diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/UriExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/UriExtensions.cs
index 53ca85e0a8..e5de22456b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/UriExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/UriExtensions.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using System;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Text;
+using Umbraco.Core.Configuration;
 using Umbraco.Core.IO;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/UmbracoAuthorizedController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/UmbracoAuthorizedController.cs
index ae62f7acee..0f99a6c6c7 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/UmbracoAuthorizedController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Mvc/UmbracoAuthorizedController.cs
@@ -20,20 +20,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Mvc
 	[UmbracoAuthorize]
     public abstract class UmbracoAuthorizedController : UmbracoController
 	{
-
-        private User _user;
         private bool _userisValidated = false;
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// The current user ID
-        /// </summary>
-        private int _uid = 0;
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// The page timeout in seconds.
-        /// </summary>
-        private long _timeout = 0;
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns the currently logged in Umbraco User
         /// </summary>
@@ -41,40 +29,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Mvc
         {
             get
             {
-                if (!_userisValidated) ValidateUser();
-                return _user;
-            }
-        }
-
-        private void ValidateUser()
-        {
-            if ((UmbracoContext.Security.UmbracoUserContextId != ""))
-            {
-                _uid = UmbracoContext.Security.GetUserId(UmbracoContext.Security.UmbracoUserContextId);
-                _timeout = UmbracoContext.Security.GetTimeout(UmbracoContext.Security.UmbracoUserContextId);
-
-                if (_timeout > DateTime.Now.Ticks)
+                //throw exceptions if not valid (true)
+                if (!_userisValidated)
                 {
-                    _user = global::umbraco.BusinessLogic.User.GetUser(_uid);
-
-                    // Check for console access
-                    if (_user.Disabled || (_user.NoConsole && GlobalSettings.RequestIsInUmbracoApplication(HttpContext) && !GlobalSettings.RequestIsLiveEditRedirector(HttpContext)))
-                    {
-                        throw new ArgumentException("You have no priviledges to the umbraco console. Please contact your administrator");
-                    }
+                    Security.ValidateCurrentUser(HttpContext, true);
                     _userisValidated = true;
-                    UmbracoContext.Security.UpdateLogin(_timeout);
                 }
-                else
-                {
-                    throw new ArgumentException("User has timed out!!");
-                }
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                throw new InvalidOperationException("The user has no umbraco contextid - try logging in");
-            }
 
+                return Security.CurrentUser;
+            }
         }
 
 	}
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoApiController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoApiController.cs
index acbf82f161..b8ba3f9a7b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoApiController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoApiController.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Web;
 using System.Web.Http;
 using Umbraco.Core;
 using Umbraco.Core.Services;
@@ -22,6 +23,29 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.WebApi
             Umbraco = new UmbracoHelper(umbracoContext);
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Tries to retreive the current HttpContext if one exists.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        protected Attempt<HttpContextBase> TryGetHttpContext()
+        {
+            object context;
+            if (Request.Properties.TryGetValue("MS_HttpContext", out context))
+            {
+                var httpContext = context as HttpContextBase;
+                if (httpContext != null)
+                {
+                    return new Attempt<HttpContextBase>(true, httpContext);
+                }
+            }
+            if (HttpContext.Current != null)
+            {
+                return new Attempt<HttpContextBase>(true, new HttpContextWrapper(HttpContext.Current));
+            }
+
+            return Attempt<HttpContextBase>.False;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns the current ApplicationContext
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoAuthorizedApiController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoAuthorizedApiController.cs
index 9101e3ac66..d0ede6fcda 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoAuthorizedApiController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/UmbracoAuthorizedApiController.cs
@@ -19,20 +19,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.WebApi
             : base(umbracoContext)
         {
         }
-
-        private User _user;
+        
         private bool _userisValidated = false;
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// The current user ID
-        /// </summary>
-        private int _uid = 0;
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// The page timeout in seconds.
-        /// </summary>
-        private long _timeout = 0;
-
+        
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns the currently logged in Umbraco User
         /// </summary>
@@ -40,40 +29,19 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.WebApi
         {
             get
             {
-                if (!_userisValidated) ValidateUser();
-                return _user;
-            }
-        }
-
-        private void ValidateUser()
-        {
-            if ((UmbracoContext.Security.UmbracoUserContextId != ""))
-            {
-                _uid = UmbracoContext.Security.GetUserId(UmbracoContext.Security.UmbracoUserContextId);
-                _timeout = UmbracoContext.Security.GetTimeout(UmbracoContext.Security.UmbracoUserContextId);
-
-                if (_timeout > DateTime.Now.Ticks)
+                //throw exceptions if not valid (true)
+                if (!_userisValidated)
                 {
-                    _user = global::umbraco.BusinessLogic.User.GetUser(_uid);
-
-                    // Check for console access
-                    if (_user.Disabled || (_user.NoConsole && GlobalSettings.RequestIsInUmbracoApplication(HttpContext.Current) && !GlobalSettings.RequestIsLiveEditRedirector(HttpContext.Current)))
-                    {
-                        throw new ArgumentException("You have no priviledges to the umbraco console. Please contact your administrator");
-                    }
+                    var ctx = TryGetHttpContext();
+                    if (ctx.Success == false) 
+                        throw new InvalidOperationException("To get a current user, this method must occur in a web request");
+                    Security.ValidateCurrentUser(ctx.Result, true);
                     _userisValidated = true;
-                    UmbracoContext.Security.UpdateLogin(_timeout);
                 }
-                else
-                {
-                    throw new ArgumentException("User has timed out!!");
-                }
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                throw new InvalidOperationException("The user has no umbraco contextid - try logging in");
-            }
 
+                return Security.CurrentUser;
+            }
         }
+
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file