diff --git a/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.6.10-7.6.11.pl b/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.6.10-7.6.11.pl
index 33190c38c..42c270692 100644
--- a/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.6.10-7.6.11.pl
+++ b/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.6.10-7.6.11.pl
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ removeBrokenWorkflowInstances($session);
 undotBinaryExtensions($session);
 removeProcessRecurringPaymentsFromConfig($session);
 noSessionSwitch($session);
+addReCaptchaSettings($session);
 
 fixDottedAssetIds($session);  ##This one should run last
 finish($session); # this line required
@@ -59,6 +60,27 @@ sub removeProcessRecurringPaymentsFromConfig {
     print "Done.\n" unless $quiet;
 }
 
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub addReCaptchaSettings {
+    my $session = shift;
+    print "\tAdding settings for reCAPTCHA..." unless $quiet;
+    my $currentSetting;
+
+    $currentSetting = $session->setting->get('useRecaptcha');
+    $session->setting->remove('useRecaptcha');
+    $session->setting->add('useRecaptcha', $currentSetting);
+
+    $currentSetting = $session->setting->get('recaptchaPublicKey');
+    $session->setting->remove('recaptchaPublicKey');
+    $session->setting->add('recaptchaPublicKey', $currentSetting);
+
+    $currentSetting = $session->setting->get('recaptchaPrivateKey');
+    $session->setting->remove('recaptchaPrivateKey');
+    $session->setting->add('recaptchaPrivateKey', $currentSetting);
+
+    print "Done.\n" unless $quiet;
+}
+
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub hideGalleryAlbums {
     my $session = shift;
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Auth/WebGUI.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Auth/WebGUI.pm
index eeb308e06..cebcc6509 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Auth/WebGUI.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Auth/WebGUI.pm
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use WebGUI::Mail::Send;
 use WebGUI::Storage;
 use WebGUI::User;
 use WebGUI::Utility;
+use WebGUI::Form::Captcha;
 use Encode ();
 
 our @ISA = qw(WebGUI::Auth);
@@ -224,8 +225,9 @@ sub createAccountSave {
     my $error;
     $error = $self->error unless($self->validUsername($username));
     if ($setting->get("webguiUseCaptcha")) {
-        unless ($form->process('authWebGUI.captcha', "Captcha")) {
-            $error .= '<li>'.$i18n->get("captcha failure","AuthWebGUI").'</li>';
+        my $form = WebGUI::Form::Captcha->new($session, {name => 'authWebGUI.captcha'});
+        if (! $form->getValue) {
+            $error .= '<li>' . $form->getErrorMessage . '</li>';
         }
     }
     $error .= $self->error unless($self->_isValidPassword($password,$passConfirm));
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Form/Captcha.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Form/Captcha.pm
index c03d7a282..5bf652570 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Form/Captcha.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Form/Captcha.pm
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ use strict;
 use base 'WebGUI::Form::Text';
 use WebGUI::International;
 use WebGUI::Storage;
+use LWP::UserAgent;
 
 =head1 NAME
 
@@ -101,6 +102,27 @@ Returns a boolean indicating whether the string typed matched the image.
 
 sub getValue {
     my $self        = shift;
+
+    if ($self->session->setting->get('useRecaptcha')) {
+        my $privKey = $self->session->setting->get('recaptchaPrivateKey');
+        my $challenge = $self->session->form->param('recaptcha_challenge_field');
+        my $response = $self->session->form->param('recaptcha_response_field');
+
+        my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new;
+        my $res = $ua->post('http://api-verify.recaptcha.net/verify', {
+            privatekey  => $privKey,
+            remoteip    => $self->session->env->getIp,
+            challenge   => $challenge,
+            response    => $response,
+        });
+        if ($res->is_success) {
+            my ($answer, $error) = split /\n/, $res->content, 2;
+            $self->{_error} = $error;
+            return $answer eq 'true';
+        }
+        return undef;
+    }
+
     my $value       = $self->SUPER::getValue(@_); 
     my $challenge   = $self->session->scratch->get("captcha_".$self->get("name"));
     $self->session->scratch->delete("captcha_".$self->get("name"));
@@ -133,14 +155,43 @@ Renders a captcha field.
 =cut
 
