diff --git a/src/app/app.module.ts b/src/app/app.module.ts
index d8ab8eb687..be1233fd98 100755
--- a/src/app/app.module.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.module.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import { ForbiddenComponent } from './forbidden/forbidden.component';
 import { AuthInterceptor } from './core/auth/auth.interceptor';
 import { LocaleInterceptor } from './core/locale/locale.interceptor';
+import { XsrfInterceptor } from './core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor';
 
 export function getBase() {
   return environment.ui.nameSpace;
@@ -108,6 +109,12 @@ const PROVIDERS = [
     useClass: LocaleInterceptor,
     multi: true
   },
+  // register XsrfInterceptor as HttpInterceptor
+  {
+    provide: HTTP_INTERCEPTORS,
+    useClass: XsrfInterceptor,
+    multi: true
+  },
   ...DYNAMIC_MATCHER_PROVIDERS,
 ];
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor.spec.ts b/src/app/core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..007286302f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+import { TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
+import { HttpClientTestingModule, HttpTestingController } from '@angular/common/http/testing';
+import { HttpHeaders, HTTP_INTERCEPTORS, HttpResponse, HttpXsrfTokenExtractor } from '@angular/common/http';
+import { DspaceRestService } from '../dspace-rest/dspace-rest.service';
+import { RestRequestMethod } from '../data/rest-request-method';
+import { CookieService } from '../services/cookie.service';
+import { CookieServiceMock } from '../../shared/mocks/cookie.service.mock';
+import { XsrfInterceptor } from './xsrf.interceptor';
+
+/**
+ * A Mock TokenExtractor which just returns whatever token it is initialized with.
+ * This mock object is injected into our XsrfInterceptor, so that it always finds
+ * the same fake XSRF token.
+ */
+class MockTokenExtractor extends HttpXsrfTokenExtractor {
+  constructor(private token: string | null) { super(); }
+
+  getToken(): string | null { return this.token; }
+}
+
+describe(`XsrfInterceptor`, () => {
+  let service: DspaceRestService;
+  let httpMock: HttpTestingController;
+  let cookieService: CookieService;
+
+  // Create a MockTokenExtractor which always returns "test-token". This will
+  // be used as the test HttpXsrfTokenExtractor, see below.
+  const testToken = 'test-token';
+  const mockTokenExtractor = new MockTokenExtractor(testToken);
+
+  // Mock payload/statuses are dummy content as we are not testing the results
+  // of any below requests. We are only testing for X-XSRF-TOKEN header.
+  const mockPayload = {
+    id: 1
+  };
+  const mockStatusCode = 200;
+  const mockStatusText = 'SUCCESS';
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+      imports: [HttpClientTestingModule],
+      providers: [
+        DspaceRestService,
+        {
+          provide: HTTP_INTERCEPTORS,
+          useClass: XsrfInterceptor,
+          multi: true,
+        },
+        { provide: HttpXsrfTokenExtractor, useValue: mockTokenExtractor },
+        { provide: CookieService, useValue: new CookieServiceMock() }
+      ],
+    });
+
+    service = TestBed.get(DspaceRestService);
+    httpMock = TestBed.get(HttpTestingController);
+    cookieService = TestBed.get(CookieService);
+  });
+
+  it('should change withCredentials to true at all times', (done) => {
+    service.request(RestRequestMethod.POST, 'server/api/core/items', 'test', { withCredentials: false }).subscribe((response) => {
+      expect(response).toBeTruthy();
+      done();
+    });
+
+    const httpRequest = httpMock.expectOne('server/api/core/items');
+    expect(httpRequest.request.withCredentials).toBeTrue();
+
+    httpRequest.flush(mockPayload, { status: mockStatusCode, statusText: mockStatusText });
+  });
+
+  it('should add an X-XSRF-TOKEN header when we are sending an HTTP POST request', (done) => {
+    service.request(RestRequestMethod.POST, 'server/api/core/items', 'test').subscribe((response) => {
+      expect(response).toBeTruthy();
+      done();
+    });
+
+    const httpRequest = httpMock.expectOne('server/api/core/items');
+
