diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js b/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js
index d5527b50..dd614beb 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/checks/critical.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const got = require("got");
 const FormData = require("form-data");
 const { isEqual } = require("lodash");
-const { calculateElapsedTime, getResponseContent } = require("../utils");
+const { calculateElapsedTime, getResponseContent, getAuthCookie } = require("../utils");
 const { SkynetClient, stringToUint8ArrayUtf8, genKeyPairAndSeed } = require("skynet-js");
 
 const skynetClient = new SkynetClient(process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API);
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ async function skydConfigCheck(done) {
 
 // uploadCheck returns the result of uploading a sample file
 async function uploadCheck(done) {
+  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const form = new FormData();
   const payload = Buffer.from(new Date()); // current date to ensure data uniqueness
@@ -42,7 +43,10 @@ async function uploadCheck(done) {
   form.append("file", payload, { filename: "time.txt", contentType: "text/plain" });
 
   try {
-    const response = await got.post(`${process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API}/skynet/skyfile`, { body: form });
+    const response = await got.post(`${process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API}/skynet/skyfile`, {
+      body: form,
+      headers: { cookie: authCookie },
+    });
 
     data.statusCode = response.statusCode;
     data.up = true;
@@ -170,11 +174,12 @@ async function accountHealthCheck(done) {
 }
 
 async function genericAccessCheck(name, url) {
+  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const data = { up: false, url };
 
   try {
-    const response = await got(url, { headers: { cookie: "nocache=true" } });
+    const response = await got(url, { headers: { cookie: `nocache=true;${authCookie}` } });
 
     data.statusCode = response.statusCode;
     data.up = true;
diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js b/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js
index 01953d75..28a96f0e 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/checks/extended.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const got = require("got");
 const hasha = require("hasha");
 const { detailedDiff } = require("deep-object-diff");
 const { isEqual } = require("lodash");
-const { calculateElapsedTime, ensureValidJSON, getResponseContent } = require("../utils");
+const { calculateElapsedTime, ensureValidJSON, getResponseContent, getAuthCookie } = require("../utils");
 const { parseSkylink } = require("skynet-js");
 
 // audioExampleCheck returns the result of trying to download the skylink
@@ -1130,12 +1130,13 @@ function parseHeaderString(header) {
 
 // skylinkVerification verifies a skylink against provided information.
 async function skylinkVerification(done, expected, { followRedirect = true, method = "get" } = {}) {
+  const authCookie = await getAuthCookie();
   const time = process.hrtime();
   const details = { name: expected.name, skylink: expected.skylink };
 
   try {
     const query = `${process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API}/${expected.skylink}`;
-    const response = await got[method](query, { followRedirect, headers: { cookie: "nocache=true" } });
+    const response = await got[method](query, { followRedirect, headers: { cookie: `nocache=true;${authCookie}` } });
     const entry = { ...details, up: true, statusCode: response.statusCode, time: calculateElapsedTime(time) };
     const info = {};
 
diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/index.js b/packages/health-check/src/index.js
index 9d928156..5bf10868 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/index.js
@@ -4,8 +4,18 @@ if (!process.env.SKYNET_PORTAL_API) {
   throw new Error("You need to provide SKYNET_PORTAL_API environment variable");
 }
 
-if (process.env.ACCOUNTS_ENABLED === "true" && !process.env.SKYNET_DASHBOARD_URL) {
-  throw new Error("You need to provide SKYNET_DASHBOARD_URL environment variable when accounts are enabled");
+if (process.env.ACCOUNTS_ENABLED === "true") {
+  if (!process.env.SKYNET_DASHBOARD_URL) {
+    throw new Error("You need to provide SKYNET_DASHBOARD_URL environment variable when accounts are enabled");
+  }
+  if (process.env.ACCOUNTS_LIMIT_ACCESS === "authenticated") {
+    if (!process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_EMAIL) {
+      throw new Error("ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_EMAIL cannot be empty");
+    }
+    if (!process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_PASSWORD) {
+      throw new Error("ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_PASSWORD cannot be empty");
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 const express = require("express");
diff --git a/packages/health-check/src/utils.js b/packages/health-check/src/utils.js
index cebdb426..c8362f05 100644
--- a/packages/health-check/src/utils.js
+++ b/packages/health-check/src/utils.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+const got = require("got");
+
 /**
  * Get the time between start and now in milliseconds
  */
@@ -39,9 +41,60 @@ function ensureValidJSON(object) {
   return JSON.parse(stringified);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Authenticate with given credentials and return auth cookie
+ * Creates new account if username does not exist
+ * Only authenticates when portal is set to authenticated users only mode
+ */
+function getAuthCookie() {
+  // cache auth promise so only one actual request will be made
+  if (getAuthCookie.cache) return getAuthCookie.cache;
+
+  // do not authenticate if it is not necessary
+  if (process.env.ACCOUNTS_LIMIT_ACCESS !== "authenticated") return {};
+
+  const email = process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_EMAIL;
+  const password = process.env.ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_PASSWORD;
+
+  if (!email) throw new Error("ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_EMAIL cannot be empty");
+  if (!password) throw new Error("ACCOUNTS_TEST_USER_PASSWORD cannot be empty");
+
+  async function authenticate() {
+    try {
+      // authenticate with given test credentials
+      const response = await got.post(`${process.env.SKYNET_DASHBOARD_URL}/api/login`, {
+        json: { email, password },
+      });
+
+      // extract set-cookie from successful authentication request
+      const cookies = response.headers["set-cookie"];
+
+      // find the skynet-jwt cookie
+      const jwtcookie = cookies.find((cookie) => cookie.startsWith("skynet-jwt"));
+
+      // extract just the cookie value (no set-cookie props) from set-cookie
+      return jwtcookie.match(/skynet-jwt=[^;]+;/)[0];
+    } catch (error) {
+      // 401 means that service worked but user could not have been authenticated
+      if (error.response && error.response.statusCode === 401) {
+        // sign up with the given credentials
+        await got.post(`${process.env.SKYNET_DASHBOARD_URL}/api/user`, {
+          json: { email, password },
+        });
+
+        // retry authentication
+        return authenticate();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return (getAuthCookie.cache = authenticate());
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   calculateElapsedTime,
   getYesterdayISOString,
   getResponseContent,
   ensureValidJSON,
+  getAuthCookie,
 };