diff --git a/cores/esp8266/base64.cpp b/cores/esp8266/base64.cpp
index f0d079352..271fca4f9 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/base64.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/base64.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 #include "Arduino.h"
 extern "C" {
-#include "libb64/cdecode.h"
 #include "libb64/cencode.h"
 }
 #include "base64.h"
@@ -35,14 +34,19 @@ extern "C" {
  * @param length size_t
  * @return String
  */
-String base64::encode(const uint8_t * data, size_t length, bool doNewLines) {
+String base64::encode(const uint8_t * data, size_t length, bool doNewLines)
+{
+    String base64;
+
     // base64 needs more size then the source data, use cencode.h macros
-    size_t size = ((doNewLines ? base64_encode_expected_len(length)
-                               : base64_encode_expected_len_nonewlines(length)) + 1);
-    char * buffer = (char *) malloc(size);
-    if(buffer) {
+    size_t size = ((doNewLines ? base64_encode_expected_len( length )
+                    : base64_encode_expected_len_nonewlines( length )) + 1);
+
+    if (base64.reserve(size))
+    {
+
         base64_encodestate _state;
-        if(doNewLines)
+        if (doNewLines)
         {
             base64_init_encodestate(&_state);
         }
@@ -50,22 +54,23 @@ String base64::encode(const uint8_t * data, size_t length, bool doNewLines) {
         {
             base64_init_encodestate_nonewlines(&_state);
         }
-        int len = base64_encode_block((const char *) &data[0], length, &buffer[0], &_state);
-        len = base64_encode_blockend((buffer + len), &_state);
 
-        String base64 = String(buffer);
-        free(buffer);
-        return base64;
+        constexpr size_t BUFSIZE = 48;
+        char buf[BUFSIZE + 1 /* newline */ + 1 /* NUL */];
+        for (size_t len = 0; len < length; len += BUFSIZE * 3 / 4)
+        {
+            size_t blocklen = base64_encode_block((const char*) data + len,
+                                                  std::min( BUFSIZE * 3 / 4, length - len ), buf, &_state);
+            buf[blocklen] = '\0';
+            base64 += buf;
+        }
+        if (base64_encode_blockend(buf, &_state))
+            base64 += buf;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        base64 = F("-FAIL-");
     }
-    return String("-FAIL-");
-}
 
-/**
- * convert input data to base64
- * @param text const String&
- * @return String
- */
-String base64::encode(const String& text, bool doNewLines) {
-    return base64::encode((const uint8_t *) text.c_str(), text.length(), doNewLines);
+    return base64;
 }
-
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/base64.h b/cores/esp8266/base64.h
index 1d6e22fac..20f00f81f 100644
--- a/cores/esp8266/base64.h
+++ b/cores/esp8266/base64.h
@@ -25,14 +25,18 @@
 #ifndef CORE_BASE64_H_
 #define CORE_BASE64_H_
 
-class base64 {
-    public:
-        // NOTE: The default behaviour of backend (lib64)
-        // is to add a newline every 72 (encoded) characters output.
-        // This may 'break' longer uris and json variables
-        static String encode(const uint8_t * data, size_t length, bool doNewLines = true);
-        static String encode(const String& text, bool doNewLines = true);
-    private:
+class base64
+{
+public:
+    // NOTE: The default behaviour of backend (lib64)
+    // is to add a newline every 72 (encoded) characters output.
+    // This may 'break' longer uris and json variables
+    static String encode(const uint8_t * data, size_t length, bool doNewLines = true);
+    static String inline encode(const String& text, bool doNewLines = true)
+    {
+        return encode( (const uint8_t *) text.c_str(), text.length(), doNewLines );
+    }
+private:
 };
 
 
diff --git a/cores/esp8266/libb64/cencode.cpp b/cores/esp8266/libb64/cencode.cpp
index ae8f90a83..d86df31af 100755
--- a/cores/esp8266/libb64/cencode.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp8266/libb64/cencode.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ This is part of the libb64 project, and has been placed in the public domain.
 For details, see http://sourceforge.net/projects/libb64
 */
 
-#include <pgmspace.h>
 #include "cencode.h"
 
 extern "C" {
@@ -23,10 +22,20 @@ void base64_init_encodestate_nonewlines(base64_encodestate* state_in){
   state_in->stepsnewline = -1;
 }
 
-char base64_encode_value(char value_in){
-  static const char encoding[] PROGMEM = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/";
-  if (value_in > 63) return '=';
-  return pgm_read_byte( &encoding[(int)value_in] );
+char base64_encode_value(const char n) {
+  char r;
+
+  if (n < 26)
+    r = n + 'A';
+  else if (n < 26 + 26)
+    r = n - 26 + 'a';
+  else if (n < 26 + 26 + 10 )
+    r = n - 26 - 26 + '0';
+  else if (n == 62 )
+    r = '+';
+  else
+    r = '/';
+  return r;
 }
 
 int base64_encode_block(const char* plaintext_in, int length_in, char* code_out, base64_encodestate* state_in){
diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266HTTPClient/src/ESP8266HTTPClient.cpp b/libraries/ESP8266HTTPClient/src/ESP8266HTTPClient.cpp
index 9c7b4d0ce..8df00e544 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266HTTPClient/src/ESP8266HTTPClient.cpp
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266HTTPClient/src/ESP8266HTTPClient.cpp
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ bool HTTPClient::beginInternal(const String& __url, const char* expectedProtocol
         // auth info
         String auth = host.substring(0, index);
         host.remove(0, index + 1); // remove auth part including @
-        _base64Authorization = base64::encode(auth);
+        _base64Authorization = base64::encode(auth, false /* doNewLines */);
     }
 
     // get port
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ void HTTPClient::setAuthorization(const char * user, const char * password)
         String auth = user;
         auth += ':';
         auth += password;
-        _base64Authorization = base64::encode(auth);
+        _base64Authorization = base64::encode(auth, false /* doNewLines */);
     }
 }
 
@@ -516,6 +516,7 @@ void HTTPClient::setAuthorization(const char * auth)
 {
     if(auth) {
         _base64Authorization = auth;
+        _base64Authorization.replace(String('\n'), emptyString);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1243,7 +1244,6 @@ bool HTTPClient::sendHeader(const char * type)
     }
 
     if(_base64Authorization.length()) {
-        _base64Authorization.replace("\n", "");
         header += F("Authorization: Basic ");
         header += _base64Authorization;
         header += "\r\n";