diff --git a/libdevcore/CommonIO.cpp b/libdevcore/CommonIO.cpp
index 80ad7ecf9..10c53ddb9 100644
--- a/libdevcore/CommonIO.cpp
+++ b/libdevcore/CommonIO.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <fstream>
 #include "Exceptions.h"
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#include <termios.h>
+#endif
 using namespace std;
 using namespace dev;
 
@@ -126,6 +129,29 @@ std::string dev::getPassword(std::string const& _prompt)
 	std::getline(cin, ret);
 	return ret;
 #else
-	return getpass(_prompt.c_str());
+	struct termios oflags;
+	struct termios nflags;
+	char password[128];
+
+	// disable echo in the terminal
+	tcgetattr(fileno(stdin), &oflags);
+	nflags = oflags;
+	nflags.c_lflag &= ~ECHO;
+	nflags.c_lflag |= ECHONL;
+
+	if (tcsetattr(fileno(stdin), TCSANOW, &nflags) != 0)
+		BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(ExternalFunctionFailure("tcsetattr"));
+
+	printf("%s", _prompt.c_str());
+	if (!fgets(password, sizeof(password), stdin))
+		BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(ExternalFunctionFailure("fgets"));
+	password[strlen(password) - 1] = 0;
+
+	// restore terminal
+	if (tcsetattr(fileno(stdin), TCSANOW, &oflags) != 0) {
+		BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(ExternalFunctionFailure("tcsetattr"));
+	}
+
+	return password;
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/libdevcore/Exceptions.h b/libdevcore/Exceptions.h
index 36c624a71..025568efa 100644
--- a/libdevcore/Exceptions.h
+++ b/libdevcore/Exceptions.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ struct FileError: virtual Exception {};
 struct Overflow: virtual Exception {};
 struct InterfaceNotSupported: virtual Exception { public: InterfaceNotSupported(std::string _f): Exception("Interface " + _f + " not supported.") {} };
 struct FailedInvariant: virtual Exception {};
+struct ExternalFunctionFailure: virtual Exception { public: ExternalFunctionFailure(std::string _f): Exception("Function " + _f + "() failed.") {} };
 
 // error information to be added to exceptions
 using errinfo_invalidSymbol = boost::error_info<struct tag_invalidSymbol, char>;