pop3/ssl/novalidate-cert}INBOX";
-        break;
+    $hosts = split(';', $CFG->auth_pop3host);   // Could be multiple hosts
+
+    foreach ($hosts as $host) {                 // Try each host in turn
+
+        $host = trim($host);
+
+        switch ($CFG->auth_pop3type) {
+            case "pop3":
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_pop3port/pop3}INBOX";
+            break;
+            case "pop3notls":
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_pop3port/pop3/notls}INBOX";
+            break;
+            case "pop3cert":
+                $host = '{'.$host.":$CFG->auth_pop3port/pop3/ssl/novalidate-cert}INBOX";
+            break;
+        }
+
+        error_reporting(0);
+        $connection = imap_open($host, $username, $password, OP_HALFOPEN);
+        error_reporting($CFG->debug);   
+ 
+        if ($connection) {
+            imap_close($connection);
+            return true;
+        }
     }
 
-    error_reporting(0);
-    $connection = imap_open($host, $username, $password, OP_HALFOPEN);
-    error_reporting($CFG->debug);   
-
-    if ($connection) {
-        imap_close($connection);
-        return true;
-
-    } else {
-        return false;
-    }
+    return false;  // No matches found
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lang/en/auth.php b/lang/en/auth.php
index 6c88a34207e..06edb9fbaf4 100644
--- a/lang/en/auth.php
+++ b/lang/en/auth.php
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ $string['auth_ldapextrafields'] = 'These fields are optional.  You can choose to
 $string['auth_ldaptitle'] = 'Use an LDAP server';
 $string['auth_manualdescription'] = 'This method removes any way for users to create their own accounts.  All accounts must be manually created by the admin user.';
 $string['auth_manualtitle'] = 'Manual accounts only';
+$string['auth_multiplehosts'] = 'Multiple hosts can be specified (eg host1.com;host2.com;host3.com';
 $string['auth_nntpdescription'] = 'This method uses an NNTP server to check whether a given username and password is valid.';
 $string['auth_nntphost'] = 'The NNTP server address. Use the IP number, not DNS name.';
 $string['auth_nntpport'] = 'Server port (119 is the most common)';