diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/strategies.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/strategies.js
index 87023a487..bae4df5c3 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/strategies.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/strategies.js
@@ -123,38 +123,57 @@ AnonymousStrategy.prototype.authenticate = function(req) {
     });
 }
 
+
+function authenticateUserToken(req) {
+    return new Promise( (resolve,reject) => {
+        var token = null;
+        var tokenHeader = Users.tokenHeader();
+        if (Users.tokenHeader() === null) {
+            // No custom user token provided. Fail the request
+            reject();
+            return;
+        } else if (Users.tokenHeader() === 'authorization') {
+            if (req.headers.authorization && req.headers.authorization.split(' ')[0] === 'Bearer') {
+                token = req.headers.authorization.split(' ')[1];
+            }
+        } else {
+            token = req.headers[Users.tokenHeader()];
+        }
+        if (token) {
+            Users.tokens(token).then(function(user) {
+                if (user) {
+                    resolve(user);
+                } else {
+                    reject();
+                }
+            });
+        } else {
+            reject();
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+
 function TokensStrategy() {
   passport.Strategy.call(this);
   this.name = 'tokens';
 }
 util.inherits(TokensStrategy, passport.Strategy);
 TokensStrategy.prototype.authenticate = function(req) {
-    var self = this;
-    var token = null;
-    if (Users.tokenHeader() === 'authorization') {  
-        if (req.headers.authorization && req.headers.authorization.split(' ')[0] === 'Bearer') {
-            token = req.headers.authorization.split(' ')[1];
-        }
-    } else {
-        token = req.headers[Users.tokenHeader()];
-    }
-    if (token) {
-        Users.tokens(token).then(function(admin) {
-            if (admin) {
-                self.success(admin,{scope:admin.permissions});
-            } else {
-                self.fail(401);
-            }
-        });
-    } else {
-        self.fail(401);
-    }
+    authenticateUserToken(req).then(user => {
+        this.success(user,{scope:user.permissions});
+    }).catch(err => {
+        this.fail(401);
+    });
 }
 
+
+
 module.exports = {
     bearerStrategy: bearerStrategy,
     clientPasswordStrategy: clientPasswordStrategy,
     passwordTokenExchange: passwordTokenExchange,
     anonymousStrategy: new AnonymousStrategy(),
-    tokensStrategy: new TokensStrategy()
+    tokensStrategy: new TokensStrategy(),
+    authenticateUserToken: authenticateUserToken
 }
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users.js
index f032332db..b5754bee9 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ var api = {
     authenticate: authenticate,
     default: getDefaultUser,
     tokens: getDefaultUser,
-    tokenHeader: "authorization"
+    tokenHeader: null
 }
 
 function init(config) {
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ function init(config) {
         api.tokens = config.tokens;
         if (config.tokenHeader && typeof config.tokenHeader === "string") {
             api.tokenHeader = config.tokenHeader.toLowerCase();
+        } else {
+            api.tokenHeader = "authorization";
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/comms.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/comms.js
index 2c46f87e8..84da62a69 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/comms.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/editor-api/lib/editor/comms.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ var log = require("@node-red/util").log; // TODO: separate module
 var Tokens;
 var Users;
 var Permissions;
+var Strategies;
 
 var server;
 var settings;
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ function init(_server,_settings,_runtimeAPI) {
     Tokens.onSessionExpiry(handleSessionExpiry);
     Users = require("../auth/users");
     Permissions = require("../auth/permissions");
+    Strategies = require("../auth/strategies");
 
 }
 function handleSessionExpiry(session) {
@@ -63,17 +65,18 @@ function generateSession(length) {
     return token.join("");
 }
 
-function CommsConnection(ws) {
+function CommsConnection(ws, user) {
     this.session = generateSession(32);
     this.ws = ws;
     this.stack = [];
-    this.user = null;
+    this.user = user;
     this.lastSentTime = 0;
     var self = this;
 
     log.audit({event: "comms.open"});
     log.trace("comms.open "+self.session);
-    var pendingAuth = (settings.adminAuth != null);
+    var preAuthed = !!user;
+    var pendingAuth = !this.user && (settings.adminAuth != null);
 
     if (!pendingAuth) {
         addActiveConnection(self);
@@ -199,8 +202,8 @@ function start() {
             var commsPath = settings.httpAdminRoot || "/";
             commsPath = (commsPath.slice(0,1) != "/" ? "/":"") + commsPath + (commsPath.slice(-1) == "/" ? "":"/") + "comms";
             wsServer = new ws.Server({ noServer: true });
-            wsServer.on('connection',function(ws) {
-                var commsConnection = new CommsConnection(ws);
+            wsServer.on('connection',function(ws, request, user) {
+                var commsConnection = new CommsConnection(ws, user);
             });
             wsServer.on('error', function(err) {
                 log.warn(log._("comms.error-server",{message:err.toString()}));
@@ -209,8 +212,26 @@ function start() {
             server.on('upgrade', function upgrade(request, socket, head) {
                 const pathname = url.parse(request.url).pathname;
                 if (pathname === commsPath) {
+                    if (Users.tokenHeader() !== null && request.headers[Users.tokenHeader()]) {
+                        // The user has provided custom token handling. For the websocket,
+                        // the token could be provided in two ways:
+                        //  - as an http header (only possible with a reverse proxy setup)
+                        //  - passed over the connected websock in an auth packet
+                        // If the header is present, verify the token. If not, use the auth
+                        // packet over the connected socket
+                        //
+                        Strategies.authenticateUserToken(request).then(user => {
+                            wsServer.handleUpgrade(request, socket, head, function done(ws) {
+                                wsServer.emit('connection', ws, request, user);
+                            });
+                        }).catch(err => {
+                            log.audit({event: "comms.auth.fail"});
+                            socket.destroy();
+                        })
+                        return
+                    }
                     wsServer.handleUpgrade(request, socket, head, function done(ws) {
-                        wsServer.emit('connection', ws, request);
+                        wsServer.emit('connection', ws, request, null);
                     });
                 }
                 // Don't destroy the socket as other listeners may want to handle the
diff --git a/test/unit/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users_spec.js b/test/unit/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users_spec.js
index 228163684..18a179ac7 100644
--- a/test/unit/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/@node-red/editor-api/lib/auth/users_spec.js
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ describe("api/auth/users", function() {
        });
 
         describe('#get',function() {
+            it("returns null for tokenHeader", function() {
+                should.not.exist(Users.tokenHeader());
+            });
+
             it('delegates get user',function(done) {
                 Users.get('dave').then(function(user) {
                     try {