diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.spec.ts
index 5084dc8596..86794f257b 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.spec.ts
@@ -249,30 +249,34 @@ describe('AuthService test', () => {
 
     it ('should set redirect url to previous page', () => {
       spyOn(routeServiceMock, 'getHistory').and.callThrough();
+      spyOn(routerStub, 'navigateByUrl');
       authService.redirectAfterLoginSuccess(true);
       expect(routeServiceMock.getHistory).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(routerStub.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(['/collection/123']);
+      expect(routerStub.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/collection/123');
     });
 
     it ('should set redirect url to current page', () => {
       spyOn(routeServiceMock, 'getHistory').and.callThrough();
+      spyOn(routerStub, 'navigateByUrl');
       authService.redirectAfterLoginSuccess(false);
       expect(routeServiceMock.getHistory).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(routerStub.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(['/home']);
+      expect(routerStub.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/home');
     });
 
     it ('should redirect to / and not to /login', () => {
       spyOn(routeServiceMock, 'getHistory').and.returnValue(observableOf(['/login', '/login']));
+      spyOn(routerStub, 'navigateByUrl');
       authService.redirectAfterLoginSuccess(true);
       expect(routeServiceMock.getHistory).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(routerStub.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(['/']);
+      expect(routerStub.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/');
     });
 
     it ('should redirect to / when no redirect url is found', () => {
       spyOn(routeServiceMock, 'getHistory').and.returnValue(observableOf(['']));
+      spyOn(routerStub, 'navigateByUrl');
       authService.redirectAfterLoginSuccess(true);
       expect(routeServiceMock.getHistory).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(routerStub.navigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(['/']);
+      expect(routerStub.navigateByUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/');
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
index 5287e537ee..94b1e9e6ff 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
@@ -347,8 +347,7 @@ export class AuthService {
         if (isNotEmpty(redirectUrl)) {
           this.clearRedirectUrl();
           this.router.onSameUrlNavigation = 'reload';
-          const url = decodeURIComponent(redirectUrl);
-          this.navigateToRedirectUrl(url);
+          this.navigateToRedirectUrl(redirectUrl);
         } else {
           // If redirectUrl is empty use history.
           this.routeService.getHistory().pipe(
@@ -368,16 +367,17 @@ export class AuthService {
 
   }
 
-  protected navigateToRedirectUrl(url: string) {
+  protected navigateToRedirectUrl(redirectUrl: string) {
+    const url = decodeURIComponent(redirectUrl);
     // in case the user navigates directly to /login (via bookmark, etc), or the route history is not found.
     if (isEmpty(url) || url.startsWith(LOGIN_ROUTE)) {
-      this.router.navigate(['/']);
+      this.router.navigateByUrl('/');
       /* TODO Reenable hard redirect when REST API can handle x-forwarded-for, see https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/2207 */
       // this._window.nativeWindow.location.href = '/';
     } else {
       /* TODO Reenable hard redirect when REST API can handle x-forwarded-for, see https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/2207 */
       // this._window.nativeWindow.location.href = url;
-      this.router.navigate([url]);
+      this.router.navigateByUrl(url);
     }
   }