diff --git a/gns3server/controller/compute.py b/gns3server/controller/compute.py
index 6d0b1b75..da9fb86b 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/compute.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/compute.py
@@ -72,12 +72,14 @@ class Compute:
         """
         Set authentication parameters
         """
-        self._user = user
-        self._password = password
-        if self._user and self._password:
-            self._auth = aiohttp.BasicAuth(self._user, self._password)
-        else:
+        if user is None or len(user.strip()) == 0:
+            self._user = None
+            self._password = None
             self._auth = None
+        else:
+            self._user = user.strip()
+            self._password = password.strip()
+            self._auth = aiohttp.BasicAuth(self._user, self._password)
 
     @asyncio.coroutine
     def update(self, **kwargs):
diff --git a/gns3server/schemas/compute.py b/gns3server/schemas/compute.py
index 910d1fd9..8eb45e37 100644
--- a/gns3server/schemas/compute.py
+++ b/gns3server/schemas/compute.py
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@ COMPUTE_CREATE_SCHEMA = {
         },
         "user": {
             "description": "User for authentication",
-            "type": "string"
+            "type": ["string", "null"]
         },
         "password": {
             "description": "Password for authentication",
-            "type": "string"
+            "type": ["string", "null"]
         }
     },
     "additionalProperties": False,
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ COMPUTE_OBJECT_SCHEMA = {
         },
         "user": {
             "description": "User for authentication",
-            "type": "string"
+            "type": ["string", "null"]
         },
         "connected": {
             "description": "Whether the controller is connected to the compute server or not",