+    expect(httpRequest.request.headers.has('X-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBeTrue();
+    expect(httpRequest.request.withCredentials).toBeTrue();
+    const token = httpRequest.request.headers.get('X-XSRF-TOKEN');
+    expect(token).toBeDefined();
+    expect(token).toBe(testToken.toString());
+
+    httpRequest.flush(mockPayload, { status: mockStatusCode, statusText: mockStatusText });
+  });
+
+  it('should NOT add an X-XSRF-TOKEN header when we are sending an HTTP GET request', (done) => {
+    service.request(RestRequestMethod.GET, 'server/api/core/items').subscribe((response) => {
+      expect(response).toBeTruthy();
+      done();
+    });
+
+    const httpRequest = httpMock.expectOne('server/api/core/items');
+
+    expect(httpRequest.request.headers.has('X-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBeFalse();
+    expect(httpRequest.request.withCredentials).toBeTrue();
+
+    httpRequest.flush(mockPayload, { status: mockStatusCode, statusText: mockStatusText });
+  });
+
+  it('should NOT add an X-XSRF-TOKEN header when we are sending an HTTP POST to an untrusted URL', (done) => {
+    // POST to a URL which is NOT our REST API
+    service.request(RestRequestMethod.POST, 'https://untrusted.com', 'test').subscribe((response) => {
+      expect(response).toBeTruthy();
+      done();
+    });
+
+    const httpRequest = httpMock.expectOne('https://untrusted.com');
+
+    expect(httpRequest.request.headers.has('X-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBeFalse();
+    expect(httpRequest.request.withCredentials).toBeTrue();
+
+    httpRequest.flush(mockPayload, { status: mockStatusCode, statusText: mockStatusText });
+  });
+
+  it('should update XSRF-TOKEN cookie when DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN header found in response', (done) => {
+    // Create a mock XSRF token to be returned in response within DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN header
+    const mockNewXSRFToken = '123456789abcdefg';
+
+    service.request(RestRequestMethod.GET, 'server/api/core/items').subscribe((response) => {
+      expect(response).toBeTruthy();
+
+      // ensure mock data (added in below flush() call) is returned.
+      expect(response.statusCode).toBe(mockStatusCode);
+      expect(response.statusText).toBe(mockStatusText);
+
+      // ensure mock XSRF token is in response
+      expect(response.headers.has('DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBeTrue();
+      const token = response.headers.get('DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN');
+      expect(token).toBeDefined();
+      expect(token).toBe(mockNewXSRFToken.toString());
+
+      // ensure our XSRF-TOKEN cookie exists & has the same value as the new DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN header
+      expect(cookieService.get('XSRF-TOKEN')).toBeDefined();
+      expect(cookieService.get('XSRF-TOKEN')).toBe(mockNewXSRFToken.toString());
+
+      done();
+    });
+
+    const httpRequest = httpMock.expectOne('server/api/core/items');
+
+    // Flush & create mock response (including sending back a new XSRF token in header)
+    httpRequest.flush(mockPayload, {
+      headers: new HttpHeaders().set('DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN', mockNewXSRFToken),
+      status: mockStatusCode,
+      statusText: mockStatusText
+    });
+  });
+
+});
diff --git a/src/app/core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor.ts b/src/app/core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ceb401e4c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/core/xsrf/xsrf.interceptor.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
+import { HttpEvent, HttpHandler, HttpInterceptor, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, HttpXsrfTokenExtractor } from '@angular/common/http';
+import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
+import { tap, filter } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { RESTURLCombiner } from '../url-combiner/rest-url-combiner';
+import { CookieService } from '../services/cookie.service';
+
+/**
+ * Custom Http Interceptor intercepting Http Requests & Responses to
+ * exchange XSRF/CSRF tokens with the backend.
