diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 3fca312..ef911c4 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -19,3 +19,6 @@ object is created.  By default this new ``User`` has both ``is_staff`` and
 If you do not want a ``User`` record to be created automatically, use
 ``PAM_CREATE_USER=False`` in ``settings.py``.  This is useful in situations
 where you want to use PAM for authentication but not for authorization.
+
+If you want your new users in a specific group use the setting ``PAM_USERS_GROUP="<group_name>"``,
+this will automatically add them to the group.
diff --git a/dpam/__init__.py b/dpam/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/dpam/backends.py b/dpam/backends.py
index 4ad04fe..3e612e4 100644
--- a/dpam/backends.py
+++ b/dpam/backends.py
@@ -1,30 +1,44 @@
-import pam
+""" Django PAM Authentication Backend"""
 
+import syslog
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group
 from django.contrib.auth.backends import ModelBackend
 
+import dpam.pam as pam
+
+
 class PAMBackend(ModelBackend):
+    """PAM Auth Backend"""
+
     def authenticate(self, username=None, password=None):
+        syslog.syslog('django pam realyy')
         service = getattr(settings, 'PAM_SERVICE', 'login')
         if not pam.authenticate(username, password, service=service):
             return None
 
         try:
             user = User.objects.get(username=username)
-        except:
+        except User.DoesNotExist:
             if not getattr(settings, "PAM_CREATE_USER", True):
                 return None
             user = User(username=username, password='not stored here')
             user.set_unusable_password()
 
             if getattr(settings, 'PAM_IS_SUPERUSER', False):
-              user.is_superuser = True
+                user.is_superuser = True
 
             if getattr(settings, 'PAM_IS_STAFF', user.is_superuser):
-              user.is_staff = True
+                user.is_staff = True
 
             user.save()
+
+            if getattr(settings, 'PAM_USERS_GROUP', False):
+                group = Group.objects.get(name=settings.PAM_USERS_GROUP)
+                group.user_set.add(user)
+                group.save()
+
         return user
 
     def get_user(self, user_id):
diff --git a/dpam/pam.py b/dpam/pam.py
index a799f07..d3284e7 100644
--- a/dpam/pam.py
+++ b/dpam/pam.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 STRDUP = LIBC.strdup
 STRDUP.argstypes = [c_char_p]
-STRDUP.restype = POINTER(c_char) # NOT c_char_p !!!!
+STRDUP.restype = POINTER(c_char)  # NOT c_char_p !!!!
 
 # Various constants
 PAM_PROMPT_ECHO_OFF = 1
@@ -32,51 +32,55 @@
 PAM_ERROR_MSG = 3
 PAM_TEXT_INFO = 4
 
+
 class PamHandle(Structure):
     """wrapper class for pam_handle_t"""
     _fields_ = [
-            ("handle", c_void_p)
-            ]
+        ("handle", c_void_p)
+    ]
 
     def __init__(self):
         Structure.__init__(self)
         self.handle = 0
 
+
 class PamMessage(Structure):
     """wrapper class for pam_message structure"""
     _fields_ = [
-            ("msg_style", c_int),
-            ("msg", c_char_p),
-            ]
+        ("msg_style", c_int),
+        ("msg", c_char_p),
+    ]
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<PamMessage %i '%s'>" % (self.msg_style, self.msg)
 
+
 class PamResponse(Structure):
     """wrapper class for pam_response structure"""
     _fields_ = [
-            ("resp", c_char_p),
-            ("resp_retcode", c_int),
-            ]
+        ("resp", c_char_p),
+        ("resp_retcode", c_int),
+    ]
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<PamResponse %i '%s'>" % (self.resp_retcode, self.resp)
 
 CONV_FUNC = CFUNCTYPE(c_int,
-        c_int, POINTER(POINTER(PamMessage)),
-               POINTER(POINTER(PamResponse)), c_void_p)
+                      c_int, POINTER(POINTER(PamMessage)),
+                      POINTER(POINTER(PamResponse)), c_void_p)
+
 
 class PamConv(Structure):
     """wrapper class for pam_conv structure"""
     _fields_ = [
-            ("conv", CONV_FUNC),
-            ("appdata_ptr", c_void_p)
-            ]
+        ("conv", CONV_FUNC),
+        ("appdata_ptr", c_void_p)
+    ]
 
 PAM_START = LIBPAM.pam_start
 PAM_START.restype = c_int
 PAM_START.argtypes = [c_char_p, c_char_p, POINTER(PamConv),
-        POINTER(PamHandle)]
+                      POINTER(PamHandle)]
 
 PAM_AUTHENTICATE = LIBPAM.pam_authenticate
 PAM_AUTHENTICATE.restype = c_int
@@ -91,8 +95,7 @@ class PamConv(Structure):
 PAM_END.argtypes = [PamHandle, c_int]
 
 
-
-def authenticate(username, password, service='login',  enable_acct_mgrt=False):
+def authenticate(username, password, service='login', enable_acct_mgrt=False):
     """Returns True if the given username and password authenticate for the
     given service.  Returns False otherwise
 
diff --git a/dpam/shadow.py b/dpam/shadow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c89641
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dpam/shadow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from os import path
+from crypt import crypt
+from re import compile as compile_regex
+
+
+def check_auth(user, password):
+    """Perform authentication against the local systme.
+
+    This function will perform authentication against the local system's
+    /etc/shadow or /etc/passwd database for a given user and password.
+
+    :param user: The username to perform authentication with
+    :type user: str
+
+    :param password: The password (plain text) for the given user
+    :type password: str
+
+    :returns: True if successful, None otherwise.
+    :rtype: True or None
+    """
+
+    salt_pattern = compile_regex(r"\$.*\$.*\$")
+    passwd = "/etc/shadow" if path.exists("/etc/shadow") else "/etc/passwd"
+
+    with open(passwd, "r") as f:
+        rows = (line.strip().split(":") for line in f)
+        records = [row for row in rows if row[0] == user]
+
+    hash = records and records[0][1]
+    salt = salt_pattern.match(hash).group()
+
+    return crypt(password, salt) == hash