diff --git a/html/includes/authenticate.inc.php b/html/includes/authenticate.inc.php
index ac79c164c..e796f5ca8 100644
--- a/html/includes/authenticate.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authenticate.inc.php
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ if (isset($_SESSION['username']))
   if (authenticate($_SESSION['username'],$_SESSION['password']))
   {
     $_SESSION['userlevel'] = get_userlevel($_SESSION['username']);
-    $_SESSION['user_id'] = $row['user_id'];
+    $_SESSION['user_id'] = get_userid($_SESSION['username']);;
     if(!$_SESSION['authenticated']) 
     {
       $_SESSION['authenticated'] = true;
diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/http-auth.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/http-auth.inc.php
index 5edb8d876..d417fdd29 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/http-auth.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/http-auth.inc.php
@@ -58,4 +58,11 @@ function get_userlevel($username)
   return $row['level'];
 }
 
+function get_userid($username)
+{
+  $sql = "SELECT user_id FROM `users` WHERE `username`='".mres($username)."'";
+  $row = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($sql));
+  return $row['user_id'];
+}
+
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php
index e987c1c46..fd7986662 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php
@@ -67,5 +67,13 @@ function get_userlevel($username)
   $row = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($sql));
   return $row['level'];
 }
- 
+
+function get_userid($username)
+{
+  # FIXME should come from LDAP
+  $sql = "SELECT user_id FROM `users` WHERE `username`='".mres($username)."'";
+  $row = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($sql));
+  return $row['user_id'];
+}
+
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/mysql.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/mysql.inc.php
index e7f6410f0..f212e6f60 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/mysql.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/mysql.inc.php
@@ -48,5 +48,12 @@ function get_userlevel($username)
   $row = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($sql));
   return $row['level'];
 }
-  
+ 
+function get_userid($username)
+{
+  $sql = "SELECT user_id FROM `users` WHERE `username`='".mres($username)."'";
+  $row = mysql_fetch_array(mysql_query($sql));
+  return $row['user_id'];
+}
+ 
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file