diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index 9cf4551bde..aa05f0ad5e 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -85,36 +85,12 @@
 		    header('HTTP/1.0 401 Unauthorized');
 		    die('This api requires login');
 		}
-		$_SESSION['uid'] = $record['uid'];
-		$_SESSION['theme'] = $record['theme'];
-		$_SESSION['authenticated'] = 1;
-		$_SESSION['page_flags'] = $record['page-flags'];
-		$_SESSION['my_url'] = $a->get_baseurl() . '/profile/' . $record['nickname'];
-		$_SESSION['addr'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
 
-		//notice( t("Welcome back ") . $record['username'] . EOL);
-		$a->user = $record;
-
-		if(strlen($a->user['timezone'])) {
-			date_default_timezone_set($a->user['timezone']);
-			$a->timezone = $a->user['timezone'];
-		}
-
-		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %s AND `self` = 1 LIMIT 1",
-			intval($_SESSION['uid']));
-		if(count($r)) {
-			$a->contact = $r[0];
-			$a->cid = $r[0]['id'];
-			$_SESSION['cid'] = $a->cid;
-		}
-		q("UPDATE `user` SET `login_date` = '%s' WHERE `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
-			dbesc(datetime_convert()),
-			intval($_SESSION['uid'])
-		);
+		require_once('include/security.php');
+		authenticate_success($record);
 
 		call_hooks('logged_in', $a->user);
 
-		header('X-Account-Management-Status: active; name="' . $a->user['username'] . '"; id="' . $a->user['nickname'] .'"');
 	}
 	
 	/**************************
@@ -125,7 +101,7 @@
 		foreach ($API as $p=>$info){
 			if (strpos($a->query_string, $p)===0){
 				$called_api= explode("/",$p);
-				#unset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']);
+				//unset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']);
 				if ($info['auth']===true && local_user()===false) {
 						api_login($a);
 				}
diff --git a/include/auth.php b/include/auth.php
index 45c71c66b3..fd1c638473 100644
--- a/include/auth.php
+++ b/include/auth.php
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 
 
+require_once('include/security.php');
+
 function nuke_session() {
 	unset($_SESSION['authenticated']);
 	unset($_SESSION['uid']);
@@ -58,41 +60,7 @@ if((isset($_SESSION)) && (x($_SESSION,'authenticated')) && ((! (x($_POST,'auth-p
 			goaway(z_root());
 		}
 
-		// initialise user environment
-
-		$a->user = $r[0];
-		$_SESSION['theme'] = $a->user['theme'];
-		$_SESSION['page_flags'] = $a->user['page-flags'];
-
-		$member_since = strtotime($a->user['register_date']);
-		if(time() < ($member_since + ( 60 * 60 * 24 * 14)))
-			$_SESSION['new_member'] = true;
-		else
-			$_SESSION['new_member'] = false;
-
-		if(strlen($a->user['timezone'])) {
-			date_default_timezone_set($a->user['timezone']);
-			$a->timezone = $a->user['timezone'];
-		}
-
-		$_SESSION['my_url'] = $a->get_baseurl() . '/profile/' . $a->user['nickname'];
-
-		$r = q("SELECT `uid`,`username` FROM `user` WHERE `password` = '%s' AND `email` = '%s'",
-			dbesc($a->user['password']),
-			dbesc($a->user['email'])
-		);
-		if(count($r))
-			$a->identities = $r;
-
-		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 1 LIMIT 1",
-			intval($_SESSION['uid']));
-		if(count($r)) {
-			$a->contact = $r[0];
-			$a->cid = $r[0]['id'];
-			$_SESSION['cid'] = $a->cid;
-
-		}
-		header('X-Account-Management-Status: active; name="' . $a->user['username'] . '"; id="' . $a->user['nickname'] .'"');
+		authenticate_success($r[0]);
 	}
 }
 else {
@@ -202,65 +170,9 @@ else {
 			goaway(z_root());
   		}
 
-		$_SESSION['uid'] = $record['uid'];
-		$_SESSION['theme'] = $record['theme'];
-		$_SESSION['authenticated'] = 1;
-		$_SESSION['page_flags'] = $record['page-flags'];
-		$_SESSION['my_url'] = $a->get_baseurl() . '/profile/' . $record['nickname'];
-		$_SESSION['addr'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
+		// if we haven't failed up this point, log them in.
 
