diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Api/ConnectService.cs b/MediaBrowser.Api/ConnectService.cs
index 4bcd33d9e3..494a6e756c 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Api/ConnectService.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Api/ConnectService.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ using ServiceStack;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using MediaBrowser.Controller.Session;
 
 namespace MediaBrowser.Api
 {
@@ -76,12 +77,12 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api
     public class ConnectService : BaseApiService
     {
         private readonly IConnectManager _connectManager;
-        private readonly IUserManager _userManager;
+        private readonly ISessionManager _sessionManager;
 
-        public ConnectService(IConnectManager connectManager, IUserManager userManager)
+        public ConnectService(IConnectManager connectManager, ISessionManager sessionManager)
         {
             _connectManager = connectManager;
-            _userManager = userManager;
+            _sessionManager = sessionManager;
         }
 
         public object Post(CreateConnectLink request)
@@ -141,10 +142,33 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Api
                 throw new ResourceNotFoundException();
             }
 
+            var auth = AuthorizationContext.GetAuthorizationInfo(Request);
+
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(auth.Client))
+            {
+                return ToOptimizedResult(new ConnectAuthenticationExchangeResult
+                {
+                    AccessToken = user.ConnectAccessKey,
+                    LocalUserId = user.Id.ToString("N")
+                });
+            }
+
+            var session = await _sessionManager.CreateNewSession(new AuthenticationRequest
+            {
+                App = auth.Client,
+                AppVersion = auth.Version,
+                DeviceId = auth.DeviceId,
+                DeviceName = auth.Device,
+                RemoteEndPoint = Request.RemoteIp,
+                Username = user.Name,
+                UserId = user.Id.ToString("N")
+
+            }).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
             return ToOptimizedResult(new ConnectAuthenticationExchangeResult
             {
-                AccessToken = user.ConnectAccessKey,
-                LocalUserId = user.Id.ToString("N")
+                AccessToken = session.AccessToken,
+                LocalUserId = session.User.Id
             });
         }
     }
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Controller/Session/AuthenticationRequest.cs b/MediaBrowser.Controller/Session/AuthenticationRequest.cs
index bfd7f928bd..362f5b2b95 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Controller/Session/AuthenticationRequest.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Controller/Session/AuthenticationRequest.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Controller.Session
     public class AuthenticationRequest
     {
         public string Username { get; set; }
+        public string UserId { get; set; }
         public string PasswordSha1 { get; set; }
         public string PasswordMd5 { get; set; }
         public string App { get; set; }
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionManager.cs b/MediaBrowser.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionManager.cs
index b21fcddd41..afcdf9d903 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionManager.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Server.Implementations/Session/SessionManager.cs
@@ -1341,8 +1341,19 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Server.Implementations.Session
 
         private async Task<AuthenticationResult> AuthenticateNewSessionInternal(AuthenticationRequest request, bool enforcePassword)
         {
-            var user = _userManager.Users
-                .FirstOrDefault(i => string.Equals(request.Username, i.Name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+            User user = null;
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.UserId))
+            {
+                var idGuid = new Guid(request.UserId);
+                user = _userManager.Users
+                    .FirstOrDefault(i => i.Id == idGuid);
+            }
+
+            if (user == null)
+            {
+                user = _userManager.Users
+                    .FirstOrDefault(i => string.Equals(request.Username, i.Name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+            }
 
             if (user != null && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(request.DeviceId))
             {