diff --git a/utils/auto_annotation/run_model.py b/utils/auto_annotation/run_model.py
index 111141fbc9c8..9df63528ed4d 100644
--- a/utils/auto_annotation/run_model.py
+++ b/utils/auto_annotation/run_model.py
@@ -36,9 +36,13 @@ def _get_kwargs():
     parser.add_argument('--show-image-delay', default=0, type=int, help='Displays the images for a set duration in milliseconds, default is until a key is pressed')
     parser.add_argument('--serialize', default=False, action='store_true', help='Try to serialize the result')
     parser.add_argument('--show-labels', action='store_true', help='Show the labels on the window')
-    
+
     return vars(parser.parse_args())
 
+def _init_django(settings):
+    import django
+    os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = settings
+    django.setup()
 
 def random_color():
     rgbl=[255,0,0]
@@ -63,10 +67,7 @@ def find_min_y(array):
     return array[index]
 
 def _get_docker_files(model_name: str, task_id: int):
-    os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'cvat.settings.development'
-
-    import django
-    django.setup()
+    _init_django('cvat.settings.development')
 
     from cvat.apps.auto_annotation.models import AnnotationModel
     from cvat.apps.engine.models import Task as TaskModel
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ def _get_docker_files(model_name: str, task_id: int):
     task = TaskModel(pk=task_id)
     model = AnnotationModel.objects.get(name=model_name)
 
-    images_dir = task.get_data_dirname()
+    images_dir = task.data.get_data_dirname()
 
     py_file = model.interpretation_file.name
     mapping_file = model.labelmap_file.name
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ def _get_docker_files(model_name: str, task_id: int):
     bin_file = model.weights_file.name
 
     image_files = []
+    images_dir = os.path.abspath(images_dir)
     for root, _, filenames in os.walk(images_dir):
         for filename in fnmatch.filter(filenames, '*.jpg'):
             image_files.append(os.path.join(root, filename))
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ def main():
 
     py_file = kwargs.get('py')
     bin_file = kwargs.get('bin')
-    mapping_file = kwargs.get('json')
+    mapping_file = os.path.abspath(kwargs.get('json'))
     xml_file = kwargs.get('xml')
 
     model_name = kwargs.get('model_name')
@@ -233,9 +235,7 @@ def main():
             cv2.destroyWindow(str(index))
 
     if kwargs['serialize']:
-        os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'cvat.settings.production'
-        import django
-        django.setup()
+        _init_django('cvat.settings.production')
 
         from cvat.apps.engine.serializers import LabeledDataSerializer
 
diff --git a/utils/cli/cli.py b/utils/cli/cli.py
index ed749d7e3312..9ac826b4bff4 100755
--- a/utils/cli/cli.py
+++ b/utils/cli/cli.py
@@ -28,9 +28,8 @@ def main():
     args = parser.parse_args()
     config_log(args.loglevel)
     with requests.Session() as session:
-        session.auth = args.auth
         api = CVAT_API_V1('%s:%s' % (args.server_host, args.server_port))
-        cli = CLI(session, api)
+        cli = CLI(session, api, args.auth)
         try:
             actions[args.action](cli, **args.__dict__)
         except (requests.exceptions.HTTPError,
diff --git a/utils/cli/core/core.py b/utils/cli/core/core.py
index b9ce5c0ff90c..f684608ea914 100644
--- a/utils/cli/core/core.py
+++ b/utils/cli/core/core.py
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@
 
 class CLI():
 
-    def __init__(self, session, api):
+    def __init__(self, session, api, credentials):
         self.api = api
         self.session = session
+        self.login(credentials)
 
     def tasks_data(self, task_id, resource_type, resources):
         """ Add local, remote, or shared files to an existing task. """
@@ -144,6 +145,14 @@ def tasks_upload(self, task_id, fileformat, filename, **kwargs):
             "with annotation file {} finished".format(filename)
         log.info(logger_string)
 
+    def login(self, credentials):
+        url = self.api.login
+        auth = {'username': credentials[0], 'password': credentials[1]}
+        response = self.session.post(url, auth)
+        response.raise_for_status()
+        if 'csrftoken' in response.cookies:
+            self.session.headers['X-CSRFToken'] = response.cookies['csrftoken']
+
 
 class CVAT_API_V1():
     """ Build parameterized API URLs """
@@ -174,3 +183,7 @@ def tasks_id_annotations_format(self, task_id, fileformat):
     def tasks_id_annotations_filename(self, task_id, name, fileformat):
         return self.tasks_id(task_id) + '/annotations?format={}&filename={}' \
             .format(fileformat, name)
+
+    @property
+    def login(self):
+        return self.base + 'auth/login'
diff --git a/utils/cli/tests/_test_cli.py b/utils/cli/tests/_test_cli.py
index 510b1ccc8c17..3977159cc657 100644
--- a/utils/cli/tests/_test_cli.py
+++ b/utils/cli/tests/_test_cli.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from PIL import Image
-from requests.auth import HTTPBasicAuth
 from rest_framework.test import APITestCase, RequestsClient
 
 from cvat.apps.engine.tests._test_rest_api import (create_db_users,
@@ -22,9 +21,9 @@ class TestCLI(APITestCase):
     @unittest.mock.patch('sys.stdout', new_callable=io.StringIO)
     def setUp(self, mock_stdout):
         self.client = RequestsClient()
-        self.client.auth = HTTPBasicAuth('admin', 'admin')
+        self.credentials = ('admin', 'admin')
         self.api = CVAT_API_V1('testserver')
-        self.cli = CLI(self.client, self.api)
+        self.cli = CLI(self.client, self.api, self.credentials)
         self.taskname = 'test_task'
         self.cli.tasks_create(self.taskname,
                               [{'name' : 'car'}, {'name': 'person'}],