diff --git a/src/mtgcoll/client/auth.cljs b/src/mtgcoll/client/auth.cljs
index 34005e2..72cf7e3 100644
--- a/src/mtgcoll/client/auth.cljs
+++ b/src/mtgcoll/client/auth.cljs
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
   []
   (not (nil? @user-profile)))
 
+(defn get-username
+  []
+  (:username @user-profile))
+
 (defn set-user-profile!
   [profile]
   (reset! user-profile profile))
diff --git a/src/mtgcoll/client/components/auth.cljs b/src/mtgcoll/client/components/auth.cljs
index 774ecbe..4bf68b4 100644
--- a/src/mtgcoll/client/components/auth.cljs
+++ b/src/mtgcoll/client/components/auth.cljs
@@ -25,9 +25,15 @@
                         (ajax/POST (->url "/login")
                                    :params {:username username :password password}
                                    :on-error #(reset! error "Invalid username/password.")
-                                   :on-success (fn [_]
-                                                 (on-close)
-                                                 (views/reconnect!))))))
+                                   :on-success (fn [response]
+                                                 ; i'm sick and fucking tired of using cljs-ajax. it's a bloated piece
+                                                 ; of shit that has always been too easy to use in a wrong way and when
+                                                 ; it happens, it's almost always unclear what the fuck is wrong.
+                                                 ; this is the last fucking project where i will be using it.
+                                                 (let [user-profile (clojure.walk/keywordize-keys response)]
+                                                   (on-close)
+                                                   (views/reconnect!)
+                                                   (auth/set-user-profile! user-profile)))))))
         on-key-up (fn [e]
                     (if (= 13 (.-keyCode e))
                       (on-submit)))]
diff --git a/src/mtgcoll/client/page.cljs b/src/mtgcoll/client/page.cljs
index 44c9c51..05b5eb3 100644
--- a/src/mtgcoll/client/page.cljs
+++ b/src/mtgcoll/client/page.cljs
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
     [webtools.reagent.bootstrap :as bs]
     [webtools.cljs.utils :refer [->url]]
     [mtgcoll.client.auth :as auth]
-    [mtgcoll.client.components.auth :refer [login-form]]))
+    [mtgcoll.client.components.auth :refer [login-form]]
+    [mtgcoll.client.views :as views]))
 
 (defonce error (r/atom nil))
 
@@ -25,36 +26,40 @@
 
 (defn app-body
   [page-component]
-  (let [active-breadcrumb @active-breadcrumb]
-    [:div#app-body.container
-     [bs/Navbar {:inverse true}
-      [bs/Navbar.Header
-       [bs/Navbar.Brand
-        [:a#logo {:href "#/"}
-         [:span [:img {:src (->url "/img/mtg_icon.png")}]]
-         "Card Collection"]]]
-      [bs/Navbar.Collapse
-       [bs/Nav
-        [bs/NavItem {:href "#/owned" :active (= :owned active-breadcrumb)} "Owned"]
-        [bs/NavItem {:href "#/all" :active (= :all active-breadcrumb)} "All"]
-        [bs/NavItem {:href "#/sets" :active (= :sets active-breadcrumb)} "Sets"]
-        [bs/NavItem {:href "#/stats" :active (= :stats active-breadcrumb)} "Statistics"]]
-       (if (auth/auth-required?)
-         [bs/Nav {:pull-right true}
-          (if (auth/authenticated?)
-            [bs/NavDropdown {:title (:username @auth/user-profile)}
-             [bs/MenuItem {:on-click #(auth/logout!)} "Logout"]]
-            [bs/NavItem {:on-click auth/show-login-form!} "Login"])])]]
-     [bs/Modal
-      {:show    (boolean @error)
-       :on-hide clear-error!}
-      [bs/Modal.Header [bs/Modal.Title "Error"]]
-      [bs/Modal.Body
-       [:p @error]]
-      [bs/Modal.Footer
-       [bs/Button {:on-click clear-error!} "Close"]]]
-     [login-form]
-     page-component]))
+  (if (views/connected?)
+    (let [active-breadcrumb @active-breadcrumb]
+      [:div#app-body.container
+       [bs/Navbar {:inverse true}
+        [bs/Navbar.Header
+         [bs/Navbar.Brand
+          [:a#logo {:href "#/"}
+           [:span [:img {:src (->url "/img/mtg_icon.png")}]]
+           "Card Collection"]]]
+        [bs/Navbar.Collapse
+         [bs/Nav
+          [bs/NavItem {:href "#/owned" :active (= :owned active-breadcrumb)} "Owned"]
+          [bs/NavItem {:href "#/all" :active (= :all active-breadcrumb)} "All"]
+          [bs/NavItem {:href "#/sets" :active (= :sets active-breadcrumb)} "Sets"]
+          [bs/NavItem {:href "#/stats" :active (= :stats active-breadcrumb)} "Statistics"]]
+         (if (auth/auth-required?)
+           [bs/Nav {:pull-right true}
+            (if (auth/authenticated?)
+              [bs/NavDropdown {:title (:username @auth/user-profile)}
+               [bs/MenuItem {:on-click (fn [_]
+                                         (auth/logout!)
+                                         (views/reconnect!))} "Logout"]]
+              [bs/NavItem {:on-click auth/show-login-form!} "Login"])])]]
+       [bs/Modal
+        {:show    (boolean @error)
+         :on-hide clear-error!}
+        [bs/Modal.Header [bs/Modal.Title "Error"]]
+        [bs/Modal.Body
+         [:p @error]]
+        [bs/Modal.Footer
+         [bs/Button {:on-click clear-error!} "Close"]]]
+       [login-form]
+       page-component])
+    [:h1 "Connecting ..."]))
 
 (defn page
   [page-component]
diff --git a/src/mtgcoll/client/views.cljs b/src/mtgcoll/client/views.cljs
index e205ccf..3e07113 100644
--- a/src/mtgcoll/client/views.cljs
+++ b/src/mtgcoll/client/views.cljs
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 (ns mtgcoll.client.views
   (:require
+    [reagent.core :as r]
     [taoensso.sente :as sente]
     [views.reagent.sente.client :as vr]
     [mtgcoll.client.auth :as auth]))
 
 (defonce sente-socket (atom {}))
 
+(defonce connected (r/atom false))
+
+(defn connected?
+  []
+  (boolean @connected))
+
 (defn chsk-exists?
   []
   (not (nil? (:chsk @sente-socket))))
@@ -34,6 +41,7 @@
       (= :chsk/handshake ev-id)
       (let [[_ _ handshake-data] ev-data
             {:keys [user]}       handshake-data]
+        (reset! connected true)
         (auth/set-user-profile! user))
 
       (= :chsk/recv id)
@@ -47,6 +55,7 @@
 (defn reconnect!
   []
   (clear-keepalive-interval!)
+  (reset! connected false)
   (sente/chsk-reconnect! (:chsk @sente-socket)))
 
 (defn init!
diff --git a/src/mtgcoll/routes/auth.clj b/src/mtgcoll/routes/auth.clj
index c7c62dd..7749214 100644
--- a/src/mtgcoll/routes/auth.clj
+++ b/src/mtgcoll/routes/auth.clj
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       (if-let [user (auth/validate-credentials username password)]
         (do
           (log/info username " logged in.")
-          (-> (response/content "ok")
+          (-> (response/json user)
               (session/set-from-request request)
               (session/assoc :user user)))
         (do