diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a496ed42f6..645c519fe6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
       "cookie": "0.0.6",
       "connect-redis": "1.4.5",
       "path": "0.4.9",
-      "crypto": "0.0.3"
+      "crypto": "0.0.3",
+      "passport": "0.1.16",
+      "passport-local": "0.1.6"
     },
   "devDependencies": {},
   "optionalDependencies": {},
diff --git a/public/templates/login.tpl b/public/templates/login.tpl
index e9a96e7862..c430b90f17 100644
--- a/public/templates/login.tpl
+++ b/public/templates/login.tpl
@@ -4,33 +4,10 @@
 	    <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="alert">&times;</button>
 	    <strong>Failed Login Attempt</strong> <p></p>
     </div>
-	<label>Username</label><input type="text" placeholder="Enter Username" id="username" /><br />
-	<label>Password</label><input type="password" placeholder="Enter Password" id="password" /><br />
-	<button class="btn btn-primary" id="login" type="submit">Login</button> &nbsp;
+	<form method="post" action="/login">
+		<label>Username</label><input type="text" placeholder="Enter Username" name="username" id="username" /><br />
+		<label>Password</label><input type="password" placeholder="Enter Password" name="password" id="password" /><br />
+		<button class="btn btn-primary" id="login" type="submit">Login</button> &nbsp;
+	</form>
 	<a href="/reset">Forgot Password?</a>
-</div>
-<script type="text/javascript">
-(function() {
-	var username = document.getElementById('username'),
-		password = document.getElementById('password'),
-		login = document.getElementById('login'),
-		error = document.getElementById('error');
-
-	login.onclick = function() {
-		socket.emit('user.login', {
-			username: username.value,
-			password: password.value
-		});
-	};
-
-	ajaxify.register_events(['user.login']);
-	socket.on('user.login', function(data) {
-		if (data.status === 0) {
-			jQuery('#error').show(50);
-			jQuery('#error p').html(data.message);
-		} else {
-			document.location.href = '/';
-		}
-	});
-}());
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index a743a39abe..6be93a4e99 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -76,6 +76,51 @@ var	config = require('../config.js'),
 		});
 	};
 
+	User.loginViaLocal = function(username, password, next) {
+		if (!username || !password) {
+			return next({
+				status: 'error',
+				message: 'invalid-user'
+			});
+		} else {
+			RDB.get('username:' + username + ':uid', function(uid) {
+				if (uid == null) {
+					return next({
+						status: 'error',
+						message: 'invalid-user'
+					});
+				}
+
+				RDB.get('uid:' + uid + ':password', function(user_password) {
+					if (password == user_password) {
+						// Start, replace, or extend a session
+						// RDB.get('sess:' + user.sessionID, function(session) {
+						// 	if (session !== user.sessionID) {
+						// 		RDB.set('sess:' + user.sessionID + ':uid', uid, 60*60*24*14);	// Login valid for two weeks
+						// 		RDB.set('uid:' + uid + ':session', user.sessionID, 60*60*24*14);
+						// 	} else {
+						// 		RDB.expire('sess:' + user.sessionID + ':uid', 60*60*24*14);	// Defer expiration to two weeks from now
+						// 		RDB.expire('uid:' + uid + ':session', 60*60*24*14);
+						// 	}
+						// });
+
+						next({
+							status: "ok",
+							user: {
+								uid: uid
+							}
+						});
+					} else {
+						next({
+							status: 'error',
+							message: 'invalid-password'
+						});
+					}
+				});
+			});
+		}
+	}
+
 	User.logout = function(sessionID, callback) {
 		User.get_uid_by_session(sessionID, function(uid) {
 			if (uid) {
@@ -157,6 +202,14 @@ var	config = require('../config.js'),
 		RDB.get('sess:' + session + ':uid', callback);
 	};
 
+	User.session_ping = function(sessionID, uid) {
+		// Start, replace, or extend a session
+		RDB.get('sess:' + sessionID, function(session) {
+			RDB.set('sess:' + sessionID + ':uid', uid, 60*60*24*14);	// Login valid for two weeks
+			RDB.set('uid:' + uid + ':session', sessionID, 60*60*24*14);
+		});
+	}
+
 	User.reset = {
 		validate: function(code, callback) {
 			if (typeof callback !== 'function') callback = undefined;
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index e895b72200..13f626c67e 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -5,7 +5,26 @@ var express = require('express'),
 	path = require('path'),
     config = require('../config.js'),
     redis = require('redis'),
-	redisServer = redis.createClient(config.redis.port, config.redis.host, config.redis.options);
+	redisServer = redis.createClient(config.redis.port, config.redis.host, config.redis.options),
+	passport = require('passport'),
+	passportLocal = require('passport-local').Strategy;
+
+passport.use(new passportLocal(function(user, password, next) {
+	global.modules.user.loginViaLocal(user, password, function(login) {
+		if (login.status === 'ok') next(null, login.user);
+		else next(null, false, login);
+	});
+}));
+
+passport.serializeUser(function(user, done) {
+	done(null, user.uid);
+});
+
+passport.deserializeUser(function(uid, done) {
+	done(null, {
+		uid: uid
+	});
+});
 
