diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/ActionResults/HttpUnauthorizedResult.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/ActionResults/HttpUnauthorizedResult.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4a6bd9716
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/ActionResults/HttpUnauthorizedResult.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using Microsoft.AspNet.WebUtilities;
+
+namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Represents an <see cref="HttpUnauthorizedResult"/> that when
+    /// executed will produce an Unauthorized (401) response.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class HttpUnauthorizedResult : HttpStatusCodeResult
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Creates a new <see cref="HttpUnauthorizedResult"/> instance.
+        /// </summary>
+        public HttpUnauthorizedResult() : base(StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized)
+        {
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Controller.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Controller.cs
index 5a0030650a..fd12c596e4 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Controller.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Controller.cs
@@ -682,6 +682,16 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc
             return new FilePathResult(fileName, contentType) { FileDownloadName = fileDownloadName };
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Creates an <see cref="HttpUnauthorizedResult"/> that produces an Unauthorized (401) response.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns>The created <see cref="HttpUnauthorizedResult"/> for the response.</returns>
+        [NonAction]
+        public virtual HttpUnauthorizedResult HttpUnauthorized()
+        {
+            return new HttpUnauthorizedResult();
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Creates an <see cref="HttpNotFoundResult"/> that produces a Not Found (404) response.
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Filters/AuthorizationFilterAttribute.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Filters/AuthorizationFilterAttribute.cs
index 378a811e4a..8d265936ba 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Filters/AuthorizationFilterAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Filters/AuthorizationFilterAttribute.cs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc
 
         protected virtual void Fail([NotNull] AuthorizationContext context)
         {
-            context.Result = new HttpStatusCodeResult(StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized);
+            context.Result = new HttpUnauthorizedResult();
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ActionResults/HttpUnauthorizedResultTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ActionResults/HttpUnauthorizedResultTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1a7cdd1f4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ActionResults/HttpUnauthorizedResultTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using Microsoft.AspNet.WebUtilities;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc
+{
+    public class HttpUnauthorizedResultTests
+    {
+        [Fact]
+        public void HttpUnauthorizedResult_InitializesStatusCode()
+        {
+            // Arrange & act
+            var result = new HttpUnauthorizedResult();
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Equal(StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized, result.StatusCode);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ControllerTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ControllerTests.cs
index dd81d2e303..9ef9fab232 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ControllerTests.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/ControllerTests.cs
@@ -641,6 +641,19 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Test
             Assert.Equal("someDownloadName", result.FileDownloadName);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void HttpUnauthorized_SetsStatusCode()
+        {
+            // Arrange 
+            var controller = new TestableController();
+
+            // Act
+            var result = controller.HttpUnauthorized();
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.IsType<HttpUnauthorizedResult>(result);
+            Assert.Equal(StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized, result.StatusCode);
+        }
 
         [Fact]
         public void HttpNotFound_SetsStatusCode()
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/Filters/AuthorizeFilterTest.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/Filters/AuthorizeFilterTest.cs
index 997648b3ae..241b6dfd76 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/Filters/AuthorizeFilterTest.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/Filters/AuthorizeFilterTest.cs
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Test
                 services.AddInstance(authorizationService.Object)
                 );
 
-            authorizationContext.Result = new HttpStatusCodeResult(StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized);
+            authorizationContext.Result = new HttpUnauthorizedResult();
 
             // Act
             await authorizeFilter.OnAuthorizationAsync(authorizationContext);