-		$a->user = $record;
-
-		if($a->user['login_date'] === '0000-00-00 00:00:00') {
-			$_SESSION['return_url'] = 'profile_photo/new';
-			$a->module = 'profile_photo';
-			info( t("Welcome ") . $a->user['username'] . EOL);
-			info( t('Please upload a profile photo.') . EOL);
-		}
-		else
-			info( t("Welcome back ") . $a->user['username'] . EOL);
-
-
-		$member_since = strtotime($a->user['register_date']);
-		if(time() < ($member_since + ( 60 * 60 * 24 * 14)))
-			$_SESSION['new_member'] = true;
-		else
-			$_SESSION['new_member'] = false;
-
-		if(strlen($a->user['timezone'])) {
-			date_default_timezone_set($a->user['timezone']);
-			$a->timezone = $a->user['timezone'];
-		}
-
-		$r = q("SELECT `uid`,`username` FROM `user` WHERE `password` = '%s' AND `email` = '%s'",
-			dbesc($a->user['password']),
-			dbesc($a->user['email'])
-		);
-		if(count($r))
-			$a->identities = $r;
-
-
-		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 1 LIMIT 1",
-			intval($_SESSION['uid']));
-		if(count($r)) {
-			$a->contact = $r[0];
-			$a->cid = $r[0]['id'];
-			$_SESSION['cid'] = $a->cid;
-		}
-
-		$l = get_language();
-
-		q("UPDATE `user` SET `login_date` = '%s', `language` = '%s' WHERE `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
-			dbesc(datetime_convert()),
-			dbesc($l),
-			intval($_SESSION['uid'])
-		);
-
-		call_hooks('logged_in', $a->user);
-
-		header('X-Account-Management-Status: active; name="' . $a->user['username'] . '"; id="' . $a->user['nickname'] .'"');
-		if(($a->module !== 'home') && isset($_SESSION['return_url']))
-			goaway($a->get_baseurl() . '/' . $_SESSION['return_url']);
+		authenticate_success($record, true, true);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/include/security.php b/include/security.php
index 684a88a516..f3f16e1bc1 100644
--- a/include/security.php
+++ b/include/security.php
@@ -1,5 +1,76 @@
 <?php
 
+function authenticate_success($user_record, $login_initial = false, $interactive = false) {
+
+	$a = get_app();
+
+	$_SESSION['uid'] = $user_record['uid'];
+	$_SESSION['theme'] = $user_record['theme'];
+	$_SESSION['authenticated'] = 1;
+	$_SESSION['page_flags'] = $user_record['page-flags'];
+	$_SESSION['my_url'] = $a->get_baseurl() . '/profile/' . $user_record['nickname'];
+	$_SESSION['addr'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
+
+	$a->user = $user_record;
+
+	if($interactive) {
+		if($a->user['login_date'] === '0000-00-00 00:00:00') {
+			$_SESSION['return_url'] = 'profile_photo/new';
+			$a->module = 'profile_photo';
+			info( t("Welcome ") . $a->user['username'] . EOL);
+			info( t('Please upload a profile photo.') . EOL);
+		}
+		else
+			info( t("Welcome back ") . $a->user['username'] . EOL);
+	}
+
+	$member_since = strtotime($a->user['register_date']);
+	if(time() < ($member_since + ( 60 * 60 * 24 * 14)))
+		$_SESSION['new_member'] = true;
+	else
+		$_SESSION['new_member'] = false;
+	if(strlen($a->user['timezone'])) {
+		date_default_timezone_set($a->user['timezone']);
+		$a->timezone = $a->user['timezone'];
+	}
+
+	$r = q("SELECT `uid`,`username` FROM `user` WHERE `password` = '%s' AND `email` = '%s'",
+		dbesc($a->user['password']),
+		dbesc($a->user['email'])
+	);
+	if(count($r))
+		$a->identities = $r;
+
+
+	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 1 LIMIT 1",
+		intval($_SESSION['uid']));
+	if(count($r)) {
+		$a->contact = $r[0];
+		$a->cid = $r[0]['id'];
+		$_SESSION['cid'] = $a->cid;
+	}
+
+	header('X-Account-Management-Status: active; name="' . $a->user['username'] . '"; id="' . $a->user['nickname'] .'"');
+
+	if($login_initial) {
+		$l = get_language();
+
+		q("UPDATE `user` SET `login_date` = '%s', `language` = '%s' WHERE `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
+			dbesc(datetime_convert()),
+			dbesc($l),
+			intval($_SESSION['uid'])
+		);
+
+		call_hooks('logged_in', $a->user);
+
+		if(($a->module !== 'home') && isset($_SESSION['return_url']))
+			goaway($a->get_baseurl() . '/' . $_SESSION['return_url']);
+	}
+
+}
+
+
+
 function can_write_wall(&$a,$owner) {
 
