diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherFactories.java b/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherFactories.java
index 8b53b89aa2..32b8ef009f 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherFactories.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherFactories.java
@@ -134,8 +134,15 @@ final class AetherFactories {
 	private static File userSettings() {
 		String user = fromSystemPropOrEnv(MAVEN_USER_SETTINGS_LOCATION);
 		if (user == null) {
-			return new File(new File(System.getProperty("user.home")).getAbsoluteFile(),
+			File file = new File(new File(System.getProperty("user.home")).getAbsoluteFile(),
 					File.separator + ".m2" + File.separator + "settings.xml");
+			if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
+				log.debug("No custom maven user settings provided, will use [" + file + "]");
+			}
+			return file;
+		}
+		if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
+			log.debug("Custom location provided for user settings [" + user + "]");
 		}
 		return new File(user);
 	}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloader.java b/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloader.java
index 843f921900..1aa8a0aa4c 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloader.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloader.java
@@ -178,16 +178,22 @@ public class AetherStubDownloader implements StubDownloader {
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(stubRunnerOptions.serverId)) {
 			Server stubServer = this.settings.getServer(stubRunnerOptions.serverId);
 			if (stubServer != null) {
+				if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
+					log.debug("Custom server id [" + stubServer.getId() + "] passed will resolve credentials");
+				}
 				SettingsDecryptionRequest settingsDecryptionRequest = new DefaultSettingsDecryptionRequest(
 						stubServer);
 				String stubServerPassword = new MavenSettings().createSettingsDecrypter()
 						.decrypt(settingsDecryptionRequest).getServer().getPassword();
-				return new AuthenticationBuilder().addUsername(stubServer.getUsername())
-						.addPassword(stubServerPassword).build();
+				return buildAuthentication(stubServerPassword, stubServer.getUsername());
 			}
 		}
-		return new AuthenticationBuilder().addUsername(stubRunnerOptions.username)
-				.addPassword(stubRunnerOptions.password).build();
+		return buildAuthentication(stubRunnerOptions.password, stubRunnerOptions.username);
+	}
+
+	Authentication buildAuthentication(String stubServerPassword, String username) {
+		return new AuthenticationBuilder().addUsername(username)
+				.addPassword(stubServerPassword).build();
 	}
 
 	private File unpackedJar(String resolvedVersion, String stubsGroup,
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloaderSpec.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloaderSpec.groovy
index 5b7ea6b86f..a2db5101da 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloaderSpec.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/stubrunner/AetherStubDownloaderSpec.groovy
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.cloud.contract.stubrunner
 
 import io.specto.hoverfly.junit.HoverflyRule
 import org.eclipse.aether.RepositorySystemSession
+import org.eclipse.aether.repository.Authentication
 import org.junit.Rule
 import org.junit.rules.TemporaryFolder
 import spock.lang.Specification
@@ -110,10 +111,18 @@ class AetherStubDownloaderSpec extends Specification {
 		and:
 			StubRunnerOptions stubRunnerOptions = new StubRunnerOptionsBuilder()
 					.withStubsMode(StubRunnerProperties.StubsMode.REMOTE)
-					.withStubRepositoryRoot("file://" + folder.newFolder().absolutePath)
+					.withStubRepositoryRoot(AetherStubDownloaderSpec.getResource("/m2repo/repository").toString())
 					.withServerId("my-server")
 					.build()
-			AetherStubDownloader aetherStubDownloader = new AetherStubDownloader(stubRunnerOptions)
+			AetherStubDownloader aetherStubDownloader = new AetherStubDownloader(stubRunnerOptions) {
+				@Override
+				Authentication buildAuthentication(String stubServerPassword, String username) {
+					assert username == "admin"
+					// hashed {ha7QXbuAf9wH5uVeYJGWg+SC8fdkufPVfdtpTK8Yk3E=}
+					assert stubServerPassword == "mypassword"
+					return super.buildAuthentication(stubServerPassword, username)
+				}
+			}
 
 		when:
 			def jar = aetherStubDownloader.downloadAndUnpackStubJar(