 (function(app) {
 	var templates = global.templates;
@@ -32,26 +51,34 @@ var express = require('express'),
 		secret: config.secret,
 		key: 'express.sid'
 	}));
+	app.use(passport.initialize());
+	app.use(passport.session());
 	app.use(function(req, res, next) {
 		// Don't bother with session handling for API requests
 		if (/^\/api\//.test(req.url)) return next();
 
-		if (req.session.uid === undefined) {
-			console.log('info: [Auth] First load, retrieving uid...');
-			global.modules.user.get_uid_by_session(req.sessionID, function(uid) {
-				if (uid !== null) {
-					req.session.uid = uid;
-					console.log('info: [Auth] uid ' + req.session.uid + ' found. Welcome back.');
-				} else {
-					req.session.uid = 0;
-					console.log('info: [Auth] No login session found.');
-				}
-			});
-		} else {
-			// console.log('SESSION: ' + req.sessionID);
-			// console.log('info: [Auth] Ping from uid ' + req.session.uid);
+		if (req.user && req.user.uid) {
+			console.log('** YOU ARE LOGGED IN AS UID: ' + req.user.uid + ' ***');
+			global.modules.user.session_ping(req.sessionID, req.user.uid);
 		}
 
+		// if (req.session.uid === undefined) {
+		// 	console.log('info: [Auth] First load, retrieving uid...');
+			
+		// 	global.modules.user.get_uid_by_session(req.sessionID, function(uid) {
+		// 		if (uid !== null) {
+		// 			req.session.uid = uid;
+		// 			console.log('info: [Auth] uid ' + req.session.uid + ' found. Welcome back.');
+		// 		} else {
+		// 			req.session.uid = 0;
+		// 			console.log('info: [Auth] No login session found.');
+		// 		}
+		// 	});
+		// } else {
+		// 	// console.log('SESSION: ' + req.sessionID);
+		// 	// console.log('info: [Auth] Ping from uid ' + req.session.uid);
+		// }
+
 		// (Re-)register the session as active
 		global.modules.user.active.register(req.sessionID);
 
@@ -100,16 +127,17 @@ var express = require('express'),
 		res.send(templates['header'] + templates['login'] + templates['footer']);
 	});
 
+	app.post('/login', passport.authenticate('local', {
+		successRedirect: '/',
+		failureRedirect: '/login'
+	}));
+
 	app.get('/logout', function(req, res) {
 		console.log('info: [Auth] Session ' + res.sessionID + ' logout (uid: ' + global.uid + ')');
 		global.modules.user.logout(req.sessionID, function(logout) {
-			if (logout === true) {
-				delete(req.session.uid);
-				req.session.destroy();
-			}
+			req.logout();
+			res.send(templates['header'] + templates['logout'] + templates['footer']);
 		});
-
-		res.send(templates['header'] + templates['logout'] + templates['footer']);
 	});
 
 	app.get('/reset/:code', function(req, res) {
diff --git a/src/websockets.js b/src/websockets.js
index ba6786fc80..a83fea5785 100644
--- a/src/websockets.js
+++ b/src/websockets.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var	SocketIO = require('socket.io').listen(global.server),
 	cookie = require('cookie'),
-	connect = require('connect');
+	connect = require('connect'),
+	config = require('../config.js');
 
 (function(io) {
 	var	modules = null,
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ var	SocketIO = require('socket.io').listen(global.server),
 	io.set('authorization', function(handshakeData, accept) {
 		if (handshakeData.headers.cookie) {
 			handshakeData.cookie = cookie.parse(handshakeData.headers.cookie);
-			handshakeData.sessionID = connect.utils.parseSignedCookie(handshakeData.cookie['express.sid'], 'nodebb');
+			handshakeData.sessionID = connect.utils.parseSignedCookie(handshakeData.cookie['express.sid'], config.secret);
 
 			if (handshakeData.cookie['express.sid'] == handshakeData.sessionID) {
 				return accept('Cookie is invalid.', false);