diff --git a/www/user/credential.js b/www/common/credential.js
similarity index 100%
rename from www/user/credential.js
rename to www/common/credential.js
diff --git a/www/common/login.js b/www/common/login.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf3848c70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/www/common/login.js
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+define([
+    '/bower_components/chainpad-listmap/chainpad-listmap.js',
+    '/bower_components/chainpad-crypto/crypto.js',
+    '/common/cryptpad-common.js',
+    '/common/credential.js',
+    '/bower_components/tweetnacl/nacl-fast.min.js',
+    '/bower_components/scrypt-async/scrypt-async.min.js', // better load speed
+    '/bower_components/jquery/dist/jquery.min.js',
+], function (Listmap, Crypto, Cryptpad, Cred) {
+    var Exports = {
+        Cred: Cred,
+    };
+
+    var allocateBytes = function (bytes) {
+        var dispense = Cred.dispenser(bytes);
+
+        var opt = {};
+
+        // dispense 18 bytes of entropy for your encryption key
+        var encryptionSeed = dispense(18);
+        // 16 bytes for a deterministic channel key
+        var channelSeed = dispense(16);
+        // 32 bytes for a curve key
+        var curveSeed = opt.curveSeed = dispense(32);
+        // 32 more for a signing key
+        var edSeed = opt.edSeed = dispense(32);
+
+        var keys = opt.keys = Crypto.createEditCryptor(null, encryptionSeed);
+
+        // 24 bytes of base64
+        keys.editKeyStr = keys.editKeyStr.replace(/\//g, '-');
+
+        // 32 bytes of hex
+        var channelHex = opt.channelHex = Cryptpad.uint8ArrayToHex(channelSeed);
+
+        // should never happen
+        if (channelHex.length !== 32) { throw new Error('invalid channel id'); }
+
+        var channel64 = opt.channel64 = Cryptpad.hexToBase64(channelHex);
+
+        var userHash = opt.userHash = '/1/edit/' + [opt.channel64, opt.keys.editKeyStr].join('/');
+
+        return opt;
+    };
+
+    var loadUserObject = function (opt, cb) {
+        var config = {
+            websocketURL: Cryptpad.getWebsocketURL(),
+            channel: opt.channelHex,
+            data: {},
+            validateKey: opt.keys.validateKey, // derived validation key
+            crypto: Crypto.createEncryptor(opt.keys),
+            logLevel: 1,
+        };
+
+        var rt = opt.rt = Listmap.create(config);
+        rt.proxy
+        .on('ready', function (info) {
+            cb(void 0, rt);
+        })
+        .on('disconnect', function (info) {
+            cb('E_DISCONNECT', info);
+        });
+    };
+
+    var isProxyEmpty = function (proxy) {
+        return Object.keys(proxy).length === 0;
+    };
+
+    Exports.loginOrRegister = function (uname, passwd, isRegister, cb) {
+        if (typeof(cb) !== 'function') { return; }
+
+        // validate inputs
+        if (!Cred.isValidUsername(uname)) { return void cb('INVAL_USER'); }
+        if (!Cred.isValidPassword(passwd)) { return void cb('INVAL_PASS'); }
+
+        Cred.deriveFromPassphrase(uname, passwd, 128, function (bytes) {
+            // results...
+            var res = {
+                register: isRegister,
+            };
+
+            // run scrypt to derive the user's keys
+            var opt = res.opt = allocateBytes(bytes);
+
+            // use the derived key to generate an object
+            loadUserObject(opt, function (err, rt) {
+                if (err) { return void cb(err); }
+
+                res.proxy = rt.proxy;
+                res.realtime = rt.realtime;
+                res.network = rt.network;
+
+                // they tried to just log in but there's no such user
+                if (!isRegister && isProxyEmpty(rt.proxy)) {
+                    rt.network.disconnect(); // clean up after yourself
+                    return void cb('NO_SUCH_USER', res);
+                }
+
+                // they're registering...
+
+                res.userHash = opt.userHash;
+                res.userName = uname;
+                //res.displayName // TODO
+
+                cb(void 0, res);
+            });
+        });
+    };
+
+    return Exports;
+});
diff --git a/www/user/main.js b/www/user/main.js
index 18958cd15..8d86d6b9c 100644
--- a/www/user/main.js
+++ b/www/user/main.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 define([
-    '/api/config?cb=' + Math.random().toString(16).substring(2),
     '/bower_components/chainpad-listmap/chainpad-listmap.js',
     '/bower_components/chainpad-crypto/crypto.js',
     '/common/cryptpad-common.js',
-    'credential.js',
+    '/common/credential.js',
+    '/common/login.js',
     '/bower_components/tweetnacl/nacl-fast.min.js',
     '/bower_components/scrypt-async/scrypt-async.min.js', // better load speed
     '/bower_components/jquery/dist/jquery.min.js',
-], function (Config, Listmap, Crypto, Cryptpad, Cred) {
+], function (Listmap, Crypto, Cryptpad, Cred, Login) {
     var $ = window.jQuery;
     var Nacl = window.nacl;
 
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ define([
     var APP = window.APP = {
         Cryptpad: Cryptpad,
         Crypto: Crypto,
+        Login: Login,
     };
 
     // login elements