diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/AuthController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/AuthController.php
index b0bf09ee..c45c0276 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/AuthController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/AuthController.php
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ use Option;
 use Session;
 use App\Events;
 use App\Models\User;
-use App\Models\UserModel;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use App\Exceptions\PrettyPageException;
 use App\Services\Repositories\UserRepository;
@@ -256,7 +255,7 @@ class AuthController extends Controller
         return \Response::png();
     }
 
-    private function checkCaptcha($request)
+    protected function checkCaptcha($request)
     {
         return (strtolower($request->input('captcha')) == strtolower(session('phrase')));
     }
diff --git a/app/Http/Middleware/CheckAuthenticated.php b/app/Http/Middleware/CheckAuthenticated.php
index 9c38d9bb..f648c7a4 100644
--- a/app/Http/Middleware/CheckAuthenticated.php
+++ b/app/Http/Middleware/CheckAuthenticated.php
@@ -13,10 +13,17 @@ use App\Exceptions\PrettyPageException;
 
 class CheckAuthenticated
 {
-    public function handle($request, \Closure $next, $return_user = false)
+    public function handle($request, \Closure $next, $returnUser = false)
     {
         if (Session::has('uid')) {
-            $user = app('users')->get(session('uid'));
+
+            if (!app()->bound('user.current')) {
+                // bind current user to container
+                $user = app('users')->get(session('uid'));
+                app()->instance('user.current', $user);
+            } else {
+                $user = app('user.current');
+            }
 
             if (session('token') != $user->getToken())
                 return redirect('auth/login')->with('msg', trans('auth.check.token'));
@@ -40,23 +47,20 @@ class CheckAuthenticated
 
                             return $next($request);
                         } else {
-                            echo View::make('auth.bind')->with('msg', trans('auth.validation.email'));
+                            return response()->view('auth.bind', ['msg' => trans('auth.bind.registered')]);
                         }
                     } else {
-                        echo View::make('auth.bind')->with('msg', trans('auth.bind.registered'));
+                        return response()->view('auth.bind', ['msg' => trans('auth.validation.email')]);
                     }
-                    exit;
                 }
-                View::show('auth.bind');
-                exit;
+
+                return response()->view('auth.bind');
             }
 
             event(new UserAuthenticated($user));
 
-            if ($return_user)
-                return $user;
+            return $returnUser ? $user : $next($request);
 
-            return $next($request);
         } else {
             return redirect('auth/login')->with('msg', trans('auth.check.anonymous'));
         }
diff --git a/app/Models/User.php b/app/Models/User.php
index add5fc13..caf6d9f8 100644
--- a/app/Models/User.php
+++ b/app/Models/User.php
@@ -103,18 +103,16 @@ class User extends Model
         $user = static::firstOrNew(['email' => $email]);
 
         // if the email is already registered
-        if ($user->uid)
-            return false;
-
-        // save to get uid
-        $user->save();
-
-        $user->password = static::encryptPassword($password, $user);
+        if ($user->uid) return false;
 
         // pass the user instance to the callback
         call_user_func($callback, $user);
 
-        // save again with password etc.
+        // save to get uid
+        $user->save();
+
+        // save again with password
+        $user->password = static::encryptPassword($password, $user);
         $user->save();
 
         return $user;