diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 88dfe116..71067992 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ Description The username and password to use when attempting to log in to
             * ``e621``
             * ``exhentai``
             * ``idolcomplex``
+            * ``instagram``
             * ``luscious``
             * ``sankaku``
             * ``tsumino``
diff --git a/docs/supportedsites.rst b/docs/supportedsites.rst
index 83e9bd74..b564f52a 100644
--- a/docs/supportedsites.rst
+++ b/docs/supportedsites.rst
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ ImgBB                https://imgbb.com/                  Albums, individual Imag
 imgbox               https://imgbox.com/                 Galleries, individual Images
 imgth                https://imgth.com/                  Galleries
 imgur                https://imgur.com/                  |imgur-C|
-Instagram            https://www.instagram.com/          |instagram-C|
+Instagram            https://www.instagram.com/          |instagram-C|                                      Optional
 Issuu                https://issuu.com/                  Publications, User Profiles
 Jaimini's Box        https://jaiminisbox.com/reader/     Chapters, Manga
 Joyreactor           http://joyreactor.com/              Posts, Search Results, Tag Searches, User Profiles
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
index 7fa5d32e..37817118 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 """Extractors for https://www.instagram.com/"""
 
 from .common import Extractor, Message
-from .. import text
+from .. import text, exception
 from ..cache import cache
 import itertools
 import json
+import time
 import re
 
 
@@ -66,10 +67,36 @@ class InstagramExtractor(Extractor):
 
     @cache(maxage=360*24*3600, keyarg=1)
     def _login_impl(self, username, password):
-        self.log.warning(
-            'Logging in with username and password is currently not possible. '
-            'Use cookies from your browser session instead.')
-        return {}
+        self.log.info("Logging in as %s", username)
+
+        page = self.request(self.root + "/accounts/login/").text
+        headers = {
+            "Referer"         : self.root + "/accounts/login/",
+            "X-IG-App-ID"     : "936619743392459",
+            "X-Requested-With": "XMLHttpRequest",
+        }
+
+        response = self.request(self.root + "/web/__mid/", headers=headers)
+        headers["X-CSRFToken"] = response.cookies["csrftoken"]
+        headers["X-Instagram-AJAX"] = text.extract(
+            page, '"rollout_hash":"', '"')[0]
+
+        url = self.root + "/accounts/login/ajax/"
+        data = {
+            "username"     : username,
+            "enc_password" : "#PWD_INSTAGRAM_BROWSER:0:{}:{}".format(
+                int(time.time()), password),
+            "queryParams"  : "{}",
+            "optIntoOneTap": "false",
+        }
+        response = self.request(url, method="POST", headers=headers, data=data)
+
+        if not response.json().get("authenticated"):
+            raise exception.AuthenticationError()
+        return {
+            key: self.session.cookies.get(key)
+            for key in ("sessionid", "mid", "csrftoken")
+        }
 
     def _request_graphql(self, variables, query_hash, csrf=None):
         headers = {
diff --git a/scripts/supportedsites.py b/scripts/supportedsites.py
index 8dabbc70..1adfb8de 100755
--- a/scripts/supportedsites.py
+++ b/scripts/supportedsites.py
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ AUTH_MAP = {
     "flickr"     : "Optional (OAuth)",
     "idolcomplex": "Optional",
     "imgbb"      : "Optional",
+    "instagram"  : "Optional",
     "mangoxo"    : "Optional",
     "newgrounds" : "Optional",
     "nijie"      : "Required",