+ *
+ * DSpace has a custom XSRF token process in order to support the UI and backend
+ * running on entirely separate domains:
+ *
+ * 1. Backend generates XSRF token & stores in a *server-side* (only) cookie
+ *    named DSPACE-XSRF-COOKIE. This cookie is not readable to Angular, but is
+ *    returned (by user's browser) on every subsequent request to backend.
+ * 2. Backend also sends XSRF token in a header named DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN to
+ *    Angular.
+ * 3. This interceptor looks for DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN header in a response. If
+ *    found, its value is saved to a *client-side* (only) cookie named XSRF-TOKEN.
+ * 4. Whenever Angular is making a mutating request (POST, PUT, DELETE, etc),
+ *    this interceptor checks for that client-side XSRF-TOKEN cookie. If found,
+ *    its value is sent to the backend in the X-XSRF-TOKEN header.
+ * 5. On backend, the X-XSRF-TOKEN header is received & compared to the current
+ *    value of the *server-side* cookie named DSPACE-XSRF-COOKIE. If tokens
+ *    match, the request is accepted. If tokens don't match a 403 is returned.
+ *
+ * In summary, the XSRF token is ALWAYS sent to/from the Angular UI and backend
+ * via *headers*. Both the Angular UI and backend have cookies which retain the
+ * last known value of the XSRF token for verification purposes.
+ */
+@Injectable()
+export class XsrfInterceptor implements HttpInterceptor {
+
+    constructor(private tokenExtractor: HttpXsrfTokenExtractor, private cookieService: CookieService) {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Intercept http requests and add the XSRF/CSRF token to the X-Forwarded-For header
+     * @param httpRequest
+     * @param next
+     */
+    intercept(req: HttpRequest<any>, next: HttpHandler): Observable<HttpEvent<any>> {
+        // Ensure EVERY request from Angular includes "withCredentials: true".
+        // This allows Angular to receive & send cookies via a CORS request (to
+        // the backend). ONLY requests with credentials will:
+        // 1. Ensure a user's browser sends the server-side XSRF cookie back to
+        //    the backend
+        // 2. Ensure a user's browser saves changes to the server-side XSRF
+        //    cookie (to ensure it is kept in sync with client side cookie)
+        req = req.clone({ withCredentials: true });
+
+        // Get request URL
+        const reqUrl = req.url.toLowerCase();
+
+        // Get root URL of configured REST API
+        const restUrl = new RESTURLCombiner('/').toString().toLowerCase();
+
+        // Skip any non-mutating request. This is because our REST API does NOT
+        // require CSRF verification for read-only requests like GET or HEAD
+        // Also skip any request which is NOT to our trusted/configured REST API
+        if (req.method !== 'GET' && req.method !== 'HEAD' && reqUrl.startsWith(restUrl)) {
+            // parse token from XSRF-TOKEN (client-side) cookie
+            const token = this.tokenExtractor.getToken() as string;
+
+            // send token in request's X-XSRF-TOKEN header (anti-CSRF security) to backend
+            const headerName = 'X-XSRF-TOKEN';
+            if (token !== null && !req.headers.has(headerName)) {
+                req = req.clone({ headers: req.headers.set(headerName, token) });
+            }
+        }
+        // Pass to next interceptor, but intercept EVERY response event as well
+        return next.handle(req).pipe(
+            // Check event that came back...is it an HttpResponse from backend?
+            filter((event) => event instanceof HttpResponse),
+                tap((response: HttpResponse<any>) => {
+                    // For every response that comes back, check for the custom
+                    // DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN header sent from the backend.
+                    if (response.headers.has('DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN')) {
+                        // value of header is a new XSRF token
+                        const newToken = response.headers.get('DSPACE-XSRF-TOKEN');
+
+                        // save token value as a *new* value of our client-side
+                        // XSRF-TOKEN cookie. (This is the same cookie we use to
+                        // send back the X-XSRF-TOKEN header. See request logic above)
+                        this.cookieService.remove('XSRF-TOKEN');
+                        this.cookieService.set('XSRF-TOKEN', newToken);
+                    }
+                })
+        ) as any;
+    }
+}