diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.cpp b/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.cpp
index 25236294e..b53f0fa74 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.cpp
@@ -20,26 +20,26 @@ ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer::ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer(bool serial_debug)
 {
   _serial_output = serial_debug;
   _server = NULL;
-  _username = NULL;
-  _password = NULL;
+  _username = emptyString;
+  _password = emptyString;
   _authenticated = false;
 }
 
-void ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer::setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const char * path, const char * username, const char * password)
+void ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer::setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const String& path, const String& username, const String& password)
 {
     _server = server;
-    _username = (char *)username;
-    _password = (char *)password;
+    _username = username;
+    _password = password;
 
     // handler for the /update form page
-    _server->on(path, HTTP_GET, [&](){
-      if(_username != NULL && _password != NULL && !_server->authenticate(_username, _password))
+    _server->on(path.c_str(), HTTP_GET, [&](){
+      if(_username != emptyString && _password != emptyString && !_server->authenticate(_username.c_str(), _password.c_str()))
         return _server->requestAuthentication();
       _server->send_P(200, PSTR("text/html"), serverIndex);
     });
 
     // handler for the /update form POST (once file upload finishes)
-    _server->on(path, HTTP_POST, [&](){
+    _server->on(path.c_str(), HTTP_POST, [&](){
       if(!_authenticated)
         return _server->requestAuthentication();
       if (Update.hasError()) {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer::setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const char * path,
         if (_serial_output)
           Serial.setDebugOutput(true);
 
-        _authenticated = (_username == NULL || _password == NULL || _server->authenticate(_username, _password));
+        _authenticated = (_username == emptyString || _password == emptyString || _server->authenticate(_username.c_str(), _password.c_str()));
         if(!_authenticated){
           if (_serial_output)
             Serial.printf("Unauthenticated Update\n");
diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.h b/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.h
index d537e5566..a0faa4675 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.h
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer/src/ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.h
@@ -10,25 +10,25 @@ class ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer
 
     void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server)
     {
-      setup(server, NULL, NULL);
+      setup(server, emptyString, emptyString);
     }
 
-    void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const char * path)
+    void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const String& path)
     {
-      setup(server, path, NULL, NULL);
+      setup(server, path, emptyString, emptyString);
     }
 
-    void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const char * username, const char * password)
+    void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const String& username, const String& password)
     {
       setup(server, "/update", username, password);
     }
 
-    void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const char * path, const char * username, const char * password);
+    void setup(ESP8266WebServer *server, const String& path, const String& username, const String& password);
 
-    void updateCredentials(const char * username, const char * password)
+    void updateCredentials(const String& username, const String& password)
     {
-      _username = (char *)username;
-      _password = (char *)password;
+      _username = username;
+      _password = password;
     }
 
   protected:
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ class ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer
   private:
     bool _serial_output;
     ESP8266WebServer *_server;
-    char * _username;
-    char * _password;
+    String _username;
+    String _password;
     bool _authenticated;
     String _updaterError;
 };