diff --git a/evennia/web/utils/backends.py b/evennia/web/utils/backends.py
index 6365d9e90..5794dbd2d 100644
--- a/evennia/web/utils/backends.py
+++ b/evennia/web/utils/backends.py
@@ -3,16 +3,38 @@ from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 
 class CaseInsensitiveModelBackend(ModelBackend):
   """
-  By default ModelBackend does case _sensitive_ username authentication, which isn't what is
-  generally expected.  This backend supports case insensitive username authentication.
+  By default ModelBackend does case _sensitive_ username
+  authentication, which isn't what is generally expected.  This
+  backend supports case insensitive username authentication.
+
   """
-  def authenticate(self, username=None, password=None):
-    User = get_user_model()
-    try:
-      user = User.objects.get(username__iexact=username)
-      if user.check_password(password):
-        return user
+  def authenticate(self, username=None, password=None, autologin=None):
+      """
+      Custom authenticate with bypass for auto-logins
+
+      Args:
+          username (str, optional): Name of user to authenticate.
+          password (str, optional): Password of user
+          autologin (Player, optional): If given, assume this is
+            an already authenticated player and bypass authentication.
+      """
+      if autologin:
+          # Note: Setting .backend on player is critical in order to
+          # be allowed to call django.auth.login(player) later. This
+          # is necessary for the auto-login feature of the webclient,
+          # but it's important to make sure Django doesn't change this
+          # requirement or the name of the property down the line. /Griatch
+          autologin.backend = "evennia.web.utils.backends.CaseInsensitiveModelBackend"
+          return autologin
       else:
-        return None
-    except User.DoesNotExist:
-      return None
+          # In this case .backend will be assigned automatically
+          # somewhere along the # way.
+          Player = get_user_model()
+          try:
+            player = Player.objects.get(username__iexact=username)
+            if player.check_password(password):
+              return player
+            else:
+              return None
+          except Player.DoesNotExist:
+            return None
diff --git a/evennia/web/webclient/views.py b/evennia/web/webclient/views.py
index fadcf87bc..b4f6a3fc2 100644
--- a/evennia/web/webclient/views.py
+++ b/evennia/web/webclient/views.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ page and serve it eventual static content.
 """
 from __future__ import print_function
 from django.shortcuts import render
-from django.contrib.auth import login
+from django.contrib.auth import login, authenticate
 
 from evennia.players.models import PlayerDB
 from evennia.utils import logger
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ def _shared_login(request):
         # The webclient has previously registered a login to this browser_session
         player = PlayerDB.objects.get(id=sesslogin)
         try:
+            # calls our custom authenticate in web/utils/backends.py
+            player = authenticate(autologin=player)
             login(request, player)
         except AttributeError:
             logger.log_trace()
diff --git a/evennia/web/website/views.py b/evennia/web/website/views.py
index 2e6af3285..db3c86724 100644
--- a/evennia/web/website/views.py
+++ b/evennia/web/website/views.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ templates on the fly.
 """
 from django.contrib.admin.sites import site
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.contrib.auth import authenticate
 from django.contrib.admin.views.decorators import staff_member_required
 from django.shortcuts import render
 
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ def _shared_login(request):
         # The webclient has previously registered a login to this csession
         player = PlayerDB.objects.get(id=sesslogin)
         try:
+            # calls our custom authenticate, in web/utils/backend.py
+            authenticate(autologin=player)
             login(request, player)
         except AttributeError:
             logger.log_trace()