 	static $verified = 0;
diff --git a/mod/openid.php b/mod/openid.php
index b8734f0234..df074b299f 100644
--- a/mod/openid.php
+++ b/mod/openid.php
@@ -65,59 +65,13 @@ function openid_content(&$a) {
   			}
 			unset($_SESSION['openid']);
 
-			$_SESSION['uid'] = $r[0]['uid'];
-			$_SESSION['theme'] = $r[0]['theme'];
-			$_SESSION['authenticated'] = 1;
-			$_SESSION['page_flags'] = $r[0]['page-flags'];
-			$_SESSION['my_url'] = $a->get_baseurl() . '/profile/' . $r[0]['nickname'];
+			require_once('include/security.php');
+			authenticate_success($r[0],true,true);
 
-			$a->user = $r[0];
+			// just in case there was no return url set 
+			// and we fell through
 
-			if($a->user['login_date'] === '0000-00-00 00:00:00') {
-				$_SESSION['return_url'] = 'profile_photo/new';
-				$a->module = 'profile_photo';
-				info( t("Welcome ") . $a->user['username'] . EOL);
-				info( t('Please upload a profile photo.') . EOL);
-			}
-			else
-				info( t("Welcome back ") . $a->user['username'] . EOL);
-
-
-			if(strlen($a->user['timezone'])) {
-				date_default_timezone_set($a->user['timezone']);
-				$a->timezone = $a->user['timezone'];
-			}
-
-			$r = q("SELECT `uid`,`username` FROM `user` WHERE `password` = '%s' AND `email` = '%s'",
-				dbesc($a->user['password']),
-				dbesc($a->user['email'])
-			);
-			if(count($r))
-				$a->identities = $r;
-
-			$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 1 LIMIT 1",
-				intval($_SESSION['uid'])
-			);
-			if(count($r)) {
-				$a->contact = $r[0];
-				$a->cid = $r[0]['id'];
-				$_SESSION['cid'] = $a->cid;
-			}
-
-			$l = get_language();
-
-			q("UPDATE `user` SET `login_date` = '%s', `language` = '%s' WHERE `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
-				dbesc(datetime_convert()),
-				dbesc($l),
-				intval($_SESSION['uid'])
-			);
-
-
-			header('X-Account-Management-Status: active; name="' . $a->user['username'] . '"; id="' . $a->user['nickname'] .'"');
-			if(($a->module !== 'home') && isset($_SESSION['return_url']))
-				goaway($a->get_baseurl() . '/' . $_SESSION['return_url']);
-			else
-				goaway(z_root());
+			goaway(z_root());
 		}
 	}
 	notice( t('Login failed.') . EOL);