diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore/DefaultHttpContext.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore/DefaultHttpContext.cs
index 0525f0cd6c..dd114e9e8b 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore/DefaultHttpContext.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore/DefaultHttpContext.cs
@@ -54,7 +54,16 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore
 
         public override ClaimsPrincipal User
         {
-            get { return HttpAuthentication.User; }
+            get
+            {
+                var user = HttpAuthentication.User;
+                if (user == null)
+                {
+                    user = new ClaimsPrincipal(new ClaimsIdentity());
+                    HttpAuthentication.User = user;
+                }
+                return user;
+            }
             set { HttpAuthentication.User = value; }
         }
 
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/DefaultHttpContextTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/DefaultHttpContextTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4eb0b87d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/DefaultHttpContextTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.Security.Claims;
+using System.Linq;
+using Microsoft.AspNet.Abstractions;
+using Microsoft.AspNet.FeatureModel;
+using Microsoft.AspNet.HttpFeature;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests
+{
+    public class DefaultHttpContextTests
+    {
+        [Fact]
+        public void EmptyUserIsNeverNull()
+        {
+            var context = new DefaultHttpContext(new FeatureCollection());
+            Assert.NotNull(context.User);
+            Assert.Equal(1, context.User.Identities.Count());
+            Assert.True(object.ReferenceEquals(context.User, context.User));
+            Assert.False(context.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated);
+            Assert.True(string.IsNullOrEmpty(context.User.Identity.AuthenticationType));
+
+            context.User = null;
+            Assert.NotNull(context.User);
+            Assert.Equal(1, context.User.Identities.Count());
+            Assert.True(object.ReferenceEquals(context.User, context.User));
+            Assert.False(context.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated);
+            Assert.True(string.IsNullOrEmpty(context.User.Identity.AuthenticationType));
+
+            context.User = new ClaimsPrincipal();
+            Assert.NotNull(context.User);
+            Assert.Equal(0, context.User.Identities.Count());
+            Assert.True(object.ReferenceEquals(context.User, context.User));
+            Assert.Null(context.User.Identity);
+
+            context.User = new ClaimsPrincipal(new ClaimsIdentity("SomeAuthType"));
+            Assert.Equal("SomeAuthType", context.User.Identity.AuthenticationType);
+            Assert.True(context.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests.kproj b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests.kproj
index efb347f4aa..2f35d88951 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests.kproj
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests/Microsoft.AspNet.PipelineCore.Tests.kproj
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     <Compile Include="BuilderTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="DefaultCanHasFormTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="DefaultCanHasQueryTests.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="DefaultHttpContextTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="DefaultHttpRequestTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>