diff --git a/internal/cli/server/config.go b/internal/cli/server/config.go
index a5e255ad48..e74964606e 100644
--- a/internal/cli/server/config.go
+++ b/internal/cli/server/config.go
@@ -663,6 +663,25 @@ func (c *Config) buildEth(stack *node.Node) (*ethconfig.Config, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// unlock accounts
+	if len(c.Accounts.Unlock) > 0 {
+		if !stack.Config().InsecureUnlockAllowed && stack.Config().ExtRPCEnabled() {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Account unlock with HTTP access is forbidden!")
+		}
+		ks := stack.AccountManager().Backends(keystore.KeyStoreType)[0].(*keystore.KeyStore)
+		passwords, err := MakePasswordListFromFile(c.Accounts.PasswordFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if len(passwords) < len(c.Accounts.Unlock) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Number of passwords provided (%v) is less than number of accounts (%v) to unlock",
+				len(passwords), len(c.Accounts.Unlock))
+		}
+		for i, account := range c.Accounts.Unlock {
+			ks.Unlock(accounts.Account{Address: common.HexToAddress(account)}, passwords[i])
+		}
+	}
+
 	// update for developer mode
 	if c.Developer.Enabled {
 		// Get a keystore
@@ -990,3 +1009,16 @@ func Hostname() string {
 	}
 	return hostname
 }
+
+func MakePasswordListFromFile(path string) ([]string, error) {
+	text, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to read password file: %v", err)
+	}
+	lines := strings.Split(string(text), "\n")
+	// Sanitise DOS line endings.
+	for i := range lines {
+		lines[i] = strings.TrimRight(lines[i], "\r")
+	}
+	return lines, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/server/config_test.go b/internal/cli/server/config_test.go
index 6f5f9ff97d..4e6f3ef499 100644
--- a/internal/cli/server/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/server/config_test.go
@@ -153,3 +153,10 @@ func TestConfigBootnodesDefault(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Len(t, cfg.P2P.BootstrapNodes, 1)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestMakePasswordListFromFile(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("ReadPasswordFile", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result, _ := MakePasswordListFromFile("./testdata/password.txt")
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{"test1", "test2"}, result)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/server/testdata/password.txt b/internal/cli/server/testdata/password.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1827ffa521
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/server/testdata/password.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+test1
+test2
\ No newline at end of file