diff --git a/docs/user-guide.md b/docs/user-guide.md
index 90de4784..fdd82c61 100644
--- a/docs/user-guide.md
+++ b/docs/user-guide.md
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ Usage of kube-router:
       --peer-router-ips ipSlice                       The ip address of the external router to which all nodes will peer and advertise the cluster ip and pod cidr's. (default [])
       --peer-router-multihop-ttl uint8                Enable eBGP multihop supports -- sets multihop-ttl. (Relevant only if ttl >= 2)
       --peer-router-passwords strings                 Password for authenticating against the BGP peer defined with "--peer-router-ips".
+      --peer-router-passwords-file string             Path to file containing password for authenticating against the BGP peer defined with "--peer-router-ips". --peer-router-passwords will be preferred if both are set.
       --peer-router-ports uints                       The remote port of the external BGP to which all nodes will peer. If not set, default BGP port (179) will be used. (default [])
       --router-id string                              BGP router-id. Must be specified in a ipv6 only cluster.
       --routes-sync-period duration                   The delay between route updates and advertisements (e.g. '5s', '1m', '2h22m'). Must be greater than 0. (default 5m0s)
diff --git a/pkg/controllers/routing/network_routes_controller.go b/pkg/controllers/routing/network_routes_controller.go
index b02dc177..c137de3a 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/routing/network_routes_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/routing/network_routes_controller.go
@@ -1050,13 +1050,24 @@ func NewNetworkRoutingController(clientset kubernetes.Interface,
 		peerPorts = append(peerPorts, uint32(i))
 	}
 
-	// Decode base64 passwords
+	// PeerPasswords as cli params take precedence over password file
 	peerPasswords := make([]string, 0)
 	if len(kubeRouterConfig.PeerPasswords) != 0 {
 		peerPasswords, err = stringSliceB64Decode(kubeRouterConfig.PeerPasswords)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse CLI Peer Passwords flag: %s", err)
 		}
+	} else if len(kubeRouterConfig.PeerPasswordsFile) != 0 {
+		// Contents of the pw file should be in the same format as pw from CLI arg
+		pwFileBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(kubeRouterConfig.PeerPasswordsFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error loading Peer Passwords File : %s", err)
+		}
+		pws := strings.Split(string(pwFileBytes), ",")
+		peerPasswords, err = stringSliceB64Decode(pws)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to decode CLI Peer Passwords file: %s", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	nrc.globalPeerRouters, err = newGlobalPeers(kubeRouterConfig.PeerRouters, peerPorts, peerASNs, peerPasswords, nrc.bgpHoldtime)
diff --git a/pkg/options/options.go b/pkg/options/options.go
index 1bba4e54..650167a4 100644
--- a/pkg/options/options.go
+++ b/pkg/options/options.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ type KubeRouterConfig struct {
 	PeerASNs                       []uint
 	PeerMultihopTTL                uint8
 	PeerPasswords                  []string
+	PeerPasswordsFile              string
 	PeerPorts                      []uint
 	PeerRouters                    []net.IP
 	RouterID                       string
@@ -167,6 +168,8 @@ func (s *KubeRouterConfig) AddFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 		"Enable eBGP multihop supports -- sets multihop-ttl. (Relevant only if ttl >= 2)")
 	fs.StringSliceVar(&s.PeerPasswords, "peer-router-passwords", s.PeerPasswords,
 		"Password for authenticating against the BGP peer defined with \"--peer-router-ips\".")
+	fs.StringVar(&s.PeerPasswordsFile, "peer-router-passwords-file", s.PeerPasswordsFile,
+		"Path to file containing password for authenticating against the BGP peer defined with \"--peer-router-ips\". --peer-router-passwords will be preferred if both are set.")
 	fs.UintSliceVar(&s.PeerPorts, "peer-router-ports", s.PeerPorts,
 		"The remote port of the external BGP to which all nodes will peer. If not set, default BGP port ("+strconv.Itoa(DefaultBgpPort)+") will be used.")
 	fs.StringVar(&s.RouterID, "router-id", "", "BGP router-id. Must be specified in a ipv6 only cluster.")