diff --git a/gluon/contrib/pbkdf2_ctypes.py b/gluon/contrib/pbkdf2_ctypes.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3627abed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gluon/contrib/pbkdf2_ctypes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""
+    pbkdf2_ctypes
+    ~~~~~~
+
+    This module implements pbkdf2 for Python using crypto lib from
+    openssl.
+
+    Note: This module is intended as a plugin replacement of pbkdf2.py
+    by Armin Ronacher.
+
+
+    :copyright: Copyright (c) 2013: Michele Comitini <mcm@glisco.it>
+    :license: LGPLv3
+
+"""
+
+import ctypes
+import ctypes.util
+import hashlib
+import platform
+import os.path
+
+try:  # check that we have proper OpenSSL on the system.
+    system = platform.system()
+    if system == 'Windows':
+        if platform.architecture()[0] == '64bit':
+            crypto = ctypes.CDLL(os.path.basename(
+                ctypes.util.find_library('libeay64')))
+        else:
+            crypto = ctypes.CDLL(os.path.basename(
+                ctypes.util.find_library('libeay32')))
+    else:
+        crypto = ctypes.CDLL(os.path.basename(
+            ctypes.util.find_library('crypto')))
+
+    PKCS5_PBKDF2_HMAC = crypto.PKCS5_PBKDF2_HMAC
+
+    hashlib_to_crypto_map = {hashlib.md5: crypto.EVP_md5,
+                             hashlib.sha1: crypto.EVP_sha1,
+                             hashlib.sha256: crypto.EVP_sha256,
+                             hashlib.sha224: crypto.EVP_sha224,
+                             hashlib.sha384: crypto.EVP_sha384,
+                             hashlib.sha512: crypto.EVP_sha512}
+except OSError, AttributeError:
+    raise ImportError('Cannot find a compatible OpenSSL installation '
+                      'on your system')
+
+
+def pkcs5_pbkdf2_hmac(data, salt, iterations=1000, keylen=24, hashfunc=None):
+    c_pass = ctypes.c_char_p(data)
+    c_passlen = ctypes.c_int(len(data))
+    c_salt = ctypes.c_char_p(salt)
+    c_saltlen = ctypes.c_int(len(salt))
+    c_iter = ctypes.c_int(iterations)
+    c_keylen = ctypes.c_int(keylen)
+    if hashfunc:
+        crypto_hashfunc = hashlib_to_crypto_map.get(hashfunc)
+        crypto_hashfunc.restype = ctypes.c_void_p
+        if crypto_hashfunc is None:
+            raise ValueError('Unknown digest' + str(hashfunc))
+        c_digest = ctypes.c_void_p(crypto_hashfunc())
+    else:
+        crypto.EVP_sha1.restype = ctypes.c_void_p
+        c_digest = ctypes.c_void_p(crypto.EVP_sha1())
+    c_buff = ctypes.create_string_buffer('\000' * keylen)
+    err = PKCS5_PBKDF2_HMAC(c_pass, c_passlen,
+                            c_salt, c_saltlen,
+                            c_iter,
+                            c_digest,
+                            c_keylen,
+                            c_buff)
+
+    if err == 0:
+        raise ValueError('wrong parameters')
+    return c_buff.raw[:keylen]
+
+
+def pbkdf2_hex(data, salt, iterations=1000, keylen=24, hashfunc=None):
+    return pkcs5_pbkdf2_hmac(data, salt, iterations, keylen, hashfunc).\
+        encode('hex')
+
+
+def pbkdf2_bin(data, salt, iterations=1000, keylen=24, hashfunc=None):
+    return pkcs5_pbkdf2_hmac(data, salt, iterations, keylen, hashfunc)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    crypto.SSLeay_version.restype = ctypes.c_char_p
+    print crypto.SSLeay_version(0)
+    for h in hashlib_to_crypto_map:
+        pkcs5_pbkdf2_hmac('secret' * 11, 'salt', hashfunc=h)
diff --git a/gluon/utils.py b/gluon/utils.py
index e8f1d294..848b80ad 100644
--- a/gluon/utils.py
+++ b/gluon/utils.py
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ except ImportError:
 import hmac
 
 try:
-    from contrib.pbkdf2 import pbkdf2_hex
+    try:
+        from contrib.pbkdf2_ctypes import pbkdf2_hex
+    except ImportError:
+        from contrib.pbkdf2 import pbkdf2_hex
     HAVE_PBKDF2 = True
 except ImportError:
     try: