diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/_module.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/_module.js
index 69a4fe35c9..6b2d993fd5 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/_module.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/_module.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ angular.module('umbraco.interceptors', [])
 
         $httpProvider.interceptors.push('securityInterceptor');
         $httpProvider.interceptors.push('debugRequestInterceptor');
+        $httpProvider.interceptors.push('requiredHeadersInterceptor');
         $httpProvider.interceptors.push('doNotPostDollarVariablesOnPostRequestInterceptor');
         $httpProvider.interceptors.push('cultureRequestInterceptor');
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/requiredheaders.interceptor.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/requiredheaders.interceptor.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d96b86acd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/interceptors/requiredheaders.interceptor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+(function () {
+    'use strict';
+
+    /**
+     * Used to set required headers on all requests where necessary
+     * @param {any} $q
+     * @param {any} urlHelper
+     */
+    function requiredHeadersInterceptor($q, urlHelper) {
+        return {
+            //dealing with requests:
+            'request': function (config) {
+
+                // This is a standard header that should be sent for all ajax requests and is required for 
+                // how the server handles auth rejections, etc... see
+                // https://github.com/aspnet/AspNetKatana/blob/e2b18ec84ceab7ffa29d80d89429c9988ab40144/src/Microsoft.Owin.Security.Cookies/Provider/DefaultBehavior.cs
+                // https://brockallen.com/2013/10/27/using-cookie-authentication-middleware-with-web-api-and-401-response-codes/
+                config.headers["X-Requested-With"] = "XMLHttpRequest";
+
+                return config;
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    angular.module('umbraco.interceptors').factory('requiredHeadersInterceptor', requiredHeadersInterceptor);
+
+
+})();
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/user.service.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/user.service.js
index 413c7e81e5..3e8975eb0c 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/user.service.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/user.service.js
@@ -241,9 +241,9 @@ angular.module('umbraco.services')
                         setCurrentUser(data);
 
                         deferred.resolve(currentUser);
-                    }, function () {
+                    }, function (err) {
                         //it failed, so they are not logged in
-                        deferred.reject();
+                        deferred.reject(err);
                     });
 
                 return deferred.promise;
@@ -266,9 +266,9 @@ angular.module('umbraco.services')
                             setCurrentUser(data);
 
                             return $q.when(currentUser);
-                        }, function () {
+                        }, function (err) {
                             //it failed, so they are not logged in
-                            return $q.reject(currentUser);
+                            return $q.reject(err);
                         });
 
                 }