diff --git a/common/app/App.jsx b/common/app/App.jsx
index 1307166924c..847542cce48 100644
--- a/common/app/App.jsx
+++ b/common/app/App.jsx
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ export default contain(
   {
     store: 'appStore',
     fetchAction: 'appActions.getUser',
+    isPrimed({ username }) {
+      return !!username;
+    },
     getPayload(props) {
       return {
         isPrimed: !!props.username
diff --git a/common/app/flux/Actions.js b/common/app/flux/Actions.js
index cc3a3dfe008..d0e873b35c8 100644
--- a/common/app/flux/Actions.js
+++ b/common/app/flux/Actions.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Actions } from 'thundercats';
+import { Observable } from 'rx';
 
 
 export default Actions({
@@ -9,11 +10,7 @@ export default Actions({
     return { title: title + ' | Free Code Camp' };
   },
 
-  getUser({ isPrimed }) {
-    if (isPrimed) {
-      return null;
-    }
-
+  getUser() {
     return this.readService$('user', null, null)
       .map(({
         username,
@@ -30,9 +27,7 @@ export default Actions({
           isFullStackCert
         };
       })
-      .catch(err => {
-        console.error(err);
-      });
+      .catch(err => Observable.just({ err }));
   },
 
   // routing