 sub toHtml {
-        my $self = shift;
- 	my $storage = WebGUI::Storage->createTemp($self->session);
-        my ($filename, $challenge) = $storage->addFileFromCaptcha;
-        $self->set("size", 6);
-	$self->set("maxlength", 6);
-	$self->session->scratch->set("captcha_".$self->get("name"), $challenge);
-	return $self->SUPER::toHtml.'<p style="display:inline;vertical-align:middle;"><img src="'.$storage->getUrl($filename).'" style="border-style:none;vertical-align:middle;" alt="captcha" /></p>';
+    my $self = shift;
+
+    if ($self->session->setting->get('useRecaptcha')) {
+        my $env = $self->session->env;
+        my $pubKey = $self->session->setting->get('recaptchaPublicKey');
+        my $server = "http://api.recaptcha.net";
+        if ($env->get("HTTPS") eq "on" || $env->get("SSLPROXY")) {
+            $server = "http://api-secure.recaptcha.net";
+        }
+        return
+            '<script type="text/javascript" src="' . $server . '/challenge?k=' . $pubKey . '"></script>'
+            . '<noscript>'
+            . '<iframe src="' . $server . '/noscript?k=' . $pubKey
+            . '" height="300" width="500" frameborder="0"></iframe>'
+            . '<textarea name="recaptcha_challenge_field" rows="3" cols="40"></textarea>'
+            . '<input type="hidden" name="recaptcha_response_field" value="manual_challenge" />'
+            . '</noscript>';
+    }
+
+    my $storage = WebGUI::Storage->createTemp($self->session);
+    my ($filename, $challenge) = $storage->addFileFromCaptcha;
+    $self->set("size", 6);
+    $self->set("maxlength", 6);
+    $self->session->scratch->set("captcha_".$self->get("name"), $challenge);
+    return $self->SUPER::toHtml.'<p style="display:inline;vertical-align:middle;"><img src="'.$storage->getUrl($filename).'" style="border-style:none;vertical-align:middle;" alt="captcha" /></p>';
 }
 
+sub getErrorMessage {
+    my $self = shift;
+    my $session = $self->session;
+	my $i18n = WebGUI::International->new($session,"Form_Captcha");
+    if ($session->setting->get('useRecaptcha')) {
+        return $i18n->get("recaptcha failure");
+    }
+    return $i18n->get("captcha failure");
+}
+
+
 1;
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Settings.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Settings.pm
index 5996b3fa8..98ec97d6b 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Settings.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Settings.pm
@@ -240,6 +240,28 @@ sub definition {
 		namespace=>"AdminConsole",
 		defaultValue=>$setting->get("AdminConsoleTemplate")
 		});
+    push(@fields, {
+        tab             => "ui",
+        fieldType       => "yesNo",
+        name            => "useRecaptcha",
+        label           => $i18n->get('use recaptcha'),
+        hoverHelp       => $i18n->get('use recaptcha description'),
+        defaultValue    => $setting->get('useRecaptcha'),
+    });
+    push(@fields, {
+        tab             => "ui",
+        fieldType       => "text",
+        name            => "recaptchaPublicKey",
+        label           => $i18n->get('recaptcha public key'),
+        defaultValue    => $setting->get('recaptchaPublicKey'),
+    });
+    push(@fields, {
+        tab             => "ui",
+        fieldType       => "text",
+        name            => "recaptchaPrivateKey",
+        label           => $i18n->get('recaptcha private key'),
+        defaultValue    => $setting->get('recaptchaPrivateKey'),
+    });
 	# messaging settings
 	push(@fields, {
 		tab=>"messaging",
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Form_Captcha.pm b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Form_Captcha.pm
index 765e75cc1..9d08ffce3 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Form_Captcha.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Form_Captcha.pm
@@ -13,6 +13,14 @@ our $I18N = {
 		lastUpdated => 1131394072,
 	},
 
+    'captcha failure' => {
+        message => q|You need to type in the six characters you see in the image to prove that you are human.|,
+    },
+
+    'recaptcha failure' => {
+        message => q|You need to correctly enter the words you see in the image to prove that you are human.|,
+    },
+
 };
 
 1;
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm
index d25dbf04b..5342c4957 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm
@@ -4325,6 +4325,19 @@ Users may override this setting in their profile.
             lastUpdated => 1230930518,
         },
 
+        'use recaptcha' => {
+            message     => q{Use reCAPTCHA?}
+        },
+        'use recaptcha description' => {
+            message     => q{reCAPTCHA is a free CAPTCHA service that helps to digitize books.  It requires a key set generated for your domain, available from <a href="http://recaptcha.net/">http://recaptcha.net/</a>.}
+        },
+
+        'recaptcha private key' => {
+            message     => 'reCAPTCHA Private Key'
+        },
+        'recaptcha public key' => {
+            message     => 'reCAPTCHA Public Key'
+        },
 };
 
 1;