diff --git a/tools/ngcp-api.inc b/tools/ngcp-api.inc
index 4e2ec83d90..2752bf6c81 100644
--- a/tools/ngcp-api.inc
+++ b/tools/ngcp-api.inc
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ set -e
 
 importcreds () {
   local CREDS=$1
+  local PERMS=${2:-0600}
 
   if [ -z "${CREDS}" ]; then
     echo "Error: missing mandatory file name to read" >&2
@@ -20,11 +21,11 @@ importcreds () {
   fi
 
   echo "${CREDS} present, checking perms"
-  if stat "${CREDS}" | grep -q 'Access: (0600' 1>/dev/null ; then
+  if stat "${CREDS}" | grep -q "Access: (${PERMS}" 1>/dev/null ; then
     echo "${CREDS} permissions ok"
     . "${CREDS}"
   else
-    echo "Error: ${CREDS} must have permissions 600" >&2
+    echo "Error: ${CREDS} must have permissions ${PERMS}" >&2
     exit 1
   fi
 }
diff --git a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-delete b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-delete
index 3ff09731bd..3934f3fac1 100755
--- a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-delete
+++ b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-delete
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 CURL="/usr/bin/curl"
-CREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
+SYSCREDS="/etc/default/ngcp-api"
+USERCREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
 TOOLS="/usr/share/ngcp-panel-tools/ngcp-api.inc"
 
 usage () {
@@ -19,9 +20,16 @@ EOF
 if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
   if [ -f "${TOOLS}" ]; then
     source "${TOOLS}"
-    importcreds "${CREDS}"
-  else
-    APIUSER="administrator:administrator"
+
+    importcreds "${USERCREDS}" 0600
+    if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+      importcreds "${SYSCREDS}" 0440
+      APIUSER="${AUTH_SYSTEM_LOGIN}:${AUTH_SYSTEM_PASSWORD}"
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+    echo "Error: no authentication credentials found" >&2
+    exit 1
   fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-get b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-get
index 0c94dd7799..27fa83fd2a 100755
--- a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-get
+++ b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-get
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 CURL="/usr/bin/curl"
-CREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
+SYSCREDS="/etc/default/ngcp-api"
+USERCREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
 TOOLS="/usr/share/ngcp-panel-tools/ngcp-api.inc"
 
 usage () {
@@ -19,9 +20,16 @@ EOF
 if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
   if [ -f "${TOOLS}" ]; then
     source "${TOOLS}"
-    importcreds "${CREDS}"
-  else
-    APIUSER="administrator:administrator"
+
+    importcreds "${USERCREDS}" 0600
+    if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+      importcreds "${SYSCREDS}" 0440
+      APIUSER="${AUTH_SYSTEM_LOGIN}:${AUTH_SYSTEM_PASSWORD}"
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+    echo "Error: no authentication credentials found" >&2
+    exit 1
   fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-patch b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-patch
index e2565e5287..05739575ab 100755
--- a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-patch
+++ b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-patch
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 CURL="/usr/bin/curl"
-CREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
+SYSCREDS="/etc/default/ngcp-api"
+USERCREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
 TOOLS="/usr/share/ngcp-panel-tools/ngcp-api.inc"
 
 usage () {
@@ -21,9 +22,16 @@ EOF
 if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
   if [ -f "${TOOLS}" ]; then
     source "${TOOLS}"
-    importcreds "${CREDS}"
-  else
-    APIUSER="administrator:administrator"
+
+    importcreds "${USERCREDS}" 0600
+    if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+      importcreds "${SYSCREDS}" 0440
+      APIUSER="${AUTH_SYSTEM_LOGIN}:${AUTH_SYSTEM_PASSWORD}"
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+    echo "Error: no authentication credentials found" >&2
+    exit 1
   fi
 fi
 INPUT=(-T -)
diff --git a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-post b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-post
index 552361bdb9..1d46c5b6de 100755
--- a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-post
+++ b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-post
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 CURL="/usr/bin/curl"
-CREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
+SYSCREDS="/etc/default/ngcp-api"
+USERCREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
 TOOLS="/usr/share/ngcp-panel-tools/ngcp-api.inc"
 
 usage () {
@@ -20,9 +21,16 @@ EOF
 if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
   if [ -f "${TOOLS}" ]; then
     source "${TOOLS}"
-    importcreds "${CREDS}"
-  else
-    APIUSER="administrator:administrator"
+
+    importcreds "${USERCREDS}" 0600
+    if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+      importcreds "${SYSCREDS}" 0440
+      APIUSER="${AUTH_SYSTEM_LOGIN}:${AUTH_SYSTEM_PASSWORD}"
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+    echo "Error: no authentication credentials found" >&2
+    exit 1
   fi
 fi
 INPUT=(-T -)
diff --git a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-put b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-put
index 6b2c5e4b40..01060f1297 100755
--- a/tools_bin/ngcp-api-put
+++ b/tools_bin/ngcp-api-put
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 CURL="/usr/bin/curl"
-CREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
+SYSCREDS="/etc/default/ngcp-api"
+USERCREDS="${HOME}/.ngcp-api"
 TOOLS="/usr/share/ngcp-panel-tools/ngcp-api.inc"
 
 usage () {
@@ -20,9 +21,16 @@ EOF
 if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
   if [ -f "${TOOLS}" ]; then
     source "${TOOLS}"
-    importcreds "${CREDS}"
-  else
-    APIUSER="administrator:administrator"
+
+    importcreds "${USERCREDS}" 0600
+    if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+      importcreds "${SYSCREDS}" 0440
+      APIUSER="${AUTH_SYSTEM_LOGIN}:${AUTH_SYSTEM_PASSWORD}"
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "${APIUSER}" ]; then
+    echo "Error: no authentication credentials found" >&2
+    exit 1
   fi
 fi
 INPUT=(-T -)