diff --git a/headers/private/app/LaunchRoster.h b/headers/private/app/LaunchRoster.h
index 5a85161e20..aaf7196832 100644
--- a/headers/private/app/LaunchRoster.h
+++ b/headers/private/app/LaunchRoster.h
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ public:
 			status_t			Target(const char* name, BMessage& data,
 									const char* baseName = NULL);
 
-			status_t			StartSession(const char* login,
-									const char* password);
+			status_t			StartSession(const char* login);
 
 	class Private;
 
diff --git a/src/apps/login/LoginApp.cpp b/src/apps/login/LoginApp.cpp
index 30c5d7767b..abf2d90973 100644
--- a/src/apps/login/LoginApp.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/login/LoginApp.cpp
@@ -144,21 +144,19 @@ LoginApp::ArgvReceived(int32 argc, char **argv)
 void
 LoginApp::TryLogin(BMessage *message)
 {
+	BMessage reply(kLoginBad);
 	status_t status = B_BAD_VALUE;
 
-	const char *login;
-	const char *password;
-	BMessage reply(kLoginBad);
+	const char* login;
 	if (message->FindString("login", &login) == B_OK) {
-		if (message->FindString("password", &password) < B_OK)
-			password = NULL;
+		const char* password = message->GetString("password");
 
-		if (password != NULL) {
-			status = StartUserSession(login, password);
+		status = ValidateLogin(login, password);
+		if (status == B_OK) {
+			status = BLaunchRoster().StartSession(login);
 			if (status == B_OK)
 				Quit();
-		} else
-			status = ValidateLogin(login, password);
+		}
 
 		fprintf(stderr, "ValidateLogin: %s\n", strerror(status));
 	}
@@ -179,39 +177,18 @@ LoginApp::ValidateLogin(const char *login, const char *password)
 	struct passwd *pwd;
 
 	pwd = getpwnam(login);
-	if (!pwd)
+	if (pwd == NULL)
 		return ENOENT;
-	if (strcmp(pwd->pw_name, login))
+	if (strcmp(pwd->pw_name, login) != 0)
 		return ENOENT;
 
-	if (password == NULL) {
-		// we only want to check is login exists.
-		return B_OK;
-	}
-
-#ifdef __HAIKU__
 	if (verify_password(pwd, getspnam(login), password))
 		return B_OK;
-#else
-	// for testing
-	if (strcmp(crypt(password, pwd->pw_passwd), pwd->pw_passwd) == 0)
-		return B_OK;
-#endif
 
 	return B_PERMISSION_DENIED;
 }
 
 
-status_t
-LoginApp::StartUserSession(const char* login, const char* password)
-{
-	if (login == NULL || password == NULL)
-		return B_BAD_VALUE;
-
-	return BLaunchRoster().StartSession(login, password);
-}
-
-
 int
 LoginApp::getpty(char *pty, char *tty)
 {
diff --git a/src/apps/login/LoginApp.h b/src/apps/login/LoginApp.h
index 588af96db6..f3ddde2267 100644
--- a/src/apps/login/LoginApp.h
+++ b/src/apps/login/LoginApp.h
@@ -29,9 +29,8 @@ public:
 private:
 	void			TryLogin(BMessage *message);
 	status_t		ValidateLogin(const char *login, const char *password);
-	status_t		StartUserSession(const char *login, const char *password);
 	int				getpty(char *pty, char *tty);
-	
+
 	DesktopWindow*	fDesktopWindow;
 	LoginWindow*	fLoginWindow;
 	bool			fEditShelfMode;
diff --git a/src/kits/app/LaunchRoster.cpp b/src/kits/app/LaunchRoster.cpp
index 5d4ea848ad..4a94fc1e65 100644
--- a/src/kits/app/LaunchRoster.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/app/LaunchRoster.cpp
@@ -175,17 +175,15 @@ BLaunchRoster::Target(const char* name, BMessage& data, const char* baseName)
 
 
 status_t
-BLaunchRoster::StartSession(const char* login, const char* password)
+BLaunchRoster::StartSession(const char* login)
 {
-	if (login == NULL || password == NULL)
+	if (login == NULL)
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
 
 	BMessage request(B_LAUNCH_SESSION);
 	status_t status = request.AddInt32("user", getuid());
 	if (status == B_OK)
 		status = request.AddString("login", login);
-	if (status == B_OK)
-		status = request.AddString("password", password);
 	if (status != B_OK)
 		return status;
 
diff --git a/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp b/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp
index 63b2ebb5ae..0b3c95c9a0 100644
--- a/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp
@@ -105,8 +105,7 @@ private:
 			void				_SetCondition(BaseJob* job,
 									const BMessage& message);
 
-			status_t			_StartSession(const char* login,
-									const char* password);
+			status_t			_StartSession(const char* login);
 
 			void				_RetrieveKernelOptions();
 			void				_SetupEnvironment();
@@ -361,15 +360,15 @@ LaunchDaemon::MessageReceived(BMessage* message)
 
 			status_t status = B_OK;
 			const char* login = message->GetString("login");
-			const char* password = message->GetString("password");
-			if (login == NULL || password == NULL)
+			if (login == NULL)
 				status = B_BAD_VALUE;
 			if (status == B_OK && user != 0) {
 				// Only the root user can start sessions
+				// TODO: we'd actually need to know the uid of the sender
 				status = B_PERMISSION_DENIED;
 			}
 			if (status == B_OK)
-				status = _StartSession(login, password);
+				status = _StartSession(login);
 
 			BMessage reply((uint32)status);
 			message->SendReply(&reply);
@@ -699,11 +698,9 @@ LaunchDaemon::_SetCondition(BaseJob* job, const BMessage& message)
 
 
 status_t
-LaunchDaemon::_StartSession(const char* login, const char* password)
+LaunchDaemon::_StartSession(const char* login)
 {
-	Unlock();
-
-	// TODO: enable user/group code and password authentication
+	// TODO: enable user/group code
 	// The launch_daemon currently cannot talk to the registrar, though
 /*
 	struct passwd* passwd = getpwnam(login);
@@ -712,15 +709,13 @@ LaunchDaemon::_StartSession(const char* login, const char* password)
 	if (strcmp(passwd->pw_name, login) != 0)
 		return B_NAME_NOT_FOUND;
 
-	// TODO: check for auto-login, and ignore password then
-	if (!verify_password(passwd, getspnam(login), password))
-		return B_PERMISSION_DENIED;
-
 	// Check if there is a user session running already
 	uid_t user = passwd->pw_uid;
 	gid_t group = passwd->pw_gid;
 */
 
+	Unlock();
+
 	if (fork() == 0) {
 		if (setsid() < 0)
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);